Credential access
Reads repository config, credential helpers, auth files, and local history.
brew
Install mercurial with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, scoop, winget, zypper, chocolatey
Scalable distributed version control system. Version 7.2.3 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-29.
agent safety
Agent safety answer
mercurial mutates source-control repositories and remote history.
Remote mutation
Can push changesets, tags, bookmarks, and remote repository changes.
Publish/artifact risk
Can publish source changes and release tags.
Recommended control
Gate pushes, credential reads, destructive history operations, and tag creation.
Agent-use guidance
Allow status/log/diff; require approval for pushes, credential use, and history rewrites.
install
Additional install commands
macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install mercuriallocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install mercurialMacPorts ports tree · devel/mercurial/Portfile · source: api.github.com
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add mercurialAlpine Linux edge package indexes · mercurial · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install mercurialDebian stable package indexes · mercurial · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install mercurialFedora Rawhide package metadata · mercurial · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#mercurialnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/me/mercurial/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S mercurialArch Linux sync databases · mercurial · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install mercurialopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · mercurial · source: download.opensuse.org
Windows
Scoopverified · 92%
scoop install main/mercurialScoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/mercurial.json · source: api.github.com
Windows Package Managerverified · 92%
winget install --id Mercurial.Mercurial -eWindows Package Manager source index · Mercurial.Mercurial · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com
Chocolateyverified · 92%
choco install hgChocolatey community package catalog · hg · source: community.chocolatey.org
overview
Package summary
Scalable distributed version control system
Project links
Commands and aliases
- chg
- hg
history
Project history and usage
Mercurial is a distributed source-control management system invoked mainly through the hg command. Matt Mackall, later Olivia Mackall, started it in April 2005 after Linux kernel developers lost the free BitKeeper arrangement. The Architecture of Open Source Applications describes Mercurial and Git as parallel 2005 responses to the need for a scalable distributed VCS capable of handling large kernel-sized histories; it also notes Mackall's early goals of simplicity, scalability, and efficiency.
Project history
Technically, Mercurial stores project history as a distributed graph of changesets. Like Git, it uses SHA-1-derived changeset identifiers, but it emphasizes a comparatively small, coherent command set and a clone model where most operations are local. The official Mercurial site positions it as a free distributed SCM that handles projects of any size, supports many workflows, and can be extended.
Adoption history
Mercurial's adoption history is strongly tied to large repositories and to teams that valued a scriptable CLI with a less sprawling user model than Git. Facebook selected Mercurial while replacing a Subversion server plus Git mirror, then published work on scaling it for a repository with thousands of weekly commits and hundreds of thousands of files. That scaling lineage later connected to Mononoke and Sapling: Meta's Sapling README says Sapling's CLI was originally based on Mercurial and shares aspects of Mercurial's UI and features, while Mononoke is described as a Mercurial source-control server for large monorepos.
How it is used
For package managers, Mercurial is a classic cross-platform developer tool rather than an application-specific CLI. It appears across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, Nix, MacPorts, Windows package managers, and others, with hg as the primary executable and chg as a command server client for faster repeated commands.
Sources
security posture
No protected-tool coverage found yet
No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for mercurial. 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 8 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.
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
~/.hgrc$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/hg/hgrc~/.config/hg/hgrc
Credential files
Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.
- Unix
~/.hgrc$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/hg/hgrc~/.config/hg/hgrc
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
chg | cli | global executable | |
hg | 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 version7.2.3
manager updated2026-06-29
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://mercurial-scm.org/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:mercurial |
|---|---|
| Version | 7.2.3 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/mercurial |
| Homepage | https://mercurial-scm.org/ |
| Repository | https://foss.heptapod.net/mercurial/mercurial-devel |
| Upstream docs | https://www.mercurial-scm.org/ |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://www.mercurial-scm.org/release/mercurial-7.2.3.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-29T18:50:44Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | python@3.14 |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sequoia, sonoma, tahoe, 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 | mercurial |
| Aliases |
|
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| 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.
Debian apt95%
mercurial 7.0.1-2
easy-to-use, scalable distributed version control system
https://www.mercurial-scm.org/
sudo apt install mercurial- Section: vcs
- Architecture: amd64
- 4 dependencies
- 1 provides
- 8 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mercurial
Debian apt95%
mercurial-common 7.0.1-2
easy-to-use, scalable distributed version control system (common files)
https://www.mercurial-scm.org/
sudo apt install mercurial-common- Section: vcs
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: mercurial
- 1 dependencies
- 7 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mercurial
Nix95%
mercurial
nix profile install nixpkgs#mercurial- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mercurial
Ubuntu apt95%
mercurial 6.7.2-1ubuntu2
easy-to-use, scalable distributed version control system
https://www.mercurial-scm.org/
sudo apt install mercurial- Section: universe/devel
- Architecture: amd64
- 4 dependencies
- 1 provides
- 8 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mercurial
Ubuntu apt95%
mercurial-common 6.7.2-1ubuntu2
easy-to-use, scalable distributed version control system (common files)
https://www.mercurial-scm.org/
sudo apt install mercurial-common- Section: universe/devel
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: mercurial
- 1 dependencies
- 7 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mercurial
apk95%
mercurial 7.2.1-r0
Scalable distributed SCM tool
https://www.mercurial-scm.org/
sudo apk add mercurial- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mercurial
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mercurial
apk95%
mercurial-bash-completion 7.2.1-r0
Bash completions for mercurial
https://www.mercurial-scm.org/
sudo apk add mercurial-bash-completion- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mercurial
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mercurial
apk95%
mercurial-chg 7.2.1-r0
Client for Mercurial command server with cHg extension
https://www.mercurial-scm.org/
sudo apk add mercurial-chg- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mercurial
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mercurial
apk95%
mercurial-doc 7.2.1-r0
Scalable distributed SCM tool (documentation)
https://www.mercurial-scm.org/
sudo apk add mercurial-doc- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mercurial
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mercurial
apk95%
mercurial-lang 7.2.1-r0
translations for mercurial
https://www.mercurial-scm.org/
sudo apk add mercurial-lang- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mercurial
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mercurial
apk95%
mercurial-pyc 7.2.1-r0
Precompiled Python bytecode for mercurial
https://www.mercurial-scm.org/
sudo apk add mercurial-pyc- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mercurial
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mercurial
apk95%
mercurial-vim 7.2.1-r0
Vim syntax for mercurial
https://www.mercurial-scm.org/
sudo apk add mercurial-vim- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mercurial
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mercurial
apk95%
mercurial-zsh-completion 7.2.1-r0
Zsh completions for mercurial
https://www.mercurial-scm.org/
sudo apk add mercurial-zsh-completion- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mercurial
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mercurial
dnf95%
mercurial 7.2.1-2.fc45
A fast, lightweight Source Control Management system
sudo dnf install mercurial- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mercurial
- 5 dependencies
- 5 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mercurial
dnf95%
mercurial-chg 7.2.1-2.fc45
A fast Mercurial command without slow Python startup
sudo dnf install mercurial-chg- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mercurial
- 3 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mercurial
dnf95%
mercurial-hgk 7.2.1-2.fc45
Hgk interface for mercurial
sudo dnf install mercurial-hgk- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mercurial
- 4 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mercurial
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 agent safety answer
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment