macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install premakelocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install premakeMacPorts ports tree · devel/premake/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew / rank 2906
Install premake with Homebrew, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, scoop
Write once, build anywhere Lua-based build system. Version 5.0.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-10-20. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#premake.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install premakeFedora Rawhide package metadata · premake · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#premakenixpkgs package indexes · premake · source: raw.githubusercontent.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S premakeArch Linux sync databases · premake · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
Windows
Scoopverified · 92%
scoop install main/premakeScoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/premake.json · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
Write once, build anywhere Lua-based build system
Project links
Commands and aliases
- premake5
history
Project history and usage
Premake is a cross-platform build-configuration and project-generation tool. A project is described once in Lua, then Premake emits native files for environments such as Visual Studio, Xcode, GNU Make, Ninja, and CodeLite.
Project history
Premake evolved through the Premake 4 and Premake 5 generations as a Lua-scripted, cross-platform project generator. Premake 5 renamed the executable to premake5 and made premake5.lua the default project script while retaining premake4.lua as a fallback.
The 5.0 line spent an unusually long period in alpha and beta while its configuration API, exporters, modules, platform support, and documentation were modernized. Official community updates record the move into beta in 2021 and a renewed roadmap toward a stable 5.0 release in 2024.
Adoption history
Premake has remained available across Windows, macOS, Linux, and other POSIX environments, with supplied package facts showing distribution through Homebrew, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, and Scoop. Its long 5.0 development cycle continued to receive community contributions for new compilers, architectures, exporters, and IDE releases.
How it is used
Users place a premake5.lua script in the project tree, define workspaces, projects, configurations, files, and toolchain settings in Lua, then run an action such as `premake5 vs2022`, `premake5 xcode4`, `premake5 gmake`, or `premake5 ninja` to generate native build files.
Why package nerds care
Premake occupies a distinctive niche between handwritten native project files and conventional build-language generators: the build description is ordinary Lua, while the distributable tool is a small, self-contained executable. This appeals to cross-platform C, C++, and C# projects that want one readable definition but still want native Visual Studio, Xcode, Make, Ninja, or CodeLite output.
Timeline
- Premake 4 era: premake4.lua and the premake4 executable established the earlier scripting interface.
- 2021: Premake 5.0 moved from its long alpha cycle into beta.
- 2024: The project published a renewed roadmap for completing the stable 5.0 line.
- 2026: Premake 5 continued adding current IDE, architecture, and exporter support.
Related projects
- CMake and Meson address the same broad cross-platform build-configuration problem but use their own declarative languages and build-generation models rather than Premake's embedded Lua scripting approach.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: yellow
generalized runtime or code generation signal.
Risk classifier
yellow risk · medium confidence · runtime
Why
- generalized runtime or code generation signal
Signals
- text:build system
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 5 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
premake5.lua
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
premake5 | 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 generated2026-11-04
manager version5.0.0
manager updated2026-10-20
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv5.0.0
https://github.com/premake/premake-core
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:premake |
|---|---|
| Version | 5.0.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/premake |
| Homepage | https://premake.github.io/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/premake/premake-core |
| Upstream docs | https://premake.github.io/ |
| License | BSD-3-Clause |
| Source archive | https://github.com/premake/premake-core/archive/refs/tags/v5.0.0.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-10-20T04:33:33Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_golden_gate, arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_tahoe, 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 | premake |
| Version Scheme | 1 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| 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.
Nix95%
premake
nix profile install nixpkgs#premake- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Premake
dnf95%
premake 5.0.0-11.20251127gite38ef3f.fc45
Cross-platform build configuration tool
sudo dnf install premake- License: BSD-3-Clause
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: premake
- 4 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Premake
pacman95%
premake 5.0beta8-1
A simple build configuration and project generation tool
sudo pacman -S premake- License: BSD-3-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Premake
MacPorts95%
premake
sudo port install premake- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Premake
Scoop95%
main/premake
scoop install main/premake- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Premake
MacPorts94%
premake5
sudo port install premake5- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Premake5
Nix92%
premake5
nix profile install nixpkgs#premake5- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Premake5
Scoop92%
versions/premake5
scoop install versions/premake5- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Premake5
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