# Install apko with Homebrew Build OCI images from APK packages directly without Dockerfile. Version 1.2.30 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-31. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:apko ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install apko ``` Evidence: provider-native install command ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:apko - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 1.2.30 - **Source summary:** Build OCI images from APK packages directly without Dockerfile - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-31T00:12:26Z - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T00:40:33+00:00 ## Executables - apko (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 1.2.30 ## Project history and usage apko is Chainguard's apk-based OCI image builder: it builds container images directly from APK package repositories and a declarative YAML file, without Dockerfiles or RUN steps. It belongs to the supply-chain-focused family of tools that treat packages, SBOMs, and reproducibility as first-class image-build inputs. ### Project history The public repository was created in February 2022. The README says apko was created by Chainguard because they needed secure, reproducible container images for their tooling, with speed important because images are rebuilt constantly for new versions and patches. The design is explicitly declarative. Official docs state that apko files are YAML definitions of an image and that, unlike Dockerfiles, there is no equivalent of RUN statements. That restriction lets apko make stronger claims about image contents and reproducibility and generate metadata such as SBOMs. apko is paired with melange, Chainguard's tool for building APK packages from source. The README frames melange plus apko as covering most use cases: package software into APKs with melange, then assemble minimal OCI images from those packages with apko. ### Adoption history The README documents Homebrew installation, go install from source, and use of the cgr.dev/chainguard/apko container image. The supplied package metadata also records packaging in Alpine apk, Homebrew, Nix, pacman, and zypper, which fits a tool aimed at distro and container-package workflows. GitHub repository metadata showed over 1.6k stars and an active release stream. The latest official release assets include signed binaries and checksums, reflecting packaging practices expected in supply-chain-oriented infrastructure tools. ### How it is used A typical apko file specifies APK repositories and packages under contents, then image metadata such as entrypoint, command, environment, accounts, paths, architectures, annotations, and layering. apko build writes a tar image, while apko publish pushes directly to a registry. There is no fixed user config file location in the official docs; users pass an apko YAML file path to the CLI. The file can include another local file or a file from a remote git repository. ### Why package nerds care apko is important to package nerds because it moves image construction from shell-script layers to package-manager inputs. Instead of a Dockerfile mutating a filesystem, an image is a closure over APK repositories, package names, keys, accounts, paths, and metadata. For distroless-style images, SBOM generation, rebuild speed, and bit-for-bit reproducibility, apko is a concrete example of packaging discipline influencing container image tooling. ### Timeline - 2022: Public chainguard-dev/apko repository created on GitHub. - 2022: README quickstart already showed apk-package-based Alpine image builds and SBOM generation. - 2022: Companion melange repository was created for building APK packages from source. - 2026: Official release stream reached the v1.2.x series with signed multi-platform binaries. ### Related projects - The README names melange as apko's sister tool for producing APK packages, and says apko's design is influenced by ko and distroless. It also points to kontain.me as related declarative image-building work. ### Sources - - - - - - source_facts.package-manager ## Security Notes No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for apko. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/apko.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/apko.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - curated package history - pkgdb category and tag curation