macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install nelocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install neMacPorts ports tree · editors/ne/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew / rank 8487
Install ne with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix
Text editor based on the POSIX standard. Version 3.3.4 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install ne.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install neDebian stable package indexes · ne · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install neFedora Rawhide package metadata · ne · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#nenixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ne/ne/package.nix · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
Text editor based on the POSIX standard
Project links
Commands and aliases
- ne
history
Project history and usage
ne, the nice editor, is Sebastiano Vigna's small POSIX terminal editor for users who want something easier than vi and lighter than emacs. The project emphasizes portability, low resource use, configurable menus and keybindings, syntax highlighting, UTF-8 support, regular expressions, autocomplete, and large-file support.
Project history
The ne README says it was originally developed on the Amiga, inspired by Martin Taillefer's TurboText, and later moved to Linux. Todd Lewis joined development with features written for the University of North Carolina, and Daniele Filaretti helped with syntax highlighting.
Sebastiano Vigna's software page says ne had a measure of success among UN*X users who disliked vi or emacs, which matches the editor's niche: conventional shortcuts and menus, but still a terminal-native Unix program.
Adoption history
ne is widely packaged for an editor of its size. The upstream README links Fedora, Debian, Ubuntu, OpenBSD, MacPorts, Homebrew, and Haiku ports. Debian describes it as easy for beginners and powerful enough for advanced users, with UTF-8, multi-column character support, syntax highlighting, and configurable menus and keybindings.
On July 1, 2026, GitHub showed 568 stars and 36 forks for vigna/ne. Homebrew Formulae listed stable 3.3.4 and 149 installs in its 365-day analytics window.
How it is used
Users install `ne` as a low-friction terminal editor for remote sessions, rescue environments, small systems, and people who do not want modal vi. The appeal is that common operations use familiar control-key shortcuts while advanced users can customize menus, keys, macros, syntax rules, and extension-specific preferences.
Its package metadata is especially helpful because it exposes real config locations such as `~/.ne/.keys`, `~/.ne/.menus`, `~/.ne/.extensions`, `~/.ne/.default#ap`, and `~/.ne/syntax/`.
Why package nerds care
ne is not a dominant editor, but it is a durable counterexample to the idea that terminal editing means either vi or emacs. For package indexes, it belongs in the small-editor lineage with Joe, nano, micro, and other tools that trade ecosystem gravity for immediate usability.
Timeline
- {'date': '1993', 'event': 'Commonly reported first release year for ne; upstream describes its origin on Amiga before the move to Linux.'}
- {'date': '2015-04-17', 'event': 'vigna/ne repository creation date reported by the GitHub API.'}
- {'date': '2025-02-06', 'event': 'Version 3.3.4 date reported by package metadata sources.'}
- {'date': '2026-07-01', 'event': 'Homebrew Formulae listed stable 3.3.4 and 149 installs in the 365-day analytics window.'}
Related projects
- TurboText
- Joe editor
- vi
- emacs
- nano
- micro
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 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.
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
~/.ne/.keys~/.ne/.menus~/.ne/.extensions~/.ne/.default#ap~/.ne/syntax/
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
ne | 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 version3.3.4
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:ne |
|---|---|
| Version | 3.3.4 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://ne.di.unimi.it/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/vigna/ne |
| 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%
ne 3.3.3-1
easy-to-use and powerful text editor
sudo apt install ne- Section: editors
- Architecture: amd64
- 2 dependencies
- 1 provides
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ne
Debian apt95%
ne-doc 3.3.3-1
documentation for the ne text editor
sudo apt install ne-doc- Section: doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: ne
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ne
Nix95%
ne
nix profile install nixpkgs#ne- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ne
Ubuntu apt95%
ne 3.3.2-1
easy-to-use and powerful text editor
sudo apt install ne- Section: universe/editors
- Architecture: amd64
- 2 dependencies
- 1 provides
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ne
Ubuntu apt95%
ne-doc 3.3.2-1
documentation for the ne text editor
sudo apt install ne-doc- Section: universe/doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: ne
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ne
dnf95%
ne 3.3.4-4.fc45
ne, the nice editor
sudo dnf install ne- License: GPL-3.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ne
- 4 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ne
dnf95%
ne-doc 3.3.4-4.fc45
Documentation for ne, the nice editor
sudo dnf install ne-doc- License: GPL-3.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: ne
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ne
MacPorts95%
ne
sudo port install ne- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ne
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
- pkg.so package database
- pkgdb category and tag curation