install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install clib

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install clib

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

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#clib

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

overview

Package summary

Package manager for C programming

Project links

Commands and aliases

clib
clib-build
clib-configure
clib-init
clib-install
clib-search
clib-uninstall
clib-update
clib-upgrade

history

Project history and usage

clib is a package manager for the C programming language, built around small standalone C libraries and a `clib.json` manifest.

Project history

The clib GitHub repository was created in October 2012 and presents the project as a package manager for C. The README describes it as a way to promote small C utilities, improve discovery, and avoid pulling large frameworks into C projects.

clib's project model expects packages to describe themselves with `clib.json`, including fields such as name, version, repo, description, keywords, license, sources, and install commands. The wiki package listing acts as the registry and feeds `clib-search`.

Adoption history

The README documents installation through Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, and source builds on Ubuntu and Fedora, showing packaging across both macOS package managers and Unix-like source workflows.

GitHub repository metadata showed thousands of stars at research time, and the project has continued publishing 2.x releases through 2024. That combination makes it one of the more recognizable attempts to give C a lightweight package-manager workflow.

How it is used

clib is used to initialize projects, install dependencies, update or uninstall packages, configure and build dependencies, and search the registry. The README recommends checking fetched files into the consuming repository so end users and contributors do not need clib installed.

Common commands include `clib install clibs/ms clibs/commander`, installing packages into `./deps` or another output directory, and using `clib.json` to describe both libraries and executables.

Why package nerds care

clib is significant because C has no single dominant package manager comparable to npm or Cargo. clib's deliberately small model, GitHub-centered registry, vendored source expectation, and manifest format capture a practical answer to C's fragmented library-discovery problem.

For package nerds, clib sits in the lineage of language package managers but keeps C's cultural preference for source files, makefiles, and minimal runtime assumptions. Its Homebrew/MacPorts/Nix availability also made it easy to try without adopting a whole new platform.

Timeline

2012: The GitHub repository is created.
2017: GitHub release metadata records clib 1.8.1.
2023: GitHub release metadata records clib 2.8.3 and 2.8.5.
2024: GitHub release metadata records clib 2.8.7.

Related projects

The clibs GitHub organization and clib wiki package list are related because the README describes them as the package registry.
Homebrew, MacPorts, and Nix are related distribution channels documented by the README and input package metadata.
libcurl is a build dependency named by the README.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: orange

infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal.

Risk classifier

orange risk · medium confidence · infrastructure

Why

infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal

Signals

text:package manager

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 10 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: ./clib.json

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure
`clib`	cli	global executable
`clib-build`	cli	global executable
`clib-configure`	cli	global executable
`clib-init`	cli	global executable
`clib-install`	cli	global executable
`clib-search`	cli	global executable
`clib-uninstall`	cli	global executable
`clib-update`	cli	global executable
`clib-upgrade`	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 version2.8.7

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detected2.8.7

https://github.com/clibs/clib

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:clib
Version	2.8.7
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/clib
Homepage	https://github.com/clibs/clib
Repository	https://github.com/clibs/clib
Upstream docs	https://github.com/clibs/clib#readme
License	MIT
Source archive	https://github.com/clibs/clib/archive/refs/tags/2.8.7.tar.gz
Uses from macOS	curl
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, 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	clib
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	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.

Nix95%

clib

nix profile install nixpkgs#clib

normalized package name match
Matched by: Clib

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/cl/clib/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

MacPorts95%

clib

sudo port install clib

normalized package name match
Matched by: Clib

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: devel/clib/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

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

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.

combined/clib.yml

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

Install clib with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix