install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install shtool

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install shtool

Debian stable package indexes · shtool · source: deb.debian.org

overview

Package summary

GNU's portable shell tool

Project links

Commands and aliases

shtool
shtoolize

history

Project history and usage

GNU shtool is a collection of stable, portable shell-script functions compiled into a single tool for use inside software source trees, especially during build and installation.

Project history

Ralf S. Engelschall assembled GNU shtool from small, stable shell scripts already used across free-software projects. The official page carries copyright from 1994 and identifies release 2.0.8, dated 18 July 2008.

Adoption history

GNU shtool was designed to be included in other free-software source trees, where it could replace assorted nonportable helper scripts. Official GNU release archives preserve a succession of 1.x and 2.x releases, while the input records packages in Homebrew, Debian, and Ubuntu.

How it is used

Projects can generate or include shtool and call its portable replacements for operations such as directory creation, installation, and output handling. shtoolize supports incorporating the tool into a source tree.

Why package nerds care

shtool captures an older source-distribution strategy: vendoring one generated, portable shell tool so a package can build on heterogeneous Unix systems without assuming that every host has compatible install, mkdir, echo, or related commands.

Timeline

1994: Beginning of the copyright period shown on the official GNU page.
1999: GNU archive records the 1.3.x and 1.4.x release series.
2004: GNU archive records the 2.0.0 release.
2008: GNU shtool 2.0.8 released on 18 July.

Related projects

GNU Autoconf addresses related portability concerns at configuration time. shtool instead compiles portable helper operations into a shell program intended for inclusion in a project's source tree.

Sources

Official GNU project page: https://www.gnu.org/software/shtool/
Official GNU release archive: https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/shtool/
Official manual: https://www.gnu.org/software/shtool/shtool.html
Package availability: source_facts.package-manager.

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 post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 1 platform targets.

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
`shtool`	cli	global executable
`shtoolize`	cli	global executable

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 generated2026-09-19

manager version2.0.8

manager updated2026-09-12

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://www.gnu.org/software/shtool/

infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.gnu.org/software/shtool/none confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:shtool
Version	2.0.8
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/shtool
Homepage	https://www.gnu.org/software/shtool/
Upstream docs	https://www.gnu.org/software/shtool/
License	GPL-2.0-or-later
Source archive	https://ftpmirror.gnu.org/gnu/shtool/shtool-2.0.8.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-09-12T12:38:01+09:00
Pulse	updated
Bottle	available (on all)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	shtool
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Debian apt95%

shtool 2.0.8-10

portable shell tool from the GNU project

https://www.gnu.org/software/shtool

sudo apt install shtool

Section: devel
Architecture: all
1 dependencies
3 optional deps
normalized package name match
Matched by: Shtool

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

Ubuntu apt95%

shtool 2.0.8-10

portable shell tool from the GNU project

https://www.gnu.org/software/shtool

sudo apt install shtool

Section: devel
Architecture: all
1 dependencies
3 optional deps
normalized package name match
Matched by: Shtool

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: shtool from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

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/shtool.yml

Used sources

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

Install shtool with Homebrew, apt