# Install gat with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix Cat alternative written in Go. Version 0.30.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-03. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:gat ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install gat ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install gat ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: textproc/gat/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#gat ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ga/gat/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:gat - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.30.2 - **Source summary:** Cat alternative written in Go - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-03T13:00:48Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - gat (cli) - gat (alias) ## Build dependencies - go ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 0.30.2 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-03 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/koki-develop/gat - Upstream latest detected: v0.30.2 (current) ## Project history and usage gat is a Go implementation of a modern `cat`-style terminal file viewer. It keeps the familiar single-command file display model while adding syntax highlighting, Markdown rendering, image display for Sixel-capable terminals, pretty printing, and secret masking. ### Project history The project started publicly in March 2023 and released v0.1.0 the same day. Its official README describes it as a cat alternative written in Go and documents a steady release series through the 0.x line. ### Adoption history The README documents installation through the author's Homebrew tap, Homebrew core, `go install`, and GitHub release binaries. That places gat in the same terminal-tool packaging niche as other enhanced `cat` replacements, but with a small Go binary distribution story. ### How it is used Users run `gat` with one or more files and optional flags for language selection, output format, themes, Markdown rendering, nonprinting character display, and secret masking. Environment variables such as `GAT_FORMAT` and `GAT_THEME` can provide defaults for output style. ### Why package nerds care gat is package-nerd-relevant as another entry in the long-running ecosystem of `cat` replacements, but its mix of terminal image support, Markdown rendering, and built-in token masking makes it more than a straight colorizer. ### Timeline - 2023: Public GitHub repository created. - 2023: v0.1.0 released. - 2025: v0.20.x releases continued the 0.x series. ### Related projects - gat relates to traditional Unix `cat`; the official sources describe it generically as a cat alternative rather than positioning it against a specific competing package. ### Sources - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** gat - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - gat: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ga/gat/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - MacPorts - gat: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: textproc/gat/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata. - [go](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/go/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [ccat](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ccat/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cat, cli, developer-tools, go, syntax-highlighting. - [nyan](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/nyan/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cat, cli, developer-tools, go, syntax-highlighting. - [tml](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/tml/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, go, terminal. - [aha](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aha/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, terminal. - [amtterm](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/amtterm/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, terminal. - [ansifilter](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ansifilter/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, terminal. - [clive](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/clive/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, terminal. - [colordiff](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/colordiff/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, terminal. - [micro](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/micro/) - Both packages touch the same language runtime or ecosystem. Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, go, highlighting. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/gat.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/gat.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 - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph