# Install gdbm with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper GNU database manager. Version 1.26 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:gdbm ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install gdbm ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install gdbm ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: databases/gdbm/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add gdbm ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: gdbm from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install gdbm-l10n ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: gdbm-l10n from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install gdbm ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: gdbm from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#gdbm ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/gd/gdbm/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S gdbm ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: gdbm from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/core/os/x86_64/core.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install gdbm-devel ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: gdbm-devel from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:gdbm - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.26 - **Source summary:** GNU database manager - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-3.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - gdbm_dump (cli) - gdbm_load (cli) - gdbmtool (cli) - gdbm_dump (alias) - gdbm_load (alias) - gdbmtool (alias) ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sequoia, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 1.26 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://www.gnu.org.ua/software/gdbm/ - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage GNU dbm, or GDBM, is the GNU database manager: a library and small utility set for disk-backed hashed key/value databases compatible in spirit with traditional Unix dbm. ### Project history The GDBM manual says the software was originally written by Philip A. Nelson. The project page also credits Philip A. Nelson, Jason Downs, and Sergey Poznyakoff. GDBM was designed as a programmer library rather than a complete end-user database package. It stores unique key/data pairs in a GDBM disk file and provides primitives for storing, fetching, deleting, iterating, reorganizing, dumping, and loading records. ### Adoption history GDBM's adoption comes from its role as a small native library for programs that need simple persistent key/value storage without running a database server. The package also provides traditional dbm and ndbm interfaces, which keeps old Unix dbm-style applications buildable against a GNU-maintained implementation. ### How it is used The manual shows C programs including gdbm.h, opening a database with gdbm_open, reading records with gdbm_fetch, and linking with -lgdbm. The package includes command-line utilities such as gdbmtool, gdbm_dump, and gdbm_load for inspecting, modifying, exporting, and importing GDBM databases. ### Why package nerds care GDBM is package-nerd significant because it is an old, boring, ABI-sensitive C library that many higher-level packages can quietly depend on for dbm-compatible storage. It sits in the same mental shelf as Berkeley DB and ndbm: not glamorous, but important when language runtimes or Unix tools need a tiny persistent hash table. ### Timeline - Original era: Philip A. Nelson writes the original GNU dbm software. - Modern manual: GDBM 1.25 documents the current GNU database manager API and utilities. - 2016-2022: The official project page copyright reflects Sergey Poznyakoff's maintained project page era. ### Related projects - GDBM is related to standard Unix dbm and ndbm interfaces. - It is also comparable in package ecosystems to other embedded key/value stores such as Berkeley DB, although the official GDBM docs focus on dbm compatibility rather than positioning against alternatives. ### Sources - - - - ## Security Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. - **Geiger risk:** blue / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** gdbm - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - gdbm-l10n - 1.24-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: gdbm-l10n from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | GNU dbm database routines (translation files) | https://gnu.org/software/gdbm - Debian apt - gdbmtool - 1.24-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: gdbmtool from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | GNU dbm database routines (command line tools) | https://gnu.org/software/gdbm - Debian apt - libgdbm-compat-dev - 1.24-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libgdbm-compat-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | GNU dbm database routines (legacy support development files) | https://gnu.org/software/gdbm - Debian apt - libgdbm-compat4t64 - 1.24-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libgdbm-compat4t64 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | GNU dbm database routines (legacy support runtime version) | https://gnu.org/software/gdbm - Debian apt - libgdbm-dev - 1.24-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libgdbm-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | GNU dbm database routines (development files) | https://gnu.org/software/gdbm - Debian apt - libgdbm6t64 - 1.24-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libgdbm6t64 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | GNU dbm database routines (runtime version) | https://gnu.org/software/gdbm - Nix - gdbm: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/gd/gdbm/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - gdbm-l10n - 1.23-5.1build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: gdbm-l10n from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | GNU dbm database routines (translation files) | https://gnu.org/software/gdbm - Ubuntu apt - gdbmtool - 1.23-5.1build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: gdbmtool from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | GNU dbm database routines (command line tools) | https://gnu.org/software/gdbm - Ubuntu apt - libgdbm-compat-dev - 1.23-5.1build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libgdbm-compat-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | GNU dbm database routines (legacy support development files) | https://gnu.org/software/gdbm - Ubuntu apt - libgdbm-compat4t64 - 1.23-5.1build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libgdbm-compat4t64 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | GNU dbm database routines (legacy support runtime version) | https://gnu.org/software/gdbm - Ubuntu apt - libgdbm-dev - 1.23-5.1build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libgdbm-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | GNU dbm database routines (development files) | https://gnu.org/software/gdbm - Ubuntu apt - libgdbm6t64 - 1.23-5.1build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libgdbm6t64 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | GNU dbm database routines (runtime version) | https://gnu.org/software/gdbm - apk - gdbm - 1.26-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: gdbm from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | GNU dbm is a set of database routines that use extensible hashing | https://www.gnu.org/software/gdbm/ - apk - gdbm-dev - 1.26-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: gdbm-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | GNU dbm is a set of database routines that use extensible hashing (development files) | https://www.gnu.org/software/gdbm/ - apk - gdbm-doc - 1.26-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: gdbm-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | GNU dbm is a set of database routines that use extensible hashing (documentation) | https://www.gnu.org/software/gdbm/ ## Related links - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [avahi](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/avahi/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [gnu-smalltalk](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gnu-smalltalk/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [mailutils](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mailutils/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [metview](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/metview/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [perl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/perl/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [pypy](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pypy/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [pypy3.10](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pypy3-10/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [pypy3.11](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pypy3-11/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [kyoto-cabinet](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/kyoto-cabinet/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data, database, dbm, library. - [tinycdb](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/tinycdb/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data, database, key-value, library. - [tkrzw](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/tkrzw/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data, database, dbm, embedded-database. - [berkeley-db](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/berkeley-db/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data, database, embedded-database. - [dbxml](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dbxml/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data, database, embedded-database. - [derby](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/derby/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data, database, embedded-database. - [ejdb](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ejdb/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data, database, embedded-database. - [immudb](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/immudb/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data, database, key-value. - [lmdb](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lmdb/) - Local metadata places this package in an adjacent workflow. Shared terms: cli, data, database, dump, embedded. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/gdbm.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/gdbm.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph