macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install freetdslocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install freetdsMacPorts ports tree · databases/freetds/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install freetds with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper
Libraries to talk to Microsoft SQL Server and Sybase databases. Version 1.5.18 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add freetdsAlpine Linux edge package indexes · freetds · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install freetds-binDebian stable package indexes · freetds-bin · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install freetdsFedora Rawhide package metadata · freetds · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#freetdsnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/fr/freetds/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S freetdsArch Linux sync databases · freetds · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install freetds-configopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · freetds-config · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Libraries to talk to Microsoft SQL Server and Sybase databases
Project links
Commands and aliases
- bsqldb
- bsqlodbc
- datacopy
- defncopy
- fisql
- freebcp
- osql
- tdspool
- tsql
history
Project history and usage
FreeTDS is a free implementation of the Sybase and Microsoft SQL Server client libraries and utilities for the Tabular Data Stream protocol. It gives Unix-like systems and other platforms DB-Library, CT-Library, ODBC, interactive SQL, and bulk-copy tooling for TDS-speaking databases.
Project history
The official user guide says FreeTDS began in early 1997 when Brian Bruns, a Sybase DBA, wanted DB-Library programs to run under Linux. The first work focused on DB-Library and TDS 5.0, then expanded to CT-Library compatibility, TDS 4.2, ODBC, and TDS 7.0/7.1 support.
As the project matured, the official history names contributors who expanded the ODBC driver, BCP support, CT-Library cursors, and documentation. The README describes the resulting codebase as portable C libraries plus utilities for Unix-like systems, Windows, VMS, and macOS.
Adoption history
FreeTDS grew because many open source applications needed access to Sybase and Microsoft SQL Server without relying on proprietary client libraries. The user guide explicitly cites use from Perl, PHP, and other language bindings that expect DB-Library or CT-Library APIs.
The project documentation describes the libraries as mature and stable, with users including large corporations, U.S. federal government systems, and web servers running Apache and PHP. That official framing explains why FreeTDS became a common dependency below scripting-language database adapters.
How it is used
Package users commonly install FreeTDS for libtds, ODBC drivers, and command-line tools such as tsql, freebcp, fisql, osql, bsqldb, defncopy, and datacopy. Configuration revolves around freetds.conf and ODBC driver manager integration.
Current NEWS entries show ongoing maintenance around encryption, TDS 8.0, UTF-8 and old Sybase compatibility, Windows Unicode paths, ODBC behavior, bulk copy, and Unix configuration search paths.
Why package nerds care
FreeTDS is a classic compatibility-layer package: small command-line utilities on the surface, but a large C library stack underneath for database adapters. Packagers care about ODBC manager choices, OpenSSL support, iconv behavior, ABI naming, and where freetds.conf is searched.
It is also historically important because it kept DB-Library-style clients useful after vendors shifted focus. The official guide notes Microsoft's DB-Library deprecation while presenting FreeTDS as a maintained route for code that still fits that API.
Timeline
- 1984: Sybase developed the TDS protocol for Sybase SQL Server, according to the FreeTDS user guide background.
- 1990: Sybase and Microsoft entered a technology sharing agreement that led to Microsoft's SQL Server line.
- 1997: Brian Bruns began FreeTDS to run DB-Library programs on Linux.
- 2002: James K. Lowden became maintainer after joining to improve documentation.
- 1.5: Release notes add TDS 8.0 support and allow freetds.conf under ~/.config on Unix.
Related projects
- FreeTDS/JDBC was a related Java JDBC driver mentioned in the official project history.
- DBD::Sybase is cited in the user guide as a Perl binding that works well with FreeTDS.
- unixODBC and iODBC are related driver managers used by the FreeTDS ODBC implementation.
Sources
- https://github.com/FreeTDS/freetds
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FreeTDS/freetds/master/NEWS.md
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FreeTDS/freetds/master/README.md
- https://www.freetds.org/userguide/FreeTDShistory.html
- https://www.freetds.org/userguide/projects.html
- https://www.freetds.org/userguide/what.html
security posture
No protected-tool coverage found yet
No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for freetds. 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.
- Installs with 2 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.
