# Install colormake with Homebrew, apk, apt, Nix, zypper Wrapper around make to colorize the output. Version 0.9.20140503 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install colormake. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:colormake ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install colormake ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add colormake ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: colormake from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install colormake ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: colormake from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#colormake ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/co/colormake/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install colormake ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: colormake from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:colormake - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 0.9.20140503 - **Source summary:** Wrapper around make to colorize the output - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00 ## Executables - clmake (alias) - clmake-short (alias) - colormake (alias) - colormake-short (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 0.9.20140503 ## Project history and usage Colormake is a small Perl-and-shell wrapper around `make` that colorizes build output so compiler messages and errors are easier to scan. ### Project history The manual page is dated July 2001 and describes `colormake` as a wrapper for `make(1)`. The upstream README credits Bjarni R. Einarsson as author and says the project was inspired by Michael T. Babcock's `logcolorize` program. ### Adoption history Colormake has the kind of quiet adoption typical of build-output filters: it is exposed as `colormake`, `clmake`, `colormake-short`, and `clmake-short`, and the supplied metadata lists packages in Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Alpine, Nix, and openSUSE. ### How it is used Users substitute `colormake` where they would normally run `make`; `clmake` pipes through `less`, while the `-short` variants truncate long lines to avoid wrapping. ### Why package nerds care Colormake is notable for solving a narrow packaging-era problem with minimal machinery: improving human readability of compiler output without changing makefiles or build systems. The manpage also records an old command-name conflict: `/usr/bin/colormake` was formerly `/usr/bin/cmake`, which had to be renamed. ### Timeline - 2001: Debian-oriented manual page dated July 2 describes colormake's wrapper behavior. - 2000s: The command was renamed from `cmake` to `colormake` because of a name clash. - 2010s: Upstream development moved to GitHub under the PageKite organization. ### Related projects - Colormake is related to `make`, `less`, compiler output filters, and Michael T. Babcock's `logcolorize`, which the README names as an inspiration. ### Sources - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## 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: /usr/share/colormake/colormake.rc, ~/.colormakerc ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - colormake - 0.9.20140504-5: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: colormake from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | simple wrapper around make to colorize output | https://github.com/pagekite/Colormake - Nix - colormake: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/co/colormake/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - colormake - 0.9.20140504-5: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: colormake from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | simple wrapper around make to colorize output | https://github.com/pagekite/Colormake - apk - colormake - 0.9.20170221-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: colormake from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | A simple wrapper around make to colorize the output | http://bre.klaki.net/programs/colormake - apk - colormake-doc - 0.9.20170221-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: colormake-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | A simple wrapper around make to colorize the output (documentation) | http://bre.klaki.net/programs/colormake - zypper - colormake - 0.9.20140503-4.9: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: colormake from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Colorize the make output | http://github.com/pagekite/Colormake ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/colormake.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/colormake.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