# Install activemq with Homebrew, apt, Nix, chocolatey, scoop

Apache ActiveMQ: powerful open source messaging server. Version 6.3.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-27. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install activemq.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:activemq
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install activemq
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

### Linux

- Debian apt (92%):

```sh
sudo apt install activemq
```

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

- Nix (92%):

```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#activemq
```

  Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ac/activemq/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

### Windows

- Chocolatey (92%):

```sh
choco install ActiveMQ
```

  Evidence: Chocolatey community package catalog: ActiveMQ from https://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages()?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000

- Scoop (92%):

```sh
scoop install extras/activemq
```

  Evidence: Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/activemq.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Extras/git/trees/master?recursive=1

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:activemq
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 6.3.0
- **Source summary:** Apache ActiveMQ: powerful open source messaging server
- **Homepage:** <https://activemq.apache.org/>
- **Last updated:** 2026-07-27T17:51:26Z
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- activemq (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 6.3.0
## Project history and usage

Apache ActiveMQ is the Apache Software Foundation's long-running open source message broker line. The Classic distribution is a Java broker for JMS, Jakarta Messaging, and cross-language protocols including OpenWire, STOMP, AMQP, and MQTT.

### Project history

The ActiveMQ Classic documentation describes a broker configured through XML deployment descriptors and notes that version 4.0 adopted XBean-based XML configuration. The project has since kept the broker as a standalone server, embeddable Java component, and protocol bridge for enterprise integration patterns.

The Apache project site now distinguishes ActiveMQ Classic from related ActiveMQ components, while the Apache GitHub repository is the official source-control location for the Classic code line.

### Adoption history

ActiveMQ became a common package-manager entry because it ships as a runnable message broker with an `activemq` command, default configuration files, and broad protocol support. The Apache site highlights use from Java, C, C++, C#, Ruby, Perl, Python, PHP, and browser-facing APIs.

The project continues to publish maintained 5.x and 6.x Classic releases; the Apache news feed lists ongoing 5.19.x maintenance and 6.2.x releases in 2026.

### How it is used

Package users typically install ActiveMQ to run a local or server-side message broker, edit `${ACTIVEMQ_HOME}/conf/activemq.xml`, and start the `activemq` command. The XML configuration imports `jetty.xml` for the web console and reads `${activemq.conf}/credentials.properties` through Spring property placeholders.

### Why package nerds care

ActiveMQ matters to package maintainers because it is both a daemon-style service and a developer integration tool: packages must preserve configuration layout, broker scripts, Java runtime assumptions, and web-console credentials behavior.

It is also a representative Java server package whose version streams can coexist in enterprise environments, making default config paths and upgrade notes more important than a simple CLI formula.

### Timeline

- 2006: ActiveMQ 4.0-era documentation adopted XBean XML configuration.
- 2009: The Apache GitHub mirror for `apache/activemq` was created.
- 2023: ActiveMQ Classic 6.0.0 began the Classic 6.x series.
- 2026: Apache published ActiveMQ 5.19.x maintenance and 6.2.x releases.

### Related projects

- ActiveMQ Artemis is a related Apache messaging broker project under the ActiveMQ family. ActiveMQ Classic also relates to Apache NMS client libraries and protocol peers for STOMP, AMQP, MQTT, and OpenWire.

### Sources

- <https://activemq.apache.org/components/classic/>
- <https://activemq.apache.org/news/>
- <https://activemq.apache.org/xml-configuration>
- <https://api.github.com/repos/apache/activemq>


## Security Notes

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. formula declares a Homebrew service.

- **Geiger risk:** orange / medium
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
- formula declares a Homebrew service


## Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.


## Configuration files

- Unix: ${ACTIVEMQ_HOME}/conf/activemq.xml, ${ACTIVEMQ_HOME}/conf/jetty.xml

## Credential files

- Unix: ${activemq.conf}/credentials.properties
## Other Package-Manager Records

- Debian apt - activemq - 5.17.6+dfsg-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: activemq from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Java message broker - server | https://activemq.apache.org
- Debian apt - libactivemq-java - 5.17.6+dfsg-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libactivemq-java from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Java message broker core libraries | https://activemq.apache.org
- Nix - activemq: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ac/activemq/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Ubuntu apt - activemq - 5.17.6+dfsg-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: activemq from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Java message broker - server | https://activemq.apache.org
- Ubuntu apt - libactivemq-java - 5.17.6+dfsg-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libactivemq-java from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Java message broker core libraries | https://activemq.apache.org
- Chocolatey - ActiveMQ: normalized package name match | Chocolatey community package catalog: ActiveMQ from https://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages()?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000
- Scoop - extras/activemq: normalized package name match | Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/activemq.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Extras/git/trees/master?recursive=1


## Combined YAML source

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


## Sources

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