mksh ☆

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Description:
MirBSD Korn Shell

Type: Formula | Latest Version: 59c@0 | Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Developer tools

Tags: shell korn-shell command-line scripting posix

Install: brew install mksh

About:
Mksh (MirBSD Korn Shell) is a modern, POSIX-compliant command-line interpreter derived from the Public Domain Korn Shell (pdksh). It serves as a secure and reliable login shell for UNIX-like systems, offering advanced scripting features and extensive built-in utilities. Its primary value is providing a robust, standards-compliant alternative to legacy shells like the original KornShell or Bash.

Key Features:

POSIX-compliant with many KornShell (ksh88) extensions
Advanced scripting features including associative arrays and floating-point arithmetic
Lightweight and secure, suitable for system initialization and embedded use
Extensive built-in commands for string manipulation and process control

Use Cases:

System initialization and service scripting
Interactive shell usage for developers and sysadmins
Writing portable shell scripts for POSIX environments

Alternatives:

bash – Bash is more feature-rich and ubiquitous but larger and GPL-licensed; mksh is smaller, faster, and under a permissive license.
zsh – Zsh offers extensive user customization and plugins for interactive use; mksh focuses on scripting performance and standards compliance.

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Sep 16, 2025 5:50am	59c	0	VERSION_BUMP	629ab733
Sep 14, 2024 4:31am	59c	0	VERSION_BUMP	f7eaaa32