brew

Install dialog with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper

Display user-friendly message boxes from shell scripts. Version 1.3-20260107 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.

Install command Security notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install dialog

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install dialog

MacPorts ports tree · devel/dialog/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add dialog

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

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install dialog

Debian stable package indexes · dialog · source: deb.debian.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install dialog

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dialog · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#dialog

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

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S dialog

Arch Linux sync databases · dialog · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%

sudo zypper install dialog

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · dialog · source: download.opensuse.org

overview

Package summary

Display user-friendly message boxes from shell scripts

Project links

Commands and aliases

dialog
dialog-config

history

Project history and usage

dialog is the classic curses-based program for showing message boxes, menus, gauges, forms, and other text user-interface widgets from shell scripts.

Project history

The official history traces dialog to Savio Lam's initial 0.1 release on 1993-12-17, when the program had inputbox, msgbox, and yesno options. Through 1994 and 1995, contributors added checklist, menu, textbox, color, shadows, radiolist, gauge, mouse support, and related features.

Adoption history

dialog became part of Unix installer and system-script culture because shell scripts could ask structured questions without depending on a graphical desktop. The official history notes FreeBSD's fork and its use around sysinstall, and the project page compares related tools such as whiptail, Xdialog, gdialog, zenity, kdialog, and bsddialog.

How it is used

The manpage describes dialog as a program that lets scripts present questions or display messages using dialog boxes. Common package-manager users install it so shell scripts can use widgets such as checklist, menu, gauge, inputbox, passwordbox, textbox, and yesno.

Why package nerds care

dialog matters to package people because it is one of the small tools that makes source builds, installers, and distribution scripts feel interactive while still being plain shell. Its long compatibility story explains why many packages also know about whiptail and other dialog-like front ends.

Timeline

1993: dialog 0.1 released by Savio Lam.
1994: checklist, menu, color, shadow, radiolist, and gauge-era functionality appeared across early releases and forks.
2001: Vincent Stemen sent patches that were folded into ongoing dialog snapshots.
2012: dialog 1.2-era widget coverage and compatibility history were documented on the official site.

Related projects

Official related and compatibility discussion covers lxdialog, Xdialog, whiptail, gdialog, zenity, kdialog, and bsddialog.

Sources

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.

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: $DIALOGRC~/.dialogrc/etc/dialogrc

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`dialog`	cli	global executable
`dialog-config`	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 version1.3-20260107

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://invisible-island.net/dialog/

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://invisible-island.net/dialog/none confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:dialog
Version	1.3-20260107
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/dialog
Homepage	https://invisible-island.net/dialog/
Upstream docs	https://invisible-island.net/dialog
License	LGPL-2.1-or-later
Source archive	https://invisible-mirror.net/archives/dialog/dialog-1.3-20260107.tgz
Uses from macOS	ncurses
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	dialog
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	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.

Debian apt95%

dialog 1.3-20250116-1

Displays user-friendly dialog boxes from shell scripts

https://invisible-island.net/dialog/dialog.html

sudo apt install dialog

Section: misc
Architecture: amd64
5 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dialog

Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: dialog from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

Debian apt95%

libdialog-dev 1.3-20250116-1

Displays user-friendly dialog boxes -- development files

https://invisible-island.net/dialog/dialog.html

sudo apt install libdialog-dev

Section: libdevel
Architecture: amd64
Source Package: dialog
2 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dialog

Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: libdialog-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

Debian apt95%

libdialog15 1.3-20250116-1

Displays user-friendly dialog boxes -- shared library

https://invisible-island.net/dialog/dialog.html

sudo apt install libdialog15

Section: libs
Architecture: amd64
Source Package: dialog
3 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dialog

Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: libdialog15 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

Nix95%

dialog

nix profile install nixpkgs#dialog

normalized package name match
Matched by: Dialog

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

Ubuntu apt95%

dialog 1.3-20240101-1

Displays user-friendly dialog boxes from shell scripts

https://invisible-island.net/dialog/dialog.html

sudo apt install dialog

Section: universe/misc
Architecture: amd64
4 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dialog

