# Install star with Homebrew, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, zypper, winget Standard tap archiver. Version 2024-03-21 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-16. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#star. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:star ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install star ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install star ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: archivers/star/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install star ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: star from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#star ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/st/star/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install star ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: star from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst ### Windows - winget (92%): ```sh winget install --id WinNGS.STAR -e ``` Evidence: Windows Package Manager source index: WinNGS.STAR from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:star - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 2024-03-21 - **Source summary:** Standard tap archiver - **Homepage:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-16T08:12:49Z - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00 ## Executables - scpio (alias) - spax (alias) - star (alias) - suntar (alias) - ustar (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 2024-03-21 ## Project history and usage star is Jorg Schilling's tar-like tape archiver, now maintained within the schilytools collection. It is a long-running Unix backup and archive utility with a strong emphasis on speed, portability, tape workflows, and POSIX tar behavior. ### Project history The upstream README says star development started in 1982 and that the first complete implementation was finished in 1985. The same README describes it as a tar-like archiver with FIFO-based streaming, pattern matching, multivolume support, sparse-file handling, remote archives, and full-backup features. The current Codeberg schilytools README presents schilytools as a collection of tools originally written or managed by Jorg Schilling and continued by the schilytools project to preserve compatibility, extend portability, and fix bugs. ### Adoption history star belongs to the older Unix culture where package managers shipped multiple archive implementations because tar formats, tape drives, remote tape servers, and vendor Unix behavior differed in practice. The input facts list packages for Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, zypper, and related RPM ecosystems. Its long life also reflects the persistence of tar as both a source-distribution format and a system-backup format. Package maintainers care about such tools because archive correctness affects source releases, backups, file metadata, sparse files, and long path names. ### How it is used The official manual describes star as a fast tar-like archiver that archives and extracts multiple files to and from a tarfile, which can be a tape or ordinary file. Common usage overlaps with tar, pax, cpio, backup, restore, and remote tape workflows. The README highlights selectable command-line interfaces for star, suntar, gnutar, pax, and cpio, which made it useful in compatibility-heavy Unix environments. ### Why package nerds care star matters to package nerds because tar compatibility is infrastructure, not decoration. A package manager that can build, test, and ship an alternate tar implementation gives users another way to inspect archive edge cases involving sparse files, long paths, metadata, timestamps, compression detection, and POSIX.1-2001 headers. It is also a reminder that archival tools are part of the supply chain: the boring command that unpacks source code can determine whether metadata survives and whether backups can be trusted. ### Timeline - 1982: Upstream README says star development started. - 1985: Upstream README says the first complete implementation was done. - 2020: star README revision still credited J. Schilling and documented the tool's features. - 2022: schilytools project continued the collection on Codeberg after Schilling's original stewardship. ### Related projects - star sits alongside tar, pax, cpio, ufsdump, ufsrestore, rmt, mt, and the broader schilytools collection. - The package also installs compatibility-flavored commands such as suntar, ustar, spax, and scpio. ### Sources - - - - source_facts.executables - 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 ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - star: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/st/star/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - dnf - rmt - 2024.03.21-7.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: rmt from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Provides certain programs with access to remote tape devices | https://codeberg.org/schilytools/schilytools - dnf - star - 2024.03.21-7.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: star from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | An archiving tool with ACL support | https://codeberg.org/schilytools/schilytools - dnf - star-libs - 2024.03.21-7.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: star-libs from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Libraries for star | https://codeberg.org/schilytools/schilytools - zypper - star - 1.6.1-53.5: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: star from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | tar implementation compliant to POSIX.1-2001 | https://codeberg.org/schilytools/schilytools - MacPorts - star: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: archivers/star/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - winget - WinNGS.STAR: normalized package name match | Windows Package Manager source index: WinNGS.STAR from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix - zypper - spax - 1.6.1-53.5: installed executable or alias match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: spax from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Portable Archive Exchange | https://codeberg.org/schilytools/schilytools ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/star.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/star.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