macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install gpplocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install gppMacPorts ports tree · lang/gpp/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install gpp with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, zypper
General-purpose preprocessor with customizable syntax. Version 2.28 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install gppDebian stable package indexes · gpp · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install general-purpose-preprocessorFedora Rawhide package metadata · general-purpose-preprocessor · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#gppnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/gp/gpp/package.nix · source: api.github.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install gppopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · gpp · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
General-purpose preprocessor with customizable syntax
Project links
Commands and aliases
- gpp
history
Project history and usage
GPP is a general-purpose preprocessor with customizable syntax. The project README and citation metadata emphasize that it is independent of any one programming language, lighter than GNU m4 for many tasks, and includes built-in macro support for C/C++, LaTeX, HTML, XHTML, and Prolog files.
Project history
The GitHub repository is the official development location and the project homepage links users to online documentation, portable source packages, and binary-package references. The repository includes source, documentation, Autotools files, license files, and citation metadata.
GPP has academic documentation as well as package metadata: its CITATION.cff points to a 2020 Journal of Open Source Software article by Tristan Miller and Denis Auroux describing it as an extensible, customizable preprocessor for software development, document processing, and research workflows.
Adoption history
The input package-manager facts list Homebrew, Debian, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, Ubuntu, and openSUSE packages. That spread fits a small C command-line tool that is useful in build pipelines and documentation generation without needing a runtime service.
Homebrew packages it as gpp, Fedora uses the more descriptive general-purpose-preprocessor name, and the official README points users to binary-package links on the project homepage.
How it is used
Users invoke gpp to preprocess text with syntax tuned to the target language or document format. The README notes that the documentation itself is generated by GPP from a gpp.pp input file, making the docs both reference material and a working example.
The package is most useful when cpp is too language-specific and m4 is heavier than needed: templating LaTeX or HTML, defining domain-specific macro syntax, or generating source fragments in build systems.
Why package nerds care
GPP is a compact example of a Unix filter that earns packaging despite a small footprint: it has a single executable, man/HTML documentation, portable source releases, and a stable niche that overlaps build systems, documentation, and research tooling.
Its significance is less about popularity and more about substitutability: package users can reach for it when they need a configurable macro processor without bringing in a full template engine or language-specific preprocessor.
Timeline
- 2020: The project citation metadata records a Journal of Open Source Software article for GPP.
- 2023: GitHub release metadata records GPP 2.28 dated Sep 26, 2023.
- 2026: Homebrew metadata packages GPP as version 2.28 with bottles for macOS and Linux.
Related projects
- cpp is the language-specific baseline that GPP explicitly contrasts with.
- GNU m4 is the heavier general macro processor that GPP positions itself beside.
- Autotools-style source packages are related operationally because the development checkout requires generating the build system before end-user installation steps apply.
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 10 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.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
gpp | 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 version2.28
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://logological.org/gppnone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:gpp |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.28 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/gpp |
| Homepage | https://logological.org/gpp |
| Repository | https://github.com/logological/gpp |
| Upstream docs | https://logological.org/gpp |
| License | LGPL-3.0-only |
| Source archive | https://files.nothingisreal.com/software/gpp/gpp-2.28.tar.bz2 |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, 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 | gpp |
| 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%
gpp 2.28-2
general-purpose preprocessor with customizable syntax
sudo apt install gpp- Section: devel
- Architecture: amd64
- 1 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gpp
Nix95%
gpp
nix profile install nixpkgs#gpp- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gpp
Ubuntu apt95%
gpp 2.28-1
general-purpose preprocessor with customizable syntax
sudo apt install gpp- Section: universe/devel
- Architecture: amd64
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gpp
dnf95%
general-purpose-preprocessor 2.28-7.fc44
Customizable language-agnostic preprocessor
sudo dnf install general-purpose-preprocessor- License: LGPL-3.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: general-purpose-preprocessor
- 2 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gpp
zypper95%
gpp 2.28-1.7
Generic Preprocessor
sudo zypper install gpp- License: LGPL-3.0+
- Category: Development/Tools/Other
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: gpp
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gpp
MacPorts95%
gpp
sudo port install gpp- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gpp
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