name: zipget
description: Download and install tools from GitHub releases, URLs, or S3. Use when user needs to download binaries, install CLI tools, create tool recipes, or set up Java JAR applications.

Zipget - Tool Downloader & Installer

Downloads and installs executables from GitHub releases, URLs, and S3 with caching. See https://github.com/vivainio/zipget-rs

Commands

# Install from GitHub (auto-detects platform)
zipget install sharkdp/bat                    # Install with shim (Windows)
zipget install sharkdp/bat --no-shim          # Install directly (cross-platform)
zipget install google/go-jsonnet --exe jsonnet

# Download from GitHub
zipget github sharkdp/bat --unzip-to ./tools
zipget github BurntSushi/ripgrep --tag 14.1.0 --save-as ./rg.tar.gz

# Download and run without installing
zipget run BurntSushi/ripgrep -- --version
zipget run sharkdp/bat --exe bat -- README.md

# Process recipe file
zipget recipe tools.toml
zipget recipe tools.toml ripgrep bat          # Only specific items
zipget recipe tools.toml --upgrade            # Update to latest versions
zipget recipe tools.toml --lock               # Generate SHA-256 hashes

# Create launcher for JAR or executable
zipget shim ./plantuml.jar                    # Creates ~/.local/bin/plantuml
zipget shim ./app.jar --name myapp            # Custom launcher name
zipget shim ./app.jar --java-opts="-Xmx1g"    # With JVM options

# Fetch direct URL
zipget fetch https://example.com/tool.zip --unzip-to ./tools

# Self-update
zipget update

Recipe Format

TOML file with download items:

[vars]
tools_dir = "./tools"

[ripgrep]
github = { repo = "BurntSushi/ripgrep" }
unzip_to = "${tools_dir}"
files = "*/rg"
install_exes = ["rg"]

[bat]
github = { repo = "sharkdp/bat", tag = "v0.24.0" }
unzip_to = "${tools_dir}"
files = "*.exe"

[plantuml]
github = { repo = "plantuml/plantuml", asset = "plantuml.jar" }
save_as = "${tools_dir}/plantuml.jar"
install_exes = ["plantuml.jar"]

[internal-tool]
url = "s3://company-bucket/tool.tar.gz"
profile = "company-profile"
unzip_to = "${tools_dir}"

Recipe Fields

Variables

Built-in variables for recipes:

Common Patterns

Install multiple tools from recipe

[vars]
bin = "${home}/.local/bin"

[ripgrep]
github = { repo = "BurntSushi/ripgrep" }
unzip_to = "/tmp/rg"
files = "*/rg"
install_exes = ["rg"]
no_shim = true

[fd]
github = { repo = "sharkdp/fd" }
unzip_to = "/tmp/fd"
files = "*/fd"
install_exes = ["fd"]
no_shim = true

Java JAR application

[plantuml]
github = { repo = "plantuml/plantuml", asset = "plantuml.jar" }
save_as = "./tools/plantuml.jar"
install_exes = ["plantuml.jar"]

Creates launcher script:

#!/bin/sh
exec java -jar "/path/to/plantuml.jar" "$@"

S3 with AWS profiles

[prod-tool]
url = "s3://prod-bucket/tool.tar.gz"
profile = "production"
unzip_to = "./tools"

[dev-tool]
url = "s3://dev-bucket/tool.tar.gz"
profile = "development"
unzip_to = "./tools"

Pin versions with lock file

zipget recipe tools.toml --lock

Adds SHA-256 hashes and pins GitHub tags:

[ripgrep]
github = { repo = "BurntSushi/ripgrep", tag = "14.1.1" }
lock = { sha = "abc123...", download_url = "https://..." }

Output Locations

• Cache: /tmp/zipget-cache (Unix) or %TEMP%\zipget-cache (Windows)
• Install: ~/.local/bin
• Shims: ~/.local/bin/*.shim + *.exe (Windows)

Tips

• Use --no-shim on Unix for direct installation
• Use files = "*/binary" to extract single file from nested archive
• Use --upgrade to update all GitHub releases to latest
• JAR files in install_exes automatically get Java launchers
• Recipe URLs can be remote: zipget recipe https://example.com/tools.toml