install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install launch

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install launch

MacPorts ports tree · aqua/launch/Portfile · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Command-line launcher for macOS, in the spirit of open

Project links

Commands and aliases

launch

history

Project history and usage

launch is a macOS command-line launcher written by Nicholas Riley in the spirit of Apple's open(1), adding options that Apple's built-in tool did not expose. It belongs to the small tradition of Mac developer utilities that wrap Launch Services behavior in scriptable Unix-style commands.

Project history

The README states the motivation plainly: macOS already has open, but launch offers additional options. Its version history shows continuing maintenance across OS X and macOS transitions, including 64-bit Intel binaries for OS X 10.8 and later in 1.2.4, a 2018 1.2.5 fix, and unreleased Universal 2 signing work for macOS/OS X 10.9 and later.

The public GitHub repository is a distribution and maintenance point with no GitHub Releases published, so the README's embedded version history is the main authoritative chronology.

Adoption history

launch is packaged by Homebrew and MacPorts, which fits its audience: macOS users who live in the shell but need Launch Services features more detailed than open's default interface.

How it is used

Users invoke launch from scripts or terminals to open files, URLs, applications, or Launch Services targets with more control than open(1). Its usefulness is mostly macOS-specific and tied to desktop integration rather than portable Unix behavior.

Why package nerds care

For package nerds, launch is a compact example of why macOS package collections are not just Unix ports: they also preserve small native utilities that bridge shell workflows to Cocoa-era system APIs.

Timeline

2017: Version 1.2.4 dated 2017-10-01 adjusted installation paths and macOS 10.13 SDK compatibility.
2018: Version 1.2.5 dated 2018-04-02 fixed option restrictions involving -l.
2020s: Version 1.2.6d1 README marks unreleased signed Universal 2 binary work for macOS/OS X 10.9 and later.

Related projects

Related tools include Apple's open(1), macOS Launch Services, Homebrew's launch formula, and the MacPorts launch port.

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 11 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
`launch`	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 version1.2.5

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://sabi.net/nriley/software/#launch

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://sabi.net/nriley/software/#launchnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:launch
Version	1.2.5
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/launch
Homepage	https://sabi.net/nriley/software/#launch
Repository	https://github.com/nriley/launch
Upstream docs	https://github.com/nriley/launch#readme
License	BSD-3-Clause
Source archive	https://sabi.net/nriley/software/launch-1.2.5.tar.gz
Bottle	available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	launch
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Requirements	macos xcode
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.

MacPorts95%

launch

sudo port install launch

normalized package name match
Matched by: Launch

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: aqua/launch/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/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/launch.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 launch with Homebrew, MacPorts