# Install sqlcmd with Homebrew, chocolatey, Nix, winget

Microsoft SQL Server command-line interface. Version 1.10.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-26. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#sqlcmd.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:sqlcmd
```

## Agent safety answer

sqlcmd sends SQL to Microsoft SQL Server and Azure SQL targets.

- **Credential access:** Reads database passwords, connection strings, tokens, and environment credentials.
- **Remote mutation:** Can create, alter, drop, import, and export database state.
- **Publish/artifact risk:** Can dump or load data artifacts containing sensitive records.
- **Recommended control:** Gate write SQL, dumps, imports, and credential-bearing connection strings.
- **Agent-use guidance:** Allow safe metadata queries; require approval for writes, exports, and secret use.

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install sqlcmd
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

### Linux

- Nix (92%):

```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#sqlcmd
```

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

### Windows

- Chocolatey (92%):

```sh
choco install sqlcmd
```

  Evidence: Chocolatey community package catalog: sqlcmd from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='11','sphinx'

- winget (92%):

```sh
winget install --id Microsoft.Sqlcmd -e
```

  Evidence: Windows Package Manager source index: Microsoft.Sqlcmd from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:sqlcmd
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 1.10.0
- **Source summary:** Microsoft SQL Server command-line interface
- **Homepage:** <https://github.com/microsoft/go-sqlcmd>
- **Repository:** <https://github.com/microsoft/go-sqlcmd>
- **Last updated:** 2026-07-26T04:03:45+02:00
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- sqlcmd (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 1.10.0
## Project history and usage

sqlcmd is Microsoft's command-line interface for SQL Server and Azure SQL. The Homebrew formula tracks the newer Go implementation, go-sqlcmd, which preserves much of the long-running ODBC sqlcmd workflow while adding modern package-manager distribution and container-oriented commands.

### Project history

Microsoft's go-sqlcmd repository was created in 2021, and its README says the project aims to be a complete Go port of the original ODBC sqlcmd using the go-mssqldb driver.

The first preview releases appeared in 2021. The README documents both backward-compatible ODBC-style flags and newer POSIX-style flags, plus additions such as local SQL Server container creation and context management.

### Adoption history

The Go version is explicitly packaged for major platforms: the README lists Winget, Chocolatey, Homebrew, Linuxbrew, apt, yum, zypper, and release artifacts. The input package metadata lists Homebrew, Chocolatey, Nix, and Winget identifiers.

### How it is used

Common usage includes running queries against SQL Server or Azure SQL, piping SQL into the CLI for scripts, creating local SQL Server containers with sqlcmd create mssql, and switching saved connection contexts stored under ~/.sqlcmd/sqlconfig.

### Why package nerds care

Package nerds care about go-sqlcmd because it turns a historically vendor-installed database utility into a cross-platform package-manager CLI, bridging Windows SQL Server habits with Homebrew, Winget, Chocolatey, Linux packaging, and container-first local development.

### Timeline

- 2021: go-sqlcmd repository created.
- 2021: v0.0.5 and v0.1.0 preview releases published.
- 2022: early releases add more compatibility switches.
- Current README: documents package-manager installs and backward compatibility differences from ODBC sqlcmd.

### Related projects

- go-sqlcmd is related to the original ODBC sqlcmd, Microsoft's go-mssqldb driver, SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, Azure Synapse, Docker or Podman local SQL Server workflows, and Azure Data Studio integration.

### Sources

- <https://api.github.com/repos/microsoft/go-sqlcmd>
- <https://api.github.com/repos/microsoft/go-sqlcmd/releases>
- <https://github.com/microsoft/go-sqlcmd#readme>
- <https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/tools/sqlcmd/sqlcmd-utility>
- input.source_facts.package-manager


## Security Notes

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.

- **Geiger risk:** blue / medium
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal


## Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.


## Configuration files

- Unix: ~/.sqlcmd/sqlconfig

## Credential files

- Unix: ~/.sqlcmd/sqlconfig
## Other Package-Manager Records

- Nix - sqlcmd: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/sq/sqlcmd/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Chocolatey - sqlcmd: normalized package name match | Chocolatey community package catalog: sqlcmd from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='11','sphinx'
- winget - Microsoft.Sqlcmd: normalized package name match | Windows Package Manager source index: Microsoft.Sqlcmd from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix


## Combined YAML source

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


## Sources

- pkg.so package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated agent safety answer