install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install aqua

local Homebrew formula metadata

Windows

Chocolateyverified · 92%

choco install aqua

Chocolatey community package catalog · aqua · source: community.chocolatey.org

Scoopverified · 92%

scoop install main/aqua

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

Windows Package Managerverified · 92%

winget install --id aquaproj.aqua -e

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

overview

Package summary

Declarative CLI Version manager

Project links

Commands and aliases

aqua

history

Project history and usage

aqua is a declarative CLI version manager written in Go. It installs and switches command-line tools from YAML configuration, aiming at the same daily workflow space as asdf-style tool managers but with a registry, lazy install behavior, and Renovate-friendly version declarations.

Project history

The official aqua repository was created in August 2021. The repository description calls it a declarative CLI version manager with lazy install, a registry, Renovate support, and seamless command version switching.

The documentation centers on `aqua.yaml` and registry-backed package definitions. The config reference documents local and global config discovery, standard and local registries, JSON Schema support, checksum settings, and security toggles for provenance verification.

Adoption history

aqua is distributed through Homebrew, Chocolatey, Scoop, and winget in the input metadata. The official repository metadata shows active development, a four-digit star count, and topics around CLI tooling and version management.

The project explicitly documents Renovate integration, YAML language-server schemas, a standard registry, and using aqua together with other version managers such as asdf. That makes its adoption story especially package-manager-native: it is designed for repositories to declare the tools they need and let bots update those declarations.

How it is used

Users add packages such as `helm/helm@v3.7.0` or `golangci/golangci-lint@v1.42.1` to aqua configuration, pin a standard registry ref, and let aqua install or lazily install the requested executables.

Configuration discovery is intentionally repository-friendly: aqua checks `$AQUA_CONFIG`, then `.aqua.yaml`, `aqua.yaml`, `aqua/aqua.yaml`, and `.aqua/aqua.yaml` while walking up from the current directory, with `$AQUA_GLOBAL_CONFIG` for global tools.

Why package nerds care

aqua is interesting because it treats command-line tools themselves as lockable, reviewable project dependencies. The registry and Renovate conventions put CLI installation into the same maintenance loop as library dependencies, which is exactly the sort of thing package nerds care about.

Timeline

2021: The official aqua repository was created.
2021: The documentation copyright begins and the project published docs under aquaproj.github.io.
2023: The config reference notes aqua v1.33.0 support for keeping configuration files in `.aqua` directories.
2024: The config reference documents v2-era provenance and policy controls such as Cosign, SLSA, and GitHub Artifact Attestation toggles.
2026: The repository remains actively maintained in the 2.x release line.

Related projects

Related projects and systems include aqua-registry, Renovate, GitHub Actions, YAML Language Server, Cosign, SLSA Provenance, GitHub Artifact Attestations, ghtkn, Keyring, and asdf.

Sources

https://api.github.com/repos/aquaproj/aqua
https://aquaproj.github.io/docs
https://aquaproj.github.io/docs/reference/config
source_facts.package-manager

security posture

Risk level: orange

infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal.

Risk classifier

orange risk · medium confidence · infrastructure

Why

infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal

Signals

text:version manager

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 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: $AQUA_CONFIGaqua.yaml.aqua.yamlaqua/aqua.yaml.aqua/aqua.yaml$AQUA_GLOBAL_CONFIG

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`aqua`	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 version2.60.1

manager updated2026-06-16

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv2.60.1

https://github.com/aquaproj/aqua

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:aqua
Version	2.60.1
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/aqua
Homepage	https://aquaproj.github.io/
Repository	https://github.com/aquaproj/aqua
Upstream docs	https://aquaproj.github.io/docs
License	MIT
Source archive	https://github.com/aquaproj/aqua/archive/refs/tags/v2.60.1.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-06-16T04:27:07Z
Pulse	updated
Build dependencies	go
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, 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	aqua
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.

Chocolatey95%

aqua

choco install aqua

normalized package name match
Matched by: Aqua

Chocolatey community package catalog · community.chocolatey.org · Chocolatey community package catalog: aqua from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='7.158','newfiletime'

Scoop95%

main/aqua

scoop install main/aqua

normalized package name match
Matched by: Aqua

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

winget95%

aquaproj.aqua

winget install --id aquaproj.aqua -e

normalized package name match
Matched by: Aqua

Windows Package Manager source index · cdn.winget.microsoft.com · Windows Package Manager source index: aquaproj.aqua 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/aqua.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 aqua with Homebrew, chocolatey, scoop, winget