macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install macpinelocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install macpineMacPorts ports tree · sysutils/macpine/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install macpine with Homebrew, MacPorts, apk, apt, dnf, Nix, zypper
Lightweight Linux VMs on MacOS. Version 1.1.5 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add alpineAlpine Linux edge package indexes · alpine · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install alpineDebian stable package indexes · alpine · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install alpineFedora Rawhide package metadata · alpine · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#alpinenixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/al/alpine/package.nix · source: api.github.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install alpineopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · alpine · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Lightweight Linux VMs on MacOS
Project links
Commands and aliases
- alpine
history
Project history and usage
macpine is a macOS command-line tool for creating and managing lightweight Alpine Linux virtual machines. Its official documentation presents it as a way for macOS users to run small Linux environments with port forwarding, file sharing, bridged networking, and both aarch64 and x86_64 emulation.
Project history
The project is maintained by Bering Research and published from the official GitHub repository with generated MkDocs documentation. The README and site describe a focused goal: make Alpine Linux VMs easy to spin up on macOS for containerization, architecture testing, and software build workflows.
Adoption history
macpine is distributed through package managers used by Mac developers, including Homebrew and MacPorts according to its official README and the supplied package facts. GitHub metadata shows a public project with releases, stars, forks, and a Go codebase, which points to a small but visible niche around local Linux-on-Mac workflows.
How it is used
The installed command is `alpine`. Common workflows include `alpine launch` to create a VM, architecture and resource flags for customized instances, `alpine ssh` and `alpine exec` to enter or run commands, and `alpine publish` and `alpine import` for instance archive sharing.
Why package nerds care
Package maintainers care about macpine because it packages a repeatable Alpine VM workflow behind a small CLI rather than asking users to wire together QEMU, networking, shared folders, and shell glue themselves. It is especially relevant on Apple Silicon, where architecture emulation and lightweight Linux test environments are common developer needs.
Timeline
- Public repository: Official GitHub repository tracks the project and its release tags.
- 2025: GitHub repository page lists v1.1.5 as the latest release on Oct 31, 2025.
Related projects
- macpine is adjacent to QEMU, Alpine Linux, Docker, Incus, and LXD. Its documentation explicitly names containerization technologies as a reason to run tiny Alpine VM environments on macOS.
Sources
- https://beringresearch.github.io/macpine/
- https://github.com/beringresearch/macpine
- source_facts.package-manager
security posture
Risk level: orange
formula declares a Homebrew service.
Risk classifier
orange risk · medium confidence · infrastructure
Why
- formula declares a Homebrew service
Signals
- metadata:service
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Formula metadata declares a service or daemon block.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.
- 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.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
alpine | 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 version1.1.5
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv1.1.5
https://github.com/beringresearch/macpine
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:macpine |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.1.5 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/macpine |
| Homepage | https://beringresearch.github.io/macpine/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/beringresearch/macpine |
| Upstream docs | https://beringresearch.github.io/macpine |
| License | Apache-2.0 |
| Source archive | https://github.com/beringresearch/macpine/archive/refs/tags/v1.1.5.tar.gz |
| Dependencies | qemu |
| Build dependencies | go |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | macpine |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Conflicts With |
|
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
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%
macpine
sudo port install macpine- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Macpine
MacPorts94%
alpine
sudo port install alpine- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Alpine
Debian apt92%
alpine 2.26+dfsg-3
Text-based email client, friendly for novices but powerful
sudo apt install alpine- Section: mail
- Architecture: amd64
- 7 dependencies
- 5 optional deps
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Alpine
Debian apt92%
alpine-doc 2.26+dfsg-3
Text-based email client's documentation
sudo apt install alpine-doc- Section: doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: alpine
- 1 optional deps
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Alpine
Debian apt92%
alpine-pico 2.26+dfsg-3
Simple text editor from Alpine, a text-based email client
sudo apt install alpine-pico- Section: editors
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: alpine
- 2 dependencies
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Alpine
Debian apt92%
pilot 2.26+dfsg-3
Simple file browser from Alpine, a text-based email client
sudo apt install pilot- Section: utils
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: alpine
- 2 dependencies
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Alpine
Nix92%
alpine
nix profile install nixpkgs#alpine- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Alpine
Ubuntu apt92%
alpine 2.26+dfsg-1build3
Text-based email client, friendly for novices but powerful
http://alpine.x10host.com/alpine/
sudo apt install alpine- Section: universe/mail
- Architecture: amd64
- 8 dependencies
- 5 optional deps
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Alpine
Ubuntu apt92%
alpine-doc 2.26+dfsg-1build3
Text-based email client's documentation
http://alpine.x10host.com/alpine/
sudo apt install alpine-doc- Section: universe/doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: alpine
- 1 optional deps
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Alpine
Ubuntu apt92%
alpine-pico 2.26+dfsg-1build3
Simple text editor from Alpine, a text-based email client
http://alpine.x10host.com/alpine/
sudo apt install alpine-pico- Section: universe/editors
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: alpine
- 2 dependencies
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Alpine
Ubuntu apt92%
pilot 2.26+dfsg-1build3
Simple file browser from Alpine, a text-based email client
http://alpine.x10host.com/alpine/
sudo apt install pilot- Section: universe/utils
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: alpine
- 2 dependencies
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Alpine
apk92%
alpine 2.26-r5
Text-based email client, friendly for novices but powerful
sudo apk add alpine- License: Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: alpine
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Alpine
apk92%
alpine-dbg 2.26-r5
Text-based email client, friendly for novices but powerful (debug symbols)
sudo apk add alpine-dbg- License: Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: alpine
- 1 dependencies
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Alpine
apk92%
alpine-doc 2.26-r5
Text-based email client, friendly for novices but powerful (documentation)
sudo apk add alpine-doc- License: Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: alpine
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Alpine
dnf92%
alpine 2.26-21.fc44
powerful, easy to use console email client
sudo dnf install alpine- License: Apache-2.0
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: alpine
- 14 dependencies
- 3 provides
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Alpine
zypper92%
alpine 2.26-30.4
Mail User Agent
sudo zypper install alpine- License: Apache-2.0
- Category: Productivity/Networking/Email/Clients
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: alpine
- 9 dependencies
- 4 provides
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Alpine
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.
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