prek

Overview

Pre-commit is the standard for running git hooks across many languages, but it drags along Python as a dependency and takes time to install hooks. Prek reimagines this as a single Rust binary with zero runtime dependencies. The result: multiple times faster execution and half the disk space.

Key Features

• Single binary - No Python, no virtual environments, just one executable
• Parallel execution - Clones repos and runs hooks concurrently
• Full compatibility - Works with existing .pre-commit-config.yaml files
• Built-in hooks - Rust-native implementations of common hooks for extra speed
• Monorepo support - First-class workspace mode for large repositories
• Supply chain security - --cooldown-days flag for safer auto-updates

Code Snippets

Installation

# macOS/Linux via Homebrew
brew install j178/tap/prek

# Or via cargo
cargo install prek

Basic Usage

# Install hooks from .pre-commit-config.yaml
prek install

# Run all hooks
prek run

# Run on specific files
prek run --files path/to/file.py

# Run on last commit changes
prek run --last-commit

Configuration

Prek uses the same .pre-commit-config.yaml format:

repos:
  - repo: https://github.com/pre-commit/pre-commit-hooks
    rev: v4.5.0
    hooks:
      - id: trailing-whitespace
      - id: end-of-file-fixer

Technical Details

Built in Rust, prek leverages uv for Python environment setup when hooks require it. Priority-based scheduling ensures hooks run in optimal order. Production-tested in Apache Airflow, FastAPI, and CPython.

Connections

• essential-ai-coding-feedback-loops-for-typescript-projects - Discusses Husky for pre-commit hooks as part of AI coding feedback loops; prek offers a faster alternative for the same purpose