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Install cling with Homebrew, Nix

C++ interpreter. Version 1.3 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#cling.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install cling

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#cling

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/cl/cling/package.nix · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

C++ interpreter

Commands and aliases

  • cling

history

Project history and usage

Cling is an interactive C++ interpreter built on Clang and LLVM. The official README describes it as a REPL that reuses Clang diagnostics, supports interactive C++ development, and can be used from the command line or as a Jupyter kernel.

Project history

Cling emerged from the ROOT high-energy physics ecosystem as the new interpreter for ROOT 6. The official README includes a peer-reviewed CHEP 2012 citation, 'Cling - The New Interactive Interpreter for ROOT 6', and the ROOT documentation presents Cling as ROOT's C++ interpreter.

Adoption history

Cling's adoption is strongest through ROOT rather than as an isolated package. In package-manager culture, standalone formulae such as Homebrew and Nix expose it to users who want an interactive C++ REPL without installing or centering an entire ROOT workflow.

How it is used

The README documents building Cling with the matching root-project LLVM branch, running cling with inline C++ snippets or an interactive prompt, using .help, and enabling a Jupyter kernel. The ROOT manual covers prompt commands and interactive C++ usage inside ROOT.

Why package nerds care

Cling is package-nerd significant because it turns a compiled language and a large compiler infrastructure into a packaged interactive runtime. It also illustrates the maintenance burden of packaging tools that track LLVM and Clang closely, which is why distribution recipes matter for users who just want a working C++ REPL.

Timeline

  • 2012: CHEP publication describes Cling as the new interactive interpreter for ROOT 6.
  • 2010s: Cling release tags progress from v0.4 through v1.x in the official repository tag list.
  • 2020s: Official README documents standalone builds, LLVM/Clang integration, Jupyter support, and ROOT manual integration.
  • 2026: Batch input lists Homebrew and Nix distribution.

Related projects

  • Cling is directly related to ROOT, Clang, LLVM, and Jupyter. It belongs near other interactive language runtimes and C++ exploration tools, but its official lineage is ROOT and LLVM/Clang rather than a general scripting-language implementation.

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:interpreter

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.

executables

Installed executables

CommandKindExposureNote
clingexecutableindexed executableDiscovered 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 version1.3
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
  • okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:cling
Version1.3
Package managerHomebrew
Homepagehttps://root.cern/cling/
Repositoryhttps://github.com/root-project/cling
Bottlenot recorded
Servicenone declared

source database matches

Other package-manager records

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

Nix95%

cling

nix profile install nixpkgs#cling
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Cling
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/cl/cling/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

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.

Used sources

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