# Install boring with Homebrew, Nix Simple command-line SSH tunnel manager that just works. Version 0.16.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-04. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:boring ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install boring ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#boring ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/bo/boring/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:boring - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.16.1 - **Source summary:** Simple command-line SSH tunnel manager that just works - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-04T14:08:56Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - boring (cli) - boring (alias) ## Build dependencies - go ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 0.16.1 - Package-manager updated: 2026-07-04 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/alebeck/boring - Upstream latest detected: v0.16.1 (current) ## Project history and usage boring is a small Go CLI for managing SSH tunnels from a TOML file, positioned as a simpler way to keep local, remote, SOCKS, and reverse SOCKS forwards organized. ### Project history The public GitHub repository was created in September 2024, and its earliest GitHub release in the public release feed is 0.4.0 from October 2024. The official site describes it as a simple command-line SSH tunnel manager with TOML configuration, ssh_config compatibility, and automatic reconnections. The project keeps its scope narrow: it manages tunnel definitions and process lifecycle around SSH rather than trying to replace OpenSSH or become a general VPN system. ### Adoption history Adoption is early and package-manager-focused. The batch input records Homebrew and Nix packaging, which is typical for a modern single-binary CLI aimed at developers who frequently need repeatable port forwards. Because boring delegates authentication and host identity to SSH configuration, it fits into existing developer workflows without asking users to maintain a separate credential store. ### How it is used Users define named tunnels in a TOML file, then use the CLI to list, open, close, and group them. The README documents local, remote, SOCKS, and socks-remote modes plus fields for host, user, identity, port, keep-alive, and grouping. The tool reads standard SSH configuration where possible and falls back to familiar defaults such as the current user, port 22, ssh-agent, and standard identity files. ### Why package nerds care boring is package-nerd interesting because it is a deliberately small wrapper around a ubiquitous system tool: it packages as one CLI, but its real value is making OpenSSH port-forwarding state reproducible and inspectable. Its platform-specific default config paths are a useful curation detail, since Linux follows XDG while macOS and Windows use a home-directory TOML file. ### Timeline - 2024-09: Official GitHub repository metadata shows the public repository created. - 2024-10: GitHub release metadata shows release 0.4.0 published. - 2026: Repository metadata and package input show ongoing development and packaging in Homebrew and Nix. ### Related projects - OpenSSH is the underlying transport and tunneling mechanism. - ssh_config is part of the expected configuration workflow because boring can match hosts against SSH config. - autossh and other SSH tunnel managers are adjacent tools, but boring focuses on named TOML-managed tunnels. ### Sources - - - - - source_facts.package-manager ## Security Notes No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for boring. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL. ## 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 - Linux: $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/boring/.boring.toml, ~/.config/boring/.boring.toml - macOS: ~/.boring.toml - Windows: ~/.boring.toml ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** boring - **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 - Nix - boring: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/bo/boring/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## 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. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [go](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/go/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [autossh](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/autossh/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, ssh, tunnel, tunneling. - [rospo](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/rospo/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, ssh, tunneling. - [proxytunnel](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/proxytunnel/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, ssh, tunnel, tunneling. - [bore-cli](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bore-cli/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, port-forwarding, tunneling. - [cloudflared](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cloudflared/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, tunnel, tunneling. - [corkscrew](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/corkscrew/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, ssh, tunneling. - [dns2tcp](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dns2tcp/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, tunnel, tunneling. - [ggh](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ggh/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, ssh. - [gost](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gost/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, forwarding, networking, port, port-forwarding. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/boring.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/boring.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 - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph