macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install brightnesslocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install brightnessMacPorts ports tree · sysutils/brightness/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew / rank 2239
Install brightness with Homebrew, MacPorts
Change macOS display brightness from the command-line. Version 1.2 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with macports: sudo port install brightness.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Change macOS display brightness from the command-line
Project links
Commands and aliases
- brightness
history
Project history and usage
brightness is a macOS command-line utility for reading and setting display brightness from scripts or the terminal.
Project history
The nriley/brightness repository was created in February 2014, with release 1.2 published in August 2015. The README describes a focused utility for controlling all internal and some external displays from the command line.
Its maintenance history mirrors macOS display API changes. The README notes that documented APIs worked through macOS 10.12.3, then Night Shift in 10.12.4 required an undocumented method, and Apple Silicon Macs later required another undocumented method.
Adoption history
brightness became a durable small utility for macOS automation users. It is packaged in Homebrew and MacPorts according to the input package facts, has hundreds of GitHub stars, and Homebrew analytics reported several thousand installs over the prior year at lookup time.
How it is used
Users run simple commands such as `brightness 1`, `brightness 0.5`, or `brightness -l` to set or list display brightness. The README cautions that displays not controllable through macOS Displays settings generally cannot be controlled by the tool either.
Why package nerds care
brightness is the archetypal tiny macOS system utility package: a single-purpose binary that exists because shell scripts and automation tools need access to a GUI-era hardware setting. Its significance is not breadth, but longevity across changing macOS display internals.
Timeline
- 2014: Repository created.
- 2015: Release 1.2 published.
- 2017: README documents the macOS 10.12.4 Night Shift-era API break and workaround.
- 2021: Repository history includes Universal 2 build work for Apple Silicon.
- 2026: Homebrew stable version reported as 1.2.
Related projects
- Homebrew and MacPorts distribute brightness for macOS users.
- macOS display APIs and IOKit-style display enumeration are the system interfaces around which the utility operates.
- Shell scripts, launch agents, and automation workflows are common consumers of this kind of command-line brightness control.
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 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.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
brightness | 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 version1.2
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:brightness |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.2 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://github.com/nriley/brightness |
| Repository | https://github.com/nriley/brightness |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
MacPorts95%
brightness
sudo port install brightness- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Brightness
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 package history
- external package-manager database matches
- pkg.so package database
- pkgdb category and tag curation