# Install fastk with Homebrew

K-mer counter for high-fidelity shotgun datasets. Version 1.2 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:fastk
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install fastk
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:fastk
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 1.2
- **Source summary:** K-mer counter for high-fidelity shotgun datasets
- **Homepage:** <https://github.com/thegenemyers/FASTK>
- **Repository:** <https://github.com/thegenemyers/FASTK>
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- FastK (alias)
- Fastcat (alias)
- Fastcp (alias)
- Fastmerge (alias)
- Fastmv (alias)
- Fastrm (alias)
- Haplex (alias)
- Histex (alias)
- Homex (alias)
- KmerMap (alias)
- Logex (alias)
- Profex (alias)
- Symmex (alias)
- Tabex (alias)
- Vennex (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 1.2
## Project history and usage

FastK is Gene Myers' k-mer counter for high-quality shotgun sequencing data, especially Illumina and PacBio HiFi datasets. It is packaged as a command-line scientific tool rather than a general developer utility.

### Project history

The README identifies Gene Myers as author, gives July 22, 2020 as the first date, and documents FastK as a k-mer counter optimized for high-quality assembly datasets. Its command suite includes FastK itself plus utilities for moving, merging, concatenating, inspecting, and mapping FastK output files.

### Adoption history

FastK's public footprint is niche and bioinformatics-specific. Its adoption signal is strongest in packaging and genomics workflows that need efficient k-mer histograms, tables, and profiles for large sequencing data rather than in broad developer communities.

### How it is used

FastK consumes CRAM, BAM, SAM, FASTA, FASTQ, gzip-compressed sequence files, and Dazzler databases, producing histograms, sorted k-mer/count tables, and optional sequence profiles. The README emphasizes low-memory operation, temporary disk usage, multithreading, and HPC workflows such as splitting data and merging tables.

### Why package nerds care

For package nerds, FastK is interesting because it is a domain-heavy command suite where filesystem layout is part of the interface: stub files, hidden sidecar files, table/profile extensions, and companion commands such as Fastrm and Fastmerge all have to be packaged together correctly.

### Timeline

- 2020: README records the first FastK date as July 22, 2020.
- 2020: GitHub repository created on October 19, 2020.
- 2021: README current date records April 18, 2021.

### Related projects

- KMC3 is named in the README as a performance comparison point.
- DAZZ_DB is supported as an input format.
- merfin is named as a downstream use case for relative k-mer profiles.

### Sources

- <https://github.com/thegenemyers/FASTK>
- <https://raw.githubusercontent.com/thegenemyers/FASTK/master/README.md>
- <https://api.github.com/repos/thegenemyers/FASTK>


## Security Notes

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

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


## Combined YAML source

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


## Sources

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