macOS
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brew install falcolocal Homebrew formula metadata
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Install falco with Homebrew
VCL parser and linter optimized for Fastly. Version 2.3.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-01.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
VCL parser and linter optimized for Fastly
Project links
Commands and aliases
- falco
history
Project history and usage
falco is a Fastly VCL developer tool, parser, linter, formatter, local simulator, debugger, and test runner. It is unrelated to the Falco cloud-native security project; the Homebrew formula points to ysugimoto/falco, whose README describes it as a Fastly VCL tool.
Project history
The project was created in July 2021 to make Fastly custom VCL development less dependent on slow remote deployment validation. Its README frames the core problem as a deployment loop where service versions are cloned, custom VCL is uploaded, and syntax errors are discovered only when Fastly validates activation.
The implementation grew from local parsing and linting into a broader developer workflow: formatting, statistics, a VCL interpreter-backed local simulator, a debugger, unit testing written in VCL, a console, and Terraform plan support for the Fastly provider.
Adoption history
Official install paths include downloadable GitHub release binaries, Homebrew, and `go install`, which places the tool in the normal package-manager and Go-toolchain channels used by Fastly VCL maintainers. The README also documents GitHub Actions usage through a separate falco-github-action, showing CI linting as a first-class workflow.
How it is used
The default workflow is `falco lint`, often run with include paths and verbose output against a main VCL file before deployment. Other subcommands cover `fmt`, `simulate`, `test`, `console`, `stats`, and `terraform`, making the CLI useful both interactively and in automated checks.
The tool is intentionally Fastly-specific. The README says it targets Fastly VCL 2.x and does not try to track newer generic Varnish syntax, because Fastly adds its own builtins, predefined variables, and compatibility constraints.
Why package nerds care
For package-manager users, this falco is a good example of a niche operational CLI whose package name collides with a much larger security project. Its significance is in bringing CDN configuration validation, formatting, simulation, and tests into local shells and CI rather than leaving mistakes to remote Fastly activation.
Timeline
- 2021: Repository created for a Fastly-focused VCL developer tool.
- 2021: v0.1.0 released on GitHub.
- 2025: v2.0.0 released.
- 2026: v2.3.0 released.
Related projects
- Fastly custom VCL is the primary target environment.
- The README documents Terraform plan support for the Fastly Terraform provider.
- The README links a GitHub Action for CI linting.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
falco | 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 version2.3.0
manager updated2026-05-01
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv2.3.0
https://github.com/ysugimoto/falco
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:falco |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.3.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/falco |
| Homepage | https://github.com/ysugimoto/falco |
| Repository | https://github.com/ysugimoto/falco |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/ysugimoto/falco#readme |
| License | MIT |
| Source archive | https://github.com/ysugimoto/falco/archive/refs/tags/v2.3.0.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-05-01T17:43:28Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Build dependencies | go |
| 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 | falco |
| 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 |
|
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.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment