Is Hex only for Elixir?

No. It is the shared registry for the Elixir and Erlang ecosystems, and Gleam projects use it too, so packages from any of them can appear.

Can a published release be removed?

Generally not. Releases are effectively immutable apart from a short window after publication. Hex recommends retiring a release instead, which keeps it available but warns anyone who uses it.

What does a patch version versus a minor version signal here?

Hex packages must follow semantic versioning, where the third number denotes fixes and the second adds backwards-compatible features. Below 1.0, breaking changes should bump the minor number.

Hex.pm Packages Screensaver

The Hex.pm Packages screensaver shows packages as they are published to Hex, the Elixir and Erlang registry, read key-less from its own API. The one major language registry the site's other package feeds don't cover. It's free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.

How the Hex.pm Packages screensaver works

The saver reads the Hex.pm API directly in your browser — no key and no account.

Packages as they are published to Hex, the Elixir and Erlang registry, read key-less from its own API.

It refreshes on a schedule, so what you see stays current.

Colours can be changed in settings; nothing is stored beyond your own browser.

Hex and the Elixir and Erlang package scene

Hex is the package manager and public registry shared by the Elixir and Erlang ecosystems, and its documentation also covers Gleam, another language on the BEAM virtual machine. Elixir developers declare dependencies in a mix.exs file and the Mix build tool fetches them from Hex, while Erlang projects can use rebar for the same registry.

Packages on Hex are published as versioned releases, and documentation is published to HexDocs automatically when a package is published. Hex requires packages to follow semantic versioning, and for versions below 1.0 breaking changes should bump the minor number, so a version bump on the board tells you something was released but not what changed. The changelog and the package page are the place for that.

Published releases are generally immutable: a release can be republished or reverted only within a short window after it is first published. Instead of unpublishing, Hex recommends retiring a package or release. A retired release can still be resolved and fetched, but users get a warning.

A worked example

Packages as they are published to Hex, the Elixir and Erlang registry, read key-less from its own API. The one major language registry the site's other package feeds don't cover.

Settings & tips

Accent and Background recolour the display.
Data comes straight from the Hex.pm API in your browser.
Press ESC to leave fullscreen.

Frequently asked questions

Is this real data?: Yes — it comes from the Hex.pm API and is refreshed on a schedule.
Is a key needed?: No. This source is fully key-less.
Is it free?: Yes — free, no download, in your browser.
Is Hex only for Elixir?: No. It is the shared registry for the Elixir and Erlang ecosystems, and Gleam projects use it too, so packages from any of them can appear.
Can a published release be removed?: Generally not. Releases are effectively immutable apart from a short window after publication. Hex recommends retiring a release instead, which keeps it available but warns anyone who uses it.
What does a patch version versus a minor version signal here?: Hex packages must follow semantic versioning, where the third number denotes fixes and the second adds backwards-compatible features. Below 1.0, breaking changes should bump the minor number.

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