macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install cdargsprovider-native install command
brew / rank 13097
Install cdargs with Homebrew
Directory bookmarking system - Enhanced cd utilities. Version 2.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-19.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Directory bookmarking system - Enhanced cd utilities
Project links
Commands and aliases
- cdargs
history
Project history and usage
cdargs is a curses-style directory bookmarking tool for Unix shells. It keeps frequently used filesystem locations in a plain text bookmark list and is normally used through shell functions or aliases that call the external cdargs binary and then change the interactive shell's current directory.
Project history
The upstream README identifies Stefan Kamphausen as the 2001-2003 copyright holder and describes cdargs as a complete C++ rewrite inspired by Michael Schili's CDBM script for the German iX magazine and follow-up scripts from the related discussion thread.
The bundled man page was dated March 2002 and documents the core behavior still associated with cdargs: a bookmarks file, list and browse modes, shell integration functions, and optional bash and tcsh helper files. The upstream ChangeLog shows maintenance through the 1.x series, including bash completion, tcsh aliases, Emacs integration, packaging fixes, and a 2006 1.35 release. A 2018 ChangeLog entry records version 2.0 as a C++11 modernization and Meson/Ninja build-system conversion.
Adoption history
cdargs became a small but durable Unix package rather than a large ecosystem project. The Homebrew input records packages in Homebrew, Debian, Fedora, MacPorts, and Ubuntu, which is the kind of cross-distribution presence typical of old shell productivity utilities that solved one workflow well enough to persist.
How it is used
The tool is used to bookmark project directories, jump by short descriptions, browse the filesystem from a terminal UI, and emit the selected path to a result file such as ~/.cdargsresult so a shell function can perform the final cd operation. Its ~/.cdargs file is deliberately simple and editable with a normal text editor.
Why package nerds care
cdargs is interesting as a pre-fzf, pre-zoxide example of directory-jumping ergonomics. It shows an older packaging pattern where a small binary, a man page, and shell snippets provide an interactive workflow that shells themselves cannot implement directly because child processes cannot change the parent shell's working directory.
Timeline
- 2001: Stefan Kamphausen copyright period begins in the upstream README.
- 2002: Man page dated March 2002 documents ~/.cdargs, shell functions, and interactive list/browse modes.
- 2003: Upstream README copyright period ends; ChangeLog shows active feature work around shell integration and bookmark handling.
- 2006: ChangeLog records version 1.35.
- 2010: Current GitHub repository was created.
- 2018: ChangeLog records version 2.0, a C++11 cleanup and Meson/Ninja build conversion.
Related projects
- cdargs was inspired by the CDBM shell script mentioned in the upstream README. In package-manager culture it sits in the same practical family as autojump, fasd, z, and zoxide, although those related tools are not cdargs upstream dependencies.
Sources
- https://api.github.com/repos/cbxbiker61/cdargs
- https://github.com/cbxbiker61/cdargs
- https://github.com/cbxbiker61/cdargs#readme
- https://github.com/cbxbiker61/cdargs/blob/master/doc/cdargs.1
- https://formulae.brew.sh/api/formula/cdargs.json
- https://github.com/cbxbiker61/cdargs/blob/master/ChangeLog
- https://github.com/cbxbiker61/cdargs/blob/master/README
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
~/.cdargs
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
cdargs | 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 version2.1
manager updated2026-06-19
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:cdargs |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.1 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://github.com/cbxbiker61/cdargs |
| Repository | https://github.com/cbxbiker61/cdargs |
| Last updated | 2026-06-19T12:30:03-07:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| 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
- Nucleus package database
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation