install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install macosvpn

local Homebrew formula metadata

overview

Package summary

Create Mac OS VPNs programmatically

Project links

Commands and aliases

macosvpn

history

Project history and usage

macosvpn is a Swift command-line tool for creating and deleting macOS VPN network services programmatically. The README documents support for L2TP over IPSec and Cisco IPSec configurations.

Project history

The official repository was created in July 2014. The README's own history section says the implementation began from research into Apple's networking discussions and practical examples for manipulating VPN configuration, shared secrets, traffic routing, and System Keychain entries.

The project packages that undocumented macOS VPN configuration knowledge into a CLI with create and delete commands. Its README emphasizes that administrator privileges are required because VPN passwords are stored in the System Keychain, and it explicitly chooses sudo over a separate HelperTool.

Adoption history

macosvpn is distributed through Homebrew according to both the README and the batch input, and the README also points users to compiled GitHub release binaries. Repository metadata captured during this run showed several hundred GitHub stars and dozens of forks, indicating durable adoption among Mac administrators and automation users.

How it is used

Typical usage is `sudo macosvpn create --l2tp <name> --endpoint <host> --username <user> --password <password> --sharedsecret <secret>` or the Cisco IPSec variant. The README also documents flags such as `--force`, `--split`, disconnect behavior options, repeated arguments for creating multiple VPNs, and `macosvpn delete` for removing one or more services.

Why package nerds care

macosvpn is significant because VPN profiles are often part of fleet setup, CI test machines, and repeatable laptop provisioning, but macOS historically made this hard to automate with plain shell tools. A Homebrew-installable CLI gives package nerds a way to put VPN setup next to the rest of a bootstrap script.

Timeline

2014: Official GitHub repository created.
2017: 0.3.x releases covered macOS High Sierra.
2019: 1.0.0 release published for macOS Catalina.
2022: 2.0.0 Ventura release published.

Related projects

The README mentions Apple's SystemConfiguration preferences, the System Keychain, sudo, Xcode builds, and related helper libraries Moderator and PrettyColors.

Sources

https://api.github.com/repos/halo/macosvpn
https://api.github.com/repos/halo/macosvpn/releases
https://github.com/halo/macosvpn
https://github.com/halo/macosvpn#readme
source_facts.package-manager

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.

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.

macOS: /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/preferences.plist

Credential files

Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.

macOS: /Library/Keychains/System.keychain

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`macosvpn`	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 version2.0.0

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detected2.0.0

https://github.com/halo/macosvpn

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:macosvpn
Version	2.0.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/macosvpn
Homepage	https://github.com/halo/macosvpn
Repository	https://github.com/halo/macosvpn
Upstream docs	https://github.com/halo/macosvpn#readme
License	MIT
Source archive	https://github.com/halo/macosvpn/archive/refs/tags/2.0.0.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	macosvpn
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Requirements	macos xcode
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

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/macosvpn.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
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install macosvpn with Homebrew