install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install so

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install so

MacPorts ports tree · devel/so/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add so

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · so · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#so

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

Windows

Scoopverified · 92%

scoop install extras/so

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

overview

Package summary

Terminal interface for StackOverflow

Project links

Commands and aliases

so

history

Project history and usage

so is a Rust terminal interface for Stack Overflow and the broader Stack Exchange network. It packages the familiar developer reflex of searching Stack Overflow into a terminal UI, with multi-site search, configurable search engines, and install paths across common package managers.

Project history

The git history shows an initial commit on May 30, 2020, followed by rapid 0.1 through 0.4 releases in June and July 2020. The changelog calls 0.3.5 the initial passable release and 0.4.0 the point where packaging, keybindings, and the changelog itself were formalized.

The README frames the program as more than a Stack Overflow-only client: it can search any number of Stack Exchange sites, and it distinguishes itself from similar terminal helpers by supporting simultaneous multi-site searches.

Adoption history

Official installation docs list Arch AUR, FreeBSD ports, NetBSD pkgsrc, Homebrew, MacPorts, Scoop, crates.io, and release binaries. The changelog records Homebrew tap support in 0.4.0, a Homebrew core formula in 0.4.1, Windows/Scoop in 0.4.3, NetBSD in 0.4.5, and MacPorts in 0.4.10.

How it is used

The documented workflow is direct shell search: run so followed by a natural-language query, optionally choose Stack Exchange sites with --site/-s, and choose search backends such as StackExchange or Google. The configuration file stores defaults such as limit, lucky mode, sites, search_engine, copy_cmd, and api_key.

Why package nerds care

Package nerds care about so because it sits at the intersection of terminal UI culture, Rust CLI distribution, and developer knowledge retrieval. It is also a compact example of a personal CLI growing into multi-platform packaging across Unix, Windows, BSD, and Rust's cargo ecosystem.

Timeline

2020: Initial git commit.
2020: v0.1.0 first tagged release.
2020: v0.4.0 added Arch and Homebrew tap installation options.
2020: v0.4.1 added Homebrew core formula support.
2021: v0.4.5 added NetBSD installation documentation.
2024: v0.4.10 fixed Cloudflare blocking issues and added MacPorts installation documentation.

Related projects

The README explicitly compares so with how2 and howdoi, while positioning so around Stack Exchange network search rather than a single source.

Sources

Official git tags from https://github.com/samtay/so.git
https://github.com/samtay/so#readme
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/samtay/so/master/CHANGELOG.md
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/samtay/so/master/README.md

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 10 platform targets.
Build metadata lists 2 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.

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.

Linux: ~/.config/so/config.yml
macOS: ~/Library/Preferences/io.Sam-Tay.so/config.yml
Windows: %APPDATA%\Sam Tay\so\config.yml

Credential files

Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.

Linux: ~/.config/so/config.yml
macOS: ~/Library/Preferences/io.Sam-Tay.so/config.yml
Windows: %APPDATA%\Sam Tay\so\config.yml

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`so`	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 generated2026-07-25

manager version0.4.10

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv0.4.10

https://github.com/samtay/so

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:so
Version	0.4.10
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/so
Homepage	https://github.com/samtay/so
Repository	https://github.com/samtay/so
Upstream docs	https://github.com/samtay/so#readme
License	MIT
Source archive	https://github.com/samtay/so/archive/refs/tags/v0.4.10.tar.gz
Build dependencies	pkgconf, rust
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, monterey, sonoma, ventura, 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	so
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
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%

so

nix profile install nixpkgs#so

normalized package name match
Matched by: So

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

apk95%

so 0.4.10-r0

Terminal interface for Stackoverflow

https://github.com/samtay/so

sudo apk add so

License: MIT
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: so
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: So

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: so from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

MacPorts95%

so

sudo port install so

normalized package name match
Matched by: So

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

Scoop95%

extras/so

scoop install extras/so

normalized package name match
Matched by: So

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

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/so.yml

Used sources

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

Install so with Homebrew, apk, MacPorts, Nix, scoop