install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install osxutils

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install osxutils

MacPorts ports tree · sysutils/osxutils/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install mkalias

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

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#mkalias

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

Windows

Windows Package Managerverified · 92%

winget install --id Google.JapaneseIME -e

Windows Package Manager source index · Google.JapaneseIME · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com

overview

Package summary

Collection of macOS command-line utilities

Project links

Commands and aliases

cpath
finfo
getfcomment
geticon
getvolume
google
hfsdata
lsmac
mkalias
mvtrash
osxutils
rcmac
setfcomment
setfctypes
setfflags
seticon
setlabel
setsuffix
setvolume
wikipedia
wsupdate

history

Project history and usage

osxutils is a collection of Mac OS X command-line utilities for Finder metadata, aliases, icons, labels, file type/creator codes, comments, HFS data, and other Mac-specific filesystem operations.

Project history

The maintained Homebrew upstream is `specious/osxutils`, whose README says it is based on the original osxutils project by Sveinbjorn Thordarson. GitHub records `specious/osxutils` as a fork created on 2015-04-08, with `vasi/osxutils` recorded as its parent and source repository created on 2012-12-13.

The package keeps alive a pre- and early-macOS style of command-line integration: utilities such as `getfcomment`, `setfcomment`, `geticon`, `seticon`, `mkalias`, `setlabel`, `setfflags`, and `lsmac` expose Finder/HFS metadata concepts that ordinary POSIX tools do not cover.

Adoption history

Homebrew and MacPorts package osxutils as a macOS utility suite. The input metadata also records related package names in Debian, Ubuntu, and Nix for `mkalias`, although those entries may refer to separate packages with the same executable name rather than the full macOS suite.

How it is used

Developers and power users reach for osxutils when shell scripts need to manipulate Mac-specific metadata rather than just file bytes and paths. The commands are useful for automation around Finder comments, custom icons, labels, volume names, aliases, and type/creator metadata.

Why package nerds care

osxutils is package-nerd interesting because it packages old Mac filesystem affordances as discrete Unix commands. It also illustrates how Homebrew often preserves small platform-native tools whose upstream history predates the dominant GitHub era.

Timeline

2012-12-13: GitHub records creation of `vasi/osxutils`, the parent/source repository for the maintained fork.
2015-04-08: GitHub records creation of `specious/osxutils`, the maintained fork used by Homebrew.
2026-03-17: GitHub records a push to `specious/osxutils`, showing the maintained fork had repository activity in 2026.

Related projects

The `tools-osx` README lists osxutils alongside osxiconutils and other Mac OS X command-line tools, reflecting the same ecosystem of shell access to Finder and filesystem features.

Sources

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.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure
`cpath`	cli	global executable
`finfo`	cli	global executable
`getfcomment`	cli	global executable
`geticon`	cli	global executable
`getvolume`	cli	global executable
`google`	cli	global executable
`hfsdata`	cli	global executable
`lsmac`	cli	global executable
`mkalias`	cli	global executable
`mvtrash`	cli	global executable
`osxutils`	cli	global executable
`rcmac`	cli	global executable
`setfcomment`	cli	global executable
`setfctypes`	cli	global executable
`setfflags`	cli	global executable
`seticon`	cli	global executable
`setlabel`	cli	global executable
`setsuffix`	cli	global executable
`setvolume`	cli	global executable
`wikipedia`	cli	global executable
`wsupdate`	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 version1.9.0

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv1.9.0

https://github.com/specious/osxutils

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:osxutils
Version	1.9.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/osxutils
Homepage	https://github.com/specious/osxutils
Repository	https://github.com/specious/osxutils
Upstream docs	https://github.com/specious/osxutils#readme
License	GPL-2.0-or-later
Source archive	https://github.com/specious/osxutils/archive/refs/tags/v1.9.0.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	osxutils
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Requirements	macos
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.

MacPorts95%

osxutils

sudo port install osxutils

normalized package name match
Matched by: Osxutils

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

Debian apt92%

mkalias 1.0.10-4

Bash alias management to facilitate alias creation

https://github.com/LucianoPC/mkalias

sudo apt install mkalias

Section: ruby
Architecture: all
1 dependencies
installed executable or alias match
Matched by: Mkalias

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

Nix92%

mkalias

nix profile install nixpkgs#mkalias

installed executable or alias match
Matched by: Mkalias

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

Ubuntu apt92%

mkalias 1.0.10-4

Bash alias management to facilitate alias creation

https://github.com/LucianoPC/mkalias

sudo apt install mkalias

Section: universe/ruby
Architecture: all
1 dependencies
installed executable or alias match
Matched by: Mkalias

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

winget92%

Google.JapaneseIME

winget install --id Google.JapaneseIME -e

installed executable or alias match
Matched by: Google

Windows Package Manager source index · cdn.winget.microsoft.com · Windows Package Manager source index: Google.JapaneseIME from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix

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/osxutils.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 osxutils with Homebrew, MacPorts, winget, apt, Nix