start

Installation

Install methods, `bomly` vs `bomly-lite`, checksum verification, upgrade, uninstall.

Bomly ships as a single binary. Pick the install method that fits your environment.

Quick install

# Go toolchain on PATH
go install github.com/bomly-dev/bomly-cli/cmd/bomly@latest

Or grab a release archive from GitHub Releases. Verify:

bomly version

If you're ready to scan, jump to Getting Started.

Install methods

go install

The most common path for developers who already have Go on PATH.

go install github.com/bomly-dev/bomly-cli/cmd/bomly@latest

go install builds the full Bomly binary with builtin Syft and Grype support — no extra binaries required. The command package path follows Go conventions; the installed executable is named bomly.

Requirements: A Go toolchain compatible with the version declared in go.mod. Bomly does not bundle a Go toolchain.

GitHub Releases

The canonical distribution point for prebuilt packaged binaries. Each release publishes:

  • bomly archives for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
  • bomly-lite archives for users who prefer external syft and grype binaries on PATH.
  • SHA256SUMS for checksum verification.

Each archive also contains LICENSE, NOTICE, and a licenses/ directory with the full license text for every bundled dependency.

Archive naming:

  • bomly_<version>_<os>_<arch>.tar.gz
  • bomly-lite_<version>_<os>_<arch>.tar.gz
  • Windows archives use .zip.

Linux / macOS

# Replace VERSION, OS (linux|darwin), ARCH (amd64|arm64)
curl -L -o bomly.tar.gz \
  https://github.com/bomly-dev/bomly-cli/releases/download/VERSION/bomly_VERSION_OS_ARCH.tar.gz
tar -xzf bomly.tar.gz
sudo install -m 0755 bomly /usr/local/bin/

Or auto-detect host details:

curl -L -o bomly.tar.gz \
  https://github.com/bomly-dev/bomly-cli/releases/latest/download/bomly_$(uname -s)_$(uname -m).tar.gz
tar -xzf bomly.tar.gz
sudo install -m 0755 bomly /usr/local/bin/

Windows (PowerShell)

$archive = "bomly_v0.2.0_windows_amd64.zip"
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://github.com/bomly-dev/bomly-cli/releases/latest/download/$archive" -OutFile $archive
Expand-Archive -Path $archive -DestinationPath .
# Move bomly.exe somewhere on your PATH

bomly vs bomly-lite

ArtifactBehavior
bomlyFull default binary with compiled-in Syft and Grype support. No extra runtime dependencies.
bomly-liteAlternate binary that shells out to external syft and grype binaries on PATH. Smaller download, requires Syft/Grype installed separately.

Most users want bomly. Pick bomly-lite only if you already manage syft and grype versions across your fleet and want Bomly to ride along on those.

If you choose bomly-lite, install Syft and Grype with Anchore's official scripts:

curl -sSfL https://get.anchore.io/syft  | sh -s -- -b /usr/local/bin
curl -sSfL https://get.anchore.io/grype | sh -s -- -b /usr/local/bin

Verify release checksums

Releases include a SHA256SUMS file alongside every archive.

On Linux and macOS:

curl -L -O https://github.com/bomly-dev/bomly-cli/releases/latest/download/SHA256SUMS
sha256sum --check SHA256SUMS --ignore-missing

On PowerShell:

Get-FileHash .\bomly_v0.2.0_windows_amd64.zip -Algorithm SHA256
# Compare the printed hash against the line for this archive in SHA256SUMS.

CI installation

For pinned, scripted installs in CI pipelines, see CI integration. The most common pattern is:

curl -sSfL https://github.com/bomly-dev/bomly-cli/releases/latest/download/bomly_linux_amd64.tar.gz \
  | tar -xz -C /usr/local/bin bomly

Pin to a specific release tag rather than latest to make scans reproducible.

Upgrading

go install users can re-run the install command to pull the latest tag:

go install github.com/bomly-dev/bomly-cli/cmd/bomly@latest

GitHub Release users replace the binary on disk. Check the current version with bomly version before and after.

Uninstall

go install writes to $GOBIN (defaults to $GOPATH/bin). Remove the binary directly:

rm "$(command -v bomly)"

For Release-archive installs, remove the binary from wherever you placed it (typically /usr/local/bin/bomly).

Bomly does not write configuration or cache state during install. To also clear runtime state:

rm -rf ~/.bomly                               # Unix/macOS — config, plugins, cache
Remove-Item -Recurse $env:USERPROFILE\.bomly  # PowerShell

Next

  • Getting Started — run your first scan in five minutes.
  • CI integration — drop-in recipes for GitHub Actions, GitLab, Jenkins, Azure DevOps, CircleCI.
  • Plugins — install and enable external detectors, matchers, and auditors.