# Install cfnctl with Homebrew Brings the Terraform cli experience to AWS Cloudformation. Version 0.1.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:cfnctl ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install cfnctl ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:cfnctl - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.1.1 - **Source summary:** Brings the Terraform cli experience to AWS Cloudformation - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** Apache-2.0 - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - cfnctl (cli) - cfnctl (alias) ## Build dependencies - go ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 0.1.1 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/rogerwelin/cfnctl - Upstream latest detected: v0.1.1 (current) - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. ## Project history and usage cfnctl is a Go command-line tool that brings a Terraform-like workflow to AWS CloudFormation. Its README presents familiar commands such as apply, plan, destroy, output, and validate for users who still need to manage CloudFormation stacks. ### Project history The official repository was created in September 2021 and frames the tool around a specific workflow problem: teams that like Terraform's CLI experience but are required to use CloudFormation. The README describes the project as early in development and explicitly lists missing features such as large-template S3 upload and drift detection. The first public GitHub releases in March 2023 were v0.1.0 and v0.1.1. The README continues to invite feature requests and pull requests and notes planned terminal UI work around the Charm stack. ### Adoption history cfnctl is a niche infrastructure tool rather than a broad AWS standard utility. Official distribution is through GitHub releases, and the package metadata in this batch shows it packaged in Homebrew. Its adoption story is best read as package-manager convenience for CloudFormation-heavy users who want plan/apply style stack operations without switching their template language. ### How it is used The documented commands are apply, plan, destroy, output, validate, and version. The README example uses `cfnctl apply --template-file mycfntmpl.yaml --auto-approve`. Because the official README does not document a persistent application config file or credentials file, those locations are left null. AWS credential handling may be inherited from the AWS SDK or environment, but that is not named in the project documentation used here. ### Why package nerds care cfnctl is interesting to package people because it is a small single-purpose CLI that imports the workflow vocabulary of one infrastructure tool into another ecosystem. That kind of tool often lives or dies by whether it is easy to install as a binary. The Homebrew formula matters here: it turns a GitHub-release-only CloudFormation helper into a one-command install for macOS operators. ### Timeline - 2021: The rogerwelin/cfnctl repository is created on GitHub. - 2023: v0.1.0 and v0.1.1 are published as GitHub releases. - 2026: The README still describes planned improvements and early-development gaps. ### Related projects - AWS CloudFormation is the stack system cfnctl operates against. - Terraform is the workflow model named directly by the README. - Charm's Bubble Tea, Lip Gloss, and Huh are listed in the README as planned terminal UI migration targets. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal. - **Geiger risk:** orange / medium - infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** cfnctl - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Related links - [Cloud CLI packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/cloud-clis/) - Belongs to a cloud or infrastructure command family. - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control 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. - [go](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/go/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [cfn-format](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cfn-format/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: aws, cli, cloud-infrastructure, cloudformation, infrastructure-as-code. - [cfv](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cfv/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: aws, cli, cloud-infrastructure, cloudformation, infrastructure-as-code. - [cfn-flip](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cfn-flip/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: aws, cli, cloud-infrastructure, cloudformation. - [cloudformation-cli](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cloudformation-cli/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: aws, cli, cloud-infrastructure, cloudformation, infrastructure-as-code. - [eksctl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/eksctl/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: aws, cli, cloud-infrastructure, cloudformation. - [basti](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/basti/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: aws, cli, cloud-infrastructure. - [cf2tf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cf2tf/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: aws, cli, cloud-infrastructure, cloudformation, infrastructure-as-code. - [e1s](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/e1s/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: aws, cli, cloud-infrastructure. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/cfnctl.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/cfnctl.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - cross-ecosystem install command graph