install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install ahoy

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#ahoy

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ah/ahoy/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Windows

Scoopverified · 92%

scoop install main/ahoy

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/ahoy.json · source: api.github.com

Windows Package Managerverified · 92%

winget install --id Ahoy.Ahoy -e

Windows Package Manager source index · Ahoy.Ahoy · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com

overview

Package summary

Creates self documenting CLI programs from commands in YAML files

Project links

Commands and aliases

ahoy

history

Project history and usage

Ahoy is a project-local task runner that turns commands written in a YAML file into a self-documenting CLI. Its purpose is to let each repository expose its own small command surface without requiring contributors to learn a bespoke shell script layout or install a language-specific task runner.

Project history

The GitHub repository was created in October 2015, and the earliest listed GitHub release is 1.0.0 from the next day. The older Read the Docs site documents the original framing: a zero-code, dependency-free way to give projects their own CLI, particularly for running interactive commands inside Docker containers.

The current README keeps the same core idea while expanding the implementation details: commands live in .ahoy.yml, run relative to that file, can be invoked from subdirectories, and can import multiple config files. The project later moved under the ahoy-cli organization and added newer command-alias, environment-file, and completion features.

Adoption history

Ahoy's adoption is strongest in teams that want Makefile-like ergonomics but richer command help and project-local behavior. The README's Docker and database examples reflect its origin in development-environment workflows, especially wrapping docker-compose, shell, database, test, and deployment commands.

The supplied package facts list Homebrew, Nix, Scoop, and winget packages, showing that Ahoy crossed from a macOS/Linux developer convenience into cross-platform package-manager distribution.

How it is used

A project adds a .ahoy.yml file declaring commands, descriptions, aliases, imports, environment files, and an entrypoint. Running ahoy lists commands and per-command help; running ahoy <command> executes the configured shell command relative to the config file.

Official examples include replacing long docker exec invocations with short project commands, initializing an example .ahoy.yml, and using environment files for global or command-specific variables.

Why package nerds care

Ahoy sits in the small but beloved category of developer workflow shims: lighter than a build system, more discoverable than a pile of shell scripts, and easy to package as a single CLI binary. For package maintainers, its value is that the runtime surface is simple while the user-facing workflow can standardize a repository's command vocabulary.

Timeline

2015: GitHub repository created and release 1.0.0 published.
2015: Release 1.1.0 published and documented by the older Read the Docs site.
2016-2017: Version 2 alpha and beta releases appeared.
2026: Official repository metadata shows continued activity under ahoy-cli/ahoy.

Related projects

Ahoy overlaps with Make, npm scripts, just, Task, and docker-compose wrapper scripts, but focuses on project-specific command discovery and help.
The README points to ahoy-cli/zsh-ahoy for dedicated Zsh completion support.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 8 platform targets.
Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.

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: .ahoy.yml

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`ahoy`	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 version2.5.0

manager updated2026-06-15

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv2.5.0

https://github.com/ahoy-cli/ahoy

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:ahoy
Version	2.5.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/ahoy
Homepage	https://github.com/ahoy-cli/ahoy/
Repository	https://github.com/ahoy-cli/ahoy
Upstream docs	https://ahoy-cli.readthedocs.io/en/latest
License	MIT
Source archive	https://github.com/ahoy-cli/ahoy/archive/refs/tags/v2.5.0.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-06-15T18:07:14+10:00
Pulse	updated
Build dependencies	go
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, 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	ahoy
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	head 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.

Nix95%

ahoy

nix profile install nixpkgs#ahoy

normalized package name match
Matched by: Ahoy

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

Scoop95%

main/ahoy

scoop install main/ahoy

normalized package name match
Matched by: Ahoy

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · api.github.com · Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/ahoy.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1

winget95%

Ahoy.Ahoy

winget install --id Ahoy.Ahoy -e

normalized package name match
Matched by: Ahoy

Windows Package Manager source index · cdn.winget.microsoft.com · Windows Package Manager source index: Ahoy.Ahoy from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix

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/ahoy.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 ahoy with Homebrew, Nix, scoop, winget