stronghold
Easily configure macOS security settings from the terminal.
Runs with mockssource: GitHubPythonMITcommit 94abec58559a
Python, MIT licensed. The project labels itself: command line, command line tool, hardening, macos, macos setup, osx, security and security hardening.
stronghold runs, with stand-ins for the services it depends on. An Argusic agent installed it in 1.5 minutes and hit 2 errors and fixed every one without help on a clean machine with no GPU, and the whole session was recorded.
stronghold v1.5 installs in a Python 3.12 venv, runs -v and -lockdown modes to completion; lockdown mode exercises all configuration steps (firewall, system protection, metadata, daemons, user safety) via mocked macOS commands with exit code 0
What the agent ended up with on a clean machine, in its own words. How this is measured
Measured by Argusic on a fresh machine every time. Every number links to its evidence. Argusic Score 86 of 100 (the mean of this project's run scores).
At a glance
Subject data from GitHub, linked at the top of this page, refreshed . Test data by Argusic (CC BY 4.0); every number links to a run page with the full log, the recording, and their sha256 hashes.
What was measured
From the run that decided this verdict. Every line is a recorded value, not an estimate.
What went wrong, in the agent's own words
The agent's own words, worst first, never rewritten into advice.
- sp.run() on line 332 passed entire command as single list element without shell=True, causing FileNotFoundError0.5 minutes
- String comparison used 'is' instead of '==' on line 25, causing SyntaxWarning0.3 minutes
- Install time
- 2 minutes
- Cold machine to finish
- 3 minutes
- Errors hit and fixed
- 2 hit, 2 fixed with no human help
- How the result was proved
- stronghold -v exited 0, printed 'stronghold v1.5 by Aaron Lichtman -> Github: alichtman'; stronghold -lockdown exited 0, completed lockdown procedure and printed final configuration steps with no traceback
- Model tokens used
- 28,360
- Exact commit tested
- 94abec58559a
- Container image
- sha256:cdd920bce783
What was not measured
The other half, so you can see exactly how far this evidence goes. A gap is printed as a gap and never filled in.
- Peak GPU memory
- this ran on a CPU machine, so there was no GPU to sample
- Behaviour over a long run
- each attempt uses the smallest documented settings and a fixed time budget, so this measures whether it runs, not how it holds up under load
- Behaviour against real services
- this run was verified against stand-in services only
The end of the recording
The last lines of the terminal session that decided this verdict, exactly as they were recorded.
- Interactive mode requires a real TTY (inquirer library), which is expected. tokens used 28,360 **Done.** Here's the summary: **Install:** Created a Python 3.12 venv, installed `stronghold` with `pip install -e .` — all depen… **Errors found & fixed:** 1. **`is` vs `==`** on line 25 — `if top_line is ""` caused a `SyntaxWarning` on Python 3.12. Chang… 2. **`sp.run()` with broken argument** on line 332 — passed the full command as a single list eleme… **Verification (tier2_mock):** Since this is a macOS-only tool running on Linux, I mocked the requi… - `stronghold -v` → exits 0, prints version info - `stronghold -lockdown` → exits 0, runs the full lockdown procedure (firewall, system protection, … - Interactive mode requires a real TTY (inquirer library), which is expected.
Replay the whole session, every command from a clean machine to this point.
How it was tested
One agent, one container, no human help. It installs the project the way its own documentation says to, runs it, and fixes what breaks. Everything below is recorded as it happened: the terminal session, the log and the exact commit. The full method.
Strengths and limits
Measured facts, not opinions. How this is written.
What went well
- Installed in 1.5 minutes, faster than the median of the 6 comparable projects Argusic has measured.
- Recovered from all 2 errors without a human stepping in, which says the failures are documented well enough to solve.
- Licensed MIT, as reported by its host.
- Measured 2 times, so the result is not a one-off.
What did not, or is not known
- Only reached a running state against stand-in services, so nothing here proves it works against the real ones.
Of the 7 command-line projects Argusic has installed and timed, stronghold was the 2nd fastest to reach a running state, and 6 of 7 reached one at all.
Also tested, in the same area
Every one of these was installed and run by Argusic on a clean machine. Nothing appears here that was not tested.
Run history
| tested by | attempt | outcome | score | cost USD | when |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argusic Runner | 2/3 | Runs with mocks | 92.00 | 0.03 | |
| Argusic Runner | 1/3 | Unverified | 80.00 | 0.02 |
Topics (from GitHub)
command-linecommand-line-toolhardeningmacosmacos-setuposxsecuritysecurity-hardening
Embed the badge
Markdown for the project README. It links back here; terms on the terms page.
[](https://argusic.com/subject/stronghold)Questions
- Does stronghold run?
- stronghold runs, with mocks standing in for external services. Argusic installed and launched it on a clean machine in 2 minutes, hitting 2 errors on the way, and recorded the session.
- How did Argusic test stronghold?
- On a fresh, disposable machine, with every command recorded and the repository pinned at commit 94abec58559a. 2 attempts are recorded, and the full method is on the methodology page.
- What did it cost to test stronghold?
- The run that produced this verdict cost $0.03: real compute and model cost, not a list price per million tokens. It is recorded on that run's page.
- How long does stronghold take to install?
- 1.5 minutes in the run that decided this verdict, from a clean machine to a running state. That is one measured attempt, not an average.
- Does stronghold need a GPU?
- Not to start. Argusic reached a running state on a machine with no GPU.
- What goes wrong when installing stronghold?
- 2 things broke in the recorded run, and 2 were fixed without human help. Each one, and the time it cost, is listed on this page.
- How does stronghold compare with the alternatives?
- Of the 7 command-line projects Argusic has installed and timed, stronghold was the 2nd fastest to reach a running state, and 6 of 7 reached one at all.
- Where is the evidence for stronghold?
- All 2 recorded runs are on this page, each linking to its full log and terminal recording, stored with a sha256 fingerprint so it cannot be quietly altered.