install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install cargo-binstall

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#cargo-binstall

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

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S cargo-binstall

Arch Linux sync databases · cargo-binstall · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

Windows

Scoopverified · 92%

scoop install main/cargo-binstall

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/cargo-binstall.json · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Binary installation for rust projects

Project links

Commands and aliases

cargo-binstall

history

Project history and usage

cargo-binstall is a Cargo subcommand for installing Rust command-line tools from prebuilt binaries when possible, falling back to source builds when needed. Its package-history importance is that it tackles the pain of `cargo install` compile times without requiring every Rust tool author to become a full package maintainer.

Project history

The public cargo-binstall repository was created in December 2020. The README describes Binstall as a low-complexity alternative to building from source with `cargo install` or manually downloading release archives.

The project evolved around reuse of existing ecosystem metadata: it fetches crate information from crates.io, checks the linked repository for matching releases and artifacts, can fall back to quickinstall artifacts, supports alternate targets, and uses `cargo install` as a last resort.

Adoption history

cargo-binstall is packaged through Homebrew, Nix, Arch Linux, and Scoop according to the supplied source facts, and its README documents Homebrew installation plus official shell one-liners and a first-party GitHub Action.

Adoption is also indirect: the README notes that cargo-update can automatically use Binstall if present, and that taiki-e/install-action has dedicated support for selected tools while using Binstall for others.

How it is used

Users typically run `cargo binstall <crate>` to install a binary crate from a matching release artifact. For CI, the README recommends `--no-confirm`, and for maintainers it documents optional `[package.metadata.binstall]` configuration in Cargo.toml.

The SUPPORT.md documentation explains how maintainers can specify package URLs, archive formats, binary directories, disabled strategies, target overrides, and cfg expressions so Binstall can find release artifacts reliably.

Why package nerds care

cargo-binstall is significant because Rust's source-first install story is elegant but expensive. For command-line tools, users often want the package-manager experience of downloading a binary, while maintainers may already publish GitHub release artifacts.

For package nerds it occupies the space between language registries and system package managers: it reads crates.io metadata and Cargo.toml hints, locates release assets, respects targets and signatures where available, and only compiles when the binary path fails.

Timeline

2020: cargo-binstall repository created on GitHub.
2026: GitHub repository metadata shows active maintenance and a large user signal for a Cargo installer tool.
2026: README documents release-asset installation, quickinstall fallback, a first-party GitHub Action, signatures, and telemetry controls.

Related projects

cargo-binstall is related to cargo install, crates.io, GitHub/GitLab release assets, cargo-quickinstall, and cargo-update.
The README also names cargo-run-bin for project-scoped tool management, taiki-e/install-action for CI installation, and support metadata in Cargo.toml for maintainers who publish binaries.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

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.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`cargo-binstall`	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 version1.20.1

manager updated2026-06-21

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv1.20.1

https://github.com/cargo-bins/cargo-binstall

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:cargo-binstall
Version	1.20.1
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/cargo-binstall
Homepage	https://github.com/cargo-bins/cargo-binstall
Repository	https://github.com/cargo-bins/cargo-binstall
Upstream docs	https://github.com/cargo-bins/cargo-binstall#readme
License	GPL-3.0-only
Source archive	https://github.com/cargo-bins/cargo-binstall/archive/refs/tags/v1.20.1.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-06-21T07:02:42Z
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	cargo-binstall
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
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%

cargo-binstall

nix profile install nixpkgs#cargo-binstall

normalized package name match
Matched by: Cargo Binstall

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ca/cargo-binstall/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

pacman95%

cargo-binstall 1.20.0-1

Binary installation for Rust projects

https://github.com/cargo-bins/cargo-binstall

sudo pacman -S cargo-binstall

License: GPL-3.0-only
Architecture: x86_64
3 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Cargo Binstall

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

Scoop95%

main/cargo-binstall

scoop install main/cargo-binstall

normalized package name match
Matched by: Cargo Binstall

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · api.github.com · Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/cargo-binstall.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/cargo-binstall.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install cargo-binstall with Homebrew, Nix, pacman, scoop