Casks (Applications)¶

Casks allow you to install macOS applications and Linux desktop apps.

What are Casks?¶

Casks extend Stout to install:

macOS: DMG, PKG, and ZIP application bundles
Linux: AppImage, Flatpak, and other desktop applications

Unlike formulas (command-line tools), casks install GUI applications.

Basic Usage¶

Search for Applications¶

stout cask search firefox

Install an Application¶

stout cask install firefox

Or use the --cask flag with install:

stout install --cask firefox

List Installed Applications¶

stout cask list

Get Application Info¶

stout cask info visual-studio-code

Managing Applications¶

Uninstall¶

Remove an application:

stout cask uninstall firefox

Uninstall with Zap¶

Remove application and all associated files (preferences, caches, etc.):

stout cask uninstall --zap firefox

Warning

The --zap option removes user preferences and data. Use with caution.

Check for Updates¶

stout cask outdated

Upgrade Applications¶

Upgrade a specific application:

stout cask upgrade firefox

Upgrade all applications:

stout cask upgrade

Installation Locations¶

macOS¶

Applications: /Applications or ~/Applications
Binaries: Symlinked to /opt/homebrew/bin

Linux¶

AppImages: ~/.local/share/appimages
Binaries: Symlinked to ~/.local/bin

Common Casks¶

Browsers¶

stout cask install firefox
stout cask install google-chrome
stout cask install brave-browser

Development Tools¶

stout cask install visual-studio-code
stout cask install iterm2
stout cask install docker
stout cask install postman

Productivity¶

stout cask install slack
stout cask install notion
stout cask install 1password

Media¶

stout cask install vlc
stout cask install spotify
stout cask install obs

Cask Options¶

Force Reinstall¶

stout cask install --force firefox

Skip Quarantine (macOS)¶

By default, macOS quarantines downloaded applications. To skip:

stout cask install --no-quarantine some-app

Casks in Brewfiles¶

Include casks in your Brewfile:

# Brewfile

# Formulas (CLI tools)
brew "git"
brew "node"

# Casks (Applications)
cask "firefox"
cask "visual-studio-code"
cask "docker"

Install everything:

stout bundle install

Troubleshooting¶

Application won't open (macOS)¶

If macOS blocks the application:

Open System Preferences > Security & Privacy
Click "Open Anyway" for the blocked application

Or remove quarantine attribute:

xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /Applications/SomeApp.app

Application not found after install¶

Check if the cask includes a binary:

stout cask info some-app

If it doesn't add to PATH, launch from Applications folder.

Cask conflicts with existing installation¶

Uninstall the existing version first, or use --force:

stout cask install --force some-app

Preferred Syntax: `--cask` Flag¶

The stout cask <command> subcommand exists for muscle-memory compatibility with brew cask but is deprecated in current releases. Each invocation now prints a deprecation notice pointing at the canonical form, which uses the --cask flag on the top-level command:

Deprecated	Preferred
`stout cask install firefox`	`stout install --cask firefox`
`stout cask uninstall firefox`	`stout uninstall --cask firefox`
`stout cask search browser`	`stout search --cask browser`
`stout cask info visual-studio-code`	`stout info --cask visual-studio-code`
`stout cask list`	`stout list --cask`
`stout cask outdated`	`stout outdated --cask`
`stout cask upgrade`	`stout upgrade --cask`

Cask logic lives in the stout-cask crate and is dispatched from src/cli/cask.rs for the deprecated path and from each top-level command module for the canonical path.

Linux Cask Handling¶

On Linux the cask abstraction wraps three different distribution formats:

Format	Install target	Detection
AppImage	`~/.local/share/appimages/<app>.AppImage` (chmod +x, symlinked into `~/.local/bin`)	`.AppImage` artefact in the cask manifest
Flatpak	Delegated to the host `flatpak` CLI under the user installation	`flatpak` provider declared in the manifest
Tarball/zip	Extracted into `~/.local/share/<app>/`, binaries symlinked into `~/.local/bin`	Default fallback

The same --cask flag is used regardless of which underlying format the package uses — stout picks the right backend based on the manifest.

Quarantine and Code Signing (macOS)¶

When stout installs a cask on macOS it preserves whatever code signature the upstream artefact carries and applies an xattr quarantine flag identical to what a browser download would attach. This means Gatekeeper still runs the first time you launch the app.

stout doctor includes a Mach-O signature check that walks every binary under the Cellar and Caskroom and surfaces anything missing or invalid. Pair it with stout doctor --fix to re-sign or reinstall affected packages in one pass.