brew / rank 6447

Install execline with Homebrew

Interpreter-less scripting language. Version 2.9.9.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-14.

Install command Security notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install execline

provider-native install command

overview

Package summary

Interpreter-less scripting language

Project links

Homepage

Commands and aliases

background
backtick
case
cd
define
dollarat
elgetopt
elgetpositionals
elglob
eltest
emptyenv
envfile
exec
execline-cd
execline-umask
execlineb
exit
export
export-array
fdblock
fdclose
fdmove
fdreserve
fdswap
forbacktickx
foreground
forstdin
forx
getcwd
getpid
heredoc
homeof

history

Project history and usage

execline is a small non-interactive scripting language from skarnet.org, designed as a predictable shell alternative for process supervision, startup scripts, and command chaining.

Project history

The official page describes execline as a scripting language like sh, but with substantially different syntax. Its design goal is predictable grammar and avoidance of shell-style security issues while retaining shell-level power through conditionals, loops, option handling, globbing, environment management, and process-control commands.

The public git tag list shows the 2.x series beginning with v2.0.0.0 about twelve years before June 2026. The upgrade notes record a major build-system change in 2.0.0.0 and continuing incremental additions through 2.9.x, including envfile, posix-cd, posix-umask, eltest, multicall support, and macOS shared-library support.

Adoption history

execline is part of the wider skarnet.org software ecosystem and depends on skalibs. It is packaged across Unix-like distributions and package managers, including Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Alpine, MacPorts, and others in the supplied package facts.

Its adoption is strongest among users of s6, runit-like supervision ideas, and minimal Unix service-management stacks, where explicit process state, file descriptor handling, and environment manipulation matter more than interactive shell convenience.

How it is used

Users write execlineb scripts or compose the provided commands directly. The command set covers parser/launcher behavior, process state control, environment files, fd operations, redirection, pipelines, foreground/background blocks, conditionals, loops, positional parameters, and option parsing.

The homepage includes example .profile replacement scripts and documents each command with consistent exit behavior: temporary errors exit 111, permanent misuse-style errors exit 100, failed exec lookup exits 127, and other exec failures exit 126.

Why package nerds care

execline is package-nerd significant because it decomposes shell behavior into many small binaries with explicit process semantics. It fits the skarnet tradition of small composable tools for supervision and init-adjacent systems.

It is also a good example of a package where the binary list is the product: installing execline adds a vocabulary of tiny command primitives rather than one large interactive shell.

Timeline

2.0.0.0: Build system changed to the standard configure, make, install flow.
2.5.1.0: envfile command added.
2.5.3.0: posix-cd added and wait made POSIX-compliant.
2.9.1.0: eltest added.
2.9.2.0: Experimental multicall feature added.
2.9.8.0: Shared libraries supported on macOS.
2026: v2.9.9.1 tagged in the official git repository.

Related projects

skalibs is execline's required support library.
The homepage lists official mirrors on Codeberg, GitHub, and SourceHut, and points users to skaware mailing-list discussion.

Sources

security posture

No protected-tool coverage found yet

No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for execline. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.

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
`background`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`backtick`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`case`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`cd`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`define`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`dollarat`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`elgetopt`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`elgetpositionals`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`elglob`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`eltest`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`emptyenv`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`envfile`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`exec`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`execline-cd`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`execline-umask`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`execlineb`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`exit`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`export`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`export-array`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`fdblock`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`fdclose`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`fdmove`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`fdreserve`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`fdswap`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`forbacktickx`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`foreground`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`forstdin`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`forx`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`getcwd`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`getpid`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`heredoc`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`homeof`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`if`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`ifelse`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`ifte`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`ifthenelse`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`importas`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`loopwhilex`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`multidefine`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`multisubstitute`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`pipeline`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`piperw`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`posix-cd`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`posix-umask`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`redirfd`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`runblock`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`shift`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`trap`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`tryexec`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`umask`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`unexport`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`wait`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`withstdinas`	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 version2.9.9.2

manager updated2026-07-14

local dataunknown

upstreamnot available

latest detectednot detected

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:execline
Version	2.9.9.2
Package manager	Homebrew
Homepage	https://skarnet.org/software/execline/
Last updated	2026-07-14T12:58:16Z
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.

combined/execline.yml

Used sources

Nucleus package database
curated package history
pkgdb category and tag curation