Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install bear with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, Nix, pacman, MacPorts, winget, zypper

Generate compilation database for clang tooling. Version 4.1.5 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-03. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install bear.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install bear

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install Bear

MacPorts ports tree · devel/Bear/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add bear

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · bear · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install bear

Debian stable package indexes · bear · source: deb.debian.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install bear

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · bear · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#bear

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/be/bear/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S bear

Arch Linux sync databases · bear · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install Bear

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · Bear · source: download.opensuse.org

Windows

Windows Package Managerverified · 92%
winget install --id the-sz.Bear -e

Windows Package Manager source index · the-sz.Bear · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com

overview

Package summary

Generate compilation database for clang tooling

Commands and aliases

  • bear
  • bear-driver
  • bear-wrapper

history

Project history and usage

Bear generates compile_commands.json compilation databases for Clang tooling by capturing compiler invocations during a build.

Project history

The official repository describes Bear as a tool for producing the JSON compilation database used by Clang-based tools to understand compiler flags, include paths, and other translation-unit settings.

Bear exists for build systems that cannot emit a compilation database directly. Its README now advises users to prefer native compilation-database export from CMake, Meson, or Bazel when available, and to use Bear as the compatibility bridge for other builds.

The install documentation notes that Bear has been around for a while, is packaged by many distributions, and is now implemented in Rust, with a preload library still involved in compiler-call interception.

Adoption history

Bear's adoption followed the spread of clang tooling, clangd, clang-tidy, and editor integrations that expect compile_commands.json. The supplied package metadata shows broad packaging across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Alpine, Arch, MacPorts, Nix, Winget, and openSUSE.

The README warns that some package managers still ship the 2.4.x command-line behavior, which is a useful package-history detail: Bear is widely packaged, but users can encounter different major-version interfaces depending on distribution lag.

How it is used

Modern Bear usage is `bear -- <build-command>`. It writes compile_commands.json to the current working directory after observing the build.

The README calls out platform-specific limitations around interception, including macOS System Integrity Protection and sandboxed builds such as Nix and Flatpak; users are directed to the wiki for workarounds.

Why package nerds care

Bear is important because compile_commands.json became the lingua franca for C and C++ tooling. Installing Bear can make old Makefile or custom builds visible to clangd and static-analysis tools without rewriting the build system.

For package nerds it is also a reminder that developer tools can be infrastructure glue: a small CLI whose whole job is to translate messy local build behavior into a stable JSON artifact other tools understand.

Timeline

  • 2012: The official GitHub repository for Bear was created.
  • 2022-2025: The GitHub releases show the 3.x series progressing through multiple distribution-era releases.
  • 2026: The GitHub releases show the 4.x series, while the install docs describe the current Rust implementation.

Related projects

  • Clang's JSON Compilation Database is the direct data format Bear produces.
  • CMake, Meson, and Bazel are related because Bear's README names them as build systems whose native compilation-database export should usually be preferred.

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:database

Install behavior

  • No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
  • 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

CommandKindExposureNote
bearcliglobal executable
bear-drivercliglobal executable
bear-wrappercliglobal 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 generated2026-07-25
manager version4.1.5
manager updated2026-07-03
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detected4.1.5

https://github.com/rizsotto/Bear

  • okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:bear
Version4.1.5
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/bear
Homepagehttps://github.com/rizsotto/Bear
Repositoryhttps://github.com/rizsotto/Bear
Upstream docshttps://github.com/rizsotto/Bear#readme
LicenseGPL-3.0-or-later
Source archivehttps://github.com/rizsotto/Bear/archive/refs/tags/4.1.5.tar.gz
Last updated2026-07-03T17:56:33Z
Pulseupdated
Build dependenciespkgconf, rust
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namebear
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Head VersionHEAD
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • head
  • stable

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%

bear 3.1.6-1

generate compilation database for Clang tooling

https://github.com/rizsotto/Bear

sudo apt install bear
  • Section: devel
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 10 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Bear
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: bear from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Debian apt95%

libear 3.1.6-1

generate compilation database for Clang tooling (wrapper library)

https://github.com/rizsotto/Bear

sudo apt install libear
  • Section: libs
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: bear
  • 8 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Bear
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: libear from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Nix95%

bear

nix profile install nixpkgs#bear
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Bear
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/be/bear/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Ubuntu apt95%

bear 3.1.3-1build4

generate compilation database for Clang tooling

https://github.com/rizsotto/Bear

sudo apt install bear
  • Section: universe/devel
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 9 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Bear
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: bear from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
Ubuntu apt95%

libear 3.1.3-1build4

generate compilation database for Clang tooling (wrapper library)

https://github.com/rizsotto/Bear

sudo apt install libear
  • Section: universe/libs
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: bear
  • 9 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Bear
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libear from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
apk95%

bear 4.1.4-r0

Tool that generates a compilation database for clang tooling

https://github.com/rizsotto/Bear

sudo apk add bear
  • License: GPL-3.0-or-later
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: bear
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Bear
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: bear from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

bear-doc 4.1.4-r0

Tool that generates a compilation database for clang tooling (documentation)

https://github.com/rizsotto/Bear

sudo apk add bear-doc
  • License: GPL-3.0-or-later
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: bear
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Bear
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: bear-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
dnf95%

bear 4.1.4-1.fc45

Tool that generates a compilation database for clang tooling

https://github.com/rizsotto/bear

sudo dnf install bear
  • License: GPL-3.0-or-later AND (Apache-2.0 OR BSL-1.0) AND (Apache-2.0 OR MIT) AND MIT AND (Unlicense OR MIT)
  • Category: Unspecified
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: bear
  • 5 dependencies
  • 2 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Bear
Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: bear from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst
pacman95%

bear 4.1.4-1

A tool to generate compilation database for clang tooling

https://github.com/rizsotto/Bear

sudo pacman -S bear
  • License: GPL-3.0-or-later
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • 3 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Bear
Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: bear from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz
zypper95%

Bear 3.1.6-1.20

Tool to generate compilation database for clang tooling

https://github.com/rizsotto/Bear

sudo zypper install Bear
  • License: GPL-3.0-or-later
  • Category: Unspecified
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: Bear
  • 19 dependencies
  • 2 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Bear
openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: Bear from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst
MacPorts95%

Bear

sudo port install Bear
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Bear
MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: devel/Bear/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
winget95%

the-sz.Bear

winget install --id the-sz.Bear -e
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Bear
Windows Package Manager source index · cdn.winget.microsoft.com · Windows Package Manager source index: the-sz.Bear from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

Related tools

  • pkgconfBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • rustBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

  • compiledbShares av.db curated category or tags: build-tools, clang, cli, compilation-database, developer-tools.
  • antShares av.db curated category or tags: build-tool, build-tools, cli, developer-tools.
  • bazelShares av.db curated category or tags: build-tool, build-tools, cli, developer-tools.
  • bazel-diffShares av.db curated category or tags: build-tool, build-tools, cli, developer-tools.
  • boot-cljShares av.db curated category or tags: build-tool, build-tools, cli, developer-tools.
  • ccacheShares av.db curated category or tags: build-tools, clang, cli, developer-tools.

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.

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