macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install tcshlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install tcshMacPorts ports tree · shells/tcsh/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install tcsh with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper
Enhanced, fully compatible version of the Berkeley C shell. Version 6.24.16 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-14.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add tcshAlpine Linux edge package indexes · tcsh · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install tcshDebian stable package indexes · tcsh · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install tcshFedora Rawhide package metadata · tcsh · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#tcshnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/tc/tcsh/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S tcshArch Linux sync databases · tcsh · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install tcshopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · tcsh · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Enhanced, fully compatible version of the Berkeley C shell
Project links
Commands and aliases
- csh
- tcsh
history
Project history and usage
tcsh is an enhanced, compatible Berkeley C shell used as both an interactive login shell and a shell script command processor. Its enduring package-manager identity is the C-shell lineage with command-line editing, completion, history, job control, and a long Unix portability trail.
Project history
The official manual describes tcsh as an enhanced but compatible version of the Berkeley Unix csh. The source tree preserves the older csh lineage in sh.c comments: Bill Joy's C shell work at UC Berkeley is dated October 1978 and May 1980, Jim Kulp's work is dated April 1980, Ken Greer's filename recognition work is dated October 1983, and Karl Kleinpaste's prompt, directory-stack, and login-watch additions are dated to the 1983-1984 period.
The modern tcsh project is maintained through the tcsh.org site, an Astron bug tracker and mailing list, release tarballs, and a read-only GitHub mirror. The Fixes file shows continuing 21st-century maintenance, with releases through the 6.24 series and fixes for history handling, prompts, color support, portability, and character-set behavior.
Adoption history
The supplied package metadata shows tcsh packaged across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora/DNF, Arch, Alpine, MacPorts, Nix, and openSUSE. That breadth matches its status as a long-lived Unix shell: no longer the trend-setting interactive shell for most new users, but still packaged wherever compatibility with csh scripts, user dotfiles, or institutional shell habits matters.
How it is used
The manual presents tcsh as usable both for interactive login sessions and shell script processing. Package users install it for C-shell compatibility plus interactive features such as programmable word completion, command-line editing, spelling correction, history substitution, job control, and the familiar csh-style syntax.
Why package nerds care
tcsh is significant because it is not just another CLI package; it is a login shell with system integration points, startup files, and decades of compatibility expectations. In package catalogs it carries historical Unix behavior forward while remaining actively maintained enough for modern build systems and distributions.
Timeline
- 1978-1980: Source comments date Bill Joy's C shell work at UC Berkeley.
- 1980: Jim Kulp's C shell work is noted in sh.c.
- 1983: Ken Greer's filename recognition work is noted in sh.c.
- 1983-1984: Karl Kleinpaste's prompt, directory-stack, and login-watch additions are noted in sh.c.
- 2024-05-17: tcsh.org home page content last updated.
- 2025-07-09: Fixes file records tcsh 6.24.16.
Related projects
- Berkeley csh is the compatibility baseline; tcsh.org points users to release tarballs, the tcsh mailing list, the Astron bug tracker, and the read-only GitHub source mirror.
Sources
- current_curation.config-file-location
- https://github.com/tcsh-org/tcsh#readme
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tcsh-org/tcsh/master/Fixes
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tcsh-org/tcsh/master/sh.c
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tcsh-org/tcsh/master/tcsh.man.in
- https://www.tcsh.org/
- input source_facts.package-manager
security posture
Risk level: yellow
generalized runtime or code generation signal.
Risk classifier
yellow risk · medium confidence · runtime
Why
- generalized runtime or code generation signal
Signals
- text:shell
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 8 platform targets.
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.
- Unix
/etc/csh.cshrc/etc/csh.login~/.tcshrc~/.cshrc~/.login/etc/csh.logout~/.logout
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
csh | cli | global executable | |
tcsh | 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 version6.24.16
manager updated2026-06-14
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.tcsh.org/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:tcsh |
|---|---|
| Version | 6.24.16 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/tcsh |
| Homepage | https://www.tcsh.org/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/tcsh-org/tcsh |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/tcsh-org/tcsh#readme |
| License | BSD-3-Clause |
| Source archive | https://astron.com/pub/tcsh/tcsh-6.24.16.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-14T15:13:51+02:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Uses from macOS | libxcrypt, ncurses |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, 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 | tcsh |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
tcsh 6.24.13-2
TENEX C Shell, an enhanced version of Berkeley csh
sudo apt install tcsh- Section: shells
- Architecture: amd64
- 3 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Tcsh
Nix95%
tcsh
nix profile install nixpkgs#tcsh- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Tcsh
Ubuntu apt95%
tcsh 6.24.10-4build1
TENEX C Shell, an enhanced version of Berkeley csh
sudo apt install tcsh- Section: universe/shells
- Architecture: amd64
- 3 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Tcsh
apk95%
tcsh 6.24.16-r0
extended C-shell
https://github.com/tcsh-org/tcsh
sudo apk add tcsh- License: BSD-3-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: tcsh
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Tcsh
apk95%
tcsh-doc 6.24.16-r0
extended C-shell (documentation)
https://github.com/tcsh-org/tcsh
sudo apk add tcsh-doc- License: BSD-3-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: tcsh
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Tcsh
dnf95%
tcsh 6.24.16-1.fc45
An enhanced version of csh, the C shell
sudo dnf install tcsh- License: BSD-3-Clause
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: tcsh
- 8 dependencies
- 4 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Tcsh
pacman95%
tcsh 6.24.16-1
Enhanced version of the Berkeley C shell
sudo pacman -S tcsh- License: BSD-3-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Tcsh
zypper95%
tcsh 6.24.16-1.3
The C SHell
sudo zypper install tcsh- License: BSD-3-Clause
- Category: System/Shells
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: tcsh
- 6 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Tcsh
zypper95%
tcsh-lang 6.24.16-1.3
Translations for package tcsh
sudo zypper install tcsh-lang- License: BSD-3-Clause
- Category: System/Localization
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: tcsh
- 1 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Tcsh
MacPorts95%
tcsh
sudo port install tcsh- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Tcsh
Debian apt92%
csh 20240808-2
Shell with C-like syntax
https://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb/src/bin/csh/
sudo apt install csh- Section: shells
- Architecture: amd64
- 2 dependencies
- 1 provides
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Csh
Ubuntu apt92%
csh 20230828-1
Shell with C-like syntax
https://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb/src/bin/csh/
sudo apt install csh- Section: universe/shells
- Architecture: amd64
- 2 dependencies
- 1 provides
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Csh
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.
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