macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install avro-clocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install avro-c with Homebrew, apt, Nix
Data serialization system. Version 1.12.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install avro-binDebian stable package indexes · avro-bin · source: deb.debian.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#avro-cnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/av/avro-c/package.nix · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
Data serialization system
Project links
Commands and aliases
- avroappend
- avrocat
- avromod
- avropipe
history
Project history and usage
Avro C is the C implementation and command-line tooling slice of Apache Avro, Apache's schema-based data serialization system. In Homebrew it exposes utilities such as avrocat, avroappend, avropipe, and avromod for working with Avro object container files from a Unix shell.
Project history
Apache Avro's first official release was Avro 1.0.0 on July 15, 2010. The project was framed from the start as a serialization system with rich data structures, compact binary encoding, object container files, RPC support, and language bindings where code generation is optional rather than mandatory.
The C implementation lives in the main Apache Avro repository rather than a separate project. That matters for packagers: language bindings, command-line tools, release artifacts, and the shared Avro specification move together under the Apache release process.
Adoption history
Avro became common in data-engineering environments because it carries schemas with serialized data and supports schema evolution. Apache's current project site describes Avro as a leading serialization format for record data and a first choice for streaming data pipelines, with implementations across JVM languages, Python, C/C++, C#, PHP, Ruby, Rust, JavaScript, and Perl.
The C package is a practical packaging target for users who need small native tools or C library integration without pulling in the Java toolchain. On Unix package managers it fills the niche between the full Java avro-tools jar and embedding Avro support in larger data platforms.
How it is used
The C utilities are mostly file and stream tools: avrocat inspects or emits records, avroappend appends data to container files, avropipe moves Avro data through pipelines, and avromod edits Avro container metadata. They are useful in shell workflows where the Java avro-tools package would be heavier than necessary.
There is no standard per-user configuration file or credential store for Avro C itself. Behavior is driven by schemas, Avro container metadata, command-line arguments, and application code using the C API.
Why package nerds care
For package nerds, avro-c is interesting because it is a native-library subpackage split out of a multi-language Apache project. It gives Homebrew, Nix, and Debian-style systems a way to install Avro's C ABI and CLI utilities without treating the whole project as a Java artifact.
It also shows the awkward but useful boundary between data-format standards and language ecosystems: one upstream release, many language bindings, and multiple downstream formulas for the same specification.
Timeline
- 2010: Apache Avro 1.0.0 announced as the first Avro release.
- 2021: Avro 1.11.0 released with 120 JIRA issues addressed.
- 2024: Avro 1.12.0 released by the Apache Avro community.
- 2025: Avro 1.12.1 listed as the latest Apache Avro release.
Related projects
- Apache Avro Java and avro-tools share the same upstream repository and specification.
- Avro C++ is the neighboring native binding for C++ programs and code generation.
- Apache Hadoop, Kafka-oriented data pipelines, and other record-processing systems are common consumers of Avro data, though they package their own integrations separately.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Installs with 3 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
avroappend | cli | global executable | |
avrocat | cli | global executable | |
avromod | cli | global executable | |
avropipe | 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 version1.12.1
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://avro.apache.org/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:avro-c |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.12.1 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/avro-c |
| Homepage | https://avro.apache.org/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/apache/avro |
| Upstream docs | https://avro.apache.org/docs |
| License | Apache-2.0 |
| Source archive | https://www.apache.org/dyn/closer.lua?path=avro/avro-1.12.1/c/avro-c-1.12.1.tar.gz |
| Dependencies | jansson, snappy, xz |
| Build dependencies | cmake, pkgconf |
| 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 | avro-c |
| 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%
avro-bin 1.12.0-3
Apache Avro C utilities (avro-c)
sudo apt install avro-bin- Section: utils
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: avro-c
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Avro C
Debian apt95%
libavro-dev 1.12.0-3
Apache Avro C static library and headers (avro-c)
sudo apt install libavro-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: avro-c
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Avro C
Debian apt95%
libavro24 1.12.0-3
Apache Avro C shared library (avro-c)
sudo apt install libavro24- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: avro-c
- 5 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Avro C
Nix95%
avro-c
nix profile install nixpkgs#avro-c- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Avro C
Ubuntu apt95%
avro-bin 1.11.1-1build1
Apache Avro C utilities (avro-c)
sudo apt install avro-bin- Section: universe/utils
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: avro-c
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Avro C
Ubuntu apt95%
libavro-dev 1.11.1-1build1
Apache Avro C static library and headers (avro-c)
sudo apt install libavro-dev- Section: universe/libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: avro-c
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Avro C
Ubuntu apt95%
libavro23 1.11.1-1build1
Apache Avro C shared library (avro-c)
sudo apt install libavro23- Section: universe/libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: avro-c
- 5 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Avro C
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