install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install kanif

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install kanif

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

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#kanif

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

overview

Package summary

Cluster management and administration tool

Project links

Commands and aliases

kaget
kanif
kaput
kash

history

Project history and usage

kanif is a small cluster administration command suite built as a friendlier wrapper around TakTuk for parallel remote execution.

Project history

The official TakTuk project site describes kanif as a tool that combines conventions from C3, pdsh, and dsh while relying on TakTuk for adaptive large-scale remote execution. Its commands split the classic cluster-admin workflow into parallel shell execution, file broadcast, and file gathering.

The official GitLab repository and ChangeLog preserve the release line through version 1.2.2, with entries for compatibility updates, file-reading fixes, sequential execution fixes, output handling, and the initial release.

Adoption history

The official TakTuk page credits Lucas Nussbaum for Debian testing and packaging help, placing kanif in the Debian packaging ecosystem for Unix cluster administrators. The input metadata records Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, and Nix packages, exposing the same niche tool through general-purpose package managers.

How it is used

kanif users run `kash` for the same command across nodes, `kaput` to copy files or directories to nodes, and `kaget` to gather remote files or directories. The tool expects TakTuk, Perl, and passwordless remote login such as SSH keys on the cluster nodes.

The official man page documents C3-style configuration files searched at `$HOME/.kanif.conf`, `/etc/kanif.conf`, and `/etc/c3.conf`, and also allows command-line host lists for less static setups.

Why package nerds care

kanif is package-manager archaeology for pre-Kubernetes cluster operations: a thin Unix command suite, C3-style configuration paths, and no resident control plane. Its significance is less broad adoption than the way it preserves an HPC and lab-cluster administration style in modern package indexes.

Timeline

1.0: Official ChangeLog marks the initial release.
1.1: Official ChangeLog says compatibility with TakTuk 3.3 and the -F option were added.
1.2: Official ChangeLog says compatibility with TakTuk 3.6 and above was added.
1.2.2: Official ChangeLog lists connection-loss, version-test, missing-file, and hostname-gathering fixes.
2022: Debian manpage source metadata records kanif 1.2.2-4 source updated on 2022-07-28.

Related projects

TakTuk provides the large-scale remote execution engine underneath kanif. C3, pdsh, and dsh are the older cluster administration tools whose interface ideas kanif intentionally echoes.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: orange

infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal.

Risk classifier

orange risk · medium confidence · infrastructure

Why

infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal

Signals

text:cluster

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 1 platform targets.
Installs with 1 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: ~/.kanif.conf/etc/kanif.conf/etc/c3.conf

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure
`kaget`	cli	global executable
`kanif`	cli	global executable
`kaput`	cli	global executable
`kash`	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 version1.2.2

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://packages.debian.org/stable/net/kanif

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://packages.debian.org/stable/net/kanifnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:kanif
Version	1.2.2
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/kanif
Homepage	https://packages.debian.org/stable/net/kanif
Repository	https://gitlab.inria.fr/taktuk/kanif
Upstream docs	https://manpages.debian.org/testing/kanif/kanif.1.en.html
License	GPL-2.0-or-later
Source archive	https://deb.debian.org/debian/pool/main/k/kanif/kanif_1.2.2.orig.tar.gz
Dependencies	taktuk
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	kanif
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
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.

Debian apt95%

kanif 1.2.2-4

cluster management and administration swiss army knife

https://taktuk.gitlabpages.inria.fr/kanif.html

sudo apt install kanif

Section: net
Architecture: all
2 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Kanif

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

Nix95%

kanif

nix profile install nixpkgs#kanif

normalized package name match
Matched by: Kanif

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

Ubuntu apt95%

kanif 1.2.2-4

cluster management and administration swiss army knife

https://taktuk.gitlabpages.inria.fr/kanif.html

sudo apt install kanif

Section: universe/net
Architecture: all
2 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Kanif

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

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/kanif.yml

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

Install kanif with Homebrew, apt, Nix