# Install stow with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper

Organize software neatly under a single directory tree (e.g. /usr/local). Version 2.4.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:stow
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install stow
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

- MacPorts (94%):

```sh
sudo port install stow
```

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

### Linux

- apk (92%):

```sh
sudo apk add stow
```

  Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: stow from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

- Debian apt (92%):

```sh
sudo apt install stow
```

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

- dnf (92%):

```sh
sudo dnf install stow
```

  Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: stow from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst

- Nix (92%):

```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#stow
```

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

- pacman (92%):

```sh
sudo pacman -S stow
```

  Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: stow from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

- zypper (92%):

```sh
sudo zypper install stow
```

  Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: stow from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:stow
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Package manager page:** <https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/stow>
- **Version:** 2.4.1
- **Source summary:** Organize software neatly under a single directory tree (e.g. /usr/local)
- **Homepage:** <https://www.gnu.org/software/stow/>
- **Repository:** <https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/stow.git>
- **Upstream docs:** <https://www.gnu.org/software/stow>
- **License:** GPL-3.0-or-later
- **Source archive:** <https://ftpmirror.gnu.org/gnu/stow/stow-2.4.1.tar.gz>
- **Generated:** 2026-07-08T18:08:21+00:00

## Executables

- chkstow (cli)
- stow (cli)
- chkstow (alias)
- stow (alias)

## Uses from macOS

- perl

## Install behavior

- Post-install hook: not defined
- Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-07-08
- Package-manager version: 2.4.1
- Local data: ok
- Upstream repository: https://www.gnu.org/software/stow/
- info: No package-manager update timestamp was available.
- info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.
## Project history and usage

GNU Stow is a long-running GNU command-line tool for managing software or data trees by creating symlink farms into a shared target directory. Its modern package-manager interest comes from the way it preserves package ownership without a package database, and from its later adoption by dotfile users.

### Project history

GNU's people page identifies Bob Glickstein as the author of GNU Stow. The Stow manual explains the original problem: administrators commonly built software such as Perl and Emacs under /usr/local, then needed a reliable way to upgrade or remove one package without confusing its files with another package's files.

Stow's design keeps each package in its own private tree and makes the files appear in a common tree through symbolic links. The manual says Stow was inspired by Carnegie Mellon's Depot, but deliberately avoided Depot's database state and destructive synchronization risks.

### Adoption history

The Stow manual notes that more sophisticated system and language package managers reduced its role as a general software installer, naming rpm, dpkg, Nix, Guix, gem, pip, and npm as examples. It also records Stow's continued use for per-user configuration management, especially when paired with version control.

Homebrew, Debian, Fedora, Arch, Nix, MacPorts, and other package-manager entries in the supplied source facts show that Stow remains widely packaged as a small Unix tool rather than as an application platform.

### How it is used

Users arrange package directories under a stow directory and run the stow CLI to create, delete, or restow symlinks into the target tree. In dotfile workflows, the target is commonly the user's home directory, and Stow's --dotfiles behavior supports package trees that avoid hidden filenames internally.

The official manual documents resource files in .stowrc and ~/.stowrc, plus package-local and global ignore files, making it convenient to encode repeated CLI options and ignore rules.

### Why package nerds care

Stow matters to package-manager culture because it is a minimal, inspectable alternative to database-backed ownership tracking: the filesystem layout is the metadata. That makes it attractive for source-built /usr/local trees, home-directory dotfiles, and users who want reversible installs without a full package manager.

It also gives package nerds a classic example of Unix composition: symlinks, predictable directory structure, and version control cover most of the workflow without a daemon, registry, or lockfile format.

### Timeline

- 1990s: Bob Glickstein authored GNU Stow.
- 2024-04-07: GNU Stow 2.4.0 released with dotfiles-related fixes.
- 2024-09-08: GNU Stow 2.4.1 released with additional --dotfiles and ignore-list fixes.

### Related projects

- Carnegie Mellon Depot influenced Stow's problem space, but Stow's manual contrasts its stateless symlink approach with Depot's database-based synchronization.
- Modern package managers such as rpm, dpkg, Nix, Guix, pip, gem, and npm cover many software-installation cases that Stow once addressed, while Stow remains common in dotfile-manager workflows.

### Sources

- <https://www.gnu.org/people/people.html>
- <https://www.gnu.org/software/stow/>
- <https://www.gnu.org/software/stow/manual/stow.html>
- 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: ~/.stowrc, .stowrc, ~/.stow-global-ignore, .stow-local-ignore
## Source Database Details

- **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API
- **Tap:** homebrew/core
- **Full Name:** stow
- **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

## Other Package-Manager Records

- Debian apt - stow - 2.4.1-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: stow from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Organizer for /usr/local software packages | https://www.gnu.org/software/stow/
- Nix - stow: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/st/stow/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Ubuntu apt - stow - 2.3.1-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: stow from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Organizer for /usr/local software packages | https://www.gnu.org/software/stow/
- apk - stow - 2.4.1-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: stow from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Manage installation of multiple softwares in the same directory tree | https://www.gnu.org/software/stow/
- apk - stow-doc - 2.4.1-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: stow-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Manage installation of multiple softwares in the same directory tree (documentation) | https://www.gnu.org/software/stow/
- dnf - stow - 2.4.1-4.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: stow from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Manage the installation of software packages from source | https://www.gnu.org/software/stow/stow.html
- dnf - stow-doc - 2.4.1-4.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: stow-doc from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Documentation for Stow | https://www.gnu.org/software/stow/stow.html
- pacman - stow - 2.4.1-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: stow from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Manage installation of multiple softwares in the same directory tree | https://www.gnu.org/software/stow/
- zypper - stow - 2.4.1-1.7: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: stow from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Manage the installation of software packages from source | https://gnu.org/software/stow/
- zypper - stow-doc - 2.4.1-1.7: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: stow-doc from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Documentation for GNU Stow | https://gnu.org/software/stow/
- MacPorts - stow: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/stow/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1


## 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.
- [Package ecosystem packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/package-ecosystem-tools/) - Matched package manager, installer, dependency, registry, or publishing metadata.
- [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider.
- [findutils](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/findutils/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, file-management, filesystem, gnu, system.
- [renameutils](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/renameutils/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, file-management, filesystem, gnu, system.
- [dust](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dust/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, file-management, filesystem, system.
- [dutree](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dutree/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, file-management, filesystem, system.
- [fcp](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fcp/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, file-management, filesystem, system.
- [fdupes](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fdupes/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, file-management, filesystem, system.
- [jdupes](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/jdupes/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, file-management, filesystem, system.
- [lr](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lr/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, file-management, filesystem, system.
- [coreutils](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/coreutils/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, file, gnu, system.
- [shepherd](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/shepherd/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, gnu, management, system.

## Combined YAML source

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