macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install xtitlelocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install xtitle with Homebrew, apk, apt, Nix
Set window title and icon for your X terminal. Version 1.0.4 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add xtitleAlpine Linux edge package indexes · xtitle · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install xtitleDebian stable package indexes · xtitle · source: deb.debian.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#xtitlenixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/xt/xtitle/package.nix · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
Set window title and icon for your X terminal
Project links
Commands and aliases
- xtctl
- xtitle
history
Project history and usage
xtitle is a compact shell-script utility for setting the window title and icon name of an xterm or xterm-like terminal by emitting the appropriate xterm control sequence.
Project history
Stephen B. Kinzler's page describes xtitle as a tool so straightforward he originally would not have expected to package it, but it escaped into wider use and was given a man page, Imakefile, and companion `xtctl` script. The copyright span starts in 1993, and the manpage author line records updates in 1993, 1998, 2000, and 2009.
Adoption history
xtitle spread because xterm title escape sequences are useful but annoying to remember. It appears in distro package sets mostly as a tiny convenience command for shell prompts, scripts, and users who keep many terminal windows open.
How it is used
Run `xtitle build logs`, `xtitle -t name`, or `xtitle -i icon-name` inside an xterm-like terminal to update the window title and/or icon name. The tool prints OSC title-control sequences rather than talking to Xlib directly.
Why package nerds care
xtitle is a tiny-package example: a one-purpose script became package-worthy because it captured a common X11 terminal idiom, documented it, and made it portable enough for package managers to ship.
Timeline
- 1993: xtitle's copyright and manpage history begin.
- 1998: Manpage author line records a November 1998 update.
- 2000: Manpage author line records a March 2000 update.
- 2009: Manpage author line records a December 2009 update; current manual page reports version 1.0.4.
- 2014: Upstream page copyright range extends through 2014.
Related projects
- xterm: the terminal whose title/icon-name control sequences xtitle emits.
- dtterm: listed by the manpage as another terminal known to work.
- xtermcontrol: a broader command-line controller for xterm properties.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 1 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.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
xtctl | cli | global executable | |
xtitle | 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 version1.0.4
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://kinzler.com/me/xtitle/
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://kinzler.com/me/xtitle/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:xtitle |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.0.4 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/xtitle |
| Homepage | https://kinzler.com/me/xtitle/ |
| Upstream docs | https://kinzler.com/me/xtitle |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://kinzler.com/me/xtitle/xtitle-1.0.4.tgz |
| Bottle | available (on all) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | xtitle |
| 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%
xtitle 1.0.4-1
set window title and icon name for X terminal
https://kinzler.com/me/xtitle/
sudo apt install xtitle- Section: utils
- Architecture: all
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Xtitle
Nix95%
xtitle
nix profile install nixpkgs#xtitle- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Xtitle
Ubuntu apt95%
xtitle 1.0.4-1
set window title and icon name for X terminal
https://kinzler.com/me/xtitle/
sudo apt install xtitle- Section: universe/utils
- Architecture: all
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Xtitle
apk95%
xtitle 0.4.4-r2
Outputs X window titles
https://github.com/baskerville/xtitle
sudo apk add xtitle- License: Unlicense
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: xtitle
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Xtitle
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 package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment