install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install rpl

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install rpl

MacPorts ports tree · textproc/rpl/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install rpl

Debian stable package indexes · rpl · source: deb.debian.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install rpl

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · rpl · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#rpl

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

overview

Package summary

Text replacement utility

Project links

Commands and aliases

rpl

history

Project history and usage

rpl is an intelligent recursive command-line search-and-replace utility for replacing strings across multiple text files.

Project history

The current rpl is maintained by Reuben Thomas and is written in Vala. Its official README credits an earlier Python program by Christian Häggström, Göran Weinholt, Kevin Coyner, Jochen Kupperschmidt, and Reuben Thomas.

Adoption history

rpl has been packaged by Unix-like distributions and collections including Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Nix, MacPorts, and Homebrew, giving scripts a packaged alternative to hand-written find, sed, or Perl pipelines.

How it is used

Users invoke rpl with old text, new text, and optional file operands. It is suited to project-wide literal or pattern-based replacements where recursive traversal, encoding awareness, and file handling would otherwise require a shell pipeline.

Why package nerds care

rpl occupies a familiar package-nerd niche: a narrowly focused command that makes a common recursive maintenance task safer and more convenient. Its long lineage across Python and Vala implementations also illustrates how small Unix utilities can be rewritten while preserving their command-line purpose.

Timeline

Earlier period: rpl exists as a Python program developed by multiple contributors.
Later period: The utility is rewritten and maintained in Vala.
2026: Version 2.1.0 is released from the official repository.

Related projects

rpl overlaps with sed, Perl, and combinations of find and xargs, while using GLib, PCRE2, and uchardet in its implementation.

Sources

Official README: https://github.com/rrthomas/rpl/blob/main/README.md
Official repository: https://github.com/rrthomas/rpl

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:repl

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
Installs with 4 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
`rpl`	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 generated2026-09-19

manager version2.1.0

manager updated2026-09-12

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://github.com/rrthomas/rpl

infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/rrthomas/rplnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:rpl
Version	2.1.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/rpl
Homepage	https://github.com/rrthomas/rpl
Repository	https://github.com/rrthomas/rpl
License	GPL-3.0-or-later
Source archive	https://github.com/rrthomas/rpl/releases/download/v2.1.0/rpl-2.1.0.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-09-12T11:14:27Z
Pulse	updated
Dependencies	gettext, glib, pcre2, uchardet
Build dependencies	help2man, pkgconf
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, 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	rpl
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.

Debian apt95%

rpl 1.14-2

replace strings in files

https://github.com/rrthomas/rpl

sudo apt install rpl

Section: utils
Architecture: all
2 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Rpl

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

Nix95%

rpl

nix profile install nixpkgs#rpl

normalized package name match
Matched by: Rpl

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

Ubuntu apt95%

rpl 1.14-2

replace strings in files

https://github.com/rrthomas/rpl

sudo apt install rpl

Section: universe/utils
Architecture: all
2 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Rpl

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: rpl from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

dnf95%

rpl 1.5.7-36.fc45

Intelligent recursive search/replace utility

https://github.com/kcoyner/rpl/

sudo dnf install rpl

License: GPL-2.0-or-later
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: noarch
Source Package: rpl
2 dependencies
3 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Rpl

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: rpl from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/652278618dec9c023176a80c435a32a2c8154869fb0eb662c267a54df28d77d9-primary.xml.zst

MacPorts95%

rpl

sudo port install rpl

normalized package name match
Matched by: Rpl

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: textproc/rpl/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/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/rpl.yml

Used sources

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

Install rpl with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix

Additional install commands

macOS

Linux

Package summary

Project links

Commands and aliases

Project history and usage

Project history

Adoption history

How it is used

Why package nerds care

Timeline

Related projects

Sources

Risk level: yellow

Risk classifier

Why

Signals

Install behavior

Recommended review

Installed executables

Version and freshness

Package metadata

Source database details

Other package-manager records

Internal package links

Topical hubs

Related tools

Same workflow

Agent security guides

Generated from repository data

Combined YAML source

Used sources