macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install hexerlocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew / rank 9245
Install hexer with Homebrew, apt, dnf, pacman
Hex editor for the terminal with vi-like interface. Version 1.0.7 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install hexer.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install hexerDebian stable package indexes · hexer · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install hexerFedora Rawhide package metadata · hexer · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S hexerArch Linux sync databases · hexer · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
overview
Package summary
Hex editor for the terminal with vi-like interface
Project links
Commands and aliases
- hexer
history
Project history and usage
hexer is a terminal hex editor for Unix-like systems, positioned as a multi-buffer binary-file editor whose interface is intentionally close to vi/ex.
Project history
The project history reflected by the maintained homepage and changelog shows hexer as a traditional Unix terminal utility rather than a framework: it is distributed as source, documents POSIX-compatible environments as its portability target, and keeps its public interface centered on editing buffers displayed as hex dumps.
The hosted project moved into a GitLab-centered maintenance model, with a project page, ReadTheDocs/MkDocs documentation, tarball downloads from the maintainer site, and release notes covering the 1.0.x maintenance series.
Adoption history
Package-manager metadata in the batch lists hexer in Homebrew, Debian, Fedora, Arch, and Ubuntu, which fits its niche: a small terminal binary editor that Unix package sets can carry without a larger GUI stack.
How it is used
hexer is used when the user wants direct binary editing in a terminal, especially by people already comfortable with vi-like movement and command conventions. Its package identity is tied to hex editing, multiple buffers, undo, and a curses-style terminal workflow rather than to scripting or file conversion.
Why package nerds care
For package-maintainer culture, hexer is the sort of old-school utility that fills a precise gap beside tools such as xxd, od, bvi, and graphical hex editors: it is interactive, terminal-native, and small enough to be present in multiple Unix distributions.
Timeline
- 2015: Public GitLab project metadata records the hexer repository under the hexer namespace.
- 2016: 1.0.2 and 1.0.3 appear in the maintained changelog.
- 2018: 1.0.4 and 1.0.5 appear in the maintained changelog.
- 2020: 1.0.6 appears in the maintained changelog.
- 2025: 1.0.7 appears in the maintained changelog.
Related projects
- Related command-line binary inspection tools include xxd and od for dumps/conversion, bvi for vi-like binary editing, and newer color-oriented viewers such as hexyl.
Sources
- Homebrew formula metadata and the input package-manager map support the package-manager adoption notes.
- Maintainer changelog provides the 1.0.x release timeline.
- Maintainer homepage describes hexer as a multi-buffer binary editor for Unix-like systems with a vi/ex-like interface.
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
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
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
hexer | executable | indexed executable | Discovered 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 version1.0.7
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:hexer |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.0.7 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://devel.ringlet.net/editors/hexer/ |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none 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.
Debian apt95%
hexer 1.0.6-2
interactive binary editor with a Vi-like interface
https://devel.ringlet.net/editors/hexer/
sudo apt install hexer- Section: utils
- Architecture: amd64
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Hexer
Ubuntu apt95%
hexer 1.0.6-1
interactive binary editor with a Vi-like interface
https://devel.ringlet.net/editors/hexer/
sudo apt install hexer- Section: universe/utils
- Architecture: amd64
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Hexer
dnf95%
hexer 1.0.7-2.fc45
Interactive binary editor
http://devel.ringlet.net/editors/hexer/
sudo dnf install hexer- License: BSD-2-Clause AND BSD-3-Clause
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: hexer
- 4 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Hexer
pacman95%
hexer 1.0.7-1
Multi buffer editor for binary files with vi-like interface
https://devel.ringlet.net/editors/hexer/
sudo pacman -S hexer- License: BSD-2-Clause AND BSD-3-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Hexer
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.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
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