Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install gist with Homebrew, apt, Nix, pacman

Command-line utility for uploading Gists. Version 6.1.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-19.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install gist

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install gist

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

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#gist

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

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S gist

Arch Linux sync databases · gist · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

overview

Package summary

Command-line utility for uploading Gists

Commands and aliases

  • gist

history

Project history and usage

gist is a Ruby command-line client and library for uploading files or standard input to GitHub Gist. It is one of the older developer-shell bridges between local code snippets and GitHub's paste-sharing service.

Project history

The repository was opened in October 2008 by Chris Wanstrath, and RubyGems records 1.0.0 in February 2010. The README credits defunkt and indirect for versions 1 through 3, then rking and Conrad Irwin for version 4, showing a maintainer handoff pattern typical of long-lived GitHub-era command-line tools.

The tool grew from simple snippet upload into a broader Gist client: it can upload multiple files, read from standard input, paste from the clipboard, create private gists, update existing gists, open or copy resulting URLs, list and read gists, and act as a Ruby library.

Adoption history

gist's adoption follows GitHub Gist's role as a lightweight code-sharing surface. The README documents installation through RubyGems, Bundler, Homebrew, FreeBSD ports, and Debian or Ubuntu packages, while RubyGems download counts show multi-million-install scale through the gem channel.

How it is used

Practitioners pipe command output into gist, upload one or more files, attach descriptions, request private gists, copy the resulting URL, or use the library API inside Ruby programs. Authentication evolved from username/password token exchange toward GitHub's device-code OAuth flow, with tokens stored in ~/.gist or per-enterprise token files.

Why package nerds care

gist is significant because it made GitHub's pastebin-like service feel native to the Unix pipeline. For package maintainers, it also carries the history of API authentication changes, GitHub Enterprise support, and binary-name conflict handling in distributions such as Debian.

Timeline

  • 2008: The repository began on GitHub.
  • 2010: RubyGems records the 1.0.0 release.
  • 2015: 4.5.0 shipped during the maintained version-4 line.
  • 2020: 6.0.0 appeared after the version-5 series.
  • 2026: 6.1.0 was published on RubyGems.

Related projects

  • gist sits beside GitHub Gist itself, GitHub Enterprise, RubyGems packaging, Homebrew packaging, and distro-packaged command-line paste clients.

security posture

Risk level: blue

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.

Risk classifier

blue risk · medium confidence · tool

Why

  • broad file, network, media, or database tool signal

Signals

  • text:upload

Install behavior

  • No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 1 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.

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.

Credential files

Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.

Unix
~/.gist~/.gist.<protocol>.<server.name>[.<port>]

executables

Installed executables

CommandKindExposureNote
gistcliglobal 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 version6.1.0
manager updated2026-06-19
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv6.1.0

https://github.com/defunkt/gist

  • okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:gist
Version6.1.0
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/gist
Homepagehttps://defunkt.io/gist/
Repositoryhttps://github.com/defunkt/gist
Upstream docshttps://github.com/defunkt/gist#readme
LicenseMIT
Source archivehttps://github.com/defunkt/gist/archive/refs/tags/v6.1.0.tar.gz
Last updated2026-06-19T22:35:16Z
Pulseupdated
Uses from macOSruby
Bottleavailable (on all)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namegist
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Head VersionHEAD
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
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%

gist 6.0.0-3

Upload gists to gist.github.com

https://github.com/defunkt/gist

sudo apt install gist
  • Section: ruby
  • Architecture: all
  • 3 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Gist
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: gist from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Nix95%

gist

nix profile install nixpkgs#gist
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Gist
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/gi/gist/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Ubuntu apt95%

gist 6.0.0-3

Upload gists to gist.github.com

https://github.com/defunkt/gist

sudo apt install gist
  • Section: universe/ruby
  • Architecture: all
  • 3 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Gist
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: gist from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
pacman95%

gist 6.0.0-2

Potentially the best command line gister

https://github.com/defunkt/gist

sudo pacman -S gist
  • License: custom:MIT
  • Architecture: any
  • 1 dependencies
  • 2 optional deps
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Gist
Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: gist from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

Same workflow

  • git-absorbShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, code-sharing, developer-tools.
  • gistitShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, code-sharing, developer-tools, gist, github.
  • imessage-rubyShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, ruby.
  • selectaShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, ruby.
  • ghiShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, github, ruby.
  • anycable-goShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, ruby.

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.

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
  • external package-manager database matches
  • package relationship graph
  • package version freshness
  • package-page enrichment