macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install translate-shelllocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install translate-shellMacPorts ports tree · textproc/translate-shell/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install translate-shell with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper
Command-line translator using Google Translate and more. Version 0.9.7.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add translate-shellAlpine Linux edge package indexes · translate-shell · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install translate-shellDebian stable package indexes · translate-shell · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install translate-shellFedora Rawhide package metadata · translate-shell · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#translate-shellnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/tr/translate-shell/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S translate-shellArch Linux sync databases · translate-shell · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install translate-shellopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · translate-shell · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Command-line translator using Google Translate and more
Project links
Commands and aliases
- trans
history
Project history and usage
Translate Shell is a POSIX-oriented command-line translator, distributed as the `trans` command, that queries online translation engines from a terminal. It began under the name Google Translate CLI and later broadened into a multi-engine tool.
Project history
The official README identifies Translate Shell as formerly Google Translate CLI and describes Google Translate as the default engine, with Bing Translator, Yandex.Translate, and Apertium also supported. The tool is implemented around GNU Awk plus a shell wrapper, which made it unusually portable for a network-facing terminal utility.
The project documents multiple installation styles: a self-contained downloadable executable, package-manager installation, Zsh Antigen integration, Git builds, and Docker. Official release metadata shows the 0.9.6 line active through the late 2010s and the 0.9.7 line released in 2022 and 2023.
Adoption history
Translate Shell became a package-manager staple because it solved a common terminal-user problem without requiring a browser or GUI. Its README says it works on GNU/Linux, macOS, BSD, Android through Termux, and Windows through WSL, Cygwin, or MSYS2, and the input facts show packaging across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, Alpine, MacPorts, Nix, and openSUSE.
The tool's adoption also reflects shell culture: it can translate command arguments, standard input, multi-line text, or interactive shell input, and optional dependencies such as rlwrap, paging tools, text-to-speech programs, and spell checkers improve the terminal experience without becoming mandatory.
How it is used
Users call `trans` with source and target language expressions, such as `:fr`, `en:zh`, or multiple target languages joined with plus signs. It supports verbose output, brief mode, dictionary mode, language identification, interactive shell mode, standard input, and optional display handling for bidirectional scripts.
Why package nerds care
For package nerds, Translate Shell is the classic example of turning a web translation service into a Unix filter. It is small enough to install everywhere, scriptable enough for dotfiles and editor hooks, and packaged widely enough that the same `trans` muscle memory works across Linux distributions and macOS.
Its Awk implementation and self-contained executable also make it a useful case study in packaging network-dependent command-line tools: the binary-like script is easy to distribute, while optional dependencies and upstream web-service changes are where maintainers feel the operational cost.
Timeline
- Early project: The README states that Translate Shell was formerly Google Translate CLI.
- 2017-2020: Official GitHub releases show the 0.9.6 series continuing through several maintenance releases.
- 2022: Official GitHub releases list version 0.9.7.
- 2023: The official man page and GitHub releases list version 0.9.7.1.
Related projects
- Translate Shell is related to online translation engines such as Google Translate, Bing Translator, Yandex.Translate, and Apertium. In packaging terms it also sits near terminal dictionary, text-to-speech, and shell productivity tools.
Sources
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 1 platform targets.
- Installs with 3 runtime 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.
- Unix
~/.translate-shell/init.trans$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/translate-shell/init.trans
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
trans | 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 version0.9.7.1
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://github.com/soimort/translate-shell
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/soimort/translate-shellnone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:translate-shell |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.9.7.1 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/translate-shell |
| Homepage | https://www.soimort.org/translate-shell |
| Repository | https://github.com/soimort/translate-shell |
| Upstream docs | https://www.soimort.org/translate-shell |
| License | Unlicense |
| Source archive | https://github.com/soimort/translate-shell/archive/refs/tags/v0.9.7.1.tar.gz |
| Dependencies | fribidi, gawk, rlwrap |
| Bottle | available (on all) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
| Caveats | By default, text-to-speech functionality is provided by macOS's builtin `say' command. This functionality may be improved in certain cases by installing one of mplayer, mpv, or mpg123, all of which are available through `brew install'. |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | translate-shell |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| 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%
translate-shell 0.9.7.1-2
Command-line translator using Google Translate, etc.
https://github.com/soimort/translate-shell
sudo apt install translate-shell- Section: contrib/misc
- Architecture: all
- 3 dependencies
- 1 provides
- 10 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Translate Shell
Nix95%
translate-shell
nix profile install nixpkgs#translate-shell- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Translate Shell
Ubuntu apt95%
translate-shell 0.9.7.1-2
Command-line translator using Google Translate, etc.
https://github.com/soimort/translate-shell
sudo apt install translate-shell- Section: multiverse/misc
- Architecture: all
- 3 dependencies
- 1 provides
- 10 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Translate Shell
apk95%
translate-shell 0.9.7.1-r2
Command-line online translator
https://www.soimort.org/translate-shell/
sudo apk add translate-shell- License: Unlicense
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: translate-shell
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Translate Shell
apk95%
translate-shell-doc 0.9.7.1-r2
Command-line online translator (documentation)
https://www.soimort.org/translate-shell/
sudo apk add translate-shell-doc- License: Unlicense
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: translate-shell
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Translate Shell
dnf95%
translate-shell 0.9.7.1-8.fc44
A command-line online translator
https://github.com/soimort/translate-shell
sudo dnf install translate-shell- License: LicenseRef-Fedora-Public-Domain
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: translate-shell
- 5 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Translate Shell
pacman95%
translate-shell 0.9.7.1-2
A command-line interface and interactive shell for Google Translate
https://www.soimort.org/translate-shell/
sudo pacman -S translate-shell- License: Unlicense
- Architecture: any
- 2 dependencies
- 11 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Translate Shell
zypper95%
translate-shell 0.9.7.1-1.6
Command line translator using various online services as backends
https://www.soimort.org/translate-shell
sudo zypper install translate-shell- License: Unlicense
- Category: Productivity/Networking/Web/Frontends
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: translate-shell
- 3 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Translate Shell
MacPorts95%
translate-shell
sudo port install translate-shell- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Translate Shell
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