gh install - Github client extension

13th Oct 2024
1 min read
Tags:
go,
github,
code

Updated on 3rd Apr 2026

TLDR

See the code here

Background

gh install is a small Github client (gh) extension that lets you install Github release binaries for any public Githib repository. It runs as a non-interactive command by default, but you can run it with interactive terminal prompts by specifying the -i flag.

It is useful for installing releases that are not distributed through common package managers (like brew or apt)

It should be able to deal with release assets that are:

compressed single or multiple binaries
uncompressed binaries
rpm or apk files

Installation

Run:

gh extension install maratoid/gh-install

Help

$ gh install -h
Usage: gh-install <repository> [flags]

Install binaries for a Github repository release interactively or non-interactively.

    Intended for quickly installing release binaries for projects that do not distribute
    using Homebrew or other package managers.

Arguments:
  <repository>    Github repository in OWNER/REPOSITORY_NAME format ($GH_INSTALL_REPOSITORY).

Flags:
  -h, --help                    Show context-sensitive help.
  -p, --target-path="/Users/maratoid/.local/bin"
                                Target installation directory ($GH_INSTALL_TARGET_PATH).
  -l, --log-level="info"        Log level ($GH_INSTALL_LOG_LEVEL).
  -f, --log-format="console"    Log output format ($GH_INSTALL_LOG_FORMAT).
      --version                 Show version ($GH_INSTALL_VERSION).

Interactive Mode
  -i, --interactive                   Use interactive installation. If true, all non-log related
                                      flags are ignored ($GH_INSTALL_INTERACTIVE).
      --[no-]log-quiet-interactive    Quiet log in interactive mode
                                      ($GH_INSTALL_LOG_QUIET_INTERACTIVE)

Non-interactive Mode
  -v, --release-version="latest"        Repository release tag (version) to install
                                        ($GH_INSTALL_RELEASE_VERSION).
  -a, --release-asset=STRING            Name of repository release asset to download.
                                        If not set, --release-asset-regexp is used
                                        ($GH_INSTALL_RELEASE_ASSET).
  -A, --release-asset-regexp="^.*(?:arm64.+darwin|darwin.+arm64)+.*$"
                                        Regular expression matching release asset to download
                                        ($GH_INSTALL_RELEASE_ASSET_REGEXP).
  -b, --asset-binaries=ASSET-BINARIES,...
                                        If release asset is an archive - names
                                        of a binaries in the archive to install.
                                        If not set, --install-binary-regexp is used
                                        ($GH_INSTALL_ASSET_BINARIES).
  -B, --asset-binaries-regexp=STRING    If release asset is an archive - regular
                                        expression matching binaries in the archive to
                                        install. If not set, repository name is used
                                        ($GH_INSTALL_ASSET_BINARIES_REGEXP).
  -t, --target-binaries=KEY=VALUE;...
                                        Rename binaries installed at target path,
                                        "<asset archive binary | asset>=<renamed binary>;..."
                                        ($GH_INSTALL_TARGET_BINARIES)
      --[no-]target-path-create         Create target installation directory if it does not exist
                                        ($GH_INSTALL_TARGET_PATH_CREATE).
  -o, --target-binaries-overwrite       Overwrite target binaries
                                        ($GH_INSTALL_TARGET_BINARIES_OVERWRITE).

Example

Install release from https://github.com/charmbracelet/gum

Use latest release
Download gum_0.17.0_Darwin_arm64.tar.gz release asset
From gum_0.17.0_Darwin_arm64.tar.gz install gum and gum.fish “binaries”
Install gum as bum and gum.fish as bum.dish
Overwrite bum and bum.dish if they already exist

$ gh install charmbracelet/gum -a gum_0.17.0_Darwin_arm64.tar.gz -b gum,gum.fish -t "gum=bum;gum.fish=bum.dish" --target-binaries-overwrite
7:37PM INF installing with values release asset binary name regexp=^gum$ release asset binary names=["gum","gum.fish"] release asset name=gum_0.17.0_Darwin_arm64.tar.gz release asset regexp=^.*(?:arm64.+darwin|darwin.+arm64)+.*$ release version=latest renaming binaries={"gum":"bum","gum.fish":"bum.dish"} repository=charmbracelet/gum target path=/Users/maratoid/.local/bin
7:37PM INF getting Github repository releases repository=charmbracelet/gum
7:37PM INF using release v0.17.0 repository=charmbracelet/gum
7:37PM INF getting release assets asset matching name=gum_0.17.0_Darwin_arm64.tar.gz asset matching regexp=^.*(?:arm64.+darwin|darwin.+arm64)+.*$ release id=245136112 repository=charmbracelet/gum
7:37PM INF downloaded release asset download directory=/var/folders/56/mm_0pjwj1qd567_7_t18qdph0000gn/T/3115480104 output= release asset name=gum_0.17.0_Darwin_arm64.tar.gz release id=245136112 release name=v0.17.0 repository=charmbracelet/gum
7:37PM INF getting release asset binaries asset download path=/var/folders/56/mm_0pjwj1qd567_7_t18qdph0000gn/T/3115480104/gum_0.17.0_Darwin_arm64.tar.gz asset matching binary names=["gum","gum.fish"] asset matching binary regexp=^gum$
7:37PM INF processing selected release asset binary downloaded asset=/var/folders/56/mm_0pjwj1qd567_7_t18qdph0000gn/T/3115480104/gum_0.17.0_Darwin_arm64.tar.gz release asset binary=gum.fish release asset name=gum_0.17.0_Darwin_arm64.tar.gz release id=245136112 release name=v0.17.0 repository=charmbracelet/gum
7:37PM INF will install gum_0.17.0_Darwin_arm64/completions/gum.fish to /Users/maratoid/.local/bin/bum.dish
7:37PM INF processing selected release asset binary downloaded asset=/var/folders/56/mm_0pjwj1qd567_7_t18qdph0000gn/T/3115480104/gum_0.17.0_Darwin_arm64.tar.gz release asset binary=gum release asset name=gum_0.17.0_Darwin_arm64.tar.gz release id=245136112 release name=v0.17.0 repository=charmbracelet/gum
7:37PM INF will install gum_0.17.0_Darwin_arm64/gum to /Users/maratoid/.local/bin/bum

Install from https://github.com/helmfile/vals in interactive mode

$ gh install helmfile/vals -i

Please select helmfile/vals release tag [type to search]:
> v0.43.7
  v0.43.6
  v0.43.5
  v0.43.4
  v0.43.3