macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install gi-docgenlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install gi-docgenMacPorts ports tree · gnome/gi-docgen/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install gi-docgen with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman
Documentation tool for GObject-based libraries. Version 2026.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-13.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add gi-docgenAlpine Linux edge package indexes · gi-docgen · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install gi-docgenDebian stable package indexes · gi-docgen · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install gi-docgenFedora Rawhide package metadata · gi-docgen · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#gi-docgennixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/gi/gi-docgen/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S gi-docgenArch Linux sync databases · gi-docgen · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
overview
Package summary
Documentation tool for GObject-based libraries
Project links
Commands and aliases
- gi-docgen
history
Project history and usage
GI-DocGen is GNOME's documentation generator for GObject-based libraries. It uses GObject Introspection data to produce API references and ancillary documentation, especially for GTK and nearby platform libraries.
Project history
The GNOME-hosted GitLab project was created in November 2020 and carries GNOME Foundation copyright terms from 2021. Its documentation frames the project as a focused generator for libraries that expose GObject Introspection data, with GTK and its immediate dependencies as the primary target rather than all C libraries.
GI-DocGen sits in the lineage of GNOME API documentation tooling alongside GTK-Doc, but it reflects a later approach built around introspection metadata, Sphinx-style documentation pages, Meson integration, and generated reference sites for the GObject ecosystem.
Adoption history
The project's adoption is tied to GNOME library publishing rather than broad language-wide documentation. It matters because many GNOME platform libraries share the same GObject Introspection machinery, so a generator that understands that metadata can produce consistent API references for libraries that bindings and application developers depend on.
Distribution packaging across Linux distributions, Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, and Python packaging made GI-DocGen available to maintainers building GNOME-related source releases and documentation sites.
How it is used
Practitioners use GI-DocGen from a source tree or a package installation to generate reference documentation from introspection data and a project configuration file. The documented workflow points users to a tutorial, project configuration, linking rules, introspection attributes, templates, content pages, and command documentation.
The README emphasizes that GI-DocGen is not a general C documentation tool. Its practical use is strongest in GObject projects that already produce introspection data and want API pages aligned with GTK and GNOME documentation conventions.
Why package nerds care
For package maintainers, GI-DocGen is a build-time documentation dependency with GNOME-specific semantics. It is useful in distro and Homebrew contexts because it can be installed as a normal tool while preserving the GNOME project's preferred documentation pipeline.
Timeline
- 2020: GNOME GitLab project created.
- 2021: GNOME Foundation copyright appears in the project README and documentation.
- 2025: Tagged releases included 2025.4 and 2025.5.
- 2026: The 2026.1 tag documented parser, template, and styling fixes.
Related projects
- GI-DocGen is related to GObject Introspection, GTK, Meson, GTK-Doc, HotDoc, Doxygen, and Devhelp documentation indexes.
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 6 platform targets.
- Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
gi-docgen | 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 version2026.1
manager updated2026-06-13
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://gnome.pages.gitlab.gnome.org/gi-docgen/
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://gnome.pages.gitlab.gnome.org/gi-docgen/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:gi-docgen |
|---|---|
| Version | 2026.1 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/gi-docgen |
| Homepage | https://gnome.pages.gitlab.gnome.org/gi-docgen/ |
| Repository | https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gi-docgen |
| Upstream docs | https://gnome.pages.gitlab.gnome.org/gi-docgen |
| License | Apache-2.0 OR GPL-3.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/43/23/386dad008d1f1dc3c7188db63ea5bf82ceb41a5914fb050e6e09a14a457a/gi_docgen-2026.1.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-13T23:34:55+02:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | python@3.14 |
| 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 | gi-docgen |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 1 |
| 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%
gi-docgen 2025.3-1
source code documentation tool using GObject-Introspection
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gi-docgen/
sudo apt install gi-docgen- Section: gnome
- Architecture: all
- 7 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gi Docgen
Debian apt95%
gi-docgen-doc 2025.3-1
Documentation for the gi-docgen documentation tool
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gi-docgen/
sudo apt install gi-docgen-doc- Section: doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: gi-docgen
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gi Docgen
Nix95%
gi-docgen
nix profile install nixpkgs#gi-docgen- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gi Docgen
Ubuntu apt95%
gi-docgen 2023.3+ds-1
source code documentation tool using GObject-Introspection
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gi-docgen/
sudo apt install gi-docgen- Section: universe/gnome
- Architecture: all
- 7 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gi Docgen
Ubuntu apt95%
gi-docgen-doc 2023.3+ds-1
Documentation for the gi-docgen documentation tool
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gi-docgen/
sudo apt install gi-docgen-doc- Section: universe/doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: gi-docgen
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gi Docgen
apk95%
gi-docgen 2026.1-r1
A documentation generator for GObject-based libraries
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gi-docgen
sudo apk add gi-docgen- License: Apache-2.0 OR GPL-3.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: gi-docgen
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gi Docgen
apk95%
gi-docgen-pyc 2026.1-r1
Precompiled Python bytecode for gi-docgen
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gi-docgen
sudo apk add gi-docgen-pyc- License: Apache-2.0 OR GPL-3.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: gi-docgen
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gi Docgen
dnf95%
gi-docgen 2026.1-11.fc45
Documentation tool for GObject-based libraries
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gi-docgen
sudo dnf install gi-docgen- License: (Apache-2.0 OR GPL-3.0-or-later) AND BSD-2-Clause AND MIT AND CC0-1.0
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: gi-docgen
- 6 dependencies
- 5 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gi Docgen
dnf95%
gi-docgen-fonts 2026.1-11.fc45
Metapackage providing fonts for gi-docgen output
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gi-docgen
sudo dnf install gi-docgen-fonts- License: Apache-2.0 OR GPL-3.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: gi-docgen
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gi Docgen
pacman95%
gi-docgen 2026.1-1
Documentation generator for GObject-based libraries
https://gnome.pages.gitlab.gnome.org/gi-docgen/
sudo pacman -S gi-docgen- License: Apache-2.0 OR GPL-3.0-or-later
- Architecture: any
- 9 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gi Docgen
MacPorts95%
gi-docgen
sudo port install gi-docgen- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gi Docgen
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 package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment