cargo Provider

Wraps cargo install for Rust-based CLI tools. Things like ripgrep, fd, and bat are all available through Homebrew too — but when you want the latest version, a feature flag, or a tool that hasn’t made it into Homebrew yet, crates.io is the flexible route.

Platforms: macOS, Linux

Usage

# Install from crates.io
hams cargo install ripgrep
 
# Install from a git repo (useful for bleeding-edge or specific features)
hams cargo install --git https://github.com/cli/cli
 
# Remove
hams cargo uninstall ripgrep
 
# See what's managed
hams cargo list

Hamsfile example

# macOS/cargo.hams.yaml
schema_version: 1
provider: cargo
 
groups:
  - tag: cli
    items:
      - app: ripgrep
        intro: Fast recursive grep.
      - app: fd-find
        intro: Simple and fast alternative to find.
      - app: bottom
        intro: Graphical process monitor.
 
  - tag: from-git
    items:
      - app: gh
        git: https://github.com/cli/cli
        intro: GitHub CLI (bleeding edge).

• app is the crate name on crates.io — note that the crate name isn’t always the binary name. fd-find installs a binary called fd, for example
• Add git: to install from a git repo instead. Use rev: or branch: to pin to a specific commit or branch

How state is probed

cargo install --list outputs every installed crate with its version. hams parses that directly — simple, reliable.

Bootstrap

You need cargo, which comes with the Rust toolchain. The usual path is rustup via a bash step:

- urn: "urn:hams:bash:install-rust"
  step: Install Rust toolchain
  run: curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh -s -- -y
  check: command -v cargo

rustup drops cargo into ~/.cargo/bin, which you’ll want on your PATH.

About compile times

Heads up: cargo install compiles from source. A fast network isn’t enough — you need CPU too. On an M-series Mac, a mid-sized crate like ripgrep takes ~30 seconds. On an older Linux server, it can be minutes. If you’re time-sensitive, Homebrew or apt’s pre-built binaries will always be faster.