# Install abcl with Homebrew, apk, apt, MacPorts, Nix

Armed Bear Common Lisp: a full implementation of Common Lisp. Version 1.9.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-23. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install abcl.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:abcl
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install abcl
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

- MacPorts (94%):

```sh
sudo port install abcl
```

  Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: lang/abcl/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

### Linux

- apk (92%):

```sh
sudo apk add abcl
```

  Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: abcl from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

- Debian apt (92%):

```sh
sudo apt install abcl
```

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

- Nix (92%):

```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#abcl
```

  Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: abcl from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/master/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:abcl
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 1.9.2
- **Source summary:** Armed Bear Common Lisp: a full implementation of Common Lisp
- **Homepage:** <https://abcl.org/>
- **Last updated:** 2026-07-23T18:33:39+09:00
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- abcl (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 1.9.2
## Project history and usage

Armed Bear Common Lisp is an ANSI Common Lisp implementation for the Java Virtual Machine. The official homepage describes it as providing both an interpreter and compiler, compiling Lisp to Java bytecode, and supporting Java integration.

### Project history

The official homepage says ABCL was originally started as a scripting language for the J editor. It later grew into a standalone Common Lisp implementation on the JVM, with support for JSR-223 so it can act as a Java scripting engine and with Java-to-Lisp integration APIs for embedding Lisp in Java applications.

### Adoption history

ABCL occupies a particular niche among Common Lisp implementations: it lets Lisp code run where a JVM is already the deployment target. The supplied package-manager metadata lists it in APK, Homebrew, Debian, MacPorts, Nix, and Ubuntu, reflecting its role as both a language runtime and a Java ecosystem bridge.

### How it is used

Official documentation shows ABCL being run as a jar with java -jar abcl.jar, used as an interactive REPL, embedded from Java, and connected to Common Lisp tooling such as ASDF, Quicklisp, and SLIME.

### Why package nerds care

Package maintainers care about ABCL because it is a Common Lisp runtime whose runtime contract is Java rather than a native Lisp image. That makes Java version support, jar layout, wrappers, ASDF integration, and contrib artifacts central packaging concerns.

### Timeline

- 2016: Official GitHub mirror/repository metadata shows the armedbear/abcl repository created.
- 2026: Official ABCL release archive lists 1.10.0 artifacts, including abcl.jar and abcl.pdf.

### Related projects

- ABCL is tied historically to the J editor and operationally to the JVM, Java scripting APIs, ASDF, Quicklisp, and SLIME.

### Sources

- Official homepage, FAQ repository section, README, releases index, GitHub repository metadata, and source_facts.package-manager.


## Security Notes

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

- **Geiger risk:** green / low
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

## Other Package-Manager Records

- Debian apt - abcl - 1.9.2-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: abcl from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Common Lisp implementation in the Java Virtual Machine | https://abcl.org/
- Nix - abcl: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: abcl from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/master/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
- Ubuntu apt - abcl - 1.9.0-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: abcl from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Common Lisp implementation in the Java Virtual Machine | https://abcl.org/
- apk - abcl - 1.10.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: abcl from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Armed Bear Common Lisp | https://abcl.org/
- MacPorts - abcl: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: lang/abcl/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1


## Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/abcl.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/abcl.yml)


## Sources

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