# 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 ```sh sudo av install brew:smenu ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install smenu ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add smenu ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: smenu from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install smenu ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: smenu from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#smenu ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/sm/smenu/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install smenu ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: smenu from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:smenu - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 1.5.0 - **Source summary:** Powerful and versatile CLI selection tool for interactive or scripting use - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00 ## Executables - smenu (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 1.5.0 ## 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. - - - input source_facts.package-manager: Homebrew, Alpine, Debian, Ubuntu, Nix, and zypper package names. ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - smenu - 1.2.0-1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: smenu from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | curse-based CLI selection box | https://github.com/p-gen/smenu - Nix - smenu: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/sm/smenu/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - smenu - 1.2.0-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: smenu from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | curse-based CLI selection box | https://github.com/p-gen/smenu - apk - smenu - 1.5.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: smenu from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | A standard input word picker | https://github.com/p-gen/smenu - apk - smenu-doc - 1.5.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: smenu-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | A standard input word picker (documentation) | https://github.com/p-gen/smenu - zypper - smenu - 1.5.0-1.5: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: smenu from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | A standard input word picker | https://github.com/p-gen/smenu - zypper - smenu-tests - 1.5.0-1.5: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: smenu-tests from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Testing system for smenu | https://github.com/p-gen/smenu ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/smenu.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/smenu.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