install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install acme.sh

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add acme.sh

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · acme.sh · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install acme.sh

Debian stable package indexes · acme.sh · source: deb.debian.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#acme-sh

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ac/acme-sh/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S acme.sh

Arch Linux sync databases · acme.sh · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

overview

Package summary

ACME client

Project links

Commands and aliases

acme.sh

history

Project history and usage

acme.sh is a pure Unix shell ACME client for issuing, renewing, and installing TLS certificates. It is designed around a small shell script, broad Unix compatibility, no Python dependency, and automated renewals through cron.

Project history

The GitHub repository was created in December 2015, shortly after Let's Encrypt made ACME-based certificate automation a practical mainstream workflow. The official README describes acme.sh as a full ACME protocol implementation written in Unix shell and tested across Linux, BSDs, macOS, Solaris-family systems, Haiku, and Windows via Cygwin.

The project grew from a Let's Encrypt-oriented client into a general ACME client. Its README lists support for multiple CAs including ZeroSSL, Let's Encrypt, SSL.com, Google Public CA, Actalis, Pebble, and any RFC 8555-compliant CA, while the wiki documents the large DNS API surface used for automated DNS-01 validation.

Adoption history

acme.sh became a popular package-manager ACME client because it fits shared hosting, appliances, routers, and small servers where a shell-only dependency profile matters. The official README's 'Who Uses acme.sh?' section names deployments and integrations such as FreeBSD.org, Proxmox, pfSense/OPNsense-adjacent tooling, and other hosting/control-panel environments.

The input package-manager facts show acme.sh packaged across Homebrew, Alpine, Debian, Nix, and Arch. The GitHub API reports a large public repository with tens of thousands of stars and thousands of forks, consistent with broad operational adoption.

How it is used

Typical package usage installs the acme.sh command, stores working state under ~/.acme.sh by default, creates a cron renewal job, and issues certificates with webroot, standalone, TLS-ALPN, Apache, Nginx, DNS, DNS alias, stateless, or DNS persist modes. DNS API credentials are exported once and then saved into ~/.acme.sh/account.conf for later renewal runs.

Why package nerds care

acme.sh matters to package nerds because it is a rare security-critical tool whose portability comes from plain POSIX-ish shell rather than a language runtime. That makes it attractive for Homebrew, distro, appliance, and container packaging, while its large dnsapi collection creates a sprawling map of DNS provider integrations in one scriptable package.

Timeline

2015-12-26: GitHub repository created.
2016-04-06: Earliest GitHub release metadata in the current repository lists version 1.2.2.
2016-07-02: Version 2.3.0 tag commit appears in the repository tag history.
2024: 3.0.x releases continue regular bug-fix and integration work.
2026-04-28: Release 3.1.3 published.

Related projects

Related projects include Let's Encrypt, ZeroSSL, Certbot, Pebble, RFC 8555 ACME servers, and the DNS provider APIs supported by acme.sh's dnsapi wiki.

Sources

Official README, official wiki, official dnsapi wiki page, GitHub repository/release metadata, and source_facts.package-manager.

security posture

Risk level: blue

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.

Risk classifier

blue risk · medium confidence · tool

Why

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal

Signals

text:client

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 1 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: ~/.acme.sh/

Credential files

Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.

Unix: ~/.acme.sh/account.conf

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`acme.sh`	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 generated2026-07-08

manager version3.1.3

manager updated2026-05-26

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detected3.1.3

https://github.com/acmesh-official/acme.sh

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:acme.sh
Version	3.1.3
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/acme.sh
Homepage	https://github.com/acmesh-official/acme.sh
Repository	https://github.com/acmesh-official/acme.sh
Upstream docs	https://github.com/acmesh-official/acme.sh#readme
License	GPL-3.0-only
Source archive	https://github.com/acmesh-official/acme.sh/archive/refs/tags/3.1.3.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-05-26T23:37:47-04:00
Pulse	updated
Bottle	available (on all)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	acme.sh
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Debian apt95%

acme.sh 3.1.1-1

Pure unix shell script implementing ACME client protocol

https://github.com/acmesh-official/acme.sh

sudo apt install acme.sh

Section: web
Architecture: all
2 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Acme Sh

Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: acme.sh from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

Nix95%

acme-sh

nix profile install nixpkgs#acme-sh

normalized package name match
Matched by: Acme Sh

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ac/acme-sh/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

apk95%

acme.sh 3.1.3-r0

ACME Shell script, an acme client alternative to certbot

https://github.com/acmesh-official/acme.sh

sudo apk add acme.sh

License: GPL-3.0-only
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: acme.sh
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Acme Sh

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: acme.sh from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

pacman95%

acme.sh 3.1.3-1

An ACME Shell script, an acme client alternative to certbot

https://github.com/acmesh-official/acme.sh

sudo pacman -S acme.sh

License: GPL-3.0-only
Architecture: any
1 dependencies
3 optional deps
normalized package name match
Matched by: Acme Sh

Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: acme.sh from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

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.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/acme.sh.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
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

Install acme.sh with Homebrew, apk, apt, Nix, pacman

Additional install commands

macOS

Linux

Package summary

Project links

Commands and aliases

Project history and usage

Project history

Adoption history

How it is used

Why package nerds care

Timeline

Related projects

Sources

Risk level: blue

Risk classifier

Why

Signals

Install behavior

Recommended review

Configuration and credential file locations

Configuration files

Credential files

Installed executables

Version and freshness

Package metadata

Source database details

Other package-manager records

Internal package links

Topical hubs

Same workflow

Agent security guides

Generated from repository data

Combined YAML source

Used sources