macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install bettylocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew / rank 13083
Install betty with Homebrew
English-like interface for the command-line. Version 0.1.7 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
English-like interface for the command-line
Project links
Commands and aliases
- betty
history
Project history and usage
Betty is a Ruby command-line assistant that translates English-like phrases into shell commands, pitched by its README as a friendly natural-language interface for users who do not remember exact commands.
Project history
The GitHub repository was created in May 2014. Its README presents Betty as version 0.1.8, documents a broad set of command phrases, and notes that the original maintainer no longer has time to actively maintain it while remaining open to new maintainers.
Adoption history
Betty's package history is narrow compared with the other tools in this batch: the input records Homebrew packaging only. Its adoption belongs mostly to the 2010s wave of playful natural-language CLI helpers rather than to a broad multi-distro system package footprint.
How it is used
Users invoke commands such as asking for word counts, dates, file searches, archive extraction, process lists, permissions changes, and music controls. Betty prints the command it is about to run and can ask users to choose among multiple matching commands.
Why package nerds care
Betty is package-nerd interesting as a small artifact of the pre-LLM natural-language CLI era: it packaged a phrase-to-command rule set as an installable Unix tool, showing how command discovery and shell ergonomics were explored before modern AI assistants.
Timeline
- 2014: Repository created in May.
- 2010s: README documents version 0.1.8 and an English-like command catalog.
- 2021: Repository metadata shows later maintenance activity, but the README asks for new maintainers.
Related projects
- Related projects include shell command explainers and natural-language assistants such as howdoi, tldr-style command discovery tools, and later AI-backed shell helpers.
Sources
- https://api.github.com/repos/pickhardt/betty
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pickhardt/betty/master/README.md
- source_facts.package-manager
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 bottle metadata was recorded.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
Configuration and credential file locations
These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.
Configuration files
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Unix
~/.bettyconfig
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
betty | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
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 generated2026-08-03
manager version0.1.7
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:betty |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.1.7 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://github.com/pickhardt/betty |
| Repository | https://github.com/pickhardt/betty |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
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
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- pkg.so package database
- pkgdb category and tag curation