# Install brag with Homebrew, apt Download and assemble multipart binaries from newsgroups. Version 1.4.3 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:brag ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install brag ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install brag ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: brag from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:brag - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.4.3 - **Source summary:** Download and assemble multipart binaries from newsgroups - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-22T14:02:55-07:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - brag (cli) - brag (alias) ## Dependencies - uudeview ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on all ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 1.4.3 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-22 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://brag.sourceforge.net/ - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage Brag is a command-line Usenet binary downloader. It collects multipart binary attachments from NNTP newsgroups, assembles them, and was designed to be robust enough for unattended cron jobs. ### Project history Brag is credited in its README to author Akos Polster and maintained at SourceForge. The project documentation reflects the early-2000s Usenet binary era, including support for uuencode, MIME base64, yEnc, authentication, filters, and parallel NNTP connections. The SourceForge file feed shows Brag releases at least from version 1.1.0 in October 2000 through version 1.4.3 in March 2004. The acknowledgements list several contributors for NNTP support, yEnc support, performance work, Mac OS X fixes, Debian fixes, and user reports. ### Adoption history Brag's adoption is small but historically package-manager-shaped: the input package facts record Homebrew, Debian, and Ubuntu packages. Its man page and README also assume Unix home-directory state under ~/.brag and cron-based operation, matching the packaging conventions of the period. Its niche narrowed as web-based binary distribution, dedicated NZB clients, and private indexers changed Usenet workflows, but Brag remains a compact example of a classic NNTP automation tool. ### How it is used The man page describes running brag against an NNTP server and newsgroup, optionally with authentication, accept/reject subject patterns, parallel connection count, output directory, and cross-server or cross-newsgroup part combining. State is stored under ~/.brag, with unfinished and finished directories per server and group. Passwords can be placed in ~/.brag//passwd, while accept and reject pattern files live below the server and group directory. ### Why package nerds care Brag matters to package historians as a surviving Homebrew formula for an older Unix networking workflow: scripted Usenet binary retrieval over NNTP. It is less a mainstream modern tool than a preserved slice of early broadband-era command-line culture. It is also a reminder that package managers carry long tails of specialized tools whose primary upstreams live on SourceForge rather than GitHub. ### Timeline - 2000-10: SourceForge lists a Brag 1.1.0 RPM release. - 2002-02: SourceForge lists Brag 1.2.0 source and RPM releases. - 2003-11: SourceForge lists Brag 1.4.0 and 1.4.1 releases. - 2004-03: SourceForge lists Brag 1.4.3 source and RPM releases. ### Related projects - NNTP news servers are the network service Brag automates against. - Usenet binary tools and later NZB clients occupy the same broad problem space of fetching multipart posts. - Debian packaging is mentioned in the README acknowledgements and also appears in the input package facts. ### Sources - - - - source_facts.package-manager ## Security Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. - **Geiger risk:** blue / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal ## 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 - Unix: ~/.brag///accept, ~/.brag///reject ## Credential files - Unix: ~/.brag//passwd ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** brag - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 1 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** yes - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - brag - 1.4.1-2.3: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: brag from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Downloads and assembles multipart Usenet binaries | http://brag.sourceforge.net - Ubuntu apt - brag - 1.4.1-2.3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: brag from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Downloads and assembles multipart Usenet binaries | http://brag.sourceforge.net ## Related links - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [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. - [uudeview](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/uudeview/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [nzbget](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/nzbget/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, usenet. - [pan](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pan/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, usenet. - [tin](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/tin/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, usenet. - [activemq](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/activemq/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking. - [adns](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/adns/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking. - [aerleon](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aerleon/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking. - [ahcpd](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ahcpd/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking. - [airshare](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/airshare/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking. - [puf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/puf/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, download, networking. - [zssh](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/zssh/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, file, networking. - [bitchx](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bitchx/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, networking. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/brag.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/brag.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