Install lab with Homebrew, apk, MacPorts, Nix, scoop

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install lab

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install lab

MacPorts ports tree · devel/lab/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add lab

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · lab · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#lab

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

Windows

Scoopverified · 92%

scoop install main/lab

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/lab.json · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Git wrapper for GitLab

Project links

Commands and aliases

lab

history

Project history and usage

Lab is a community GitLab command-line tool that wraps Git and GitLab API workflows. It focuses on merge requests, issues, milestones, snippets, CI pipelines, repository cloning, and forking from the terminal.

Its appeal was giving GitLab users a hub-like workflow before the GitLab-owned `glab` CLI became the obvious official comparison point.

Project history

The project presents itself as `git + GitLab`: a Go command-line utility designed to make GitLab repository work feel close to normal Git usage. The README emphasizes a simple interface for GitLab API commands and WebUI-like messages and errors.

Lab originally described itself as wrapping Git or Hub, but later release notes document removal of hub support and references to `glab`, showing the project adjusting as GitLab CLI tooling matured around it.

Adoption history

Lab spread through developer package managers such as Homebrew, Nix, Scoop, Alpine, and MacPorts because it solved a practical terminal gap for GitLab users: creating and reviewing merge requests, issues, and CI state without switching to the browser.

Its GitHub repository retained a modest but real community footprint, with more than a thousand stars and release artifacts for multiple platforms on the public release page.

How it is used

Users configure GitLab host and token details in lab.toml files, with user, worktree, and local-project locations. Commands can be run directly as `lab` or wired into Git aliases such as `git lab mr list`.

Common workflows include cloning GitLab repositories, creating or listing merge requests, working with issues, viewing CI pipelines and jobs, and browsing project resources from the terminal.

Why package nerds care

Lab is useful package-manager history because it captures a period when Git hosting sites had uneven first-party CLI support. GitHub had hub and later gh; GitLab users often reached for community tools like lab before GitLab's own glab project became prominent.

The package also shows how CLI tools track hosted-service APIs: a small local binary becomes valuable only when it keeps up with merge-request, issue, token, and CI behavior on a remote platform.

Timeline

Pre-2022: Lab established itself as a community GitLab CLI distributed through multiple package managers.
2021: Release notes for v0.20.0 referenced glab and tracked GitLab workflow fixes.
2021: Release notes for v0.21.0 documented dropping hub support.
2022: The GitLab-owned glab project was created on GitLab on March 21.
2022: Lab v0.25.x releases focused on merge-request lookup and Homebrew-related fixes.

Related projects

GitLab's `glab` is the closest related project and became the official GitLab CLI line.
GitHub's `hub` is historically relevant because Lab described itself as wrapping Git or Hub and later removed hub support.
python-gitlab and go-gitlab are adjacent API-client ecosystems used by GitLab automation tools.

Sources

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 6 platform targets.
Build metadata lists 1 build 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: ./lab.toml~/.config/lab/lab.toml.git/lab/lab.toml

Credential files

Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.

Unix: ./lab.toml~/.config/lab/lab.toml.git/lab/lab.toml

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`lab`	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 version0.25.1

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv0.25.1

https://github.com/zaquestion/lab

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:lab
Version	0.25.1
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/lab
Homepage	https://zaquestion.github.io/lab
Repository	https://github.com/zaquestion/lab
Upstream docs	https://zaquestion.github.io/lab
License	CC0-1.0
Source archive	https://github.com/zaquestion/lab/archive/refs/tags/v0.25.1.tar.gz
Build dependencies	go
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, 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	lab
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
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.

Nix95%

lab

nix profile install nixpkgs#lab

normalized package name match
Matched by: Lab

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

apk95%

lab 0.25.1-r36

Git Wrapper for GitLab

https://zaquestion.github.io/lab/

sudo apk add lab

License: CC0-1.0
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: lab
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Lab

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: lab from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

lab-bash-completion 0.25.1-r36

Bash completions for lab

https://zaquestion.github.io/lab/

sudo apk add lab-bash-completion

License: CC0-1.0
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: lab
normalized package name match
Matched by: Lab

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: lab-bash-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

lab-fish-completion 0.25.1-r36

Fish completions for lab

https://zaquestion.github.io/lab/

sudo apk add lab-fish-completion

License: CC0-1.0
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: lab
normalized package name match
Matched by: Lab

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: lab-fish-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

lab-zsh-completion 0.25.1-r36

Zsh completions for lab

https://zaquestion.github.io/lab/

sudo apk add lab-zsh-completion

License: CC0-1.0
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: lab
normalized package name match
Matched by: Lab

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: lab-zsh-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

MacPorts95%

lab

sudo port install lab

normalized package name match
Matched by: Lab

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: devel/lab/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

Scoop95%

main/lab

scoop install main/lab

normalized package name match
Matched by: Lab

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · api.github.com · Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/lab.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/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.

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/lab.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 lab with Homebrew, apk, MacPorts, Nix, scoop

Additional install commands

macOS

Linux

Windows

Package summary

Project links

Commands and aliases

Project history and usage

Project history

Adoption history

How it is used

Why package nerds care

Timeline

Related projects

Sources

Risk level: green

Risk classifier

Why

Signals

Install behavior

Recommended review

Configuration and credential file locations

Configuration files

Credential files

Installed executables

Version and freshness

Package metadata

Source database details

Other package-manager records

Internal package links

Topical hubs

Related tools

Same workflow

Agent security guides

Generated from repository data

Combined YAML source

Used sources