brew / rank 9960

Install nsh with Homebrew, apk, MacPorts, Nix

Fish-like, POSIX-compatible shell. Version 0.4.2 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#nsh.

Install command Security notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install nsh

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install nsh

MacPorts ports tree · shells/nsh/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add nsh

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · nsh · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#nsh

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

overview

Package summary

Fish-like, POSIX-compatible shell

Project links

Homepage

Commands and aliases

history

Project history and usage

nsh is a Rust command-line shell that aims to combine fish-like interactive convenience with POSIX-compatible shell syntax and some Bash extensions. Its README lists tab completion, syntax highlighting, Bash completion support by invoking Bash internally, and zero-configuration interactive features.

Project history

The GitHub repository was created on October 5, 2018, and the crates.io package was created on December 19, 2018. A Rust users forum announcement from December 17, 2018 framed the motivation as wanting fish-like out-of-the-box features while keeping traditional shell syntax and Bash scripting features.

Adoption history

nsh is an experimental/alpha shell rather than a mainstream login shell. The README explicitly asks for help to make it practical for daily use and notes missing Bash features and likely bugs. Still, it drew developer interest: the GitHub repository had about 963 stars when queried on 2026-07-01, crates.io reported 33,186 total downloads and 20 versions, and Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, and Alpine package it.

How it is used

Package users try it as an interactive shell with `nsh`, often via `cargo install nsh` or `brew install nsh`, to get completions and highlighting without adopting fish's non-POSIX language. The realistic usage is experimentation or personal shell sessions, not relying on it as `/bin/sh` for production scripts.

Why package nerds care

nsh sits in the recurring shell-design niche: keep Bourne/POSIX familiarity, borrow fish's interactive ergonomics, and implement it in Rust. For package catalogs it is best described as an interesting alternative shell with modest packaging footprint and alpha-stage caveats.

Timeline

2018-10-05: GitHub repository created.
2018-12-17: author announced nsh on users.rust-lang.org.
2018-12-19: crates.io package created.
2021-07-21: crates.io metadata updated to version 0.4.2.
2023-02-11: GitHub repository pushed timestamp observed by API query.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: yellow

generalized runtime or code generation signal.

Risk classifier

yellow risk · medium confidence · runtime

Why

generalized runtime or code generation signal

Signals

text:shell

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
`nsh`	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 version0.4.2

manager updated

local dataunknown

upstreamnot available

latest detectednot detected

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:nsh
Version	0.4.2
Package manager	Homebrew
Homepage	https://github.com/nuta/nsh
Repository	https://github.com/nuta/nsh
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%

nsh

nix profile install nixpkgs#nsh

normalized package name match
Matched by: Nsh

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

apk95%

nsh 0.4.2-r1

A command-line shell like fish, but POSIX compatible

https://github.com/nuta/nsh

sudo apk add nsh

License: CC0-1.0 OR MIT
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: nsh
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Nsh

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nsh from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

nsh-dbg 0.4.2-r1

A command-line shell like fish, but POSIX compatible (debug symbols)

https://github.com/nuta/nsh

sudo apk add nsh-dbg

License: CC0-1.0 OR MIT
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: nsh
1 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Nsh

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nsh-dbg from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

MacPorts95%