brew / rank 4273

Install gat with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix

Cat alternative written in Go. Version 0.30.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-27. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#gat.

Install command Security notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install gat

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install gat

MacPorts ports tree · textproc/gat/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#gat

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ga/gat/package.nix · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Cat alternative written in Go

Project links

Homepage

Commands and aliases

history

Project history and usage

gat is a Go implementation of a modern `cat`-style terminal file viewer. It keeps the familiar single-command file display model while adding syntax highlighting, Markdown rendering, image display for Sixel-capable terminals, pretty printing, and secret masking.

Project history

The project started publicly in March 2023 and released v0.1.0 the same day. Its official README describes it as a cat alternative written in Go and documents a steady release series through the 0.x line.

Adoption history

The README documents installation through the author's Homebrew tap, Homebrew core, `go install`, and GitHub release binaries. That places gat in the same terminal-tool packaging niche as other enhanced `cat` replacements, but with a small Go binary distribution story.

How it is used

Users run `gat` with one or more files and optional flags for language selection, output format, themes, Markdown rendering, nonprinting character display, and secret masking. Environment variables such as `GAT_FORMAT` and `GAT_THEME` can provide defaults for output style.

Why package nerds care

gat is package-nerd-relevant as another entry in the long-running ecosystem of `cat` replacements, but its mix of terminal image support, Markdown rendering, and built-in token masking makes it more than a straight colorizer.

Timeline

2023: Public GitHub repository created.
2023: v0.1.0 released.
2025: v0.20.x releases continued the 0.x series.

Related projects

gat relates to traditional Unix `cat`; the official sources describe it generically as a cat alternative rather than positioning it against a specific competing package.

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
`gat`	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 version0.30.2

manager updated2026-07-27

local dataunknown

upstreamnot available

latest detectednot detected

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:gat
Version	0.30.2
Package manager	Homebrew
Homepage	https://github.com/koki-develop/gat
Repository	https://github.com/koki-develop/gat
Last updated	2026-07-27T14:57:48+02:00
Pulse	updated
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.

Nix95%

gat

nix profile install nixpkgs#gat

normalized package name match
Matched by: Gat

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ga/gat/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

MacPorts95%