macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install neatvilocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew / rank 13035
Install neatvi with Homebrew, apk
Clone of ex/vi for editing bidirectional utf-8 text. Version 19 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-18. Also installable with apk: sudo apk add neatvi.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add neatviAlpine Linux edge package indexes · neatvi · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
overview
Package summary
Clone of ex/vi for editing bidirectional utf-8 text
Project links
Commands and aliases
- neatvi
history
Project history and usage
neatvi is Ali Gholami Rudi's small ex/vi clone for editing UTF-8 text, with particular emphasis on bidirectional text. Its README says it supports syntax highlighting, multiple windows, right-to-left languages, and keymaps.
Project history
The upstream repo.or.cz summary describes neatvi as a small ex/vi editor and shows active maintenance through June 2026. The GitHub mirror/API reports the GitHub repository was created on May 28, 2015.
The project is deliberately small but not toy-like: its README documents EXINIT startup commands, `$HOME/.neatvi`, syntax color commands, keymaps, right-to-left text direction options, Arabic/Farsi shaping, buffer/window commands, tags support, and quick-access commands.
Adoption history
neatvi's adoption is niche and enthusiast-driven. It appears in Homebrew and Alpine, and the GitHub mirror showed 394 stars and 38 forks on July 1, 2026. Homebrew Formulae listed stable version 19 and 32 installs in its 365-day analytics window.
Its distinguishing adoption hook is not broad editor popularity but a rare combination: vi/ex familiarity, compact C code, UTF-8, and bidirectional/right-to-left editing support.
How it is used
Package nerds install neatvi when they want a minimal vi-like editor with Unicode and right-to-left behavior, or when they want a small C editor they can read and patch. Configuration is done through EXINIT, `$HOME/.neatvi`, and in some cases source-level changes to `conf.h` for syntax highlighting and text direction patterns.
The README also notes terminal-specific behavior for VTE-based terminals and exposes options for disabling shaping, character reordering, or highlighting when performance matters.
Why package nerds care
neatvi is useful enrichment material because it is not merely another vi clone. Its package identity is tied to bidirectional UTF-8 editing, small-source maintainability, and ex-scriptable configuration.
Timeline
- {'date': '2015-05-28', 'event': 'aligrudi/neatvi repository creation date reported by the GitHub API.'}
- {'date': '2026-05-17', 'event': 'repo.or.cz tag listing showed version 19 around this date.'}
- {'date': '2026-06-28', 'event': 'repo.or.cz summary showed a last change on this date.'}
- {'date': '2026-07-01', 'event': 'Homebrew Formulae listed stable 19 and 32 installs in the 365-day analytics window.'}
Related projects
- vi
- ex
- nvi
- OpenBSD vi
Sources
security posture
No protected-tool coverage found yet
No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for neatvi. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
neatvi | 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 version19
manager updated2026-05-18
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:neatvi |
|---|---|
| Version | 19 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://repo.or.cz/neatvi.git |
| Last updated | 2026-05-18T16:07:28Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| 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.
apk95%
neatvi 19-r0
Small vi/ex editor for editing UTF-8 text
https://github.com/aligrudi/neatvi
sudo apk add neatvi- License: ISC
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: neatvi
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Neatvi
apk95%
neatvi-doc 19-r0
Small vi/ex editor for editing UTF-8 text (documentation)
https://github.com/aligrudi/neatvi
sudo apk add neatvi-doc- License: ISC
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: neatvi
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Neatvi
apk95%
neatvi-vi 19-r0
neatvi vi provider
https://github.com/aligrudi/neatvi
sudo apk add neatvi-vi- License: ISC
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: neatvi
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Neatvi
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