# Install ijq with Homebrew, apk, MacPorts, Nix, pacman

Interactive jq. Version 1.4.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-25. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#ijq.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:ijq
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install ijq
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

- MacPorts (94%):

```sh
sudo port install ijq
```

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

### Linux

- apk (92%):

```sh
sudo apk add ijq
```

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

- Nix (92%):

```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#ijq
```

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

- pacman (92%):

```sh
sudo pacman -S ijq
```

  Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: ijq from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:ijq
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 1.4.0
- **Source summary:** Interactive jq
- **Homepage:** <https://codeberg.org/gpanders/ijq>
- **Last updated:** 2026-07-25T14:44:33Z
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- ijq (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 1.4.0
## Project history and usage

ijq is a terminal interface around jq, built for interactive exploration of JSON filters before reusing them in scripts. Its README describes it as an interactive jq tool, like jqplay for the command line, and notes that jq remains the underlying filter engine.

### Project history

The public tag history reaches v0.1.0 in 2020, and the project later moved its primary home to Codeberg while preserving a GitHub mirror for contributions. Release notes for v1.2.0 mention removing remaining SourceHut references, and v1.3.0 tells packagers that ijq lives at Codeberg.

The tool stayed intentionally close to jq rather than becoming a separate query language. Its later evolution added terminal usability features: asynchronous jq subprocess handling for large inputs, an overlay menu, configurable key bindings, filter history, and a config file.

### Adoption history

ijq occupies the package-manager niche for people who already use jq but want fast feedback while building a filter. Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, Arch, and Alpine package metadata in the input show distribution across Unix-like package ecosystems; Homebrew formula metadata records binary bottles and install analytics.

### How it is used

A common workflow is to open a JSON file or pipe API output into ijq, edit the jq filter interactively, then press Return to emit the filtered output and save the filter for later jq use. The README also documents history storage under the XDG data path and a config file for changing the history file, jq binary, pane visibility, and key bindings.

### Why package nerds care

For package nerds, ijq is interesting because it packages an ergonomic shell companion rather than a new data-processing stack. It is small, jq-compatible, and useful in the same workflows where people already install jq, fx, jless, or browser-based jqplay.

### Timeline

- 2020: v0.1.0 appears in the public tag history.
- 2024: v1.1.0 improves UI responsiveness by running jq subprocess work without blocking the main interface.
- 2025: v1.2.0 removes remaining SourceHut references and documents the Codeberg home for packagers.
- 2026: v1.3.0 adds a config file, overlay menu, history management, and Codeberg CI.

### Related projects

- ijq is directly related to jq and jqplay. The README also points to vim-jqplay as similar work, while package users may compare it with adjacent JSON explorers such as fx or jless.

### Sources

- Project README, Codeberg release notes, Codeberg repository metadata, and Homebrew formula metadata.


## 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: $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/ijq/config, ~/.config/ijq/config
## Other Package-Manager Records

- Nix - ijq: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ij/ijq/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- apk - ijq - 1.2.0-r8: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: ijq from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Interactive jq tool | https://codeberg.org/gpanders/ijq
- apk - ijq-doc - 1.2.0-r8: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: ijq-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Interactive jq tool (documentation) | https://codeberg.org/gpanders/ijq
- pacman - ijq - 1.4.0-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: ijq from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Interactive jq tool, like jqplay for the commandline | https://git.sr.ht/~gpanders/ijq
- MacPorts - ijq: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: textproc/ijq/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/ijq.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/ijq.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