macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install smenulocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew / rank 13532
Install smenu with Homebrew, apk, apt, Nix, zypper
Powerful and versatile CLI selection tool for interactive or scripting use. Version 1.5.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install smenu.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add smenuAlpine Linux edge package indexes · smenu · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install smenuDebian stable package indexes · smenu · source: deb.debian.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#smenunixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/sm/smenu/package.nix · source: api.github.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install smenuopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · smenu · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Powerful and versatile CLI selection tool for interactive or scripting use
Project links
Commands and aliases
- smenu
history
Project history and usage
smenu is a terminal selection filter: it reads words from standard input or a file, displays them as an interactive terminal menu, and writes the selected value back to the shell pipeline. It is a package-nerd tool because it turns ordinary POSIX pipelines into small interactive workflows without requiring a full TUI framework.
Project history
The official repository describes smenu as starting as a lightweight and flexible terminal menu generator before evolving into a versatile CLI selection tool for interactive or scripting use. Its README compares it to `sed`, but for selection rather than editing.
Adoption history
The README notes that some Linux distributions already package smenu and that it can be built on Unix-like systems with a functional terminfo development platform. The supplied package metadata records Homebrew, Alpine, Debian, Ubuntu, Nix, and openSUSE package names.
How it is used
A common pattern is command substitution: pipe text into `smenu`, let the user choose with keyboard or mouse in a scrolling terminal window, and store the result in a shell variable. The README examples select fields from `/proc` and `/etc/passwd` output.
Why package nerds care
Package maintainers care because smenu depends on terminal capabilities, terminfo, UTF-8 behavior, and interactive shell ergonomics. It is a compact example of packaging a C-based CLI that must behave correctly across many terminals.
Timeline
- 2018: Earliest GitHub release returned by the releases API was v0.9.11.
- 2020s: README documents distribution packaging and builds on Unix-like systems.
- 2020s: Repository presents smenu as a mature selection filter with manpage and wiki documentation.
Related projects
- The README frames smenu by analogy to classic Unix filters such as `sed`; it also depends on terminal capabilities from the terminfo ecosystem.
Sources
- GitHub releases API for p-gen/smenu: earliest listed release v0.9.11 on 2018-01-26.
- https://github.com/p-gen/smenu README: origin statement, selection-filter description, terminal and UTF-8 behavior, build/install notes, examples.
- https://github.com/p-gen/smenu/blob/master/smenu.1: official manpage documentation.
- input source_facts.package-manager: Homebrew, Alpine, Debian, Ubuntu, Nix, and zypper package names.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
smenu | 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 version1.5.0
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:smenu |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.5.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://github.com/p-gen/smenu |
| Repository | https://github.com/p-gen/smenu |
| 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.
Debian apt95%
smenu 1.2.0-1+b1
curse-based CLI selection box
https://github.com/p-gen/smenu
sudo apt install smenu- Section: utils
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: smenu
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Smenu
Nix95%
smenu
nix profile install nixpkgs#smenu- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Smenu
Ubuntu apt95%
smenu 1.2.0-1
curse-based CLI selection box
https://github.com/p-gen/smenu
sudo apt install smenu- Section: universe/utils
- Architecture: amd64
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Smenu
apk95%
smenu 1.5.0-r0
A standard input word picker
https://github.com/p-gen/smenu
sudo apk add smenu- License: GPL-2.0-only
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: smenu
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Smenu
apk95%
smenu-doc 1.5.0-r0
A standard input word picker (documentation)
https://github.com/p-gen/smenu
sudo apk add smenu-doc- License: GPL-2.0-only
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: smenu
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Smenu
zypper95%
smenu 1.5.0-1.5
A standard input word picker
https://github.com/p-gen/smenu
sudo zypper install smenu- License: GPL-2.0-only
- Category: Productivity/Text/Utilities
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: smenu
- 2 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Smenu
zypper95%
smenu-tests 1.5.0-1.5
Testing system for smenu
https://github.com/p-gen/smenu
sudo zypper install smenu-tests- License: GPL-2.0-only
- Category: Productivity/Text/Utilities
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: smenu
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Smenu
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.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- pkg.so package database
- pkgdb category and tag curation