install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install flank

local Homebrew formula metadata

overview

Package summary

Massively parallel Android and iOS test runner for Firebase Test Lab

Project links

Commands and aliases

flank

history

Project history and usage

Flank is a massively parallel Android and iOS test runner for Firebase Test Lab. The official README and docs emphasize gcloud-compatible YAML, extra sharding and reporting features, and faster mobile test execution.

Project history

The official Flank repository was created in 2017. Its README describes the project as a Firebase Test Lab runner for Android and iOS and links the documentation at flank.github.io/flank.

The hosted docs present Flank as a CLI and configuration-driven test runner. Release tags visible through the official repository include 23.x versions, showing an actively versioned project history even though the project-level history prose is limited.

Adoption history

Flank's adoption is concentrated in mobile CI and Firebase Test Lab workflows. It appeals to teams that already understand `gcloud firebase test` configuration but need more parallelism, reporting, retries, and sharding behavior.

The README says Flank is YAML compatible with the gcloud CLI and adds features to accelerate velocity and increase quality, including test sharding, cost reporting, stability testing, HTML reports, JUnit XML reports, and Smart Flank.

How it is used

Users download the jar or install a packaged CLI, prepare a `flank.yml`, and run Android or iOS Firebase Test Lab jobs. The docs also show CLI flags for overriding YAML values and using environment variables.

The curated credential locations reflect Google Cloud authentication and Flank's own local state; the official docs center the user workflow around Firebase Test Lab and gcloud-compatible configuration.

Why package nerds care

Flank is a practical package-manager tool because it wraps a cloud mobile-testing service in a reproducible CLI contract. Its value is not a new test framework, but a faster scheduler and report layer around Firebase Test Lab.

The package is also a good example of infrastructure CLI design: a single YAML file, environment-variable-friendly overrides, CI-friendly reports, and cloud credentials inherited from the Google tooling ecosystem.

Timeline

2017: Official Flank repository created.
2020s: Official docs describe Android and iOS Firebase Test Lab execution with gcloud-compatible YAML.
2023: Official release list includes 23.x tags.

Related projects

Firebase Test Lab is the cloud test service Flank drives.
gcloud firebase test is the configuration model Flank keeps YAML-compatible with.
Android and iOS test artifacts are the primary workload types.

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 1 platform targets.
Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.

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: flank.yml

Credential files

Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.

Unix: ~/.config/gcloud/application_default_credentials.json~/.flank

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`flank`	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 version23.10.1

manager updated2026-06-15

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://github.com/Flank/flank

infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/Flank/flanknone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:flank
Version	23.10.1
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/flank
Homepage	https://firebase.community/
Repository	https://github.com/Flank/flank
Upstream docs	https://flank.github.io/flank
License	Apache-2.0
Source archive	https://github.com/Flank/flank/releases/download/v23.10.1/flank.jar
Last updated	2026-06-15T10:20:16-04:00
Pulse	updated
Dependencies	openjdk
Bottle	available (on all)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	flank
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

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/flank.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
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install flank with Homebrew