install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install smimesign

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install smimesign

MacPorts ports tree · security/smimesign/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#smimesign

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

Windows

Scoopverified · 92%

scoop install main/smimesign

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/smimesign.json · source: api.github.com

Windows Package Managerverified · 92%

winget install --id GitHub.smimesign -e

Windows Package Manager source index · GitHub.smimesign · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com

overview

Package summary

S/MIME signing utility for use with Git

Project links

Commands and aliases

smimesign

history

Project history and usage

smimesign is GitHub's S/MIME signing utility for Git commits and tags on macOS and Windows. It matters in CLI packaging because it bridges Git's signing hooks with native X.509 certificate stores instead of requiring GnuPG keys.

Project history

The official README describes smimesign as an S/MIME signing utility compatible with Git, using X.509 certificates from public or internal certificate authorities. It also states that the tool uses keys and certificates already stored in macOS Keychain or Windows Certificate Store.

Adoption history

The README documents Homebrew installation on macOS and Scoop installation on Windows, while the supplied package metadata also lists MacPorts, Nix, and winget. This made it installable through the same package managers developers already use for Git tooling.

How it is used

Users configure Git to invoke smimesign for signing. For Git 2.19 and newer, the README shows setting `gpg.x509.program` to `smimesign` and `gpg.format` to `x509`, either locally per repository or globally for all repositories.

Why package nerds care

Package maintainers care because smimesign is security-sensitive, platform-specific, and tied to native certificate stores and smart cards. It is also a clear example of package managers distributing small developer-security helpers that integrate with a larger tool, Git.

Timeline

2018: First GitHub release returned by the releases API was 0.0.1.
2018: README documents the Git 2.19 configuration split for X.509 signing.
2021: Repository release list shows v0.2.0-rc1 as the latest listed release.

Related projects

The README discusses Git, GnuPG, PKI, S/MIME, macOS Keychain, Windows Certificate Store, smart cards, OpenSC, and YubiKey PIV tooling.

Sources

GitHub releases API for github/smimesign: first listed release 0.0.1 on 2018-09-11.
https://github.com/github/smimesign README: purpose, platform support, certificate stores, Git configuration, package-manager installation, smart-card notes.
input source_facts.package-manager: Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, Scoop, and winget package names.

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.
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
`smimesign`	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 version0.2.0

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv0.2.0

https://github.com/github/smimesign

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:smimesign
Version	0.2.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/smimesign
Homepage	https://github.com/github/smimesign
Repository	https://github.com/github/smimesign
Upstream docs	https://github.com/github/smimesign#readme
License	MIT
Source archive	https://github.com/github/smimesign/archive/refs/tags/v0.2.0.tar.gz
Build dependencies	go
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	smimesign
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Requirements	macos
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	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.

Nix95%

smimesign

nix profile install nixpkgs#smimesign

normalized package name match
Matched by: Smimesign

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

MacPorts95%

smimesign

sudo port install smimesign

normalized package name match
Matched by: Smimesign

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

Scoop95%

main/smimesign

scoop install main/smimesign

normalized package name match
Matched by: Smimesign

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · api.github.com · Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/smimesign.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1

winget95%

GitHub.smimesign

winget install --id GitHub.smimesign -e

normalized package name match
Matched by: Smimesign

Windows Package Manager source index · cdn.winget.microsoft.com · Windows Package Manager source index: GitHub.smimesign 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/smimesign.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 smimesign with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, scoop, winget