# Install ctags-lsp with Homebrew, apk, Nix

LSP implementation using universal-ctags as backend. Version 0.11.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-27. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#ctags-lsp.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:ctags-lsp
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install ctags-lsp
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

### Linux

- apk (92%):

```sh
sudo apk add ctags-lsp
```

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

- Nix (92%):

```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#ctags-lsp
```

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

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:ctags-lsp
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 0.11.0
- **Source summary:** LSP implementation using universal-ctags as backend
- **Homepage:** <https://github.com/netmute/ctags-lsp>
- **Repository:** <https://github.com/netmute/ctags-lsp>
- **Last updated:** 2026-07-27T22:04:05+02:00
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- ctags-lsp (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 0.11.0
## Project history and usage

ctags-lsp is a Language Server Protocol implementation that uses universal-ctags as its indexing backend. It is meant to provide a minimal, broadly available language-server experience for projects that do not have a dedicated language server configured.

### Project history

The visible GitHub release line begins in late 2024. The README describes the design as intentionally modest: on startup the server runs universal-ctags, keeps the resulting index in memory, and serves completion, go-to-definition, and symbol requests without creating or updating tag files.

### Adoption history

The official README documents Homebrew installation with dependencies handled by brew, plus mise and Go installation paths where the user installs universal-ctags separately. The input package facts also list apk and Nix packages, suggesting packaging interest beyond macOS.

### How it is used

ctags-lsp is used from editors with LSP clients, with official examples for Neovim and Helix. Advanced options focus on startup control: choosing the ctags binary, passing language filters through to ctags, using a preexisting tagfile, and setting worker jobs.

### Why package nerds care

The package is significant as a bridge between old tag-file tooling and modern editor LSP plumbing. It lets package managers compose universal-ctags with an LSP executable rather than requiring language-specific servers for every file type.

### Timeline

- 2024: First visible GitHub releases in the v0.2.x-v0.4.x series.
- 2024: README documented Homebrew, mise, and Go installation methods.
- 2026: Development README identifies v0.11.0 as the last release documentation line.

### Related projects

- ctags-lsp depends on universal-ctags for indexing and is historically related to editor tag navigation, but its user-facing protocol is LSP rather than direct editor tag-file lookup.

### Sources

- <https://github.com/netmute/ctags-lsp#readme>
- <https://github.com/netmute/ctags-lsp/releases>
- <https://github.com/universal-ctags/ctags>


## Security Notes

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

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

## Other Package-Manager Records

- Nix - ctags-lsp: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ct/ctags-lsp/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- apk - ctags-lsp - 0.11.0-r5: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: ctags-lsp from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | LSP implementation using universal-ctags as backend | https://github.com/netmute/ctags-lsp/
- apk - ctags-lsp-doc - 0.11.0-r5: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: ctags-lsp-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | LSP implementation using universal-ctags as backend (documentation) | https://github.com/netmute/ctags-lsp/


## Combined YAML source

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