---
id: tinynetrc
version: "1.3.1"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# tinynetrc — Read and write .netrc files.

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 282.7K/mo

## What it is and what it does

tinynetrc wraps Python's standard library netrc module to read and write .netrc credential files with a simpler, dictionary-based interface. It addresses a standard library bug in .netrc formatting and adds write functionality that the standard module lacks. The package parses .netrc entries into dictionaries instead of tuples, making credential access more intuitive.

You use it to load your .netrc file, read or modify stored credentials for remote hosts, and save changes back to disk. It supports context manager usage for automatic saving. The package has no external dependencies and installs with low friction, but maintenance has been abandoned since mid-2022, so it will not receive updates for newer Python versions or bug fixes.

Use it for:

- Programmatically read stored credentials from ~/.netrc for API authentication in scripts.
- Modify or add credentials to .netrc and persist them without manual file editing.
- Manage multiple host credentials in a single Python session using dictionary access.
- Work around the standard library netrc formatting bug on older Python versions.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Read, parse, and write .netrc credential files with dictionary-style access, fixing standard library limitations and adding write support.

Yes, if you need to read or write .netrc files and are on a stable Python version (2.7, 3.5–3.7 as listed). No, if you require active maintenance or plan to upgrade to newer Python versions soon—the package is abandoned and will not receive updates. For modern Python, check whether the standard library bug is fixed in your version before choosing this package.

## Install

pip install tinynetrc
uv add tinynetrc
poetry add tinynetrc

## Installing tinynetrc

Before you install: Low friction installation with no runtime dependencies. Maintenance is abandoned—last release was 2021-08-15 and last commit 2022-08-17—so expect no updates for bugs or Python version changes.

License in practice: MIT license is permissive; you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

pip install tinynetrc

from tinynetrc import Netrc

netrc = Netrc()  # parse ~/.netrc
password = netrc['api.heroku.com']['password']
netrc['api.heroku.com']['password'] = 'newpassword'
netrc.save()

Requires ~/.netrc file to exist; standard library netrc module is used under the hood.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package still works reliably on Python versions released after 2022-08-17.
- Current compatibility with modern Python 3.x versions beyond those listed in classifiers.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 282.7K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

netrc file parser, read write netrc, credential file management, .netrc python, posix netrc handler, netrc dictionary access, credentials, posix

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/tinynetrc) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/tinynetrc/)