# Install daemon with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, Nix

Turn other processes into daemons. Version 0.8.4 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install daemon.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:daemon
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install daemon
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

- MacPorts (94%):

```sh
sudo port install daemon
```

  Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/daemon/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

### Linux

- Debian apt (92%):

```sh
sudo apt install daemon
```

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

- Nix (92%):

```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#daemon
```

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

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:daemon
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 0.8.4
- **Source summary:** Turn other processes into daemons
- **Homepage:** <https://libslack.org/daemon/>
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- daemon (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 0.8.4
## Project history and usage

daemon is a Unix command that turns other processes into daemon-style background services, adding process setup, pidfile management, logging, respawn behavior, and optional configuration files around a client command.

### Project history

The official libslack page describes daemon as a companion to libslack's daemonization functionality: it performs the process-context work for programs written in languages or scripts that do not daemonize themselves.

### Adoption history

daemon fits a long Unix packaging niche: small service-wrapper commands that predate or complement init systems. Its official page lists Linux, BSD, Solaris, and macOS-oriented keywords and maintains downloadable source tarballs rather than advertising an official source-control repository.

### How it is used

Users invoke daemon around another command, optionally name it, write and lock pidfiles, send output to syslog, respawn it, and define default options in system or per-user configuration files.

### Why package nerds care

The package is interesting because it preserves an old-school Unix service-wrapper workflow in modern package managers: one small executable, a manpage, configuration files, and source tarballs from an upstream software page.

### Timeline

- 0.6.4: Official download table lists a final 0.6.4 tarball.
- 0.8.4: Official download table lists daemon-0.8.4 as the current source tarball.

### Related projects

- daemon is related to libslack, daemonize, system daemonization APIs, pidfile-based service wrappers, and Unix init/service supervision tools.

### Sources

- <https://libslack.org/daemon>
- <https://libslack.org/daemon/manual/daemon.1.html>


## 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: /etc/daemon.conf, ~/.daemonrc
## Other Package-Manager Records

- Debian apt - daemon - 0.8.4-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: daemon from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | turns other processes into daemons | https://libslack.org/daemon/
- Nix - daemon: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/da/daemon/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Ubuntu apt - daemon - 0.8.4-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: daemon from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | turns other processes into daemons | https://libslack.org/daemon/
- MacPorts - daemon: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/daemon/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1


## Combined YAML source

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