install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install spim

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install spim

MacPorts ports tree · emulators/spim/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install spim

Debian stable package indexes · spim · source: deb.debian.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install spim

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · spim · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Windows

Windows Package Managerverified · 92%

winget install --id JamesLarus.SPIM -e

Windows Package Manager source index · JamesLarus.SPIM · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com

overview

Package summary

MIPS32 simulator

Project links

Commands and aliases

spim

history

Project history and usage

SPIM is James Larus's long-running MIPS32 simulator, packaged as a terminal simulator and historically accompanied by graphical variants for teaching assembly language and computer architecture.

Project history

The official site says SPIM reads and executes MIPS32 assembly programs, provides a simple debugger and minimal operating-system services, and includes source code and documentation. Its copyright notice spans 1990 to 2023.

Adoption history

SPIM persisted in package collections because it was a compact teaching tool with a stable command-line interface. The input facts list Homebrew, Debian, Fedora, MacPorts, Ubuntu, and winget packages.

How it is used

The terminal `spim` program is used to run assembly-language programs for the simulator, while QtSpim provides a cross-platform GUI. The official site says older PCSpim and xspim interfaces remain available but are no longer maintained.

Why package nerds care

Package maintainers care about SPIM because it is classic educational infrastructure: small, stable, source-available, and useful on lab machines where students need the same MIPS simulator from a package manager.

Timeline

1990: Copyright period begins for James R. Larus's SPIM codebase.
Pre-7.0: Older SPIM versions implemented the MIPS-I instruction set.
7.0 and later: SPIM moved to the MIPS32 architecture according to the older-versions page.
2023: ChangeLog records release 9.1.24 on August 4.
2023: Official site says SPIM is no longer supported and should retire.

Related projects

QtSpim
xspim
PCSpim
MIPS32

Sources

https://sourceforge.net/p/spimsimulator/code/HEAD/tree/ChangeLog
https://spimsimulator.sourceforge.net/
https://spimsimulator.sourceforge.net/older.html
input source_facts.package-manager

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 10 platform targets.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`spim`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-08-04

manager version9.1.24

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://spimsimulator.sourceforge.net/

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://spimsimulator.sourceforge.net/none confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:spim
Version	9.1.24
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/spim
Homepage	https://spimsimulator.sourceforge.net/
Upstream docs	https://spimsimulator.sourceforge.net/
License	BSD-3-Clause
Source archive	https://svn.code.sf.net/p/spimsimulator/code
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	spim
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	head stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Debian apt95%

spim 8.0+dfsg-7

MIPS R2000/R3000 emulator

http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~larus/spim.html

sudo apt install spim

Section: electronics
Architecture: amd64
4 dependencies
2 optional deps
normalized package name match
Matched by: Spim

Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: spim from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

Ubuntu apt95%

spim 8.0+dfsg-7

MIPS R2000/R3000 emulator

http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~larus/spim.html

sudo apt install spim

Section: universe/electronics
Architecture: amd64
4 dependencies
2 optional deps
normalized package name match
Matched by: Spim

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: spim from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

dnf95%

spim 20230804-0.13.svn.fc45

An assembly language MIPS32 simulator

http://spimsimulator.sourceforge.net/

sudo dnf install spim

License: BSD-3-Clause
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: spim
3 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Spim

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: spim from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/210a2053c8e007daf9ae39c2a21daaed9b2ddd07d63ecffa597050361e73650c-primary.xml.zst

MacPorts95%

spim

sudo port install spim

normalized package name match
Matched by: Spim

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: emulators/spim/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

winget95%

JamesLarus.SPIM

winget install --id JamesLarus.SPIM -e

normalized package name match
Matched by: Spim

Windows Package Manager source index · cdn.winget.microsoft.com · Windows Package Manager source index: JamesLarus.SPIM from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/spim.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment
pkg.so package database
pkgdb category and tag curation

Install spim with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, winget