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: dialog from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

apk95%

dialog 1.3.20260107-r1

Script interpreter providing curses widgets

https://invisible-island.net/dialog/dialog.html

sudo apk add dialog

License: LGPL-2.1-only
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: dialog
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dialog

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: dialog from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

dialog-doc 1.3.20260107-r1

Script interpreter providing curses widgets (documentation)

https://invisible-island.net/dialog/dialog.html

sudo apk add dialog-doc

License: LGPL-2.1-only
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: dialog
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dialog

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: dialog-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

dialog-static 1.3.20260107-r1

Script interpreter providing curses widgets (static library)

https://invisible-island.net/dialog/dialog.html

sudo apk add dialog-static

License: LGPL-2.1-only
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: dialog
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dialog

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: dialog-static from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

dnf95%

dialog 1.3-57.20250116.fc44

A utility for creating TTY dialog boxes

https://invisible-island.net/dialog/dialog.html

sudo dnf install dialog

License: LGPL-2.1-only
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: i686
Source Package: dialog
5 dependencies
2 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dialog

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: dialog from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst

dnf95%

dialog-devel 1.3-57.20250116.fc44

Development files for building applications with the dialog library

https://invisible-island.net/dialog/dialog.html

sudo dnf install dialog-devel

License: LGPL-2.1-only
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: i686
Source Package: dialog
6 dependencies
2 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dialog

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: dialog-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst

pacman95%

dialog 1:1.3_20260107-1

A tool to display dialog boxes from shell scripts

https://invisible-island.net/dialog/

sudo pacman -S dialog

License: LGPL-2.1-or-later
Architecture: x86_64
3 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dialog

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

zypper95%

dialog 1.3-13.3

Menus and Input Boxes for Shell Scripts

http://invisible-island.net/dialog/

sudo zypper install dialog

License: LGPL-2.1-only
Category: Development/Tools/Other
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: dialog
5 dependencies
2 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dialog

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: dialog from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst

zypper95%

dialog-devel 1.3-13.3

Menus and Input Boxes for Shell Scripts

http://invisible-island.net/dialog/

sudo zypper install dialog-devel

License: LGPL-2.1-only
Category: Development/Libraries/Other
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: dialog
2 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dialog

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: dialog-devel from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst

zypper95%

dialog-examples 1.3-13.3

Examples of using dialog tool

http://invisible-island.net/dialog/

sudo zypper install dialog-examples

License: LGPL-2.1-only
Category: Development/Libraries/Other
Architecture: noarch
Source Package: dialog
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dialog

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: dialog-examples from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst

zypper95%

dialog-lang 1.3-13.3

Translations for package dialog

http://invisible-island.net/dialog/

sudo zypper install dialog-lang

License: LGPL-2.1-only
Category: System/Localization
Architecture: noarch
Source Package: dialog
1 dependencies
3 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dialog

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: dialog-lang from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst

zypper95%

libdialog15 1.3-13.3

Menus and Input Boxes for Shell Scripts

http://invisible-island.net/dialog/

sudo zypper install libdialog15

License: LGPL-2.1-only
Category: System/Libraries
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: dialog
5 dependencies
2 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dialog

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libdialog15 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst

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/dialog.yml

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

Install dialog with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper

Additional install commands

macOS

Linux

Package summary

Project links

Commands and aliases

Project history and usage

Project history

Adoption history

How it is used

Why package nerds care

Timeline

Related projects

Sources

Risk level: yellow

Risk classifier

Why

Signals

Install behavior

Recommended review

Configuration and credential file locations

Configuration files

Installed executables

Version and freshness

Package metadata

Source database details

Other package-manager records

Internal package links

Topical hubs

Related tools

Same workflow

Agent security guides

Generated from repository data

Combined YAML source

Used sources