install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install bob

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S bob

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

Windows

Scoopverified · 92%

scoop install main/bob

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

overview

Package summary

Version manager for neovim

Project links

Commands and aliases

bob

history

Project history and usage

Bob is a Rust command-line version manager for Neovim, aimed at users who want to install, switch, run, and remove stable, nightly, versioned, or commit-specific Neovim builds from one tool.

Project history

The project presents itself as a cross-platform Neovim version manager and distributes install scripts, release archives, nightly builds, pacman packaging, and a crates.io install path from its official README. Its notices show an actively maintained tool that has changed implementation details over time, including macOS storage changes in 2022, a proxy executable migration in 2023, improved Apple Silicon support in 2024, and OpenSSL build deprecation in 2025.

Adoption history

Bob's adoption is mostly within Neovim power-user and plugin-development circles, where testing multiple Neovim versions is routine. The input package facts list Homebrew, Arch/pacman, and Scoop packaging, showing it crossed from cargo-based installation into mainstream system package channels.

How it is used

Common usage is `bob install`, `bob use`, and `bob run` for stable, nightly, latest, explicit versions, or commit hashes. The tool also supports rollback, erase, list, sync, and source builds of Neovim.

Why package nerds care

Bob is package-nerd interesting because it treats a fast-moving editor as a versioned runtime, much like language version managers do for Node, Ruby, or Python. It also sits at the intersection of Rust CLI distribution, Neovim nightly culture, and cross-platform binary management.

Timeline

2022: Official notice moves Bob's macOS symbolic link and downloads folder away from Application Support.
2023: Bob switches to a proxy executable model for running Neovim executables.
2024: Bob adds complete ARM support for recent macOS Neovim binary changes and later deprecates nvim-qt support.
2025: OpenSSL builds are deprecated in favor of standard Bob builds.

Related projects

Related projects include Neovim itself, rustup-style version managers, and editor/runtime switchers used by developers who test against nightly and released toolchains.

Sources

https://github.com/MordechaiHadad/bob#readme
input.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.

Linux: /home/user/.config/bob/config.json/home/user/.config/bob/config.toml
macOS: /Users/user/Library/Application Support/bob/config.json/Users/user/Library/Application Support/bob/config.toml
Windows: C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\bob\config.jsonC:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\bob\config.toml

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`bob`	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 version4.1.7

manager updated2026-04-27

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv4.1.7

https://github.com/MordechaiHadad/bob

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:bob
Version	4.1.7
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/bob
Homepage	https://github.com/MordechaiHadad/bob
Repository	https://github.com/MordechaiHadad/bob
Upstream docs	https://github.com/MordechaiHadad/bob#readme
License	MIT
Source archive	https://github.com/MordechaiHadad/bob/archive/refs/tags/v4.1.7.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-04-27T15:05:56Z
Pulse	updated
Build dependencies	rust
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	bob
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	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.

pacman95%

bob 4.1.7-1

A version manager for neovim

https://github.com/MordechaiHadad/bob

sudo pacman -S bob

License: MIT
Architecture: x86_64
2 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Bob

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

Scoop95%

main/bob

scoop install main/bob

normalized package name match
Matched by: Bob

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

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/bob.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 bob with Homebrew, pacman, scoop