macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install botanlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install botanMacPorts ports tree · security/botan/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install botan with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, pacman, zypper
Cryptographic algorithms and formats library in C++. Version 3.12.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install botanDebian stable package indexes · botan · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install botanFedora Rawhide package metadata · botan · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S botanArch Linux sync databases · botan · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install BotanopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · Botan · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Cryptographic algorithms and formats library in C++
Project links
Commands and aliases
- botan
history
Project history and usage
Botan is a permissively licensed C++ cryptography toolkit with a library-first identity and a substantial command-line companion. In package-manager culture it occupies the same broad territory as OpenSSL, libsodium, and Crypto++, but with a C++ API, modular build controls, Python/C FFI surfaces, and an intentionally broad algorithm catalog.
Project history
The current public development home is the randombit/botan GitHub repository, created in March 2013, while the official documentation describes Botan as a C++ cryptography library focused on production cryptography. Its handbook frames the project around secure distributed systems, constant-time programming, test coverage, side-channel analysis, safe defaults, portability to modern systems, and post-quantum readiness.
Botan 3 became the active release line, with the upstream README documenting quarterly Botan3 minor releases. Botan2 reached end of life on 2025-01-01, with the final Botan2 release listed as 2.19.5 from 2024-07-08.
Adoption history
Botan is distributed by major Unix-like package systems, including Homebrew, Debian-family distributions, Fedora, Arch, MacPorts, and openSUSE according to the package facts and the upstream README's distribution note. Its adoption is less about a single dominant CLI and more about being a reusable cryptographic substrate for C++ applications that want TLS, X.509, PKCS#11, TPM, password hashing, and newer post-quantum primitives without binding themselves to OpenSSL APIs.
The project also exposes C, Python, and third-party language bindings, which makes it useful to packagers who want one audited native cryptography implementation to serve multiple language ecosystems.
How it is used
The installed `botan` executable exposes many library functions in shell form: hashing, HMAC, password hashing, symmetric encryption, public-key operations, certificate handling, TLS-related tooling, and other cryptographic utilities. The library side is used by applications that need a C++ cryptography API with configurable modules and platform certificate-store support.
For package users, Botan is commonly installed as a development dependency as well as a CLI utility; its package significance comes from headers, libraries, ABI concerns, and feature selection as much as from the command-line binary.
Why package nerds care
Botan is a classic package-nerd library: it is security-sensitive, ABI-sensitive, heavily tested, and exposed through many downstream packages. Its release notes read like infrastructure maintenance, with CVEs, certificate-path behavior, compiler support, optimized CPU code paths, TLS conformance, and algorithm additions all mattering to downstream maintainers.
It is also notable as a modern C++ crypto stack that deliberately includes post-quantum algorithms and side-channel testing in its project goals, making it a useful barometer for where general-purpose cryptography libraries are moving.
Timeline
- 2013: Public GitHub repository created for randombit/botan.
- 2024: Botan 2.19.5 released as the final Botan2 series release.
- 2025: Botan2 reached end of life on January 1.
- 2026: Botan 3.12.0 released with TLS, X.509, performance, and security fixes.
Related projects
- OpenSSL is the most common comparison point for everyday command-line crypto and TLS tooling.
- Crypto++ is a related C++ cryptography library in the same packaging space.
- libsodium is a related security library with a narrower, opinionated API surface.
Sources
security posture
No protected-tool coverage found yet
No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for botan. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.
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 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
botan | 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 version3.12.0
manager updated2026-06-22
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://botan.randombit.net/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:botan |
|---|---|
| Version | 3.12.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/botan |
| Homepage | https://botan.randombit.net/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/randombit/botan |
| Upstream docs | https://botan.randombit.net/doxygen |
| License | BSD-2-Clause |
| Source archive | https://botan.randombit.net/releases/Botan-3.12.0.tar.xz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-22T14:02:54-07:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | ca-certificates, python@3.14, sqlite |
| Build dependencies | pkgconf |
| Uses from macOS | bzip2 |
| 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 | botan |
| Aliases |
|
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| 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%
botan 3.7.1+dfsg-2
multiplatform crypto library (3.x version)
sudo apt install botan- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: botan3
- 4 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Botan
Debian apt95%
libbotan-2-19 2.19.5+dfsg-4
multiplatform crypto library (2.x version)
sudo apt install libbotan-2-19- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: botan
- 9 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Botan
Debian apt95%
libbotan-2-dev 2.19.5+dfsg-4
multiplatform crypto library (2.x version)
sudo apt install libbotan-2-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: botan
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Botan
Debian apt95%
libbotan-2-doc 2.19.5+dfsg-4
multiplatform crypto library (2.x version)
sudo apt install libbotan-2-doc- Section: doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: botan
- 4 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Botan
Ubuntu apt95%
botan 2.19.3+dfsg-1ubuntu2
multiplatform crypto library (2.x version)
sudo apt install botan- Section: universe/libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- 4 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Botan
Ubuntu apt95%
libbotan-2-19 2.19.3+dfsg-1ubuntu2
multiplatform crypto library (2.x version)
sudo apt install libbotan-2-19- Section: universe/libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: botan
- 8 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Botan
Ubuntu apt95%
libbotan-2-dev 2.19.3+dfsg-1ubuntu2
multiplatform crypto library (2.x version)
sudo apt install libbotan-2-dev- Section: universe/libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: botan
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Botan
Ubuntu apt95%
libbotan-2-doc 2.19.3+dfsg-1ubuntu2
multiplatform crypto library (2.x version)
sudo apt install libbotan-2-doc- Section: universe/doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: botan
- 4 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Botan
Ubuntu apt95%
python3-botan 2.19.3+dfsg-1ubuntu2
multiplatform crypto library (2.x version), Python3 module
sudo apt install python3-botan- Section: universe/python
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: botan
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Botan
dnf95%
botan 1.10.17-54.fc45
Crypto library written in C++
sudo dnf install botan- License: LicenseRef-Callaway-BSD
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: botan
- 7 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Botan
dnf95%
botan-devel 1.10.17-54.fc45
Development files for botan
sudo dnf install botan-devel- License: LicenseRef-Callaway-BSD
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: botan
- 7 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Botan
dnf95%
botan-doc 1.10.17-54.fc45
Documentation for botan
sudo dnf install botan-doc- License: LicenseRef-Callaway-BSD
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: botan
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Botan
dnf95%
python3-botan 1.10.17-54.fc45
Python3 bindings for botan
sudo dnf install python3-botan- License: LicenseRef-Callaway-BSD
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: botan
- 8 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Botan
pacman95%
botan 3.12.0-1
Crypto library written in C++
sudo pacman -S botan- License: BSD-2-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- 7 dependencies
- 2 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Botan
zypper95%
Botan 3.11.1-1.2
A C++ Crypto Library
sudo zypper install Botan- License: BSD-2-Clause
- Category: Development/Libraries/C and C++
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: Botan
- 4 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Botan
zypper95%
Botan-doc 3.11.1-1.2
Documentation of Botan
sudo zypper install Botan-doc- License: BSD-2-Clause
- Category: Development/Libraries/C and C++
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: Botan
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Botan
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