makensis
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Description:
System to create Windows installers
Type: Formula  |  Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: Developer tools
Tags: windows installer development packaging nsis
Install: brew install makensis
About:
NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System) is a professional open-source system to create Windows installers. It is designed to be small, flexible, and completely scriptable, allowing developers to define installation logic via a single script file. Its main value is producing lightweight, efficient executables that handle file extraction, registry modification, and shortcut creation.
Key Features:
  • Script-driven installer creation
  • Small overhead and fast execution
  • Plugin architecture for extensibility
  • Supports silent and custom installations
Use Cases:
  • Packaging desktop applications for Windows distribution
  • Automating software setup and configuration tasks
Alternatives:
  • Inno Setup – Similar script-based approach with a different scripting syntax
  • WiX Toolset – Uses XML definitions to generate MSI installers
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Sep 16, 2025 3:05am 0 VERSION_BUMP 0101ecbf
Sep 13, 2024 8:12pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 73c627a3