pkg.sopackage field notes

brew / rank 4135

Install nvc with Homebrew

VHDL compiler and simulator. Version 1.22.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-08-01.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install nvc

provider-native install command

overview

Package summary

VHDL compiler and simulator

Commands and aliases

  • nvc

history

Project history and usage

NVC is a free software VHDL compiler and simulator. The project emphasizes simulation performance by compiling VHDL to native machine code through LLVM, and its README states that it supports almost all of VHDL-2008 except PSL, with experimental Verilog and VHDL-2019 work under development.

Project history

Nick Gasson wrote in 2011 about a VHDL compiler named `nvc`, and his GitHub Sponsors profile later described NVC as a spare-time Free Software VHDL compiler and simulator project he had worked on for 10 years. That small independent compiler has since grown into a maintained simulator with releases, Windows packaging, Homebrew/Nix packaging, verification-framework integration, and mixed-language work.

Adoption history

NVC sits in the open HDL tooling ecosystem: not a synthesizer, but useful for compiling, elaborating, and running VHDL test benches. The README explicitly calls out support for OSVVM, UVVM, VUnit, and cocotb, which is the practical adoption surface for verification users. Homebrew analytics on 2026-07-01 showed 783 installs over 365 days, a modest but real signal for a specialized EDA tool.

How it is used

The normal workflow is three commands: analyze source files into a work library with `nvc -a`, elaborate a top-level test bench with `nvc -e`, then run it with `nvc -r`. Users can combine those steps in one command for quick test-bench runs, install standard verification libraries, dump waveforms, and experiment with newer mixed VHDL/Verilog support when their designs fit the supported subset.

Why package nerds care

NVC matters to package nerds because it is a compact, open HDL simulator that packages cleanly and complements heavier commercial simulators and GHDL. Its LLVM-native-code design also gives it a distinct performance story in the VHDL simulation niche.

Timeline

  • 2011-11-05: Nick Gasson publishes a post about writing a VHDL compiler named `nvc`.
  • 2026-04-12: GitHub releases show NVC 1.20.0 with improved Verilog and mixed-language support.
  • 2026-07-01: Homebrew lists NVC 1.21.1 with LLVM and zstd dependencies.

Related projects

  • GHDL
  • LLVM
  • OSVVM
  • UVVM
  • VUnit
  • cocotb

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

CommandKindExposureNote
nvcexecutableindexed executableDiscovered 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 version1.22.1
manager updated2026-08-01
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
  • okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:nvc
Version1.22.1
Package managerHomebrew
Homepagehttps://www.nickg.me.uk/nvc/
Repositoryhttps://github.com/nickg/nvc
Last updated2026-08-01T11:05:56Z
Pulseupdated
Bottlenot recorded
Servicenone declared

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

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.

Used sources

  • Geiger risk classifier
  • Nucleus package database
  • curated package history
  • pkgdb category and tag curation