# Install msgvault with Homebrew

Archive a lifetime of email and chat with offline search and analytics. Version 0.17.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-07.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:msgvault
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install msgvault
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:msgvault
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Package manager page:** <https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/msgvault>
- **Version:** 0.17.1
- **Source summary:** Archive a lifetime of email and chat with offline search and analytics
- **Homepage:** <https://github.com/kenn-io/msgvault>
- **Repository:** <https://github.com/kenn-io/msgvault>
- **Upstream docs:** <https://github.com/kenn-io/msgvault#readme>
- **License:** MIT
- **Source archive:** <https://github.com/kenn-io/msgvault/archive/refs/tags/v0.17.1.tar.gz>
- **Last updated:** 2026-07-07T07:02:38Z
- **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00

## Executables

- msgvault (cli)
- msgvault (alias)

## Dependencies

- duckdb

## Build dependencies

- go

## Install behavior

- Post-install hook: not defined
- Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-07-08
- Package-manager version: 0.17.1
- Package-manager updated: 2026-07-07
- Local data: ok
- Upstream repository: https://github.com/kenn-io/msgvault
- Upstream latest detected: v0.17.1 (current)
## Project history and usage

msgvault is a local-first archive, search, analytics, and AI-query tool for personal message history, created by Wes McKinney and published by Kenn Software LLC. McKinney's February 2026 announcement describes building it after years of using Gmail and wanting local control over decades of email, attachments, and messages. The announcement says the project began as a hybrid Python/Rust effort and moved to a single-language Go project that ships as a static binary.

### How it is used

The architecture centers on downloading messages into a local archive, then querying them without live mailbox access. The docs describe Gmail, IMAP, Microsoft 365, PST, MBOX, Apple Mail, WhatsApp, iMessage, Google Voice, Facebook Messenger, and SMS Backup & Restore imports; SQLite is the default system of record, DuckDB and Parquet power analytics, SQLite FTS5 powers keyword search, and optional vector search can use a configured local or self-hosted embedding endpoint. The CLI exposes sync, import, search, TUI, MCP server, HTTP server, analytics, and deletion workflows. Its package-manager niche is newer than traditional mail tools: it is not an email client, but a local archive substrate for search, personal analytics, and LLM/MCP access over a private message corpus.

### Sources

- <https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/msgvault>
- <https://github.com/kenn-io/msgvault>
- <https://wesmckinney.com/blog/announcing-msgvault/>
- <https://www.msgvault.io/>
- <https://www.msgvault.io/architecture/overview/>
- <https://www.msgvault.io/introduction/>


## Security Notes

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



## 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

- Unix: ~/.msgvault/config.toml
- Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.msgvault\config.toml

## Credential files

- Unix: ~/.msgvault/tokens/
- Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.msgvault\tokens\
## Source Database Details

- **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API
- **Tap:** homebrew/core
- **Full Name:** msgvault
- **Version Scheme:** 0
- **Revision:** 0
- **Head Version:** HEAD
- **Bottle Stable Root URL:** <https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core>
- **Deprecated:** no
- **Disabled:** no
- **Keg Only:** no
- **URL Keys:** head, stable


## Related links

- [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family.
- [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata.
- [Archive and compression packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/archive-compression-tools/) - Matched archive or compression metadata.
- [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata.
- [duckdb](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/duckdb/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew.
- [go](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/go/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew.
- [mairix](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mairix/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: email, search.
- [opensearch](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/opensearch/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: analytics, search.
- [all-the-package-names](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/npm/all-the-package-names/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: offline, search.

## Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/msgvault.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/msgvault.yml)


## Sources

- Nucleus package database
- package-page enrichment
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- package version freshness
- package relationship graph
- cross-ecosystem install command graph