macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install cdblocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install cdbMacPorts ports tree · databases/cdb/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install cdb with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix
Create and read constant databases. Version 20251021 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#cdbnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/cd/cdb/package.nix · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
Create and read constant databases
Project links
Commands and aliases
- cdb64dump
- cdb64get
- cdb64make
- cdb64make-12
- cdb64make-sv
- cdb64stats
- cdb64test
- cdbdump
- cdbget
- cdbmake
- cdbmake-12
- cdbmake-sv
- cdbstats
- cdbtest
history
Project history and usage
cdb is D. J. Bernstein's constant database package: a small file format and toolset for creating immutable key-value databases with fast lookups and atomic replacement. It is aimed at workloads where data is rebuilt wholesale and then read many times.
Project history
The official cdb site describes cdb as a fast, reliable, simple package for creating and reading constant databases, with successful lookups in large databases normally taking two disk accesses and unsuccessful lookups one. The official format page republishes Bernstein's original 19960914 document, 'A structure for constant databases,' which defines the core cdb file layout, hash tables, records, little-endian 32-bit quantities, and hash function.
The official download page records cdb-0.55 on 1996-09-22 as the first release, cdb-0.70 on 2000-02-17 as an almost complete API rewrite with mmap suggested by Ken Lalonde, cdb-0.75 on 2000-02-19 as a bug-fix and performance release, and a 2025-10-21 release adding cdb64 support, configure/make install support, and updated documentation.
Adoption history
cdb's adoption has been unusually long-lived for a tiny database format. The official site lists independent support packages and bindings in Perl, Ruby, Go, Rust, Python/Node wrappers through cdb64-rs, and TinyCDB wrappers. The Homebrew input also records cdb packages in Homebrew, MacPorts, and Nix.
How it is used
cdb is used when a program needs a compact, immutable lookup table that can be regenerated atomically. The package includes cdbmake for building databases, cdbget for lookup, cdbdump for dumping records, cdbstats for inspection, and a C read API documented on the official site.
Why package nerds care
For package nerds, cdb is part of the D. J. Bernstein software lineage and a canonical example of a tiny, stable file format that escaped its original codebase. Its appeal is the combination of predictable lookup behavior, crash-safe replacement, public-domain-style licensing in packaged builds, and easy reimplementation in many languages.
Timeline
- 1996-09-14: Original cdb format document date on the official format page.
- 1996-09-22: cdb-0.55 first release on the official download page.
- 2000-02-17: cdb-0.70 rewrote almost everything from scratch and incorporated mmap.
- 2000-02-19: cdb-0.75 fixed a database creation bug and improved cdbmake performance.
- 2025-10-21: Official release added cdb64 support and modern configure/install support.
Related projects
- The official intro page lists cdb64, cdb64-rs, CDB_File, cdb-full, CDB::TinyCDB, and Go implementations as packages that support the cdb or cdb64 formats.
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 6 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.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
cdb64dump | cli | global executable | |
cdb64get | cli | global executable | |
cdb64make | cli | global executable | |
cdb64make-12 | cli | global executable | |
cdb64make-sv | cli | global executable | |
cdb64stats | cli | global executable | |
cdb64test | cli | global executable | |
cdbdump | cli | global executable | |
cdbget | cli | global executable | |
cdbmake | cli | global executable | |
cdbmake-12 | cli | global executable | |
cdbmake-sv | cli | global executable | |
cdbstats | cli | global executable | |
cdbtest | 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 version20251021
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://cdb.cr.yp.to/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:cdb |
|---|---|
| Version | 20251021 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/cdb |
| Homepage | https://cdb.cr.yp.to/ |
| Upstream docs | https://cdb.cr.yp.to/ |
| License | LicenseRef-Homebrew-public-domain OR CC0-1.0 OR 0BSD OR MIT-0 OR MIT |
| Source archive | https://cdb.cr.yp.to/cdb-20251021.tar.gz |
| 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 | cdb |
| 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.
Nix95%
cdb
nix profile install nixpkgs#cdb- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Cdb
MacPorts95%
cdb
sudo port install cdb- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Cdb
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