# Install aws-keychain with Homebrew Uses macOS keychain for storage of AWS credentials. Version 3.0.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:aws-keychain ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install aws-keychain ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:aws-keychain - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 3.0.0 - **Source summary:** Uses macOS keychain for storage of AWS credentials - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - aws-keychain (cli) - aws-keychain (alias) ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on all ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 3.0.0 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/pda/aws-keychain - Upstream latest detected: v3.0.0 (current) - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. ## Project history and usage aws-keychain is a macOS shell CLI for storing AWS IAM access keys in the macOS Keychain and checking one selected key out into `~/.aws/credentials` or into a command environment. Its README explicitly says it is no longer maintained and recommends aws-vault instead. ### Project history The upstream README identifies the project as a 2014-2015 Paul Annesley MIT-licensed tool. It was written for the Mac OS X Keychain era of local AWS access-key management, before newer credential-process, SSO, and vault-style workflows became the dominant recommendation. ### Adoption history GitHub lists v3.0.0 as the latest release dated September 22, 2015 and describes the repository as succeeded by aws-vault. Homebrew analytics showed only 8 installs in 30 days, 10 in 90 days, and 56 in 365 days at the time of this batch, consistent with a historical package kept around for existing users. ### How it is used The command supports `add`, `ls`, `exec`, and `rm` operations for named IAM access keys in Keychain. The README warns about shell history when adding keys, supports interactive secret entry, and shows `aws-keychain exec personal aws s3 ls` as the intended safe command-running workflow. ### Why package nerds care aws-keychain is a compact example of the local-secret-storage lineage that led to better-known tools such as aws-vault. It matters less as a current recommendation and more as a package archaeology marker for how macOS AWS users avoided plaintext credentials before first-class AWS SSO workflows. ### Timeline - 2014-2015: README copyright period for aws-keychain. - 2015: GitHub lists v3.0.0 as the latest release, with separate keychain file behavior. - 2026: Homebrew formula metadata still tracks the v3.0.0 source archive. ### Related projects - aws-vault: the successor recommended by the aws-keychain README. ### 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. ## Credential files - macOS: ~/.aws/credentials ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** aws-keychain - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Requirements:** macos - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** yes - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Related links - [Cloud CLI packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/cloud-clis/) - Belongs to a cloud or infrastructure command family. - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [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. - [amazon-ecs-cli](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/amazon-ecs-cli/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: aws, cli, cloud-infrastructure. - [aws-amplify](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aws-amplify/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: aws, cli, cloud-infrastructure. - [aws-cdk](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aws-cdk/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: aws, cli, cloud-infrastructure. - [aws-console](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aws-console/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: aws, cli, cloud-infrastructure. - [aws-elasticbeanstalk](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aws-elasticbeanstalk/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: aws, cli, cloud-infrastructure. - [aws-es-proxy](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aws-es-proxy/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: aws, cli, cloud-infrastructure. - [aws-google-auth](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aws-google-auth/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: aws, cli, cloud-infrastructure. - [aws-iam-authenticator](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aws-iam-authenticator/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: aws, cli, cloud-infrastructure. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/aws-keychain.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/aws-keychain.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 - cross-ecosystem install command graph