# Install step with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, pacman, winget, zypper, Nix Crypto and x509 Swiss-Army-Knife. Version 0.30.6 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-10. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:step ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install step ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install step ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: kde/step/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add step ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: step from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install step ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: step from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install step ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: step from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S step ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: step from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install step ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: step from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#step-ca ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/st/step-ca/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Windows - winget (92%): ```sh winget install --id Smallstep.step -e ``` Evidence: Windows Package Manager source index: Smallstep.step from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:step - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.30.6 - **Source summary:** Crypto and x509 Swiss-Army-Knife - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** Apache-2.0 - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-10T22:08:20Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - step (cli) - step-ca (cli) - step (alias) - step-ca (alias) ## 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: 0.30.6 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-10 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/smallstep/cli - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## Project history and usage step is Smallstep's command-line tool for certificates, cryptography, and PKI workflows. In package-manager culture it is a classic security operator binary: one install gives developers and sysadmins commands for X.509, JWT, OAuth/OIDC-adjacent tasks, local PKI, and interaction with step-ca. ### Project history The smallstep/cli GitHub repository was created in July 2018. Smallstep's official writing says step and step-ca were first released in 2018, and the README describes step as an easy-to-use CLI for building, operating, and automating PKI systems and workflows, as well as a client for the step-ca online certificate authority. ### Adoption history Smallstep positions step-cli as the command-line interface for its open-source certificate toolchain, and its docs show use across standalone crypto operations and online CA workflows. Smallstep also states that step and step-ca became the most popular open-source certificate management toolchain; treated neutrally, this indicates broad visibility in DevOps, homelab, Kubernetes, ACME, and internal-TLS communities. ### How it is used Common usage includes creating and inspecting certificates, bootstrapping trust for a CA, checking CA health, issuing and renewing certificates through step-ca, formatting keys, and managing contexts. Official docs document `$STEPPATH/config/defaults.json` for defaults such as CA URL, fingerprint, and root certificate path, and `$(step path)/config/ca.json` for step-ca configuration. ### Why package nerds care Package nerds care because step packages a large amount of certificate plumbing into one Go binary, avoiding language-specific setup and reducing the friction of PKI automation. Its broad package-manager footprint in the input facts, including Homebrew, Linux distributions, MacPorts, Nix, and WinGet, makes it a useful example of a security CLI that crossed from vendor toolchain into general-purpose system packaging. ### Timeline - 2018: step and step-ca first released, according to Smallstep. - 2018: Public smallstep/cli GitHub repository created. - 2020: v0.14.2 release added initial Windows support and step ssh subcommands. - 2026: GitHub releases continued through the v0.30 release line. ### Related projects - step is closely paired with step-ca, the Smallstep certificate authority server, and shares ecosystem context with ACME clients, Kubernetes cert-manager workflows, SSH certificate tooling, and internal TLS automation. ### Sources - - - - - - - - - input.source_facts.package-manager ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## 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: $STEPPATH/config/defaults.json, $(step path)/config/ca.json ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** step - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - step - 4:25.04.0-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: step from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | interactive physical simulator for KDE | https://edu.kde.org/step/ - Ubuntu apt - step - 4:23.08.5-0ubuntu4: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: step from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | interactive physical simulator for KDE | https://apps.kde.org/en/step - apk - step - 26.04.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: step from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Interactive Physics Simulator | https://edu.kde.org/step/ - apk - step-doc - 26.04.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: step-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Interactive Physics Simulator (documentation) | https://edu.kde.org/step/ - apk - step-lang - 26.04.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: step-lang from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Languages for package step | https://edu.kde.org/step/ - dnf - step - 26.04.2-1.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: step from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Interactive Physics Simulator | https://apps.kde.org/step - pacman - step - 26.04.2-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: step from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Interactive Physical Simulator | https://apps.kde.org/step/ - zypper - step - 26.04.2-1.1: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: step from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | An interactive physics simulator | https://apps.kde.org/step - zypper - step-lang - 26.04.2-1.1: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: step-lang from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Translations for package step | https://apps.kde.org/step - MacPorts - step: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: kde/step/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - winget - Smallstep.step: normalized package name match | Windows Package Manager source index: Smallstep.step from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix - winget - Smallstep.step-ca: normalized package name match | Windows Package Manager source index: Smallstep.step-ca from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix - MacPorts - step-ca: installed executable or alias match | MacPorts ports tree: security/step-ca/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Nix - step-ca: installed executable or alias match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/st/step-ca/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman - step-ca - 0.30.2-1: installed executable or alias match | Arch Linux sync databases: step-ca from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | A private certificate authority (X.509 & SSH) & ACME server for secure automated certificate management, so you can use TLS everywhere & SSO for SSH. | https://github.com/smallstep/certificates ## Related links - [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. - [Security and crypto packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/security-crypto-tools/) - Matched security, identity, cryptography, password, signing, or certificate metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [go](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/go/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [fetch-crl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fetch-crl/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: certificate-management, certificates, cli, pki, security. - [cfssl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cfssl/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: certificates, cli, cryptography, pki, security. - [smimesign](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/smimesign/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: certificates, cli, cryptography, security, x509. - [sslmate](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/sslmate/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: certificate-management, cli, pki, security. - [certgraph](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/certgraph/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: certificates, cli, security, x509. - [certigo](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/certigo/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: certificates, cli, security, x509. - [certstrap](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/certstrap/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: certificates, cli, pki, security. - [dnsrobocert](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dnsrobocert/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: certificate-management, cli, security. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/step.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/step.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - 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