# Install gist with Homebrew, apt, Nix, pacman

Command-line utility for uploading Gists. Version 6.1.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-19. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install gist.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:gist
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install gist
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

### Linux

- Debian apt (92%):

```sh
sudo apt install gist
```

  Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: gist from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

- Nix (92%):

```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#gist
```

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

- pacman (92%):

```sh
sudo pacman -S gist
```

  Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: gist from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:gist
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 6.1.0
- **Source summary:** Command-line utility for uploading Gists
- **Homepage:** <https://defunkt.io/gist/>
- **Repository:** <https://github.com/defunkt/gist>
- **Last updated:** 2026-06-19T22:35:16Z
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- gist (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 6.1.0
## Project history and usage

gist is a Ruby command-line client and library for uploading files or standard input to GitHub Gist. It is one of the older developer-shell bridges between local code snippets and GitHub's paste-sharing service.

### Project history

The repository was opened in October 2008 by Chris Wanstrath, and RubyGems records 1.0.0 in February 2010. The README credits defunkt and indirect for versions 1 through 3, then rking and Conrad Irwin for version 4, showing a maintainer handoff pattern typical of long-lived GitHub-era command-line tools.

The tool grew from simple snippet upload into a broader Gist client: it can upload multiple files, read from standard input, paste from the clipboard, create private gists, update existing gists, open or copy resulting URLs, list and read gists, and act as a Ruby library.

### Adoption history

gist's adoption follows GitHub Gist's role as a lightweight code-sharing surface. The README documents installation through RubyGems, Bundler, Homebrew, FreeBSD ports, and Debian or Ubuntu packages, while RubyGems download counts show multi-million-install scale through the gem channel.

### How it is used

Practitioners pipe command output into gist, upload one or more files, attach descriptions, request private gists, copy the resulting URL, or use the library API inside Ruby programs. Authentication evolved from username/password token exchange toward GitHub's device-code OAuth flow, with tokens stored in ~/.gist or per-enterprise token files.

### Why package nerds care

gist is significant because it made GitHub's pastebin-like service feel native to the Unix pipeline. For package maintainers, it also carries the history of API authentication changes, GitHub Enterprise support, and binary-name conflict handling in distributions such as Debian.

### Timeline

- 2008: The repository began on GitHub.
- 2010: RubyGems records the 1.0.0 release.
- 2015: 4.5.0 shipped during the maintained version-4 line.
- 2020: 6.0.0 appeared after the version-5 series.
- 2026: 6.1.0 was published on RubyGems.

### Related projects

- gist sits beside GitHub Gist itself, GitHub Enterprise, RubyGems packaging, Homebrew packaging, and distro-packaged command-line paste clients.

### Sources

- <https://github.com/defunkt/gist>
- <https://github.com/defunkt/gist/blob/master/README.md>
- <https://rubygems.org/api/v1/gems/gist.json>
- <https://rubygems.org/api/v1/versions/gist.json>
- <https://rubygems.org/gems/gist>


## Security Notes

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.

- **Geiger risk:** blue / medium
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal


## 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.


## Credential files

- Unix: ~/.gist, ~/.gist.<protocol>.<server.name>[.<port>]
## Other Package-Manager Records

- Debian apt - gist - 6.0.0-3: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: gist from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Upload gists to gist.github.com | https://github.com/defunkt/gist
- Nix - gist: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/gi/gist/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Ubuntu apt - gist - 6.0.0-3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: gist from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Upload gists to gist.github.com | https://github.com/defunkt/gist
- pacman - gist - 6.1.0-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: gist from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Potentially the best command line gister | https://github.com/defunkt/gist


## Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/gist.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/gist.yml)


## Sources

- pkg.so package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph