Install Git Legends

Installing Git Legends is quick and flexible. Whether you're a software engineer on macOS, a DevOps engineer on Linux, or even a Windows user, there's an installation method for you. This guide covers the recommended approaches:

Homebrew Package Manager

Perfect for macOS (Intel or Apple M1/M2) and Linux users who have Homebrew. Just one command to install or upgrade.

Standalone Binary Download

Grab a pre-built binary for your platform (Mac or Linux) and simply add it to your PATH. No package manager required.

One-Line cURL Script (macOS)

Use our automated installer script for macOS to download and install the correct binary in one step.

Windows (WSL or Python)

While a native Windows .exe isn't provided yet, you can run Git Legends via Windows Subsystem for Linux or install it with Python/pip.

Each method caters to different preferences. Read on for step-by-step instructions for each platform. In minutes, you'll be able to run legends --help and start bending Git history to your will!

GitHub Releases

Latest Releases

Download the latest version of Git Legends for your platform. Choose between stable releases for production use or beta versions to test cutting-edge features.

Beta
v1.3.0-beta.1

Git Legends v1.3.0 Beta 1

•
3 platforms
View on GitHub
## Beta Release - Testing New Features - **New Feature**: Advanced commit filtering with regex patterns - **Experimental**: Interactive rebase mode with visual UI - **Improvement**: Enhanced performance for large repositories - **Warning**: This is a beta release. Please report any issues you encounter. ## What's Being Tested - New command syntax for advanced operations - Improved error handling and recovery - Better support for monorepos ## Download Choose the beta binary for your platform below to help us test these new features.

Download Binaries

legends-darwin-arm64
5.25 MB
legends-darwin-amd64
5.25 MB
legends-linux-amd64
4.77 MB
Stable
v1.2.0

Git Legends v1.2.0 - Performance & Bug Fixes

•
3 platforms
View on GitHub
## Stable Release - Recommended for Production ### What's New - **Performance**: 40% faster commit processing for large repositories - **Bug Fix**: Fixed issue with merge commits not being processed correctly - **Feature**: Added `--dry-run` flag for safer operations without making changes - **Enhancement**: Improved color output and terminal formatting ### Bug Fixes - Fixed crash when processing repositories with empty commits - Resolved memory leak in long-running operations - Corrected timezone handling in commit dates ### Documentation - Updated installation guide with more examples - Added troubleshooting section to docs ## Download Choose the stable binary for your platform below.

Download Binaries

legends-darwin-arm64
5.00 MB
legends-darwin-amd64
5.00 MB
legends-linux-amd64
4.50 MB
Stable
v1.1.0

Git Legends v1.1.0 - New Features

•
3 platforms
View on GitHub
## Stable Release ### What's New - **Feature**: Added support for interactive mode with step-by-step prompts - **Feature**: New `--verbose` flag for detailed output during operations - **Improvement**: Better error messages with suggested fixes - **Enhancement**: Added progress bars for long-running operations ### Improvements - Faster startup time - Reduced memory usage - Better handling of large commit histories ### Breaking Changes None. This release is fully backward compatible. ## Download Choose the stable binary for your platform below.

Download Binaries

legends-darwin-arm64
4.88 MB
legends-darwin-amd64
4.88 MB
legends-linux-amd64
4.39 MB
View All Releases on GitHub

Install via Homebrew (macOS & Linux)

Homebrew is a popular package manager among developers, and we provide a Homebrew formula for Legends CLI. This is the easiest method on both macOS and Linux (Homebrew works on Linux too). Steps:

Prerequisite:

Ensure you have Homebrew installed on your system. On macOS, this is the default package manager for many CLI tools. On Linux, Homebrew (Linuxbrew) can be installed for your user as well.

Run the install command:

Open a terminal and run:

$ brew install legends

This will fetch and install the latest Git Legends release. Homebrew will handle downloading the binary and placing it in your $PATH automatically.

Verify installation:

After the command finishes, test it by running:

$ legends --version
or
$ legends --help

You should see Git Legends output (version number or help text), confirming it's correctly installed. Future updates can be applied with brew upgrade legends.

Homebrew Advantages:

This method ensures you get all required dependencies (if any) and can easily update the tool. It’s ideal for full-stack engineers and open-source developers who already use Homebrew to manage tools.

Direct Download of Binaries (Mac & Linux)

Prefer not to use a package manager? You can manually download the Git Legends binary for your operating system and CPU architecture:

  • Mac (Apple Silicon M1/M2): Download the file legends-darwin-arm64 from the Legends CLI GitHub Releases. This is the binary compiled for macOS arm64 (Apple Silicon).
  • Mac (Intel x86_64): Download the file legends-darwin-amd64 from the releases. Use this on older Intel-based Macs.
  • Linux (x86_64): Download the file legends-linux-amd64 from the releases. This covers most Linux distributions on 64-bit Intel/AMD CPUs.

Installation Steps (Manual Method):

1. Download the appropriate binary:

Visit the Git Legends Releases page on GitHub and download the latest release for your platform (as listed above). You can use your browser or command-line tools like wget or curl to fetch the file.

2. Verify the download (optional):

For security, you may download the corresponding .sha256 checksum file and run a SHA-256 check. Each release includes a checksum for verification.