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
${HOME}/.freetds.conf${HOME}/.config/freetds.conf${sysconfdir}/freetds.conf (default /usr/local/etc/freetds.conf)
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
bsqldb | cli | global executable | |
bsqlodbc | cli | global executable | |
datacopy | cli | global executable | |
defncopy | cli | global executable | |
fisql | cli | global executable | |
freebcp | cli | global executable | |
osql | cli | global executable | |
tdspool | cli | global executable | |
tsql | 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 version1.5.18
manager updated2026-06-22
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.freetds.org/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:freetds |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.5.18 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/freetds |
| Homepage | https://www.freetds.org/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/FreeTDS/freetds |
| Upstream docs | https://www.freetds.org/docs.html |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://www.freetds.org/files/stable/freetds-1.5.18.tar.bz2 |
| Last updated | 2026-06-22T14:03:22-07:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | openssl@3, unixodbc |
| Build dependencies | pkgconf |
| Uses from macOS | krb5 |
| 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 | freetds |
| 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 |
|
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%
freetds-bin 1.3.17+ds-2+deb13u1
FreeTDS command-line utilities
sudo apt install freetds-bin- Section: database
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: freetds
- 10 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Freetds
Debian apt95%
freetds-common 1.3.17+ds-2+deb13u1
configuration files for FreeTDS SQL client libraries
sudo apt install freetds-common- Section: libs
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: freetds
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Freetds
Debian apt95%
freetds-dev 1.3.17+ds-2+deb13u1
MS SQL and Sybase client library (static libs and headers)
sudo apt install freetds-dev- Section: devel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: freetds
- 2 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Freetds
Debian apt95%
freetds-doc 1.3.17+ds-2+deb13u1
FreeTDS documentation
sudo apt install freetds-doc- Section: doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: freetds
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Freetds
Debian apt95%
libct4 1.3.17+ds-2+deb13u1
libraries for connecting to MS SQL and Sybase SQL servers
sudo apt install libct4- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: freetds
- 7 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Freetds
Debian apt95%
libsybdb5 1.3.17+ds-2+deb13u1
libraries for connecting to MS SQL and Sybase SQL servers
sudo apt install libsybdb5- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: freetds
- 7 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Freetds
Debian apt95%
tdsodbc 1.3.17+ds-2+deb13u1
ODBC driver for connecting to MS SQL and Sybase SQL servers
sudo apt install tdsodbc- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: freetds
- 11 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Freetds
Nix95%
freetds
nix profile install nixpkgs#freetds- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Freetds
Ubuntu apt95%
freetds-bin 1.3.17+ds-2build3
FreeTDS command-line utilities
sudo apt install freetds-bin- Section: universe/libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: freetds
- 10 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Freetds
Ubuntu apt95%
freetds-common 1.3.17+ds-2build3
configuration files for FreeTDS SQL client libraries
sudo apt install freetds-common- Section: libs
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: freetds
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Freetds
Ubuntu apt95%
freetds-dev 1.3.17+ds-2build3
MS SQL and Sybase client library (static libs and headers)
sudo apt install freetds-dev- Section: devel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: freetds
- 2 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Freetds
Ubuntu apt95%
freetds-doc 1.3.17+ds-2build3
FreeTDS documentation
sudo apt install freetds-doc- Section: doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: freetds
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Freetds
Ubuntu apt95%
libct4 1.3.17+ds-2build3
libraries for connecting to MS SQL and Sybase SQL servers
sudo apt install libct4- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: freetds
- 7 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Freetds
Ubuntu apt95%
libsybdb5 1.3.17+ds-2build3
libraries for connecting to MS SQL and Sybase SQL servers
sudo apt install libsybdb5- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: freetds
- 7 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Freetds
Ubuntu apt95%
tdsodbc 1.3.17+ds-2build3
ODBC driver for connecting to MS SQL and Sybase SQL servers
sudo apt install tdsodbc- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: freetds
- 11 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Freetds
apk95%
freetds 1.5.14-r0
Tabular Datastream Library
sudo apk add freetds- License: GPL-2.0-or-later OR LGPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: freetds
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Freetds
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 configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment