Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install hsd with Homebrew, Nix

Handshake Daemon & Full Node. Version 8.0.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install hsd

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#hsd

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

overview

Package summary

Handshake Daemon & Full Node

Commands and aliases

  • hs-seeder
  • hs-wallet
  • hsd
  • hsd-cli
  • hsd-node
  • hsd-rpc
  • hsd-spvnode
  • hsw-cli
  • hsw-rpc

history

Project history and usage

HSD is the JavaScript full-node and daemon implementation of the Handshake protocol, a decentralized naming and certificate-authority experiment built around a peer-to-peer root zone.

Project history

Handshake's own site identifies hsd as the initial code for the protocol, and the hsd README describes it as an implementation of Handshake. The project grew as a node, wallet, DNS resolver, RPC server, and CLI suite rather than as a single-purpose daemon.

The README and install guide show a Node.js-based project distributed from the official GitHub repository, installable from source, Git refs, Homebrew, and container images. The command set includes hsd, hsd-cli, hsw-cli, RPC shortcuts, wallet tools, and seeding utilities.

Adoption history

HSD adoption is tied to Handshake network participation: running a full node, serving recursive or authoritative DNS, managing wallets, mining, claiming names through DNSSEC proofs, and participating in name auctions. The Homebrew and Nix package metadata in the input shows packaging beyond npm-style installation.

The release notes show long-running protocol maintenance with network soft forks, database and wallet migrations, API changes, and DNS/name-resolution improvements. That makes hsd closer to Bitcoin-derived node software than to a disposable CLI.

How it is used

Common usage is operational: run hsd as a full node, query it with hsd-cli, manage wallet state with hsw-cli, expose node and wallet HTTP APIs, and configure DNS ports for recursive or authoritative service.

The README emphasizes bitcoind-style RPC plus additional REST APIs, name auction commands such as sendopen, sendbid, sendreveal, sendupdate, and DNSSEC-based claim flows.

Why package nerds care

For package maintainers, hsd is significant because it packages a full blockchain/DNS stack with native dependency considerations such as libunbound, network ports, persistent state under ~/.hsd, wallet migrations, and security-sensitive API keys.

It is also a good example of an ecosystem package where the formula is not just installing a binary: the package participates in a protocol, has stateful upgrades, and exposes multiple command-line entry points.

Timeline

  • 2018-2019: Public v0.x tags and testnet tags appear in the upstream repository.
  • 2020: v1.0.0 appears in the upstream tag series.
  • 2023: v6.0.0 release notes include the ICANN Lockup soft fork and configuration changes.
  • 2024: v7.0.0 release notes describe wallet migrations, interactive rescans, and history API changes.
  • 2025: v8.0.0 release notes include the End Airdrop soft fork.

Related projects

  • Related projects include the Handshake protocol documentation, hs-client for RPC helpers, Bob Wallet as a GUI wallet, bns for DNS-related functionality, and libunbound for recursive resolver support.

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 8 platform targets.
  • Installs with 2 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
~/.hsd/hsd.conf~/.hsd/hsw.conf~/.hsd/<network>/hsd.conf

Credential files

Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.

Unix
~/.hsd/hsd.conf~/.hsd/hsw.conf

executables

Installed executables

CommandKindExposureNote
hs-seedercliglobal executable
hs-walletcliglobal executable
hsdcliglobal executable
hsd-clicliglobal executable
hsd-nodecliglobal executable
hsd-rpccliglobal executable
hsd-spvnodecliglobal executable
hsw-clicliglobal executable
hsw-rpccliglobal 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 version8.0.0
manager updated2026-06-22
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv8.0.0

https://github.com/handshake-org/hsd

  • okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:hsd
Version8.0.0
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/hsd
Homepagehttps://handshake.org
Repositoryhttps://github.com/handshake-org/hsd
Upstream docshttps://github.com/handshake-org/hsd#readme
LicenseMIT
Source archivehttps://github.com/handshake-org/hsd/archive/refs/tags/v8.0.0.tar.gz
Last updated2026-06-22T14:03:43-07:00
Pulseupdated
Dependenciesnode, unbound
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namehsd
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • 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.

Nix95%

hsd

nix profile install nixpkgs#hsd
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Hsd
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/hs/hsd/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

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

Related tools

  • nodeRuntime dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • unboundRuntime dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

  • btcliShares av.db curated category or tags: blockchain, cli, networking.
  • florestaShares av.db curated category or tags: blockchain, cli, full-node, networking.
  • lighthouseShares av.db curated category or tags: blockchain, cli, networking.
  • oasisShares av.db curated category or tags: blockchain, cli, networking.
  • stellar-coreShares av.db curated category or tags: blockchain, cli, networking.
  • tekuShares av.db curated category or tags: blockchain, cli, networking.

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