# Install gtk-doc with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper GTK+ documentation tool. Version 1.36.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-04-22. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:gtk-doc ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install gtk-doc ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install gtk-doc ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: gnome/gtk-doc/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add gtk-doc ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: gtk-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install gtk-doc-tools ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: gtk-doc-tools from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install gtk-doc ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: gtk-doc 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#gtk-doc ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/gt/gtk-doc/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S gtk-doc ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: gtk-doc from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install gtk-doc ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: gtk-doc from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:gtk-doc - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.36.1 - **Source summary:** GTK+ documentation tool - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-04-22T13:17:23Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - gtkdoc-check (cli) - gtkdoc-depscan (cli) - gtkdoc-fixxref (cli) - gtkdoc-mkdb (cli) - gtkdoc-mkhtml (cli) - gtkdoc-mkhtml2 (cli) - gtkdoc-mkman (cli) - gtkdoc-mkpdf (cli) - gtkdoc-rebase (cli) - gtkdoc-scan (cli) - gtkdoc-scangobj (cli) - gtkdocize (cli) - gtkdoc-check (alias) - gtkdoc-depscan (alias) - gtkdoc-fixxref (alias) - gtkdoc-mkdb (alias) - gtkdoc-mkhtml (alias) - gtkdoc-mkhtml2 (alias) - gtkdoc-mkman (alias) - gtkdoc-mkpdf (alias) - gtkdoc-rebase (alias) - gtkdoc-scan (alias) - gtkdoc-scangobj (alias) - gtkdocize (alias) ## Dependencies - docbook - docbook-xsl - python@3.14 ## Build dependencies - meson - ninja - pkgconf ## Uses from macOS - libxml2 - libxslt ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 1.36.1 - Package-manager updated: 2026-04-22 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk-doc - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage GTK-Doc is a documentation generator for C APIs, especially GLib, GObject, GTK, and GNOME-style libraries. It extracts structured comments from C code, understands GObject signals and properties, produces DocBook XML, and transforms that output into HTML and other formats. For package maintainers, GTK-Doc is the build-time tool that explains why GNOME library packages often have optional documentation flags, gtkdocize steps, DocBook dependencies, scanner binaries, and generated API reference artifacts. ### Project history The GTK-Doc repository has a 'start' tag dated 1998-11-24 and a GTK_DOC_1_0 tag dated 2003-01-20. The GNOME source archive also lists gtk-doc-1.0 tarballs dated 2003-01-20, giving a fixed early release anchor. The project README says GTK-Doc is used to document C code, typically the public API of libraries such as GLib-based libraries, but also application code. It also notes that GTK-Doc was not originally intended as a general-purpose documentation tool and points to Doxygen for that broader role. The project evolved from a DocBook-oriented GNOME documentation pipeline into a Python/Meson-era maintenance tool. The NEWS file records Python 3-related changes, an experimental gtkdoc-mkhtml2 toolchain in 1.30, Python 3 requirements in 1.29, and the removal of Autotools as a way to build GTK-Doc itself in 1.36.0. ### Adoption history GTK-Doc was adopted across the GNOME C library ecosystem because it understands GObject-specific concepts that generic C documentation tools may not: signals, properties, object scanners, and conventions used by GTK widgets and GObject classes. The archived GNOME GtkDoc page describes it as a tool for extracting API documentation from C code like Doxygen, with special support for GObject, and describes HTML output by default with PDF and man-page output possible with extra work. GNOME project pages and coding-practice material refer to GTK-Doc annotations as part of documenting public C APIs. ### How it is used A project using GTK-Doc writes documentation blocks in C comments, keeps section and symbol metadata, runs tools such as gtkdoc-scan, gtkdoc-scangobj, gtkdoc-mkdb, gtkdoc-mkhtml, gtkdoc-fixxref, gtkdoc-mkman, gtkdoc-mkpdf, and often integrates gtkdocize with Autotools-era projects or Meson build definitions. The README describes generated HTML as browsable in a normal browser or in Devhelp. The manual/wiki workflow also explains the package's role in local developer environments: it is not just a documentation renderer, but a scanner and cross-reference pipeline used while building source distributions. ### Why package nerds care GTK-Doc is a classic build dependency that users may never run directly but packagers recognize instantly. Enabling API docs in a GNOME library can pull in GTK-Doc, DocBook DTDs, DocBook XSL stylesheets, libxml2/libxslt, Python modules, and sometimes PDF tooling such as dblatex. Its long tail matters because old projects may still expect gtkdocize and Autotools integration, while the GTK-Doc project itself moved its own build to Meson. That split between being built with Meson and still supporting Autotools integration in downstream projects is package-maintainer lore. ### Timeline - 1998: GTK-Doc repository