macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install mglocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install mgMacPorts ports tree · editors/mg/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew / rank 5862
Install mg with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper
Small Emacs-like editor. Version 7.3 via Homebrew; verified 2026-09-11. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install mg.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add mgAlpine Linux edge package indexes · mg · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install mgDebian stable package indexes · mg · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install mgFedora Rawhide package metadata · mg · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#mgnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/mg/mg/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S mgArch Linux sync databases · mg · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install mgopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · mg · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Small Emacs-like editor
Project links
Commands and aliases
- mg
history
Project history and usage
mg is the small Emacs-like editor lineage that began as MicroGNUEmacs, itself based on Dave Conroy's MicroEMACS. The troglobit mg history summarizes the origin as a Micro Emacs clone created in 1987 from the 1985 MicroEMACS v30 code, with the old Micro GNU Emacs name dropped after a dispute with the FSF. OpenBSD's mg manual gives the design goal in practical terms: a small, fast, portable editor for people who cannot or do not want to run Emacs, or who are not familiar with vi.
Project history
The package distributed by Homebrew through ibara/mg is a portable version of OpenBSD's mg. Its README says it tracks OpenBSD upstream aggressively, preserving mg's role as a compact, public-domain-ish editor that gives users familiar Emacs key bindings without bringing along GNU Emacs as a large programmable environment.
How it is used
Its adoption story is strongest in BSD and Unix packaging. OpenBSD includes mg as a base-system editor; portable builds are packaged by Homebrew, Debian, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, Arch, Ubuntu, openSUSE, pkgsrc, and other ports collections. In practice it is used as a lightweight `$EDITOR`, for quick system-file edits, rescue or remote environments, and users whose muscle memory is Emacs rather than vi.
Sources
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 post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 12 platform targets.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
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
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Unix
~/.mg~/.mg-TERM
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
mg | cli | global executable |
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 generated2026-09-19
manager version7.3
manager updated2026-09-11
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
- infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/ibara/mgnone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:mg |
|---|---|
| Version | 7.3 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/mg |
| Homepage | https://github.com/ibara/mg |
| Repository | https://github.com/ibara/mg |
| License | LicenseRef-Homebrew-public-domain AND ISC AND BSD-2-Clause AND BSD-3-Clause AND BSD-4-Clause |
| Source archive | https://github.com/ibara/mg/releases/download/mg-7.3/mg-7.3.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-09-11T22:17:01Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Uses from macOS | ncurses |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | mg |
| Version Scheme | 1 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
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%
mg 20240709-1
microscopic GNU Emacs-style editor
https://homepage.boetes.org/software/mg/
sudo apt install mg- Section: editors
- Architecture: amd64
- 3 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mg
Nix95%
mg
nix profile install nixpkgs#mg- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mg
Ubuntu apt95%
mg 20230501-1
microscopic GNU Emacs-style editor
https://homepage.boetes.org/software/mg/
sudo apt install mg- Section: universe/editors
- Architecture: amd64
- 3 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mg
apk95%
mg 20260222-r0
microscopic EMACS style editor
sudo apk add mg- License: Public Domain
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mg
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mg
apk95%
mg-doc 20260222-r0
microscopic EMACS style editor (documentation)
sudo apk add mg-doc- License: Public Domain
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mg
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mg
dnf95%
mg 20260719-1.fc45
Tiny Emacs-like editor
sudo dnf install mg- License: LicenseRef-Fedora-Public-Domain
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mg
- 5 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mg
pacman95%
mg 20260719-1
Micro GNU/emacs
sudo pacman -S mg- License: custom
- Architecture: x86_64
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mg
zypper95%
mg 3.7-1.10
Micro GNU Emacs clone
https://man.troglobit.com/man1/mg.1.html
sudo zypper install mg- License: Unlicense
- Category: Productivity/Text/Editors
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mg
- 2 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mg
MacPorts95%
mg
sudo port install mg- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mg
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 configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment
- pkg.so package database
- pkgdb category and tag curation