agent safety

Agent safety answer

gh is the GitHub control-plane CLI for repositories, releases, issues, and authenticated developer state.

Credential access

Reads GitHub CLI tokens and can print or use them for API calls.

Remote mutation

Can modify repositories, pull requests, releases, secrets, and organization state.

Publish/artifact risk

Can create releases, upload assets, and trigger release automation.

Recommended control

Use GitHub token protection plus approval gates for write and token-display commands.

Agent-use guidance

Permit status and read-only queries; require approval for token output, release creation, repo writes, and workflow dispatch.

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install gh

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install gh

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

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install gh

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

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install gh

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

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#gh

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

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%

sudo zypper install gh

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

Windows

Chocolateyverified · 92%

choco install gh

Chocolatey community package catalog · gh · source: community.chocolatey.org

Scoopverified · 92%

scoop install main/gh

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/gh.json · source: api.github.com

Windows Package Managerverified · 92%

winget install --id GitHub.cli -e

Windows Package Manager source index · GitHub.cli · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com

overview

Package summary

GitHub command-line tool

Project links

Commands and aliases

gh

history

Project history and usage

GitHub CLI, invoked as `gh`, is GitHub's official command-line tool for working with pull requests, issues, repositories, releases, Actions, authentication, and GitHub API data from a terminal.

Project history

GitHub created the cli/cli repository in October 2019 and opened the project as a new official CLI distinct from the older community `hub` tool. GitHub announced the beta in February 2020 and released GitHub CLI 1.0 in September 2020.

The README frames `gh` as a standalone tool that brings GitHub concepts next to `git` and source code work. The project grew into a cross-platform Go CLI with first-party manuals, release binaries, package repositories, GitHub Enterprise support, extension support, API helpers, and later supply-chain features such as build provenance attestations for release artifacts.

Adoption history

GitHub CLI has broad adoption because it is distributed through GitHub's own package repositories and release binaries, package managers such as Homebrew and WinGet, and GitHub-hosted Actions runner images. Its first-party status made it a standard automation interface for GitHub workflows in shells and CI jobs.

How it is used

Practitioners use `gh` to create and review pull requests, triage issues, clone and browse repositories, trigger or inspect Actions workflows, manage releases and gists, authenticate to GitHub hosts, call the GitHub API, and script repository operations without leaving the command line.

Why package nerds care

For package and automation ecosystems, `gh` is important because it gives GitHub an official, versioned executable surface. Package maintainers can depend on consistent commands across macOS, Linux, and Windows, while CI authors can use a preinstalled or easily installed binary instead of hand-rolling API calls.

Timeline

2019: The cli/cli repository was created.
2020: GitHub announced GitHub CLI beta.
2020: GitHub CLI 1.0.0 was published.
2024: The README records release build provenance attestations beginning with version 2.50.0.

Related projects

The README compares GitHub CLI with `hub`, noting that `hub` behaves as a proxy to `git` while `gh` is a standalone tool for GitHub workflows.

Sources

approval gates

Human review metadata for risky commands

The local approval-gate seed includes 7 rules for gh. Covered entrypoints: gh. Severity labels: critical, high. Coverage: partial, reviewed 2026-05-21.

Example gated actions

Print the active GitHub authentication token.
Create or refresh local GitHub authentication state.
Delete a GitHub repository.
Change repository settings, visibility, topics, or metadata.
Merge a pull request.
Create, upload to, edit, or delete GitHub releases.
Trigger a GitHub Actions workflow.

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: $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/gh/config.yml~/.config/gh/config.yml
Windows: %AppData%\GitHub CLI\config.yml

Credential files

Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.

Unix: $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/gh/hosts.yml~/.config/gh/hosts.yml
Windows: %AppData%\GitHub CLI\hosts.yml

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`gh`	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 version2.96.0

manager updated2026-07-03

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv2.96.0

https://github.com/cli/cli

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:gh
Version	2.96.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/gh
Homepage	https://cli.github.com/
Repository	https://github.com/cli/cli
Upstream docs	https://cli.github.com/manual/gh
License	MIT
Source archive	https://github.com/cli/cli/archive/refs/tags/v2.96.0.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-07-03T00:29:16Z
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	gh
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	head 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%

gh 2.46.0-3

GitHub CLI, GitHub’s official command line tool

https://cli.github.com/

sudo apt install gh

Section: utils
Architecture: amd64
1 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Gh

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

Nix95%

gh

nix profile install nixpkgs#gh

normalized package name match
Matched by: Gh

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

Ubuntu apt95%

gh 2.45.0-1build1

GitHub CLI, GitHub’s official command line tool

https://cli.github.com/

sudo apt install gh

Section: universe/utils
Architecture: amd64
1 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Gh

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

dnf95%

gh 2.93.0-1.fc45

GitHub's official command line tool

https://github.com/cli/cli

sudo dnf install gh

License: Apache-2.0 AND BSD-2-Clause AND BSD-3-Clause AND ISC AND MIT AND MPL-2.0 AND Unlicense
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: gh
4 dependencies
2 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Gh

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

zypper95%

gh 2.93.0-1.1

The official CLI for GitHub

https://cli.github.com/

sudo zypper install gh

License: MIT
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: gh
2 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Gh

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

zypper95%

gh-bash-completion 2.93.0-1.1

Bash Completion for gh

https://cli.github.com/

sudo zypper install gh-bash-completion

License: MIT
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: noarch
Source Package: gh
2 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Gh

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

zypper95%

gh-fish-completion 2.93.0-1.1

Fish completion for gh

https://cli.github.com/

sudo zypper install gh-fish-completion

License: MIT
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: noarch
Source Package: gh
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Gh

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

zypper95%

gh-zsh-completion 2.93.0-1.1

ZSH Completion for gh

https://cli.github.com/

sudo zypper install gh-zsh-completion

License: MIT
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: noarch
Source Package: gh
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Gh

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

MacPorts95%

gh

sudo port install gh

normalized package name match
Matched by: Gh

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: devel/gh/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

Chocolatey95%

gh

choco install gh

normalized package name match
Matched by: Gh

Chocolatey community package catalog · community.chocolatey.org · Chocolatey community package catalog: gh from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='11','gawk'

Scoop95%

main/gh

scoop install main/gh

normalized package name match
Matched by: Gh

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · api.github.com · Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/gh.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1

winget95%

GitHub.cli

winget install --id GitHub.cli -e

normalized package name match
Matched by: Gh

Windows Package Manager source index · cdn.winget.microsoft.com · Windows Package Manager source index: GitHub.cli from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix

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/gh.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
approval-gate seed metadata
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated agent safety answer
curated configuration and credential file locations
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install gh with Homebrew, chocolatey, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, scoop, winget, zypper

Agent safety answer

Credential access

Remote mutation

Publish/artifact risk

Recommended control

Agent-use guidance

Additional install commands

macOS

Linux

Windows

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

Human review metadata for risky commands

Example gated actions

Configuration and credential file locations

Configuration files

Credential 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