macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install bib-toollocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install BibToolMacPorts ports tree · tex/BibTool/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install bib-tool with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper
Manipulates BibTeX databases. Version 2.68 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install bibtoolDebian stable package indexes · bibtool · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install BibToolFedora Rawhide package metadata · BibTool · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#bibtoolnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/bi/bibtool/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S bibtoolArch Linux sync databases · bibtool · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install bibtoolopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · bibtool · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Manipulates BibTeX databases
Project links
Commands and aliases
- bibtool
history
Project history and usage
BibTool is Gerd Neugebauer's C command-line tool for manipulating BibTeX databases beyond what BibTeX itself was designed to do.
Project history
The BibTool manual and README frame the project as filling the gap between BibTeX's citation/bibliography generation role and the day-to-day management of BibTeX files. Its documented functions include pretty-printing, syntax and semantic checks, sorting, merging, reference-key generation, .aux-based extraction, regex-based selection and rewriting, macro expansion, and statistics.
The manual carries copyright years beginning in 1995, while the public GitHub history includes a 2007 initial revision and a 2013 repository reorganization/cleanup. The changelog records active 2.x maintenance through release 2.68 in April 2020.
Adoption history
BibTool is distributed through TeX-oriented channels and general OS package managers. The README points users to CTAN and notes binary distributions via native package managers, while the input metadata lists Homebrew, Debian, Fedora/DNF, MacPorts, Nix, Arch, Ubuntu, and openSUSE/Zypper packaging.
How it is used
Users run bibtool to normalize, check, sort, merge, rewrite, select, and extract entries from .bib files. Configuration is resource-file driven: the manual documents $BIBTOOLRSC, the default .bibtoolrsc in the user's home directory, and resource search paths.
Why package nerds care
BibTool matters because bibliography cleanup is both mundane and surprisingly exacting. Packaging it gives TeX users a scriptable, reproducible way to keep large .bib databases consistent without opening a GUI reference manager.
Timeline
- 1995: BibTool manual copyright period begins.
- 2007: Public Git history records an initial revision.
- 2013: Repository reorganization and cleanup are recorded.
- 2016: Releases 2.63 through 2.66 add resource and biblatex-related work.
- 2017: Release 2.67 adds parsing/error-handling documentation and behavior.
- 2020: Release 2.68 adds checks, .aux extraction improvements, and resource updates.
Related projects
- BibTool is related to BibTeX, LaTeX, CTAN tooling, biblatex-aware workflows, and other bibliography-processing utilities. Compared with bibclean, BibTool is broader: it is a BibTeX database manipulation engine, not just a pretty-printer and syntax checker.
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:database
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 13 platform targets.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
Configuration and credential file locations
These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.
Configuration files
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Unix
$BIBTOOLRSC~/.bibtoolrsc./.bibtoolrsc
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
bibtool | 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 version2.68
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://github.com/ge-ne/bibtool
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/ge-ne/bibtoolnone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:bib-tool |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.68 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/bib-tool |
| Homepage | https://www.gerd-neugebauer.de/software/TeX/BibTool/en/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/ge-ne/bibtool |
| Upstream docs | https://www.gerd-neugebauer.de/software/TeX/BibTool/bibtool.pdf |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://github.com/ge-ne/bibtool/releases/download/BibTool_2_68/BibTool-2.68.tar.gz |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura, 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 | bib-tool |
| 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.
MacPorts94%
BibTool
sudo port install BibTool- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Bibtool
Debian apt92%
bibtool 2.68+ds-3
tool to manipulate BibTeX files
http://www.gerd-neugebauer.de/software/TeX/BibTool/index.en.html
sudo apt install bibtool- Section: tex
- Architecture: amd64
- 3 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Bibtool
Nix92%
bibtool
nix profile install nixpkgs#bibtool- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Bibtool
Ubuntu apt92%
bibtool 2.68+ds-1
tool to manipulate BibTeX files
http://www.gerd-neugebauer.de/software/TeX/BibTool/index.en.html
sudo apt install bibtool- Section: universe/tex
- Architecture: amd64
- 3 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Bibtool
dnf92%
BibTool 2.68-29.fc44
A Tool for manipulating BibTeX data bases
http://www.gerd-neugebauer.de/software/TeX/BibTool/
sudo dnf install BibTool- License: GPL-2.0-or-later AND CC-BY-SA-3.0
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: BibTool
- 2 dependencies
- 1 provides
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Bibtool
pacman92%
bibtool 2.68-6
A tool for manipulating BibTeX files
http://www.gerd-neugebauer.de/software/TeX/BibTool/en/
sudo pacman -S bibtool- License: GPL2
- Architecture: x86_64
- 2 dependencies
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Bibtool
zypper92%
bibtool 2.68-4.2
Tool for Manipulating BibTeX Databases
http://www.gerd-neugebauer.de/software/TeX/BibTool/index.en.html
sudo zypper install bibtool- License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 AND GPL-1.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: bibtool
- 1 dependencies
- 2 provides
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Bibtool
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 configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment