# Install autojump with Homebrew Shell extension to jump to frequently used directories. Version 22.5.3 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:autojump ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install autojump ``` Evidence: provider-native install command ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:autojump - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 22.5.3 - **Source summary:** Shell extension to jump to frequently used directories - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-22T14:02:47-07:00 - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T00:40:33+00:00 ## Executables - autojump (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 22.5.3 ## Project history and usage autojump is a shell navigation helper that learns frequently visited directories and lets users jump to them with short fuzzy-ish commands. It belongs to the same productivity niche as z, fasd, and later smart-cd tools: small shell glue that changes daily terminal muscle memory. ### Project history The official README says autojump was originally written by Joel Schaerer and is maintained by William Ting. The GitHub repository was created in January 2009 and describes the tool as a cd command that learns from command-line directory usage. The design is intentionally simple: the tool maintains a database of directories the user has visited, then ranks matches when the user invokes the j wrapper or autojump command. ### Adoption history The README documents first-class support for bash and zsh, first-class support for Linux and OS X, and community support for fish, tcsh, clink, Windows, and BSD. It also states that autojump is included in Debian-derived distributions, RedHat/Fedora/CentOS, ArchLinux, Gentoo, Frugalware, and Slackware, while Homebrew is the recommended OS X installation method. The GitHub repository has accumulated substantial attention for a shell utility, with thousands of stars and hundreds of forks in the official GitHub metadata. The batch input also lists packaging across Homebrew, Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, Scoop, and openSUSE. ### How it is used Users visit directories normally first; autojump records that history. The common wrapper j foo jumps to the highest-ranked directory containing foo, while jc, jo, and jco prefer child directories or open file managers instead of changing directories. The README warns that shell integration matters: for bash, autojump tracks directories by modifying PROMPT_COMMAND, so users should append to that variable rather than overwrite it. ### Why package nerds care autojump is package-nerd catnip because it is a small utility whose value comes from shell integration and distribution packaging rather than a large application surface. Its install story shows why package maintainers care about shell completions, profile snippets, platform policies, and per-shell activation instructions. ### Timeline - 2009: GitHub repository created for wting/autojump. - 2010s: autojump becomes packaged by major Linux distributions and macOS package managers. - 2016: README copyright notice lists the Free Software Foundation and GPLv3-or-later licensing text. ### Related projects - z, fasd, zoxide, and shell-specific directory jumpers solve the same learned-navigation problem. - clink is referenced by the README for Windows shell support. ### Sources - - - source_facts.package-manager ## Security Notes generalized runtime or code generation signal. - **Geiger risk:** yellow / medium - generalized runtime or code generation signal ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/autojump.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/autojump.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - curated package history - pkgdb category and tag curation