# Install adplug with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, zypper Free, hardware independent AdLib sound player library. Version 2.4 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-26. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:adplug ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install adplug ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install adplug ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: audio/adplug/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install adplug-utils ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: adplug-utils from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install adplug ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: adplug from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install adplugdb ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: adplugdb from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:adplug - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 2.4 - **Source summary:** Free, hardware independent AdLib sound player library - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** LGPL-2.1-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-05-26T23:37:49-04:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - adplugdb (cli) - adplugdb (alias) ## Dependencies - libbinio ## Build dependencies - pkgconf - texinfo ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 2.4 - Package-manager updated: 2026-05-26 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/adplug/adplug - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## Project history and usage AdPlug is a hardware-independent AdLib/OPL2 and OPL3 playback library for old PC music formats. It is packaged both as a library and with utilities because it preserves a wide set of DOS game, tracker, and AdLib-era music formats behind one C++ playback API. ### Project history The AdPlug README dates the project to Simon Peter's 1999 codebase and describes it as a multi-platform C++ library for playing data originally created for AdLib OPL2/3 boards on top of an emulator or real hardware. The project site emphasizes that AdPlug is the backend for multiple frontends, including standalone players and plugins. AdPlug grew by adding replayers for individual formats instead of flattening everything into one generic parser. Its official site lists a broad catalog of supported formats, including AdLib Tracker, Westwood ADL, Creative CMF, DOSBox DRO, Apogee IMF, LucasArts LAA, Sierra SCI, Softstar RIX, Reality AdLib Tracker, VGM, and many others. The release history shows a steady maintenance story: early versions made AdPlug a real library, added libbinio and a database framework, and expanded Unix portability; later versions added OPL3 support, safer emulators, test coverage, more game formats, CI, fuzzing-driven fixes, and modern build support. ### Adoption history AdPlug started in the SourceForge era and moved active development to GitHub in 2015. At that point the project split AdPlay, the Winamp plugin, and other modules into separate repositories under the AdPlug organization, a packaging-friendly layout that distinguishes the core library from frontends. The provided package facts show AdPlug in Homebrew, Debian/Ubuntu as `adplug-utils`, Fedora, MacPorts, and openSUSE-style packaging. That spread is typical for a small preservation library: it is not a mainstream end-user app, but it is valuable enough that Unix distributions keep it available for media players, testing tools, and retro collections. The 2020 and 2025 releases show continued attention to security and correctness. The project recorded multiple CVE fixes in 2.3.3 and a large fuzzing, cleanup, and new-format pass in 2.4. ### How it is used Developers use AdPlug as a library when they need to decode or play original OPL music data without depending on an AdLib card. Users more often meet it indirectly through `adplugdb`, AdPlay/UNIX, player plugins, or other tools linked against the library. For package maintainers, AdPlug is a classic multimedia library package: it has a stable public purpose, a long source history, optional frontends, platform-specific build concerns, and a supported-format matrix that grows as obscure file formats are identified and reimplemented. ### Why package nerds care AdPlug is significant because it turns a pile of game-specific and tracker-specific AdLib formats into a reusable Unix library. That matters for preservation workflows, regression testing old music files, and package ecosystems that prefer small CLI/library components over monolithic emulators. Its emulator-license notes are also package-nerd bait: the README documents a move away from problematic MAME-derived emulator code toward LGPL-compatible emulation, which affects redistribution and whether distributions can ship the library cleanly. ### Timeline - 1999: AdPlug project copyright begins. - 2001: AdPlay/UNIX frontend copyright begins. - 2010: AdPlug 2.2 released with new format support and AdPlay/UNIX 1.7. - 2015: Development moved to GitHub and related modules were split into separate repositories. - 2017: AdPlug 2.3 added many formats, CI support, and NukedOPL/WoodyOPL emulators. - 2020: AdPlug 2.3.3 fixed multiple parser CVEs. - 2025: AdPlug 2.4 added new formats, fuzzing-driven fixes, and updated NukedOPL. ### Related projects - AdPlay/UNIX is the console frontend for AdPlug. - libbinio is an AdPlug dependency for platform-independent binary I/O. - DOSBox, NukedOPL, WoodyOPL, and older MAME-derived OPL code are relevant because AdPlug can play through emulated OPL implementations. ### Sources - - - - source_facts.package-manager ## Security Notes library-like package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - library-like package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** adplug - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - adplug-utils - 2.3.3+dfsg-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: adplug-utils from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | free AdLib sound library (utils) | https://adplug.github.io/ - Debian apt - libadplug-2.3.3-0 - 2.3.3+dfsg-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libadplug-2.3.3-0 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | free AdLib sound library | https://adplug.github.io/ - Debian apt - libadplug-dev - 2.3.3+dfsg-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libadplug-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | free AdLib sound library (development) | https://adplug.github.io/ - Ubuntu apt - adplug-utils - 2.3.3+dfsg-2build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: adplug-utils from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | free AdLib sound library (utils) | https://adplug.github.io/ - Ubuntu apt - libadplug-2.3.3-0 - 2.3.3+dfsg-2build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libadplug-2.3.3-0 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | free AdLib sound library | https://adplug.github.io/ - Ubuntu apt - libadplug-dev - 2.3.3+dfsg-2build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libadplug-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | free AdLib sound library (development) | https://adplug.github.io/ - dnf - adplug - 2.3.3-15.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: adplug from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Software library for AdLib (OPL2/3) emulation | https://adplug.github.io/ - dnf - adplug-devel - 2.3.3-15.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: adplug-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Development files for AdPlug | https://adplug.github.io/ - MacPorts - adplug: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: audio/adplug/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper - adplugdb - 2.4-1.4: installed executable or alias match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: adplugdb from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | AdPlug Database Maintenance Utility | https://adplug.github.io/ ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Media and graphics packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/media-graphics-tools/) - Matched media, image, audio, video, or graphics metadata. - [pkgconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pkgconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [texinfo](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/texinfo/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [adplay](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/adplay/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [alsa-lib](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/alsa-lib/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, library, media. - [chromaprint](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/chromaprint/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, library, media. - [fluid-synth](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fluid-synth/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, library, media. - [freealut](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/freealut/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, library, media. - [id3lib](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/id3lib/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, library, media. - [libmikmod](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libmikmod/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, library, media. - [libvisual](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libvisual/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, library, media. - [wildmidi](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/wildmidi/) - Both packages work with overlapping file formats or content types. Shared terms: audio, cli, library, media, player. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/adplug.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/adplug.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph