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Install chicken with Homebrew
Compiler for the Scheme programming language. Version 5.4.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Compiler for the Scheme programming language
Project links
Commands and aliases
- chicken
- chicken-do
- chicken-install
- chicken-profile
- chicken-status
- chicken-uninstall
- feathers
history
Project history and usage
CHICKEN is a Scheme implementation centered on a compiler that translates Scheme to portable C, plus an interpreter, extension library ecosystem, manual, wiki, and package tooling.
Project history
The official getting-started manual says CHICKEN combines an optimizing compiler with a reasonably fast interpreter, generates portable C, supports tail recursion, continuations, lightweight threads, and a flexible interface to C libraries.
The same manual records that CHICKEN was developed by Felix L. Winkelmann from 2000 through 2007, and that in early 2008 the community took over responsibility for development and maintenance while Winkelmann remained involved.
Adoption history
CHICKEN's adoption is tied to its practical build story: Scheme code becomes C, then a C compiler produces a standalone executable, making it easier to package and deploy than many pure interpreter workflows.
The input package metadata lists Alpine, Homebrew, Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora, MacPorts, Arch, and openSUSE packages. Homebrew reported 28,712 trailing-365-day installs at research time.
How it is used
The official homepage demonstrates both interpreted use with `csi -s hello-world.scm` and compiled use with `csc hello-world.scm`, then running the resulting executable.
The manual documents `$HOME/.csirc` as an initialization file loaded before the read-eval-print loop unless disabled, which is the relevant user-level config file.
Why package nerds care
CHICKEN is package-nerd-significant because it bridges Lisp/Scheme culture and Unix packaging: source goes to C, extensions are distributed as Eggs, and the runtime fits normal compiler/package-manager workflows.
For package maintainers, CHICKEN's split between core compiler/interpreter tools and a large extension ecosystem makes it a classic language-runtime package rather than a single app.
Timeline
- 2000: Felix L. Winkelmann began the development period described by the official manual.
- 2008: Community maintenance responsibility began, according to the official manual.
- 2026: Homebrew tracked CHICKEN 5.4.0 from the official call-cc.org release archive.
Related projects
- Eggs are CHICKEN's contributed extension/library ecosystem and are linked directly from the official homepage.
- CHICKEN sits in the Scheme implementation family alongside systems such as Chez Scheme and Chibi-Scheme, but its package identity is especially shaped by C output and the `csc`/`csi` workflow.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: yellow
generalized runtime or code generation signal.
Risk classifier
yellow risk · medium confidence · runtime
Why
- generalized runtime or code generation signal
Signals
- text:programming language
Install behavior
- No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
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
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Unix
~/.csirc
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
chicken | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
chicken-do | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
chicken-install | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
chicken-profile | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
chicken-status | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
chicken-uninstall | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
feathers | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
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 generated2026-08-03
manager version5.4.0
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:chicken |
|---|---|
| Version | 5.4.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://www.call-cc.org/ |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
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
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation