install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install bazelisk

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install bazelisk

MacPorts ports tree · devel/bazelisk/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#bazelisk

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

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S bazelisk

Arch Linux sync databases · bazelisk · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

Windows

Chocolateyverified · 92%

choco install bazelisk

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

Scoopverified · 92%

scoop install main/bazelisk

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

Windows Package Managerverified · 92%

winget install --id Bazel.Bazelisk -e

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

overview

Package summary

User-friendly launcher for Bazel

Project links

Commands and aliases

bazelisk

history

Project history and usage

Bazelisk is the Bazel launcher and version manager that makes Bazel behave like a repo-pinned toolchain: it chooses, downloads, verifies, and runs the Bazel version requested by the current workspace.

Project history

The bazelbuild/bazelisk repository begins in September 2018 with a Python script, and the README notes that Bazelisk was later rewritten in Go. The maintained Go version is now the documented implementation.

Bazelisk's core model is intentionally simple: it can be invoked as bazel or bazelisk, reads USE_BAZEL_VERSION, .bazeliskrc, .bazelversion, or fallback settings, downloads official Bazel releases or forked releases, then passes arguments through to the selected Bazel binary.

Adoption history

Bazelisk became common because Bazel workspaces are sensitive to major-version changes, incompatible flags, and migration timing. A checked-in .bazelversion lets teams upgrade Bazel atomically with the source changes needed for that upgrade.

The input records Bazelisk packaging across Homebrew, Chocolatey, MacPorts, Nix, Arch, Scoop, winget, and zypper, and the README also documents npm distribution for frontend developers.

How it is used

Developers install Bazelisk as bazel on PATH, check a .bazelversion file into the repository, and let Bazelisk download and run the matching Bazel binary on laptops and CI.

Advanced workflows use .bazeliskrc and environment variables for custom release mirrors, SHA256 verification, forked Bazel releases, GitHub tokens, migration runs, bisecting Bazel versions, and wrapper scripts under tools/bazel.

Why package nerds care

Bazelisk is package-nerd significant because it separates the package-manager-installed launcher from the project-selected compiler/build-tool version, similar in spirit to nvm-style runtime management.

It is also the practical glue that makes versioned Bazel formulas less painful: repositories can declare their expected Bazel line while users keep one stable launcher installed.

Timeline

2018-09: Upstream git history starts with a Python bazelisk implementation.
2018-10: Early commits implement lookup of the latest Bazel release.
2020s: The README documents the maintained Go rewrite, .bazelversion and .bazeliskrc selection, fork support, verification, --migrate, and --bisect.
2020s: Package managers distribute Bazelisk as both bazelisk and bazel for drop-in Bazel launching.

Related projects

Bazel is the binary Bazelisk selects and executes.
bazel@7 and bazel@8 are versioned package-manager alternatives, while Bazelisk lets a workspace choose those or newer upstream releases dynamically.
bazel-diff and bazel-remote CI setups often benefit from Bazelisk because graph hashing and remote-cache behavior should use the workspace's intended Bazel version.

Sources

Upstream git history for https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazelisk starts in September 2018.
https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazelisk#readme documents Bazelisk's launcher purpose, Python-to-Go history, version selection, .bazelversion, .bazeliskrc, downloads, auth, --migrate, and --bisect.
source_facts.package-manager records cross-package-manager availability.

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 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: $workspace/.bazeliskrc$workspace/.bazelversion

Credential files

Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.

Unix: ~/.netrc

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`bazelisk`	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 version1.29.0

manager updated2026-04-27

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv1.29.0

https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazelisk

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:bazelisk
Version	1.29.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/bazelisk
Homepage	https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazelisk/
Repository	https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazelisk
Upstream docs	https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazelisk#readme
License	Apache-2.0
Source archive	https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazelisk/archive/refs/tags/v1.29.0.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-04-27T22:09:13Z
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	bazelisk
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Conflicts With	bazel
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%

bazelisk

nix profile install nixpkgs#bazelisk

normalized package name match
Matched by: Bazelisk

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

pacman95%

bazelisk 1.29.0-1

A user-friendly launcher for Bazel.

https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazelisk

sudo pacman -S bazelisk

License: Apache-2.0
Architecture: x86_64
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Bazelisk

Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: bazelisk from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

MacPorts95%

bazelisk

sudo port install bazelisk

normalized package name match
Matched by: Bazelisk

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: devel/bazelisk/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

Chocolatey95%

bazelisk

choco install bazelisk

normalized package name match
Matched by: Bazelisk

Chocolatey community package catalog · community.chocolatey.org · Chocolatey community package catalog: bazelisk from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='11','backupper-standard'

Scoop95%

main/bazelisk

scoop install main/bazelisk

normalized package name match
Matched by: Bazelisk

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

winget95%

Bazel.Bazelisk

winget install --id Bazel.Bazelisk -e

normalized package name match
Matched by: Bazelisk

Windows Package Manager source index · cdn.winget.microsoft.com · Windows Package Manager source index: Bazel.Bazelisk 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/bazelisk.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 bazelisk with Homebrew, chocolatey, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, scoop, winget

Additional install commands

macOS

Linux

Windows

Package summary

Project links

Commands and aliases

Project history and usage

Project history

Adoption history

How it is used

Why package nerds care

Timeline

Related projects

Sources

Risk level: green

Risk classifier

Why

Signals

Install behavior

Recommended review

Configuration and credential file locations

Configuration files

Credential files

Installed executables

Version and freshness

Package metadata

Source database details

Other package-manager records

Internal package links

Topical hubs

Related tools

Same workflow

Agent security guides

Generated from repository data

Combined YAML source

Used sources