# Install cabin with Homebrew, Nix Package manager and build system for C/C++. Version 0.17.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-07. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:cabin ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install cabin ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#cabin ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ca/cabin/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:cabin - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.17.0 - **Source summary:** Package manager and build system for C/C++ - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** Apache-2.0 - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-07T07:00:26Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - cabin (cli) - cabin (alias) ## Build dependencies - rust ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not 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: 0.17.0 - Package-manager updated: 2026-07-07 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/cabinpkg/cabin - Upstream latest detected: 0.17.0 (current) ## Project history and usage Cabin is a pre-1.0, Cargo-inspired package manager and build system for conventional C and C++ projects. It is written in Rust and aims to reduce C/C++ build boilerplate with predictable project structure and declarative metadata. ### Project history Cabin's README describes it as an opinionated C/C++ build tool inspired by Cargo, but the official docs stress that it is not Cargo-compatible. It borrows Cargo vocabulary where it fits and deliberately diverges where C/C++ build semantics require separate treatment. The project was initially funded by Japan's MITOU IT Program, according to the README sponsorship section, with additional support from Shigeru Urushibara of UL Systems. That funding history explains why a niche C/C++ build tool has a fairly complete documentation surface despite being pre-1.0. The 2026 documentation covers manifests, configuration discovery, workspaces, dependencies, lockfiles, source artifacts, testing, compiler wrappers, registry design, and CLI distribution artifacts, indicating a broad attempt to model package-manager behavior rather than just invoke a compiler. ### Adoption history Cabin's public adoption appears early and niche. Its own README carries a pre-1.0 caution, while Homebrew and Nix packaging show that the CLI has become installable through normal developer package channels. The release history shows active 2024-2026 development, with 0.10.1 in September 2024, 0.13.0 in July 2025, and 0.16.0 in June 2026. Recent releases emphasize manifest changes, workspaces, language standards, testing, docs, release automation, and distribution packaging. ### How it is used Users run cabin new or cabin init to scaffold a package, cabin build to build it, cabin run to execute it, and cabin metadata, tree, or explain to inspect resolved state. A minimal cabin.toml declares package metadata and targets such as executables or libraries. Cabin targets mixed C/C++ projects where CC and CXX remain independent, C and C++ standards stay separate, and the resolved build configuration gets a deterministic fingerprint. ### Why package nerds care For package nerds, Cabin is interesting because it asks what Cargo-like ergonomics look like for C and C++ without pretending C/C++ has Rust's compilation model. It packages conventions, lockfiles, manifests, workspaces, and registry ideas around languages that historically outsourced those choices to build systems and distribution maintainers. It is also a compact example of Rust tooling being used to build developer infrastructure for non-Rust ecosystems. ### Timeline - 2018: Cabin was initially funded by the MITOU IT Program. - 2024-09-06: Cabin 0.10.1 was released. - 2025-07-25: Cabin 0.13.0 was released. - 2026-06-01: Cabin 0.14.0 was released. - 2026-06-09: Cabin 0.15.0 was released. - 2026-06-26: Cabin 0.16.0 was released. ### Related projects - Cargo is the explicit interface inspiration, though Cabin is not Cargo-compatible. - CMake, Meson, Make, and Ninja are adjacent C/C++ build-system reference points. - Rust is relevant because Cabin itself is written in Rust. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes generalized runtime or code generation signal. infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal. - **Geiger risk:** orange / medium - generalized runtime or code generation signal - infrastructure mutation or orchestration 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 - Linux: $CABIN_CONFIG_HOME/config.toml, $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/cabin/config.toml, ~/.config/cabin/config.toml, /.cabin/config.toml, /.cabin/config.toml, $CABIN_CONFIG - macOS: $CABIN_CONFIG_HOME/config.toml, ~/Library/Application Support/cabin/config.toml, /.cabin/config.toml, /.cabin/config.toml, $CABIN_CONFIG - Windows: $CABIN_CONFIG_HOME/config.toml, %APPDATA%\cabin\config.toml, \.cabin\config.toml, \.cabin\config.toml, %CABIN_CONFIG% ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** cabin - **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 - cabin: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ca/cabin/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Package publisher tools](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/package-publishers/) - Belongs to a package publishing or registry command family. - [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. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [rust](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/rust/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [conan](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/conan/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cpp, developer-tools, package-manager. - [dune](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dune/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: build-system, cli, developer-tools. - [metashell](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/metashell/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cpp, developer-tools. - [muon](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/muon/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: build-system, cli, developer-tools. - [boost-bcp](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/boost-bcp/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cpp, developer-tools. - [bsdmake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bsdmake/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: build-system, cli, developer-tools. - [clang-include-graph](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/clang-include-graph/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cpp, developer-tools. - [clangql](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/clangql/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cpp, developer-tools. - [fpm](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fpm/) - Local metadata places this package in an adjacent workflow. Shared terms: build, build-system, cli, developer, developer-tools. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/cabin.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/cabin.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