install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install legit

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install legit

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

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install legit

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

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#legit

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

Windows

Scoopverified · 92%

scoop install main/legit

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

overview

Package summary

Command-line interface for Git, optimized for workflow simplicity

Project links

Commands and aliases

legit

history

Project history and usage

Legit is a small Python CLI that wraps common Git branch workflows in human-oriented commands such as `sync`, `switch`, `publish`, and `unpublish`.

Project history

Kenneth Reitz created Legit in the early 2010s as part of his broader 'for Humans' style of developer tools. The project translated parts of GitHub for Mac's opinionated branch workflow back to the command line: auto-stashing during branch switches, simple publish/unpublish commands, and a sync operation that handled fetch, merge or rebase, push, and unstash.

The maintained package identity later centered on Frost Ming's `frostming/legit` repository and `frostming.github.io/legit` documentation. PyPI metadata for the package lists Kenneth Reitz among maintainers and authorship, while the repository topic and README preserve the GitHub-for-Mac inspiration.

Adoption history

Legit spread through Python packaging first, with PyPI releases beginning in 2011 and later system packaging through Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, MacPorts, Nix, and Scoop. Its appeal peaked in the period when Git workflows were still intimidating to many new developers and GUI clients were influencing command-line ergonomics.

How it is used

Package users install the `legit` command and run it inside Git repositories. Its commands are deliberately narrower than raw Git: switch branches while preserving worktree changes, sync a published branch, publish or unpublish branches, and list branch publication status.

Why package nerds care

Legit is package-nerd history because it captures a particular moment in Git tooling: instead of exposing every Git feature, it offered a tiny vocabulary for a common feature-branch workflow. It also sits in the lineage of Kenneth Reitz's Python packaging era, where branding, API empathy, and CLI polish were treated as part of open-source distribution.

Timeline

2011-06-27: PyPI recorded the 0.0.1 source distribution upload.
2012-03-25: PyPI recorded the 0.1.0 release page for Legit.
2019-12-10: GitHub releases listed v1.2.0 for `frostming/legit`.
2020-03-14: PyPI recorded the 1.2.0.post0 wheel and source uploads.

Related projects

Related Git ergonomics tools include GitHub Desktop, GitHub for Mac, hub, gh, git-extras, and custom Git aliases. Related Kenneth Reitz projects include Requests, Pipenv, Records, Maya, Delegator, and other 'for Humans' tools.

Sources

security posture

No protected-tool coverage found yet

No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for legit. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.

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.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`legit`	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 generated2026-07-25

manager version1.2.0.post0

manager updated2026-07-22

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://frostming.github.io/legit/

infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://frostming.github.io/legit/none confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:legit
Version	1.2.0.post0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/legit
Homepage	https://frostming.github.io/legit/
Repository	https://github.com/frostming/legit
Upstream docs	https://frostming.github.io/legit
License	BSD-3-Clause
Source archive	https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/cb/e4/8cc5904c486241bf2edc4dd84f357fa96686dc85f48eedb835af65f821bf/legit-1.2.0.post0.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-07-22T10:44:30Z
Pulse	updated
Dependencies	python@3.14
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	legit
Version Scheme	0
Revision	11
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.

Debian apt95%

legit 1.2.0.post0-5

Git extension to assist in manipulating branches

https://github.com/frostming/legit

sudo apt install legit

Section: vcs
Architecture: all
5 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Legit

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

Nix95%

legit

nix profile install nixpkgs#legit

normalized package name match
Matched by: Legit

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

Ubuntu apt95%

legit 1.2.0.post0-3

Git extension to assist in manipulating branches

https://github.com/frostming/legit

sudo apt install legit

Section: universe/devel
Architecture: all
7 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Legit

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

MacPorts95%

legit

sudo port install legit

normalized package name match
Matched by: Legit

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

Scoop95%

main/legit

scoop install main/legit

normalized package name match
Matched by: Legit

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · api.github.com · Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/legit.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/legit.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 legit with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, Nix, scoop