install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install cscope

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install cscope

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

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add cscope

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

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install cscope

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

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install cscope

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

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#cscope

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

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S cscope

Arch Linux sync databases · cscope · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%

sudo zypper install cscope

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · cscope · source: download.opensuse.org

Windows

Scoopverified · 92%

scoop install main/cscope

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/cscope.json · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Tool for browsing source code

Project links

Commands and aliases

cscope
ocs

history

Project history and usage

cscope is a classic Unix source-code browser and cross-reference tool for C-family code. Its history is unusually important for package nerds because it moved from Bell Labs internal tooling into official AT&T Unix and then into open-source Unix distributions.

Project history

The official cscope history page attributes the original work to Joe Steffen at Bell Labs in the early 1980s. It describes the first version as growing from shell scripts using grep and sed into a C program that parsed source into a tagged, updateable database for repeated searches.

Adoption history

The cscope homepage says it was part of the official AT&T Unix distribution for many years. The history page says it spread through AT&T and Bell Labs by the exptools network, was used at AT&T locations around the world, and supported projects with millions of lines of C and C++.

How it is used

The man page describes cscope as an interactive, screen-oriented tool that builds a cscope.out cross-reference database and searches definitions, callers, callees, strings, regular expressions, files, and includes. It can also use cscope.files as the default namefile and offers a line-oriented mode for scripts and editor frontends.

Why package nerds care

cscope is a small but culturally durable Unix developer tool: curses UI, on-disk indexes, editor integration, and broad packaging across Homebrew, Linux distributions, MacPorts, Nix, Scoop, and others. It is the kind of tool whose package value is stable because it serves old and large codebases without needing a language server.

Timeline

Early 1980s: Joe Steffen started cscope at Bell Labs.
AT&T Unix era: cscope became part of the official AT&T Unix distribution.
2000: SCO open sourced the Cscope code under the BSD license.
2012: The official homepage announced cscope 15.8a.
2026: Homebrew formula metadata lists stable version 15.9.

Related projects

The homepage documents integration with Vim and nvi, and the man page documents command-line and line-oriented modes that allow wrappers and frontends.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 13 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: ./cscope.files

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`cscope`	cli	global executable
`ocs`	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 version15.9

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://cscope.sourceforge.net/

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://cscope.sourceforge.net/none confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:cscope
Version	15.9
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/cscope
Homepage	https://cscope.sourceforge.net/
Repository	https://sourceforge.net/p/cscope/cscope/ci/master/tree
Upstream docs	https://cscope.sourceforge.net/
License	BSD-3-Clause
Source archive	https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/cscope/cscope/v15.9/cscope-15.9.tar.gz
Uses from macOS	ncurses
Bottle	available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, 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	cscope
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%

cscope 15.9-2

interactively examine a C program source

https://cscope.sourceforge.net/

sudo apt install cscope

Section: devel
Architecture: amd64
3 dependencies
1 optional deps
normalized package name match
Matched by: Cscope

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

Nix95%

cscope

nix profile install nixpkgs#cscope

normalized package name match
Matched by: Cscope

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

Ubuntu apt95%

cscope 15.9-2

interactively examine a C program source

https://cscope.sourceforge.net/

sudo apt install cscope

Section: universe/devel
Architecture: amd64
3 dependencies
1 optional deps
normalized package name match
Matched by: Cscope

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

apk95%

cscope 15.9-r1

Cscope is a developer's tool for browsing source code.

https://cscope.sourceforge.net/

sudo apk add cscope

License: BSD-3-Clause
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: cscope
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Cscope

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

apk95%

cscope-doc 15.9-r1

Cscope is a developer's tool for browsing source code. (documentation)

https://cscope.sourceforge.net/

sudo apk add cscope-doc

License: BSD-3-Clause
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: cscope
normalized package name match
Matched by: Cscope

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

dnf95%

cscope 15.9-31.fc45

C source code tree search and browse tool

http://cscope.sourceforge.net

sudo dnf install cscope

License: BSD-3-Clause AND GPL-2.0-or-later
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: cscope
9 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Cscope

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

pacman95%

cscope 15.9-3

A developers tool for browsing program code

http://cscope.sourceforge.net/

sudo pacman -S cscope

License: BSD
Architecture: x86_64
2 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Cscope

Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: cscope from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

zypper95%

cscope 15.9-2.6

Interactive Tool for Browsing C Source Code

http://cscope.sourceforge.net/

sudo zypper install cscope

License: BSD-3-Clause
Category: Development/Tools/Navigators
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: cscope
4 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Cscope

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: cscope from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst

MacPorts95%

cscope

sudo port install cscope

normalized package name match
Matched by: Cscope

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

Scoop95%

main/cscope

scoop install main/cscope

normalized package name match
Matched by: Cscope

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · api.github.com · Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/cscope.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/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/cscope.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 cscope with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, scoop, zypper

Additional install commands

macOS

Linux

Windows

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

Risk level: green

Risk classifier

Why

Signals

Install behavior

Recommended review

Configuration and credential file locations

Configuration files

Installed executables

Version and freshness

Package metadata

Source database details

Other package-manager records

Internal package links

Topical hubs

Related tools

Same workflow

Agent security guides

Generated from repository data

Combined YAML source

Used sources