3. Make it executable:

Once downloaded, open a terminal in the download directory and run:

$ chmod +x legends-darwin-amd64 # use the filename you downloaded

This gives execute permission to the file.

4. Move the binary to your PATH:

For system-wide use, move the file to a directory that’s in your $PATH, such as /usr/local/bin (on macOS or Linux) or $HOME/.local/bin (on Linux for user installs). For example:

$ sudo mv legends-darwin-amd64 /usr/local/bin/legends

You might need sudo to move it to a protected directory. Adjust the filename and path as needed (Apple Silicon Macs might use /opt/homebrew/bin).

5. Test the installation:

Run legends --help to ensure the CLI is accessible. You should see the help text, confirming the tool is ready to use.

This manual approach is great for DevOps engineers who like full control over what gets installed. It doesn’t require any package manager. Just remember to repeat these steps when updating to a new version (or consider the Homebrew method for easier upgrades).

One-Line Install Script (macOS)

For macOS users, Git Legends provides a convenient one-line installer script. This is similar to how tools like Homebrew or nvm can be installed via a cURL pipe. It will download the correct binary for your Mac (detecting Intel vs Apple Silicon) and place it in /usr/local/bin or /opt/homebrew/bin automatically. Here’s how to use it:

Using cURL:
$ curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mrakbook/legends/main/install.sh | bash
Using Wget:
$ wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mrakbook/legends/main/install.sh | bash

Running either of the above in your macOS Terminal will initiate the installer. It will download the latest release of Git Legends and prompt for your password if needed to move the binary into a system directory. Upon success, you’ll see a confirmation like “Installed: /usr/local/bin/legends” and you can directly run the legends command.

Note: This scripted installer is for macOS only. It checks that you’re on a Darwin (macOS) system and will abort on other operating systems. Linux users should use Homebrew or the manual download method instead.

The one-liner is perfect for quick setup, especially if you want the latest version without manual steps. It’s tailored for developers who just want to copy-paste a command and get going. Under the hood, the script fetches the binary from GitHub, verifies its checksum, and installs it to your system path, much like a Homebrew installation.

# One-line install for macOS
➜ ~ curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/legends/install.sh | bash
Downloading Git Legends...
Detected macOS (arm64)
Installing to /usr/local/bin/legends...
Success! You can now run 'legends --help'
# Install via Python pip
PS C:\Users\Dev> pip install legends-cli
Collecting legends-cli
Downloading legends-cli-1.0.0-py3-none-any.whl
Installing collected packages: legends-cli
Successfully installed legends-cli-1.0.0

Windows Installation (WSL or Python)

While Git Legends was primarily built for Unix-like environments, you can use it on Windows with a bit of extra effort:

Using WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux):

If you have WSL on Windows 10/11, you can install Git Legends inside a Linux environment on your machine. Simply open your WSL terminal (Ubuntu or other distro) and follow the Linux installation instructions (Homebrew or manual download) there. Once installed in WSL, you can run legends from the WSL shell. This is the recommended way for Windows developers since it ensures full compatibility with Git and Bash scripts.

Using Python/pip:

Git Legends is written in Python, so you may install it in a Windows Python environment. If you have Python 3 installed on Windows, run:

$ pip install legends-cli

(The exact package name might be legends-cli or simply legends – refer to the GitHub documentation for the latest instructions.) After installation, the legends command should be available in PowerShell or Command Prompt, provided Python’s Scripts directory is in your PATH. If the command isn’t recognized, you might need to call it with python -m legends or adjust your PATH.

Build from source:

Advanced users can clone the Git Legends GitHub repo and run it directly from source. This requires Git and Python setup on Windows. Check the repository README for any Windows-specific notes.

Note: Native Windows support (e.g., a standalone legends.exe) is on the roadmap. Until then, WSL gives the smoothest experience by leveraging a Linux environment on Windows. Pip installation is an option for those comfortable with Python tooling on Windows.

Post-Installation Tips

Regardless of installation method, here are a few tips for using Git Legends effectively:

Authentication

If you plan to use GitHub integration (like opening pull requests via the CLI), ensure you’re logged in with gh auth login (GitHub CLI) or have a Personal Access Token set as needed. The installation itself doesn’t require this, but using certain features will.

Shell Completion

Git Legends may offer shell completion scripts (check the docs). If so, consider enabling autocomplete for the legends command in your shell (bash/zsh/fish) to speed up typing commands.

Updates

Keep your Git Legends up-to-date. New releases may add features or fix bugs. If installed via Homebrew, run brew upgrade legends. If using the script or manual download, check the GitHub releases page periodically. For pip, use pip install --upgrade legends-cli.

Uninstallation

To remove Git Legends, simply delete the binary (/usr/local/bin/legends or the file you installed). If using Homebrew, run brew uninstall legends. It’s a self-contained tool, so removal is clean.

Conclusion

In this installation guide, we covered every possible way to install Git Legends for Git history manipulation – from the ultra-simple Homebrew method to manual downloads and even Windows workarounds. The process is designed to be developer-friendly and fast, so you can get started with backdating Git commits in no time.

Git Legends’s flexibility in installation reflects its aim to serve developers on all platforms. Choose the method that fits your setup, install the tool, and then head over to our Features or How It Works pages to begin your journey with crafting legendary Git histories. Happy coding, and enjoy your “time-traveling” with Git!