Introduction

binmate is a CLI/TUI application for managing binary installations from GitHub releases. It provides an easy way to install, manage, and switch between different versions of command-line tools.

Why binmate?

Keeping command-line tools up to date - and occasionally pinning them to a specific version - usually means juggling install scripts, archives, and PATH entries by hand. binmate brings all of this together:

• Fetch releases directly from GitHub.
• Install several versions of the same tool side by side.
• Switch the active version instantly using symlinks.
• Track everything in a local database so you always know what is installed.

Key Features

• Interactive TUI - Browse and manage binaries through a Terminal User Interface.
• CLI Commands - Automate binary management with a command-line interface.
• Version Management - Install multiple versions and switch between them.
• GitHub Integration - Automatically fetch releases from GitHub repositories.
• Database Tracking - A SQLite database tracks all installations and versions.
• Checksum Verification - Ensures the integrity of downloaded binaries.

How it works

When you add a binary, binmate records the source GitHub repository and the archive format used by its releases. Installing a version downloads the matching release asset for your operating system and architecture, verifies its checksum, extracts the binary into a versioned directory, and creates a symlink for the active version.

The install path layout looks like this:

<install_path>/<name>/<version>/

A symlink at <install_path>/<name> points at the currently active version, so switching versions is as simple as updating that link.

Next steps

• Install binmate on your system.
• Learn the CLI commands for day-to-day use.
• Explore the interface to see the TUI in action.
• Review the configuration options.