install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install cproto

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install cproto

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

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add cproto

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · cproto · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install cproto

Debian stable package indexes · cproto · source: deb.debian.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install cproto

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · cproto · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#cproto

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

overview

Package summary

Generate function prototypes for functions in input files

Project links

Commands and aliases

cproto

history

Project history and usage

cproto is a long-lived C source utility for generating function prototypes and declarations from C input files. It also supports conversions between old-style K&R function definitions and ANSI C style, plus lint-library generation.

Project history

The official history says Chin Huang wrote and maintained cproto while at the University of Waterloo, with the first public version posted to comp.sources.unix in October 1989. Updates followed on comp.sources.misc through the early 1990s.

Thomas E. Dickey began working on cproto in June 1993, sending fixes and improvements to Huang. His work added lint-library support, GNU configure support, regression tests, diagnostics, and ports including VAX/VMS and HP/Apollo.

The modern Invisible Island page documents Dickey's continued maintenance, occasional fixes, generated documentation, release archives, and an official GitHub snapshots repository.

Adoption history

cproto spread through the Unix source-sharing ecosystem before modern package managers, with releases posted to comp.sources.unix and comp.sources.misc. The official page later cataloged downstream package references for Debian, RPM-based systems, SlackBuilds, FreshPorts, NetBSD pkgsrc, AIX, HP-UX, and Repology.

How it is used

The manpage describes cproto as reading C source files or standard input and writing generated function prototypes to standard output. It can process K&R or ANSI-style definitions, optionally emit variable declarations, convert source forms, and generate lint-library source.

Why package nerds care

cproto is a classic small Unix development tool: it predates Git hosting, has Usenet-release provenance, uses generated manpage documentation, and remains packaged because it solves a narrow C maintenance problem that still appears in legacy codebases.

Timeline

1989: Chin Huang's first cproto release was posted to comp.sources.unix volume 20, issue 39.
1991: cproto 2.0 and 2.2 updates appeared on comp.sources.misc.
1992: cproto 3.x updates continued on comp.sources.misc.
1993: Thomas E. Dickey began contributing fixes and improvements.
1994: cproto 4.0 appeared with Dickey's contributions including lint-library work, configure support, and additional ports.
2016: Thomas Dickey's cproto-snapshots GitHub repository was created for release and interim labels.

Related projects

The official history contrasts cproto with protoize and notes cproto's role in generating lint libraries.
Dickey's page says he currently uses cproto to generate lint libraries for ncurses.

Sources

security posture

No protected-tool coverage found yet

No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for cproto. 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.

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
`cproto`	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 version4.8

manager updated2026-05-15

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://invisible-island.net/cproto/

infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://invisible-island.net/cproto/none confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:cproto
Version	4.8
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/cproto
Homepage	https://invisible-island.net/cproto/
Repository	https://github.com/ThomasDickey/cproto-snapshots
Upstream docs	https://invisible-island.net/cproto/cproto.html
License	LicenseRef-Homebrew-public-domain
Source archive	https://invisible-mirror.net/archives/cproto/cproto-4.8.tgz
Last updated	2026-05-15T23:57:12Z
Pulse	updated
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	cproto
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	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.

Debian apt95%

cproto 4.7x-1

utilities to generate C function prototypes from C source code

https://invisible-island.net/cproto/cproto.html

sudo apt install cproto

Section: devel
Architecture: amd64
2 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Cproto

Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: cproto from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

Nix95%

cproto

nix profile install nixpkgs#cproto

normalized package name match
Matched by: Cproto

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

Ubuntu apt95%

cproto 4.7v-2

utilities to generate C function prototypes from C source code

https://invisible-island.net/cproto/cproto.html

sudo apt install cproto

Section: universe/devel
Architecture: amd64
2 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Cproto

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: cproto from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

apk95%

cproto 4.7y-r1

Generate C function prototypes from C source code

https://invisible-island.net/cproto/

sudo apk add cproto

License: Public-Domain
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: cproto
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Cproto

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: cproto from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

cproto-doc 4.7y-r1

Generate C function prototypes from C source code (documentation)

https://invisible-island.net/cproto/

sudo apk add cproto-doc

License: Public-Domain
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: cproto
normalized package name match
Matched by: Cproto

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: cproto-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

dnf95%

cproto 4.8-1.fc45

Generates function prototypes and variable declarations from C code

http://invisible-island.net/

sudo dnf install cproto

License: LicenseRef-Fedora-Public-Domain
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: cproto
2 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Cproto

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: cproto from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst

MacPorts95%

cproto

sudo port install cproto

normalized package name match
Matched by: Cproto

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: devel/cproto/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/cproto.yml

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

Install cproto with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix

Additional install commands

macOS

Linux

Package summary

Project links

Commands and aliases

Project history and usage

Project history

Adoption history

How it is used

Why package nerds care

Timeline

Related projects

Sources

No protected-tool coverage found yet

Install behavior

Recommended review

Installed executables

Version and freshness

Package metadata

Source database details

Other package-manager records

Internal package links

Topical hubs

Same workflow

Agent security guides

Generated from repository data

Combined YAML source

Used sources