has a start tag. - 2003: GTK-Doc 1.0 tag and GNOME source tarballs appeared. - 2018: GTK-Doc 1.29 NEWS records Python 3 requirement changes. - 2019: GTK-Doc 1.30 NEWS records Pygments use and an experimental gtkdoc-mkhtml2 toolchain. - 2020: GTK-Doc 1.33.0 NEWS records reproducible-build and GTK action documentation support. - 2026: GTK-Doc 1.36.0 NEWS records that GTK-Doc can no longer be built with Autotools, while Autotools integration files remain for downstream projects. ### Related projects - GTK, GLib, GObject, GNOME libraries, Devhelp, DocBook, libxml2, libxslt, Meson, and Autotools are the central related projects in GTK-Doc's package history. - gi-docgen is the related GNOME documentation generator associated with GObject Introspection-era API reference publishing; archived GNOME pages describe efforts to generate documentation from introspection data as a successor direction for parts of the GTK-Doc role. ### 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:** gtk-doc - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 1 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - gtk-doc-tools - 1.34.0-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: gtk-doc-tools from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | GTK+ documentation tools | https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk-doc/ - Nix - gtk-doc: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/gt/gtk-doc/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - gtk-doc-tools - 1.34.0-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: gtk-doc-tools from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | GTK+ documentation tools | https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk-doc/ - apk - gtk-doc - 1.36.0-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: gtk-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Documentation tool for public library API | https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk-doc - dnf - gtk-doc - 1.36.1-1.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: gtk-doc from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | API documentation generation tool for GTK+ and GNOME | https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk-doc/ - pacman - gtk-doc - 1.36.1-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: gtk-doc from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Documentation tool for public library API | https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk-doc - zypper - gtk-doc - 1.36.1-1.1: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: gtk-doc from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | GTK+ Documentation Generator | http://www.gtk.org/gtk-doc/ - zypper - gtk-doc-mkpdf - 1.36.1-1.1: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: gtk-doc-mkpdf from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Gtkdoc PDF Generator | http://www.gtk.org/gtk-doc/ - MacPorts - gtk-doc: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: gnome/gtk-doc/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. - [docbook](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/docbook/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [docbook-xsl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/docbook-xsl/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [python@3.14](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/python-3-14/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [meson](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/meson/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [ninja](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ninja/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [pkgconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pkgconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [jsdoc3](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/jsdoc3/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: api-docs, cli, developer-tools, documentation. - [docfx](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/docfx/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: api-docs, cli, developer-tools, documentation. - [doxygen](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/doxygen/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: api-docs, cli, developer-tools, documentation. - [scdoc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/scdoc/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c, cli, developer-tools, documentation. - [yelp-tools](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/yelp-tools/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, documentation, gnome. - [action-docs](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/action-docs/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, documentation. - [adr-tools](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/adr-tools/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, documentation. - [adr-viewer](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/adr-viewer/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, documentation. - [gspell](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gspell/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: api, cli, developer, developer-tools, gnome. - [gi-docgen](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gi-docgen/) - Both packages touch the same language runtime or ecosystem. Shared terms: api, cli, developer, developer-tools, documentation. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/gtk-doc.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/gtk-doc.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