posh ☆

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Description:
Policy-compliant ordinary shell

Type: Formula | Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: System utilities

Tags: shell posix bash scripting cli

Install: brew install posh

About:
Posh is a POSIX-compliant shell derived from the Debian Almquist shell (dash), designed to be a strict, policy-compliant alternative to bash. It enforces standard shell syntax and features, making it ideal for writing portable and secure shell scripts. Its primary value is ensuring scripts adhere to POSIX standards, preventing the use of bashisms that could fail on minimal systems.

Key Features:

POSIX-compliant: Strictly adheres to the POSIX shell standard
Lightweight: Minimalist design with a small footprint
Secure: Reduces attack surface by avoiding non-standard extensions
Portable: Ensures scripts run on any POSIX-compliant system

Use Cases:

Writing portable shell scripts for cross-platform compatibility
Validating scripts for bashism-free syntax
System initialization scripts in minimal environments

Alternatives:

bash – Bash includes many non-standard extensions (bashisms), whereas Posh enforces strict POSIX compliance for portability.
dash – Dash is also a POSIX-compliant shell focused on speed; Posh is a fork of dash with an emphasis on strict policy compliance.

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Sep 16, 2025 2:55pm		0	VERSION_BUMP	ae2b4aea
Sep 13, 2024 6:28am		0	VERSION_BUMP	a49e2035