# Install osxutils with Homebrew, MacPorts, winget, apt, Nix

Collection of macOS command-line utilities. Version 1.9.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:osxutils
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install osxutils
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

- MacPorts (94%):

```sh
sudo port install osxutils
```

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

### Linux

- Debian apt (92%):

```sh
sudo apt install mkalias
```

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

- Nix (92%):

```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#mkalias
```

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

### Windows

- winget (92%):

```sh
winget install --id Google.JapaneseIME -e
```

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

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:osxutils
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Package manager page:** <https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/osxutils>
- **Version:** 1.9.0
- **Source summary:** Collection of macOS command-line utilities
- **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>
- **Generated:** 2026-07-08T18:08:21+00:00

## Executables

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

## Install behavior

- Post-install hook: not defined
- Bottle: available on arm64_big_sur, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-07-08
- Package-manager version: 1.9.0
- Local data: ok
- Upstream repository: https://github.com/specious/osxutils
- Upstream latest detected: v1.9.0 (current)
- info: No package-manager update timestamp was available.
## 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

- <https://api.github.com/repos/specious/osxutils>
- <https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/osxutils>
- <https://github.com/specious/osxutils>
- <https://github.com/vasi/osxutils>
- <https://raw.githubusercontent.com/morgant/tools-osx/master/README.md>
- <https://raw.githubusercontent.com/specious/osxutils/master/README.md>


## Security Notes

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

- **Geiger risk:** green / low
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

## 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

## Other Package-Manager Records

- MacPorts - osxutils: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/osxutils/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Debian apt - mkalias - 1.0.10-4: installed executable or alias match | Debian stable package indexes: mkalias from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Bash alias management to facilitate alias creation | https://github.com/LucianoPC/mkalias
- Nix - mkalias: installed executable or alias match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/mk/mkalias/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Ubuntu apt - mkalias - 1.0.10-4: installed executable or alias match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: mkalias from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Bash alias management to facilitate alias creation | https://github.com/LucianoPC/mkalias
- winget - Google.JapaneseIME: installed executable or alias match | Windows Package Manager source index: Google.JapaneseIME from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix


## Related links

- [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family.
- [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata.
- [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata.
- [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider.
- [fileicon](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fileicon/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, finder, macos, system.
- [dark-mode](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dark-mode/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, macos, system.
- [defaultbrowser](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/defaultbrowser/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, macos, system.
- [devcockpit](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/devcockpit/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, macos, system.
- [infat](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/infat/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, macos, system.
- [launch](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/launch/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, macos, system.
- [m-cli](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/m-cli/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, macos, system.
- [mas](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mas/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, macos, system.

## Combined YAML source

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


## Sources

- Nucleus package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- package-page enrichment
- curated package history
- package version freshness
- av.db category and tag curation
- package relationship graph
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph