macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install appstreamlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install appstreamMacPorts ports tree · gnome/appstream/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install appstream with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper
Tools and libraries to work with AppStream metadata. Version 1.1.3 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-20.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add appstreamAlpine Linux edge package indexes · appstream · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install appstreamDebian stable package indexes · appstream · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install appstreamFedora Rawhide package metadata · appstream · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#appstreamnixpkgs package indexes · appstream · source: raw.githubusercontent.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S appstreamArch Linux sync databases · appstream · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install AppStreamopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · AppStream · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Tools and libraries to work with AppStream metadata
Project links
Commands and aliases
- appstreamcli
history
Project history and usage
AppStream is the freedesktop.org specification, reference implementation, and CLI/tooling for distro-agnostic software component metadata. It standardizes MetaInfo XML, catalog XML/YAML, validation, metadata composition, and query tooling used by Linux software centers and repositories.
Project history
The freedesktop.org project page describes AppStream as a cross-distribution effort to standardize software component metadata and provide the foundation for software-center applications. It points to the specification, mailing list, release tarballs, and the GitHub development repository.
The official documentation credits Matthias Klumpp as author and lists Michael Vogt, Richard Hughes, and Vincent Untz as contributors. It says the documentation covers a C/GLib reference implementation of the full specification and tooling such as `appstreamcli`.
The upstream NEWS file records AppStream 0.1.0 in October 2012. The freedesktop wiki notes an initial AppStream meeting in 2011 in its attic, which places the effort in the early Linux software-center era.
Adoption history
AppStream adoption followed the need for application-centric package metadata in Linux distributions. Traditional package metadata tells a package manager what files and dependencies exist; AppStream adds names, summaries, screenshots, icons, release data, content metadata, firmware and driver component metadata, and a normalized view for graphical software catalogs.
The project became important to distributions, Flatpak-like ecosystems, upstream application authors, and desktop software centers because it gives them a shared metadata language rather than one distro-specific app-store format.
The README describes AppStream as part of freedesktop.org and lists tools for validation, data verification, diagnostics, and catalog composition. That made the CLI useful both in distro build infrastructure and in upstream CI checks for MetaInfo files.
How it is used
Upstream projects write MetaInfo XML files for applications, fonts, codecs, firmware, drivers, add-ons, and other components. Distributions package or compose those files into AppStream catalog metadata in XML or YAML.
Maintainers commonly use `appstreamcli validate --pedantic /path/to/metadata.xml` to check metadata and `appstreamcli compose` to build catalogs from directory trees. Consumers such as software centers query the resulting metadata through libappstream.
Why package nerds care
AppStream is package metadata with UX consequences. It is why distro repositories can feed graphical app stores with screenshots, localized descriptions, component IDs, content ratings, release notes, and installable firmware/driver metadata without each frontend inventing a private database.
For package nerds, the interesting part is that AppStream sits between upstream source releases, distro package builds, repository metadata, and desktop UX. A broken AppStream ID or invalid MetaInfo file can affect discoverability even when the package itself installs correctly.
Timeline
- 2011: freedesktop wiki references initial AppStream meeting materials in the project attic.
- 2012: upstream NEWS records AppStream 0.1.0.
- 2013: freedesktop wiki page creation date appears in the page metadata.
- 2015: NEWS records 0.8.x releases during early distribution adoption.
- 2026: official documentation identifies AppStream 1.0 documentation published in June 2026.
Related projects
- appstream-glib is the older GLib helper library and builder toolchain now in maintenance mode.
- appstream-generator is listed by upstream as a distribution metadata generator using libappstream-compose internally.
- DEP-11 is the Debian-derived YAML catalog metadata format described by the AppStream specification.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: blue
broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.
Risk classifier
blue risk · medium confidence · tool
Why
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
Signals
- text:stream
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Installs with 5 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 7 build dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
appstreamcli | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version1.1.3
manager updated2026-06-20
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv1.1.3
https://github.com/ximion/appstream
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:appstream |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.1.3 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/appstream |
| Homepage | https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Distributions/AppStream/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/ximion/appstream |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/ximion/appstream#readme |
| License | LGPL-2.1-or-later |
| Source archive | https://github.com/ximion/appstream/archive/refs/tags/v1.1.3.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-20T07:48:06Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | gettext, glib, libfyaml, libxmlb, zstd |
| Build dependencies | gobject-introspection, gtk-doc, itstool, meson, ninja, pkgconf, vala |
| Uses from macOS | curl, libxml2 |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | appstream |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
appstream 1.0.5-1
Software component metadata management
https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Distributions/AppStream/
sudo apt install appstream- Section: admin
- Architecture: amd64
- 4 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Appstream
Debian apt95%
appstream-compose 1.0.5-1
Compose metadata catalogs from directory trees
https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Distributions/AppStream/
sudo apt install appstream-compose- Section: admin
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: appstream
- 5 dependencies
- 2 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Appstream
Debian apt95%
appstream-doc 1.0.5-1
Developer documentation for AppStream
https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Distributions/AppStream/
sudo apt install appstream-doc- Section: doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: appstream
- 1 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Appstream
Debian apt95%
apt-config-icons 1.0.5-1
APT configuration snippet to enable icon downloads
https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Distributions/AppStream/
sudo apt install apt-config-icons- Section: misc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: appstream
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Appstream
Debian apt95%
apt-config-icons-hidpi 1.0.5-1
APT configuration snippet to enable HiDPI icon downloads
https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Distributions/AppStream/
sudo apt install apt-config-icons-hidpi- Section: misc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: appstream
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Appstream
Debian apt95%
apt-config-icons-large 1.0.5-1
APT configuration snippet to enable large icon downloads
https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Distributions/AppStream/
sudo apt install apt-config-icons-large- Section: misc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: appstream
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Appstream
Debian apt95%
apt-config-icons-large-hidpi 1.0.5-1
APT configuration snippet to enable large HiDPI icon downloads
https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Distributions/AppStream/
sudo apt install apt-config-icons-large-hidpi- Section: misc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: appstream
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Appstream
Debian apt95%
gir1.2-appstream-1.0 1.0.5-1
Library to access AppStream services (introspection data)
https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Distributions/AppStream/
sudo apt install gir1.2-appstream-1.0- Section: introspection
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: appstream
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Appstream
Debian apt95%
gir1.2-appstreamcompose-1.0 1.0.5-1
Building blocks to compose AppStream metadata (introspection data)
https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Distributions/AppStream/
sudo apt install gir1.2-appstreamcompose-1.0- Section: introspection
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: appstream
- 5 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Appstream
Debian apt95%
libappstream-compose-dev 1.0.5-1
Building blocks to compose AppStream metadata (development files)
https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Distributions/AppStream/
sudo apt install libappstream-compose-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: appstream
- 7 dependencies
- 1 provides
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Appstream
Debian apt95%
libappstream-compose0 1.0.5-1
Building blocks to compose AppStream metadata
https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Distributions/AppStream/
sudo apt install libappstream-compose0- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: appstream
- 10 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Appstream
Debian apt95%
libappstream-dev 1.0.5-1
Library to access AppStream services (development files)
https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Distributions/AppStream/
sudo apt install libappstream-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: appstream
- 5 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Appstream
Debian apt95%
libappstream5 1.0.5-1
Library to access AppStream services
https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Distributions/AppStream/
sudo apt install libappstream5- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: appstream
- 9 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Appstream
Debian apt95%
libappstreamqt-dev 1.0.5-1
Qt6 library to access AppStream services (development files)
https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Distributions/AppStream/
sudo apt install libappstreamqt-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: appstream
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Appstream
Debian apt95%
libappstreamqt3 1.0.5-1
Qt6 library to access AppStream services
https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Distributions/AppStream/
sudo apt install libappstreamqt3- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: appstream
- 6 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Appstream
Debian apt95%
libappstreamqt5-3 1.0.5-1
Qt5 library to access AppStream services
https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Distributions/AppStream/
sudo apt install libappstreamqt5-3- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: appstream
- 6 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Appstream
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment