Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install carapace with Homebrew, apk, MacPorts, Nix, winget

Multi-shell multi-command argument completer. Version 1.7.3 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-30.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install carapace

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install carapace

MacPorts ports tree · sysutils/carapace/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add carapace

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · carapace · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#carapace

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

Windows

Windows Package Managerverified · 92%
winget install --id rsteube.Carapace -e

Windows Package Manager source index · rsteube.Carapace · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com

overview

Package summary

Multi-shell multi-command argument completer

Commands and aliases

  • carapace

history

Project history and usage

carapace is a Go-based multi-shell argument completer distributed as the carapace-bin package. It exists in the long tradition of shell completion frameworks, but its package-nerd hook is that one completion engine can target many shells instead of requiring a separate completion script style for Bash, Zsh, Fish, PowerShell, Nushell, Xonsh, Elvish, and others.

Project history

The public carapace-bin repository was created on GitHub in April 2020. Its README describes the project as a multi-shell completion binary, and the repository topics show the project deliberately spans many shell ecosystems rather than being tied to a single command-line environment.

The project grew around two related surfaces: a collection of completers for existing CLI tools and a specification system for adding custom completions. Its documentation is published as an mdBook site, and the README points users to install and setup pages rather than treating the GitHub README as the only manual.

Adoption history

The project is packaged across multiple operating-system package channels. The supplied Homebrew source facts list Homebrew, Alpine, MacPorts, Nix, and winget package mappings, while the upstream README includes a Repology packaging badge, signaling that distribution packaging is part of the project's public identity.

Adoption has been strongest among users who move between shells or who want richer completion behavior without writing shell-specific scripts. The upstream README's supported-shell list includes both traditional shells and newer interactive shells, which is the core adoption story for carapace.

How it is used

Users install the carapace binary, enable it for their shell, and then use it to provide argument completions for supported commands. The upstream README links to the official install and setup documentation, and the official completers page documents the list of commands covered by the project.

For package maintainers and power users, carapace is also interesting because completions can be specified outside a single shell's scripting language, making it useful when a command-line tool needs completions across several shell communities.

Why package nerds care

carapace matters to package nerds because shell completion is often the forgotten layer between a package and its users. A package that ships a good binary but poor completions feels worse in day-to-day terminal use, and carapace offers a shared completion layer that package managers can distribute like any other CLI tool.

Its significance also comes from cross-shell normalization. Package repositories normally have to care about Bash, Zsh, Fish, PowerShell, and newer shells separately; carapace turns that messy edge of packaging into a dedicated, versioned tool.

Timeline

  • 2020: carapace-bin repository created on GitHub.
  • 2022: GitHub releases page shows published carapace-bin release tags by at least v0.11.0.
  • 2026: GitHub repository metadata shows the project still active, with shell-completion topics and ongoing updates.

Related projects

  • carapace is related to shell-native completion systems for Bash, Zsh, Fish, PowerShell, Nushell, Elvish, Xonsh, Oil, Tcsh, Ion, and Cmd, all of which are listed in the upstream README as supported or experimental shells.
  • It is also related to package-manager completion distribution: Homebrew, Alpine, MacPorts, Nix, and winget mappings in the supplied source facts show how the same completion binary reaches users through several ecosystems.

security posture

Risk level: yellow

generalized runtime or code generation signal.

Risk classifier

yellow risk · medium confidence · runtime

Why

  • generalized runtime or code generation signal

Signals

  • text:shell

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
${UserConfigDir}/carapace${UserConfigDir}/carapace/specs${UserConfigDir}/carapace/variables/{group}.yaml${UserConfigDir}/carapace/bridge

executables

Installed executables

CommandKindExposureNote
carapacecliglobal 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 version1.7.3
manager updated2026-06-30
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv1.7.3

https://github.com/carapace-sh/carapace-bin

  • okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:carapace
Version1.7.3
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/carapace
Homepagehttps://carapace.sh
Repositoryhttps://github.com/carapace-sh/carapace-bin
Upstream docshttps://carapace-sh.github.io/carapace-bin
LicenseMIT
Source archivehttps://github.com/carapace-sh/carapace-bin/archive/refs/tags/v1.7.3.tar.gz
Last updated2026-06-30T23:54:20Z
Pulseupdated
Build dependenciesgo
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namecarapace
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Head VersionHEAD
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
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%

carapace

nix profile install nixpkgs#carapace
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Carapace
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ca/carapace/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
apk95%

carapace 1.5.7-r5

Multi-shell multi-command argument completer

https://carapace.sh/

sudo apk add carapace
  • License: MIT
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: carapace
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Carapace
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: carapace from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
MacPorts95%

carapace

sudo port install carapace
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Carapace
MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/carapace/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
winget95%

rsteube.Carapace

winget install --id rsteube.Carapace -e
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Carapace
Windows Package Manager source index · cdn.winget.microsoft.com · Windows Package Manager source index: rsteube.Carapace 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.

Related tools

  • goBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

  • python-argcompleteShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, shell-completion.
  • fzfLocal package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, shell.
  • jshonLocal package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, shell.

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.

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