# Install translate-shell with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper Command-line translator using Google Translate and more. Version 0.9.7.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install translate-shell. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:translate-shell ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install translate-shell ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install translate-shell ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: textproc/translate-shell/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add translate-shell ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: translate-shell from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install translate-shell ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: translate-shell from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/contrib/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install translate-shell ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: translate-shell 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#translate-shell ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/tr/translate-shell/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S translate-shell ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: translate-shell from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install translate-shell ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: translate-shell from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:translate-shell - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 0.9.7.1 - **Source summary:** Command-line translator using Google Translate and more - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00 ## Executables - trans (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 0.9.7.1 ## Project history and usage Translate Shell is a POSIX-oriented command-line translator, distributed as the `trans` command, that queries online translation engines from a terminal. It began under the name Google Translate CLI and later broadened into a multi-engine tool. ### Project history The official README identifies Translate Shell as formerly Google Translate CLI and describes Google Translate as the default engine, with Bing Translator, Yandex.Translate, and Apertium also supported. The tool is implemented around GNU Awk plus a shell wrapper, which made it unusually portable for a network-facing terminal utility. The project documents multiple installation styles: a self-contained downloadable executable, package-manager installation, Zsh Antigen integration, Git builds, and Docker. Official release metadata shows the 0.9.6 line active through the late 2010s and the 0.9.7 line released in 2022 and 2023. ### Adoption history Translate Shell became a package-manager staple because it solved a common terminal-user problem without requiring a browser or GUI. Its README says it works on GNU/Linux, macOS, BSD, Android through Termux, and Windows through WSL, Cygwin, or MSYS2, and the input facts show packaging across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, Alpine, MacPorts, Nix, and openSUSE. The tool's adoption also reflects shell culture: it can translate command arguments, standard input, multi-line text, or interactive shell input, and optional dependencies such as rlwrap, paging tools, text-to-speech programs, and spell checkers improve the terminal experience without becoming mandatory. ### How it is used Users call `trans` with source and target language expressions, such as `:fr`, `en:zh`, or multiple target languages joined with plus signs. It supports verbose output, brief mode, dictionary mode, language identification, interactive shell mode, standard input, and optional display handling for bidirectional scripts. ### Why package nerds care For package nerds, Translate Shell is the classic example of turning a web translation service into a Unix filter. It is small enough to install everywhere, scriptable enough for dotfiles and editor hooks, and packaged widely enough that the same `trans` muscle memory works across Linux distributions and macOS. Its Awk implementation and self-contained executable also make it a useful case study in packaging network-dependent command-line tools: the binary-like script is easy to distribute, while optional dependencies and upstream web-service changes are where maintainers feel the operational cost. ### Timeline - Early project: The README states that Translate Shell was formerly Google Translate CLI. - 2017-2020: Official GitHub releases show the 0.9.6 series continuing through several maintenance releases. - 2022: Official GitHub releases list version 0.9.7. - 2023: The official man page and GitHub releases list version 0.9.7.1. ### Related projects - Translate Shell is related to online translation engines such as Google Translate, Bing Translator, Yandex.Translate, and Apertium. In packaging terms it also sits near terminal dictionary, text-to-speech, and shell productivity tools. ### Sources - - - - - source_facts.package-manager ## Security Notes generalized runtime or code generation signal. - **Geiger risk:** yellow / medium - generalized runtime or code generation 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: ~/.translate-shell/init.trans, $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/translate-shell/init.trans ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - translate-shell - 0.9.7.1-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: translate-shell from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/contrib/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Command-line translator using Google Translate, etc. | https://github.com/soimort/translate-shell - Nix - translate-shell: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/tr/translate-shell/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - translate-shell - 0.9.7.1-2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: translate-shell from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/multiverse/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Command-line translator using Google Translate, etc. | https://github.com/soimort/translate-shell - apk - translate-shell - 0.9.7.1-r2: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: translate-shell from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Command-line online translator | https://www.soimort.org/translate-shell/ - apk - translate-shell-doc - 0.9.7.1-r2: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: translate-shell-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Command-line online translator (documentation) | https://www.soimort.org/translate-shell/ - dnf - translate-shell - 0.9.7.1-9.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: translate-shell from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | A command-line online translator | https://github.com/soimort/translate-shell - pacman - translate-shell - 0.9.7.1-2: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: translate-shell from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | A command-line interface and interactive shell for Google Translate | https://www.soimort.org/translate-shell/ - zypper - translate-shell - 0.9.7.1-1.7: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: translate-shell from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Command line translator using various online services as backends | https://www.soimort.org/translate-shell - MacPorts - translate-shell: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: textproc/translate-shell/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/translate-shell.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/translate-shell.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