macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install historianlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install histMacPorts ports tree · math/hist/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install historian with Homebrew, MacPorts
Command-line utility for managing shell history in a SQLite database. Version 0.0.2 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Command-line utility for managing shell history in a SQLite database
Project links
Commands and aliases
- hist
history
Project history and usage
historian is a small shell-history utility that imports `~/.bash_history` into SQLite and exposes a `hist` command for config, import, search, and log viewing. It is a niche predecessor to later shell-history database tools.
Project history
The repository begins on 2017-04-10 with an initial commit. Tags 0.0.1 and 0.0.2 followed within days, and the README documents the utility as a command-line manager for shell history in a SQLite database.
The project is intentionally narrow: dedupe and import Bash history, store it in `~/.historian.db`, search it, and optionally run `hist import` from a shell profile.
Adoption history
Official adoption evidence is thin. Homebrew and MacPorts package records in the batch input indicate that the tool crossed from a personal script-style repository into package-manager distribution, but the official README does not describe a wider community.
How it is used
A user places the script directory on PATH or aliases `hist`, runs `hist import`, and searches with `hist search term` or shorthand `hist /term`. `hist config` prints paths for Bash history, the SQLite database, and sqlite3.
Why package nerds care
historian is package-nerd-interesting mainly because it captures the minimal SQLite shell-history idea in a tiny package: no daemon, no sync, no terminal UI, just import and query. That simplicity makes it a useful contrast with later tools such as hiSHtory and Atuin.
Timeline
- 2017-04-10: Initial commit.
- 2017-04-11: 0.0.1 is tagged.
- 2017-04-14: 0.0.2 is tagged.
- 2017: README documents import, config, search, and log workflows.
Related projects
- hiSHtory and Atuin are later, larger shell-history tools with contextual search and sync.
- SQLite is the core storage dependency documented by historian.
Sources
- Official Git repository tags and commits for timeline dates.
- Official README for feature scope, install, usage, and database paths.
security posture
Risk level: yellow
broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. generalized runtime or code generation signal.
Risk classifier
yellow risk · medium confidence · runtime
Why
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
- generalized runtime or code generation signal
Signals
- text:database,sql
- text:shell
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.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
hist | 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 version0.0.2
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detected0.0.2
https://github.com/jcsalterego/historian
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:historian |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.0.2 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/historian |
| Homepage | https://github.com/jcsalterego/historian |
| Repository | https://github.com/jcsalterego/historian |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/jcsalterego/historian#readme |
| License | BSD-2-Clause |
| Source archive | https://github.com/jcsalterego/historian/archive/refs/tags/0.0.2.tar.gz |
| Uses from macOS | sqlite |
| 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 | historian |
| 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.
MacPorts94%
hist
sudo port install hist- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Hist
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