macOS
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brew install tcl-tk@8local Homebrew formula metadata
brew / rank 567
Install tcl-tk@8 with Homebrew
Tool Command Language. Version 8.6.18 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-27.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Tool Command Language
Project links
Commands and aliases
No executable aliases were found in the local package database.
history
Project history and usage
Tcl/Tk 8 is the legacy Tcl/Tk release line packaged for users and software that still need the 8.6 ABI, tools, and documentation rather than the newer Tcl/Tk 9 line.
Project history
The upstream history is the Tcl/Tk history: Tcl began as John Ousterhout's embeddable command language at Berkeley, with implementation starting in 1988, and Tk followed as a reusable GUI toolkit released publicly in 1991.
The official Tcl/Tk 8.6 page states that Tcl/Tk 8.6 was first released in 2012, that development ends in 2026, and that Tcl/Tk 9.0 became the successor release line in 2024.
Homebrew's tcl-tk@8 formula is therefore best understood as a compatibility package, not a separate upstream project.
Adoption history
Tcl/Tk's early adoption came through Unix distribution, USENIX visibility, FTP source availability, Expect among system administrators, and Tk as a lower-effort way to build Unix GUIs.
The 8.6 line stayed important because many deployed Tcl scripts, Tk applications, extensions, and embedded interpreters were written against Tcl 8 behavior and APIs before the compatibility changes introduced by Tcl/Tk 9.
How it is used
Package-manager users choose tcl-tk@8 when a dependency expects Tcl/Tk 8.6, when older Tk applications need the legacy runtime, or when versioned executables such as tclsh8.6 and wish8.6 are required.
The official 8.6 page highlights bundled packages, TclOO, coroutine support, IPv6 sockets, zlib, PNG support in Tk, and other features that made 8.6 a long-lived stable baseline.
Why package nerds care
This formula matters because versioned runtime packages are how package managers keep old build systems and GUI tools working while allowing the default formula to move to a new major release.
For dependency solvers and maintainers, Tcl/Tk 8 is the kind of legacy runtime where ABI expectations and executable names matter more than novelty.
Timeline
- 1988: Tcl implementation began at Berkeley.
- 1991: Tk first Internet release.
- 2012: Tcl/Tk 8.6 first released.
- 2024: Tcl/Tk 9.0 became the successor release line.
- 2026: Official 8.6 page lists Tcl/Tk 8.6.18 and says 8.6 development ends in 2026.
Related projects
- The unversioned tcl-tk formula follows the current Tcl/Tk line.
- Tcl/Tk 9.0 is the successor major line; Tcllib, Tklib, Expect, TclOO, Thread, and TDBC are related Tcl ecosystem projects.
Sources
security posture
No protected-tool coverage found yet
No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for tcl-tk@8. Package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No executable data was present. | |||
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 version8.6.18
manager updated2026-06-27
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.tcl-lang.orgnone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:tcl-tk@8 |
|---|---|
| Version | 8.6.18 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/tcl-tk@8 |
| Homepage | https://www.tcl-lang.org |
| Upstream docs | https://www.tcl-lang.org |
| License | TCL |
| Source archive | https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/tcl/Tcl/8.6.18/tcl8.6.18-src.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-27T16:45:24-04:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | openssl@3 |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
| Caveats | The sqlite3_analyzer binary is in the `sqlite-analyzer` formula. |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | tcl-tk@8 |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | yes |
| URL Keys |
|
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.
Used sources
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment
- pkg.so package database
- pkgdb category and tag curation