macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install fexlocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install fex with Homebrew, apt, dnf, Nix
Powerful field extraction tool. Version 2.0.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install fex.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install fexDebian stable package indexes · fex · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install fexFedora Rawhide package metadata · fex · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#fexnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/fe/fex/package.nix · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
Powerful field extraction tool
Project links
Commands and aliases
- fex
history
Project history and usage
fex is a small command-line field extractor for tokenizing strings and selecting fields with concise delimiter and range syntax.
Project history
Jordan Sissel published the official fex project page on May 19, 2010, describing it as flexible token-field extraction and documenting examples for logs, paths, and passwd-style records. The GitHub repository identifies the project as flexible field/token extraction and has been public on GitHub since 2011.
Adoption history
Homebrew packages fex as a stable formula at version 2.0.0. Its official project page directs release downloads to GitHub, making the GitHub repository the practical source and release surface for package maintainers.
How it is used
Typical use is pipeline text processing: provide delimiters and field selectors to pull fields from log lines, paths, or colon-separated records. The official docs position it as a concise alternative to repeated cut or awk invocations for selected field extraction.
Why package nerds care
fex matters to CLI package users because it sits in the classic Unix text-filter niche: tiny executable, no service state, and a focused syntax that makes package-manager installation convenient for shell pipelines.
Timeline
- 2010: Official fex project page published.
- 2011: GitHub repository created.
- 2021: GitHub repository last pushed according to GitHub metadata.
- 2026: Homebrew formula reports stable version 2.0.0.
Related projects
- The README says fex is related to cut, awk, and ksb's xapply field extraction syntax.
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 13 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.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
fex | 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 generated2026-07-25
manager version2.0.0
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://www.semicomplete.com/projects/fex/
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.semicomplete.com/projects/fex/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:fex |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.0.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/fex |
| Homepage | https://www.semicomplete.com/projects/fex/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/jordansissel/fex |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/jordansissel/fex#readme |
| License | Apache-2.0 |
| Source archive | https://storage.googleapis.com/google-code-archive-downloads/v2/code.google.com/semicomplete/fex-2.0.0.tar.gz |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura, 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 | fex |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
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%
fex 20160919-2
web service for transferring very large files
http://fex.rus.uni-stuttgart.de/
sudo apt install fex- Section: non-free/web
- Architecture: all
- 12 dependencies
- 5 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fex
Debian apt95%
fex-utils 20160919-2
web service for transferring very large files (utils)
http://fex.rus.uni-stuttgart.de/
sudo apt install fex-utils- Section: non-free/web
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: fex
- 1 dependencies
- 6 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fex
Nix95%
fex
nix profile install nixpkgs#fex- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fex
Ubuntu apt95%
fex 20160919-2
web service for transferring very large files
http://fex.rus.uni-stuttgart.de/
sudo apt install fex- Section: universe/web
- Architecture: all
- 12 dependencies
- 5 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fex
Ubuntu apt95%
fex-utils 20160919-2
web service for transferring very large files (utils)
http://fex.rus.uni-stuttgart.de/
sudo apt install fex-utils- Section: universe/web
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: fex
- 1 dependencies
- 6 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fex
dnf95%
fex 2.0.0-25.fc44
Field split/extraction like cut/awk
http://semicomplete.com/projects/fex/
sudo dnf install fex- License: Apache-2.0
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: fex
- 2 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fex
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
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment