install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install vcprompt

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#vcprompt

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

overview

Package summary

Provide version control info in shell prompts

Project links

Commands and aliases

vcprompt
vcprompt-hgst

history

Project history and usage

vcprompt is a small command-line helper for showing version-control state in a shell prompt. The powerman repository presents it as a fork of Greg Ward's vcprompt, preserving the original idea of being lightweight rather than comprehensive.

Project history

The powerman/vcprompt GitHub repository was created on 2013-12-22. Its README explains the fork in pragmatic performance terms: prompt helpers run every time a user gets a new shell prompt, so slow repository-status checks become noticeable quickly.

How it is used

vcprompt is used inside shell prompt definitions to print repository information such as the current version-control system and branch/status markers. The README lists support, to varying degrees, for Mercurial, Git, Subversion, CVS, and Fossil working copies.

Why package nerds care

Its significance is niche but clear: vcprompt belongs to the pre-heavy-shell-theme era of tiny POSIX prompt utilities. It is the kind of tool package users install when they want repository awareness without adopting a full prompt framework.

Timeline

2013-12-22: The powerman/vcprompt repository was created on GitHub.
2021-10-10: The repository's latest pushed_at timestamp in GitHub API metadata shows later maintenance activity, though the public footprint remains small.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: yellow

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. generalized runtime or code generation signal.

Risk classifier

yellow risk · medium confidence · runtime

Why

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
generalized runtime or code generation signal

Signals

text:shell
text:version control

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 8 platform targets.
Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.
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.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`vcprompt`	cli	global executable
`vcprompt-hgst`	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 version1.3.0

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv1.3.0

https://github.com/powerman/vcprompt

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:vcprompt
Version	1.3.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/vcprompt
Homepage	https://github.com/powerman/vcprompt
Repository	https://github.com/powerman/vcprompt
Upstream docs	https://github.com/powerman/vcprompt#readme
License	GPL-2.0-or-later
Source archive	https://github.com/powerman/vcprompt/archive/refs/tags/v1.3.0.tar.gz
Dependencies	sqlite
Build dependencies	autoconf, automake
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	vcprompt
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%

vcprompt

nix profile install nixpkgs#vcprompt

normalized package name match
Matched by: Vcprompt

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/vc/vcprompt/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/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/vcprompt.yml

Used sources

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

Install vcprompt with Homebrew, Nix