# Install m-cli with Homebrew, Nix

Swiss Army Knife for macOS. Version 2.0.9 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-02. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#m-cli.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:m-cli
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install m-cli
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

### Linux

- Nix (92%):

```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#m-cli
```

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

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:m-cli
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 2.0.9
- **Source summary:** Swiss Army Knife for macOS
- **Homepage:** <https://github.com/rgcr/m-cli>
- **Repository:** <https://github.com/rgcr/m-cli>
- **Last updated:** 2026-06-02T20:02:01Z
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- m (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 2.0.9
## Project history and usage

m-cli is a shell-based macOS command-line utility that describes itself as a Swiss Army Knife for macOS in the terminal. It wraps many common system administration and preference tasks behind a single `m` command.

### Project history

The public GitHub repository was created in July 2016 and is maintained as a small Unix-style command suite. Its README emphasizes macOS-only system control, no third-party dependencies, a simple manual install path, and Homebrew installation.

The project underwent a notable 2.0 syntax change: the changelog records a move from positional plugin subcommands such as `m bluetooth on` to option-based forms such as `m bluetooth --enable`, alongside generated shell completions.

### Adoption history

m-cli has become a recognizable macOS package-manager utility: the repository shows thousands of GitHub stars and hundreds of forks, while the input package facts list both Homebrew and Nix packaging.

Its appeal is strongest among macOS users who prefer scriptable terminal access to system settings that are otherwise spread across System Settings, Apple tools, and small command-line utilities.

### How it is used

Users install it with Homebrew as `brew install m-cli` or manually with the upstream install script, then run `m` to list commands or `m <command> --help` for command-specific usage.

The command set covers macOS areas such as AirDrop, Bluetooth, display, DNS, Dock, Finder, firewall, Gatekeeper, network, power, printers, services, users, VPN, volume, wallpaper, and Wi-Fi. Some commands need sudo privileges or macOS privacy permissions.

### Why package nerds care

For package-maintainer audiences, m-cli is an example of a Homebrew-friendly macOS wrapper that packages many native system toggles as small shell plugins rather than as a daemon or GUI app.

The 2.x syntax shift matters because it changed scripting compatibility while making completions easier to keep in sync with plugin help output.

### Timeline

- 2016: Public GitHub repository created
- 2026: v2.0.9 released with restart and completion fixes
- 2026: GitHub repository metadata shows roughly 9.9k stars and 318 forks

### Related projects

- Homebrew packages m-cli for macOS users who want the stable packaged command.
- Nix also packages m-cli according to the supplied package-manager facts.
- The upstream README points users to related macOS command-line projects such as iproute-mac.

### Sources

- <https://api.github.com/repos/rgcr/m-cli>
- <https://github.com/rgcr/m-cli>
- <https://github.com/rgcr/m-cli/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md>
- source_facts.package-manager


## Security Notes

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

- **Geiger risk:** green / low
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

## Other Package-Manager Records

- Nix - m-cli: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/m-/m-cli/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1


## Combined YAML source

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


## Sources

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