Install cargo-c with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper

Project links

• Homepage
• Upstream docs
• Package manager page

Commands and aliases

• cargo-capi
• cargo-cbuild
• cargo-cinstall
• cargo-ctest

Project history

The lu-zero/cargo-c repository was created in May 2019 and cargo-c 0.1.0 was published to crates.io in June 2019 with cargo-cbuild and cargo-cinstall binaries. The project grew into a four-command suite: cargo-capi, cargo-cbuild, cargo-cinstall, and cargo-ctest.

The README describes cargo-c as a bridge between Cargo and traditional C library distribution. It uses Cargo.toml metadata under `package.metadata.capi` to configure headers, pkg-config files, generated or copied assets, library names, versioning, install paths, and target-specific behavior.

cargo-c integrates with cbindgen for header generation and pkg-config for consumer metadata. Its versioning scheme also tracks the embedded Cargo version in current releases, tying the tool's behavior to the Cargo implementation it vendors or embeds.

Adoption history

cargo-c is one of the more significant Rust packaging tools because it lets Rust libraries participate in long-established C and Unix packaging workflows. The README lists users including ebur128, gcode-rs, gst-plugins-rs, lewton, libdovi, libimagequant, librsvg, rav1e, rustls-ffi, sled, pathfinder, and udbserver.

Distribution adoption is broad for a Cargo plugin: the input records Alpine, Homebrew, Debian, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, Arch, Ubuntu, and openSUSE packaging. Crates.io reports more than 960,000 downloads and over 90 published versions, reflecting an actively maintained compatibility layer rather than a one-shot helper.

How it is used

Users install cargo-c from crates.io with `cargo install cargo-c`. `cargo cbuild` builds a library and produces a C header and pkg-config file, `cargo ctest` builds and runs tests, and `cargo cinstall` installs the generated library, header, and metadata into a destination prefix.

A typical project adds a C API module, a `capi` feature, and optional `package.metadata.capi` settings in Cargo.toml. cargo-c then produces artifacts that C and C-compatible build systems can consume through headers, shared or static libraries, and pkg-config.

Why package nerds care

cargo-c matters because it solves a packaging boundary that Rust itself deliberately does not hide: Rust crates are not automatically C libraries. By generating the Unix packaging pieces expected by downstream consumers, it lets Rust code enter ecosystems built around C headers, SONAMEs, pkg-config, and distro install prefixes.

For package maintainers, cargo-c is a practical adapter between language-package metadata and system-package policy. It is especially visible in multimedia and systems libraries where Rust implementations need to be consumed by C applications or by build systems such as Meson.

Timeline

• 2019-05-23: GitHub repository lu-zero/cargo-c was created.
• 2019-06-26: cargo-c 0.1.0 was published on crates.io with cargo-cbuild and cargo-cinstall.
• 2019-2021: The command set expanded to include cargo-capi and cargo-ctest.
• 2020s: README documented real users including gst-plugins-rs, librsvg, rav1e, rustls-ffi, and libimagequant.
• 2026-06-01: Version 0.10.23+cargo-0.97.1 was published.

Related projects

• cbindgen is used for C header generation.
• pkg-config is the metadata format cargo-c emits for C consumers.
• Projects listed by the README as users include gst-plugins-rs, librsvg, rav1e, rustls-ffi, libimagequant, lewton, and sled.

Sources

• GitHub repository API metadata: https://api.github.com/repos/lu-zero/cargo-c
• Official README: https://github.com/lu-zero/cargo-c#readme
• Package-manager adoption from source_facts.package-manager.
• crates.io API metadata and versions: https://crates.io/api/v1/crates/cargo-c