# Install gengetopt with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper Generate C code to parse command-line arguments via getopt_long. Version 2.23 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:gengetopt ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install gengetopt ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install gengetopt ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: devel/gengetopt/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add gengetopt ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: gengetopt from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install gengetopt ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: gengetopt from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install gengetopt ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: gengetopt 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#gengetopt ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ge/gengetopt/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S gengetopt ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: gengetopt from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install gengetopt ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: gengetopt from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:gengetopt - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 2.23 - **Source summary:** Generate C code to parse command-line arguments via getopt_long - **Homepage:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-3.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - gengetopt (cli) - gengetopt (alias) ## Build dependencies - texinfo ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 2.23 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://www.gnu.org/software/gengetopt/ - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage GNU Gengetopt is a GNU programming tool that generates C command-line option parsers from declarative option descriptions. Its generated code uses getopt_long and fills a struct, saving C and C++ programmers from hand-writing the same option parsing, validation, help, and configuration-file plumbing. ### Project history The Savannah README says Gengetopt was originally written by Roberto Arturo Tena Sanchez and later maintained by Tomas Volf. The manual positions it as a tool for C and C++ programmers and documents .ggo input files, generated parsers, generated help output, configuration-file parsing, multiple parsers, and operation on systems without getopt_long. ### Adoption history Gengetopt's adoption came through the GNU toolchain ecosystem: GNU FTP hosted regular tarball releases from the early 2000s through the 2.23 release in 2019, and the tool appears in Unix package managers as a code generator for projects that want generated C parsers without taking on a larger framework. ### How it is used Practitioners write a .ggo file describing short and long options, defaults, required values, groups, modes, and help text, then run gengetopt to produce C source and header files. Autoconf and Automake projects use it when generated parser code is preferable to a hand-maintained getopt_long loop. ### Why package nerds care Gengetopt is a classic small GNU build dependency: it is rarely the star of a system, but it sits in source-release and distribution workflows where reproducible generated C code is easier to audit and package than bespoke argument parsers. ### Timeline - 2003: GNU FTP listed gengetopt 2.10 tarballs. - 2009: version 2.22.4 switched the project repository from CVS to Git. - 2012: version 2.22.6 added versiontext and strict-hidden support while fixing Mac OS X compilation. - 2019: GNU FTP listed the 2.23 release. ### Related projects - Related tools and standards include getopt_long, GNU Coding Standards, GNU Autoconf, GNU Automake, and Doxygen comments in generated files. ### Sources - - - - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** gengetopt - **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 - gengetopt - 2.23+dfsg1-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: gengetopt from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | skeleton main.c generator | https://www.gnu.org/software/gengetopt/ - Nix - gengetopt: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ge/gengetopt/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - gengetopt - 2.23+dfsg1-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: gengetopt from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | skeleton main.c generator | https://www.gnu.org/software/gengetopt/ - apk - gengetopt - 2.23-r2: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: gengetopt from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Tool to write command line option parsing code for C programs | https://www.gnu.org/software/gengetopt/ - apk - gengetopt-dev - 2.23-r2: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: gengetopt-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Tool to write command line option parsing code for C programs (development files) | https://www.gnu.org/software/gengetopt/ - apk - gengetopt-doc - 2.23-r2: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: gengetopt-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Tool to write command line option parsing code for C programs (documentation) | https://www.gnu.org/software/gengetopt/ - dnf - gengetopt - 2.23-17.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: gengetopt from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Tool to write command line option parsing code for C programs | http://www.gnu.org/software/gengetopt/ - pacman - gengetopt - 2.23-4: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: gengetopt from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | A tool to write command line option parsing code for C programs | https://www.gnu.org/software/gengetopt/gengetopt.html - zypper - gengetopt - 2.23-1.24: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: gengetopt from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Commandline parser generator | https://www.gnu.org/software/gengetopt/ - MacPorts - gengetopt: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: devel/gengetopt/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [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. - [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [texinfo](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/texinfo/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [cproto](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cproto/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c, cli, code-generation, developer-tools. - [crcany](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/crcany/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c, cli, code-generation, developer-tools. - [gperf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gperf/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c, cli, code-generation, developer-tools. - [autogen](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/autogen/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, code-generation, developer-tools. - [configen](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/configen/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, code-generation, developer-tools. - [counterfeiter](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/counterfeiter/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, code-generation, developer-tools. - [create-api](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/create-api/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, code-generation, developer-tools. - [dhall-bash](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dhall-bash/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, code-generation, developer-tools. - [treecc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/treecc/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, code, code-generation, developer, developer-tools. - [cflow](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cflow/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: c, cli, code, developer, developer-tools. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/gengetopt.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/gengetopt.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