# Install alpine with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, zypper News and email agent. Version 2.26 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:alpine ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install alpine ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install alpine ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: mail/alpine/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add alpine ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: alpine from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install alpine ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: alpine from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install alpine ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: alpine from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#alpine ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/al/alpine/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install alpine ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: alpine from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:alpine - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 2.26 - **Source summary:** News and email agent - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** Apache-2.0 - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-22T14:02:42-07:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - pico (cli) - pilot (cli) - rpdump (cli) - rpload (cli) - pico (alias) - pilot (alias) - rpdump (alias) - rpload (alias) ## Dependencies - openssl@3 ## Uses from macOS - krb5 - ncurses - openldap ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 2.26 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-22 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://alpineapp.email - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage Alpine is a text-mode email and news client descended from the University of Washington Pine family. The current Alpine distribution includes the Alpine mailer, Pico editor, Pilot file navigator, Web Alpine components, IMAP tooling, and utilities for remote pinerc/address-book upload and download. ### Project history The official repository README credits the University of Washington for 2006-2009 copyright and Eduardo Chappa for 2013-2026 copyright. The same README describes the distribution as Alpine/Pico/Pilot/Web Alpine/Imapd and says user-level documentation is contained in the programs themselves as context-sensitive help. Alpine retained Pine compatibility in visible ways. The official UW FAQ says Unix Alpine still uses `.pinerc` as the personal configuration file because that was the file name used by Pine and Alpine is an upgrade of Pine. The current homepage continues to publish source and Windows binaries and states that the site is for releases and extra documentation, while the binary contains the configuration documentation needed to run Alpine. ### Adoption history Alpine's adoption comes from institutional Unix email culture, long-time Pine users, terminal users, and administrators who value keyboard-driven IMAP, NNTP, local folders, and remote configuration support. The official UW FAQ's explanation that Alpine is an upgrade of Pine captures the continuity that kept Pine users' configuration and habits relevant. The current project is maintained outside the old UW release channel by Eduardo Chappa, with official releases at alpineapp.email and source at repo.or.cz. Package-manager adoption is broad across Unix-like systems because Alpine remains a compact terminal mail/news client with familiar companion tools such as Pico and Pilot. ### How it is used Users run `alpine` for interactive mail and news. The distribution also builds `pico`, `pilot`, `rpload`, `rpdump`, `mailutil`, IMAP test/server tools, and Web Alpine components, though package formulas may expose only some executables. On Unix, Alpine uses a personal `~/.pinerc`, plus optional system files `/usr/local/lib/pine.conf` and `/usr/local/lib/pine.info`. Official documentation says Alpine can generate a blank personal configuration with `alpine -pinerc` and system-wide config output with `alpine -conf`. For credentials, modern Alpine can be built with password-file support. Official release notes for Alpine 2.20 and 2.21 mention RPM builds with default password file `~/.alpine.pwd`, and the 2.26 homepage notes Unix builds with password-file support by default when built with SMIME support. ### Why package nerds care Alpine is historically important because it carries Pine-era terminal email conventions into modern package sets while preserving small Unix tools around the mailer. Its config paths still say `pine`, which is exactly the kind of legacy detail package metadata needs to avoid 'fixing'. It is also a licensing and stewardship story: old UW Pine/Alpine heritage, Apache-licensed current releases, and a modern maintainer publishing signed tarballs and Windows binaries from alpineapp.email. Package maintainers care because source releases, repo.or.cz Git, and bundled companion tools do not map one-to-one to a single executable. ### Timeline - 2006-2009: Repository README credits University of Washington copyright for Alpine. - 2013-2026: Repository README credits Eduardo Chappa copyright for ongoing Alpine maintenance. - 2014: Official Alpine 2.20 release notes mention RPM builds with default password file `~/.alpine.pwd`. - 2026: Homepage lists Alpine 2.26 as the latest release and publishes source, signatures, Windows binaries, and release notes. ### Related projects - Pine is Alpine's predecessor and explains the retained `.pinerc`, `pine.conf`, and `pine.info` names. - Pico and Pilot are companion text editor and file navigator tools included in the Alpine distribution. - UW IMAP Toolkit/C-Client, Web Alpine, `rpload`, `rpdump`, and `mailutil` are distributed with the source tree. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## 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 - Unix: ~/.pinerc, /usr/local/lib/pine.conf, /usr/local/lib/pine.info ## Credential files - Unix: ~/.alpine.pwd ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** alpine - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Conflicts With:** macpine - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - alpine - 2.26+dfsg-3: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: alpine from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Text-based email client, friendly for novices but powerful | https://alpineapp.email/ - Debian apt - alpine-doc - 2.26+dfsg-3: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: alpine-doc from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Text-based email client's documentation | https://alpineapp.email/ - Debian apt - alpine-pico - 2.26+dfsg-3: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: alpine-pico from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Simple text editor from Alpine, a text-based email client | https://alpineapp.email/ - Debian apt - pilot - 2.26+dfsg-3: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: pilot from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Simple file browser from Alpine, a text-based email client | https://alpineapp.email/ - Nix - alpine: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/al/alpine/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - alpine - 2.26+dfsg-1build3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: alpine from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Text-based email client, friendly for novices but powerful | http://alpine.x10host.com/alpine/ - Ubuntu apt - alpine-doc - 2.26+dfsg-1build3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: alpine-doc from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Text-based email client's documentation | http://alpine.x10host.com/alpine/ - Ubuntu apt - alpine-pico - 2.26+dfsg-1build3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: alpine-pico from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Simple text editor from Alpine, a text-based email client | http://alpine.x10host.com/alpine/ - Ubuntu apt - pilot - 2.26+dfsg-1build3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: pilot from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Simple file browser from Alpine, a text-based email client | http://alpine.x10host.com/alpine/ - apk - alpine - 2.26-r5: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: alpine from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Text-based email client, friendly for novices but powerful | https://repo.or.cz/alpine.git - apk - alpine-dbg - 2.26-r5: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: alpine-dbg from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Text-based email client, friendly for novices but powerful (debug symbols) | https://repo.or.cz/alpine.git - apk - alpine-doc - 2.26-r5: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: alpine-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Text-based email client, friendly for novices but powerful (documentation) | https://repo.or.cz/alpine.git - dnf - alpine - 2.26-21.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: alpine from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | powerful, easy to use console email client | https://alpineapp.email/ - zypper - alpine - 2.26-30.4: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: alpine from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Mail User Agent | https://alpineapp.email/ - zypper - pico - 5.09-30.4: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: pico from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | A small, easy to use editor | https://alpineapp.email/ - zypper - pilot - 2.99-30.4: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: pilot from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Simple file system browser | https://alpineapp.email/ ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Productivity CLI packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/productivity-cli-packages/) - Matched curated productivity category metadata from av.db. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [openssl@3](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/openssl-3/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [aerc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aerc/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, productivity, terminal. - [alot](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/alot/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, productivity, terminal. - [neomutt](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/neomutt/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, productivity, terminal. - [pop](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pop/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, productivity, terminal. - [urlscan](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/urlscan/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, productivity, terminal. - [extract_url](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/extract-url/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, productivity. - [gmailctl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gmailctl/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, productivity. - [himalaya](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/himalaya/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, email, productivity. - [meli](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/meli/) - Local metadata places this package in an adjacent workflow. Shared terms: cli, client, email, openssl, openssl-3. - [mutt](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mutt/) - Local metadata places this package in an adjacent workflow. Shared terms: agent, cli, client, email, openssl. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/alpine.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/alpine.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph