# Install babelfish with Homebrew, apt, Nix Translate bash scripts to fish. Version 1.2.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:babelfish ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install babelfish ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install python3-babelfish ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: python3-babelfish from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#babelfish ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: babelfish from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/master/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:babelfish - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.2.1 - **Source summary:** Translate bash scripts to fish - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T18:08:21+00:00 ## Executables - babelfish (cli) - babelfish (alias) ## Build dependencies - go ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Caveats: The shell hook has been installed, you can use it by running: $ source $HOMEBREW_PREFIX/share/fish/vendor_functions.d/babel.fish - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 1.2.1 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/bouk/babelfish - Upstream latest detected: v1.2.1 (current) - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. ## Project history and usage babelfish is a small command-line translator that converts bash shell snippets or scripts into fish shell code. Its README frames it as a faster alternative to running bash-backed compatibility layers every time fish needs to source shell setup code. ### Project history The project was created by Bouke Haarsma to avoid relying on fish-foreign-env or bass for repeated bash process execution. Instead, babelfish parses shell code with mvdan.cc/sh and emits equivalent fish code where possible. The public GitHub releases show a 1.0.0 release in January 2021, a 1.1.0 release shortly after, and a 1.2.0 release in June 2023. The README still describes limitations, including untranslated variables such as BASH_SOURCE and incomplete arithmetic-expression support. ### Adoption history babelfish's adoption is niche and shell-specific. The README documents Homebrew and Go installation, and the package metadata in this batch shows Homebrew and Nix packaging for this Go-based translator. Its practical audience is fish users who need to consume bash-oriented environment setup scripts, version-manager hooks, or shell snippets without leaving fish or spawning bash repeatedly. ### How it is used Users pipe bash code into babelfish and can then inspect or source the generated fish code. The README demonstrates translating a function, exporting SSH_AUTH_SOCK, setting local variables, and using a shell hook to source bash-oriented setup scripts in fish. Because its translation coverage is incomplete, babelfish is best treated as a pragmatic bridge for common shell setup patterns rather than a perfect bash interpreter. ### Why package nerds care babelfish is package-nerd interesting in the small-tool sense: it exists to smooth over the mismatch between package ecosystems that ship bash activation scripts and users who prefer fish. It also shows a common CLI pattern in modern packaging: take a mature parser library, here mvdan.cc/sh, and wrap it in a focused translator that solves one irritating shell integration problem. ### Timeline - 2021: babelfish 1.0.0 is released on GitHub. - 2021: babelfish 1.1.0 follows with continued maintenance. - 2023: babelfish 1.2.0 is released on GitHub. - 2026: Package metadata in this batch shows babelfish still present in Homebrew and Nix. ### Related projects - fish is the target shell for generated output. - bash is the source shell language babelfish translates from. - fish-foreign-env and bass are named by the README as earlier approaches babelfish was intended to avoid for performance reasons. - mvdan.cc/sh provides the shell parser used by babelfish. ### Sources - - - input.json source_facts.package-manager ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** babelfish - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - python3-babelfish - 0.6.1-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: python3-babelfish from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | library to work with countries and languages (Python 3) | https://github.com/Diaoul/babelfish - Nix - babelfish: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: babelfish from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/master/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix - Ubuntu apt - python3-babelfish - 0.6.0-2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: python3-babelfish from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | library to work with countries and languages (Python 3) | https://github.com/Diaoul/babelfish ## Related links - [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. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata. - [go](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/go/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [jump](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/jump/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, fish, shell. - [aliae](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aliae/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, shell. - [argc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/argc/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, shell. - [atuin](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/atuin/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, shell. - [atuin-server](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/atuin-server/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, shell. - [bar](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bar/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, shell. - [bash-language-server](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bash-language-server/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, shell. - [bashdb](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bashdb/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, shell. - [powerline-go](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/powerline-go/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: bash, cli, developer, developer-tools, fish. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/babelfish.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/babelfish.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - 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