installation

Installation

GESF can be installed several ways — all produce the same ges CLI.

Choose Your Install Method

=== ":fontawesome-brands-apple: Homebrew (macOS)"

Installs Node.js and GESF in one command. Best for macOS developers.

```bash
brew tap greenarmor/gesf
brew install ges
```

| Detail | Value |
|--------|-------|
| Requires Node? | No (auto-installed) |
| Install time | ~5 seconds |
| Best for | macOS daily use, teams |
| Uninstall | `brew uninstall ges` |

=== ":material-package-variant-closed: npm"

Best for teams already using npm.

```bash
npm install -g @greenarmor/ges
```

| Detail | Value |
|--------|-------|
| Requires Node? | Yes (>= 22) |
| Install time | ~10 seconds |
| Best for | JS/TS teams, npm workflows |
| Uninstall | `npm uninstall -g @greenarmor/ges` |

=== ":material-package-variant-closed: pnpm"

```bash
pnpm add -g @greenarmor/ges
```

| Detail | Value |
|--------|-------|
| Requires Node? | Yes (>= 22) |
| Install time | ~10 seconds |
| Best for | pnpm users |

=== ":material-rocket-launch: npx"

No install. Runs on demand.

```bash
npx @greenarmor/ges init
```

| Detail | Value |
|--------|-------|
| Requires Node? | Yes (>= 22) |
| Install time | ~5 seconds (cached) |
| Best for | One-off audits, CI pipelines |
| Uninstall | N/A (not installed) |

=== ":material-github: Source"

For contributors.

```bash
git clone https://github.com/greenarmor/gesf.git
cd gesf
npm install -g pnpm
pnpm install
pnpm -r run build
cd packages/cli && npm link
```

| Detail | Value |
|--------|-------|
| Requires Node? | Yes (>= 22) |
| Install time | ~60 seconds |
| Best for | Developers, contributors |

---

Quick Comparison

Method	Requires Node?	Install Time	Best For
Homebrew	No (auto)	~5s	macOS daily use, teams
npm global	Yes (>=22)	~10s	JS/TS teams, npm workflows
pnpm global	Yes (>=22)	~10s	pnpm users
npx	Yes (>=22)	~5s (cached)	One-off audits, CI
Source	Yes (>=22)	~60s	Contributors, developers

---

Prerequisites (npm/pnpm/npx only)

If using npm, pnpm, or npx, you need Node.js >= 22.

|| Requirement | Minimum Version | Check Command | |-------------|----------------|---------------| | Node.js | 22.0.0 or higher | node --version | | npm | 8.0.0 or higher | npm --version |

!!! info "GESF scans any project" Your project can be Python, Rust, Go, Java, Ruby, PHP, .NET, or anything else. Node.js is only needed to run the ges command. It does not need to be part of your project's stack.

Install Node.js if you don't have it:

=== "nvm (recommended)"

```bash
nvm install 22
nvm use 22
```

=== "Homebrew (macOS)"

```bash
brew install node
```

=== "apt (Ubuntu/Debian)"

```bash
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs
```

=== "winget (Windows)"

```powershell
winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS
```

---

Verify Installation

# Check version
ges --version

# Check available commands
ges --help

# Run a quick test
mkdir /tmp/test-project && cd /tmp/test-project
ges init -n "Test" -t generic-web-application -f "GDPR,OWASP" --force
ges audit
ges doctor

---

!!! example "Exercise 1: Install and Verify"

Install GESF using your preferred method and verify it works.

1. Choose an install method from the options above
2. Run `ges --version` and confirm you see a version number
3. Run `ges --help` and confirm you see at least 15 commands listed
4. Create and audit a throwaway project:

```bash
mkdir /tmp/gesf-test && cd /tmp/gesf-test
ges init -n "My Test" -t saas -f "GDPR,OWASP" --force
ls -la .ges/ compliance/ security/ controls/
```

You should see the `.ges/`, `compliance/`, `security/`, and `controls/` directories created.

!!! example "Exercise 2: Compare Install Methods"

If you have both npm and Homebrew available, try both install paths.

1. Install via Homebrew:

```bash
brew tap greenarmor/gesf && brew install ges
which ges  # should show Homebrew path
ges --version
```

2. Uninstall, then install via npm:

```bash
brew uninstall ges
npm install -g @greenarmor/ges
which ges  # should show npm global path
ges --version
```

3. Compare:
   - Which was faster to install?
   - Does `ges --version` produce the same output?
   - Run `ges doctor` in a test project — the behavior should be identical.

!!! question "Questions"
    - Why might you choose brew over npm in a CI pipeline?
    - What are the tradeoffs between npx and a global install?
    - On a server without Node.js, which install methods work?