install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install kpcli

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install kpcli

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

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install kpcli

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

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#kpcli

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

Windows

Chocolateyverified · 92%

choco install kpcli

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

overview

Package summary

Command-line interface to KeePass database files

Project links

Commands and aliases

kpcli

history

Project history and usage

kpcli is a Perl command-line and interactive-shell client for KeePass database files. It gives Unix-like terminal users a way to inspect and edit KeePass 1.x and 2.x password stores without opening a graphical KeePass application.

Project history

Lester Hightower created kpcli around a practical migration need: the official project page says it was inspired by use of the Ked Password Manager CLI, `kedpm -c`, combined with a need to migrate to KeePass. That origin explains kpcli's shape as an interactive shell rather than only a collection of one-shot subcommands.

The project was hosted on SourceForge, with a homepage, file area, wiki, tickets, and source-code browser. Its Perl licensing followed Perl's own terms, and the tool grew support for KeePass 1.x and 2.x database files.

Adoption history

kpcli became a packaged utility across Unix-like distributions because it filled a narrow but persistent need: terminal access to KeePass databases. The official installation wiki noted on April 17, 2023 that most Linux and BSD distributions packaged a 3.x version, while users needing 4.x or newer for KDBX4 support might need to install it manually.

Package-manager support in Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Nix, Chocolatey, and other ecosystems reflects its status as a small security-adjacent utility rather than a large password-manager platform.

How it is used

Users run `kpcli` to open a KeePass database in an interactive shell, then browse, search, copy, create, edit, or otherwise manage entries from a terminal. The package is most useful for SSH sessions, scriptable maintenance workflows, and people who keep KeePass databases synced but prefer command-line interaction.

Why package nerds care

kpcli is package-nerd interesting because it is a thin terminal layer over a widely used encrypted password database format. It represents a common packaging niche: a small CLI that makes a GUI-centered file format usable on servers, in remote shells, and in dotfile-heavy workflows.

Timeline

2012-10-13: kpcli 1.5 appeared in downstream manpage history with interactive help and password-generation improvements.
2023-04-17: The official installation wiki documented broad Linux and BSD packaging of kpcli 3.x.
2023-08-21: SourceForge project review notes associated kpcli 4.0 with full KDBX support through File::KDBX.

Related projects

kpcli is related to KeePass, KeePassX, File::KeePass, File::KDBX, Ked Password Manager, and other command-line password-manager tools such as pass.

Sources

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:database

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 8 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.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`kpcli`	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 version4.1.3

manager updated2026-06-25

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://kpcli.sourceforge.io/

infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://kpcli.sourceforge.io/none confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:kpcli
Version	4.1.3
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/kpcli
Homepage	https://kpcli.sourceforge.io/
Repository	https://sourceforge.net/p/kpcli/code
Upstream docs	https://kpcli.sourceforge.io/
License	Artistic-1.0-Perl OR GPL-1.0-or-later
Source archive	https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/kpcli/kpcli-4.1.3.pl
Last updated	2026-06-25T13:37:47+02:00
Pulse	updated
Dependencies	readline
Uses from macOS	ncurses, perl
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sequoia, sonoma, tahoe, 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	kpcli
Version Scheme	0
Revision	1
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%

kpcli 3.8.1-1.1

command line interface to KeePassX password manager databases

https://sourceforge.net/projects/kpcli/

sudo apt install kpcli

Section: utils
Architecture: all
8 dependencies
4 optional deps
normalized package name match
Matched by: Kpcli

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

Nix95%

kpcli

nix profile install nixpkgs#kpcli

normalized package name match
Matched by: Kpcli

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

Ubuntu apt95%

kpcli 3.8.1-1.1

command line interface to KeePassX password manager databases

https://sourceforge.net/projects/kpcli/

sudo apt install kpcli

Section: universe/utils
Architecture: all
8 dependencies
4 optional deps
normalized package name match
Matched by: Kpcli

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

dnf95%

kpcli 4.1.3-3.fc44

KeePass Command Line Interface (CLI) / interactive shell

http://kpcli.sourceforge.net/

sudo dnf install kpcli

License: GPL-1.0-or-later OR Artistic-1.0-Perl
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: noarch
Source Package: kpcli
2 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Kpcli

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

Chocolatey95%

kpcli

choco install kpcli

normalized package name match
Matched by: Kpcli

Chocolatey community package catalog · community.chocolatey.org · Chocolatey community package catalog: kpcli from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='11','kb5001567'

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/kpcli.yml

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

Install kpcli with Homebrew, chocolatey, apt, dnf, Nix