macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install gucharmaplocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install gucharmapMacPorts ports tree · gnome/gucharmap/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install gucharmap with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper
GNOME Character Map, based on the Unicode Character Database. Version 17.0.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-07.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add gucharmapAlpine Linux edge package indexes · gucharmap · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install gir1.2-gucharmap-2.90Debian stable package indexes · gir1.2-gucharmap-2.90 · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install gucharmapFedora Rawhide package metadata · gucharmap · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#gucharmapnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/gu/gucharmap/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S gucharmapArch Linux sync databases · gucharmap · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install gucharmapopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · gucharmap · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
GNOME Character Map, based on the Unicode Character Database
Project links
Commands and aliases
- gucharmap
history
Project history and usage
Gucharmap is the GNOME Character Map, a GTK application and library based on the Unicode Character Database. Its niche is simple but enduring: browse Unicode by block or script, inspect character metadata, find glyphs in fonts, and copy characters or strings into other applications.
Project history
The GNOME wiki describes gucharmap as the GNOME Character Map based on the Unicode Character Database. Its DOAP metadata gives the project name as Character Map, describes it as based on the Unicode Character Database, and records it as a GNOME core-category project maintained by Christian Persch.
The release archive shows a long lineage beginning with 0.4-era tarballs and continuing through GNOME 1.x, 2.x, 3.x, and Unicode-version-numbered series such as 8.0, 9.0, 10.0, 11.0, 12.0, and 17.0. The source tree's Meson build documents an exact coupling between each gucharmap major/minor version and a specific Unicode data version.
The modern source layout ships the Unicode data files needed for builds, while also allowing builders to point Meson at an external absolute Unicode Character Database path. That evolution reflects gucharmap's role as a desktop application that must track Unicode itself, not just GNOME release conventions.
Adoption history
Gucharmap became a standard desktop utility because character maps are basic infrastructure for multilingual text entry, font inspection, and Unicode lookup. The archived GNOME page lists features oriented to both end users and developers, including a reusable GTK+ widget.
Package-manager adoption is broad because it is both a desktop application and a small library/API surface. The input metadata records packages across Alpine, Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora-family, MacPorts, Nix, Arch, and openSUSE ecosystems.
How it is used
Users browse characters by Unicode block or script, search by name or metadata, jump by code point, inspect encodings such as UTF-8 and UTF-16 representations, view glyphs in selected fonts, identify clipboard characters, and copy or drag selected characters into other programs.
Developers and maintainers care about the Unicode data pipeline: the README says gucharmap ships the Unicode data files it needs, and the Meson build warns that a released gucharmap version is designed to work with its corresponding Unicode version rather than accepting an arbitrary Unicode data bump.
Why package nerds care
Gucharmap is a classic desktop utility package with unusually concrete data-version constraints. A distribution update is not just a rebuild: package maintainers must line up GTK, GLib, PCRE2, FreeType, gobject-introspection, and the expected Unicode Character Database version.
For users, it is one of the fastest ways to answer practical Unicode questions from the desktop: what code point is this, what is its name, what font renders it, and how do I paste it elsewhere?
Timeline
- 2000s: GNOME release archive includes 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0, and later 1.x gucharmap tarballs.
- 2011-04-04: GNOME release changes include version 3.0.0.
- 2010s: Release series tracks GNOME 3-era numbering and later Unicode-numbered series.
- 2019: Meson build copyright header appears in the source tree, reflecting the Meson-based build system.
- 2020s: Build metadata records exact Unicode version coupling, including the 17.0 series designed for Unicode 17.0 data.
Related projects
- The GNOME wiki places gucharmap alongside GTK, GNOME, Unicode Character Database files, KCharSelect, Unibook, Microsoft Character Map, UnicodeChecker, UniView, and older/deprecated GNOME and KDE character-map tools. The reusable GTK widget also connects it to other GTK applications that need character browsing.
Sources
- https://download.gnome.org/sources/gucharmap/
- https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gucharmap
- https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gucharmap/-/raw/master/README.md
- https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gucharmap/-/raw/master/gucharmap.doap
- https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gucharmap/-/raw/master/meson.build
- https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Gucharmap
security posture
Risk level: blue
broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.
Risk classifier
blue risk · medium confidence · tool
Why
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
Signals
- text:database
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Installs with 7 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 8 build 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
gucharmap | 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 version17.0.2
manager updated2026-06-07
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Gucharmap
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Gucharmapnone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:gucharmap |
|---|---|
| Version | 17.0.2 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/gucharmap |
| Homepage | https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Gucharmap |
| Repository | https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gucharmap |
| Upstream docs | https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gucharmap |
| License | GPL-3.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gucharmap/-/archive/17.0.2/gucharmap-17.0.2.tar.bz2 |
| Last updated | 2026-06-07T08:38:39Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | at-spi2-core, cairo, gettext, glib, gtk+3, pango, pcre2 |
| Build dependencies | desktop-file-utils, gobject-introspection, gtk-doc, itstool, meson, ninja, pkgconf, vala |
| 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 | gucharmap |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| 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%
gir1.2-gucharmap-2.90 1:15.1.5-1+b1
GObject introspection data for the Unicode browser widget library
https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Gucharmap
sudo apt install gir1.2-gucharmap-2.90- Section: introspection
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: gucharmap
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gucharmap
Debian apt95%
gucharmap 1:15.1.5-1+b1
Unicode character picker and font browser
https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Gucharmap
sudo apt install gucharmap- Section: gnome
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: gucharmap
- 10 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gucharmap
Debian apt95%
libgucharmap-2-90-7 1:15.1.5-1+b1
Unicode browser widget library (shared library)
https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Gucharmap
sudo apt install libgucharmap-2-90-7- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: gucharmap
- 8 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gucharmap
Debian apt95%
libgucharmap-2-90-dev 1:15.1.5-1+b1
Unicode browser widget library (development headers)
https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Gucharmap
sudo apt install libgucharmap-2-90-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: gucharmap
- 5 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gucharmap
Nix95%
gucharmap
nix profile install nixpkgs#gucharmap- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gucharmap
Ubuntu apt95%
gir1.2-gucharmap-2.90 1:15.1.3-1build1
GObject introspection data for the Unicode browser widget library
https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Gucharmap
sudo apt install gir1.2-gucharmap-2.90- Section: universe/introspection
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: gucharmap
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gucharmap
Ubuntu apt95%
gucharmap 1:15.1.3-1build1
Unicode character picker and font browser
https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Gucharmap
sudo apt install gucharmap- Section: universe/x11
- Architecture: amd64
- 8 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gucharmap
Ubuntu apt95%
libgucharmap-2-90-7 1:15.1.3-1build1
Unicode browser widget library (shared library)
https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Gucharmap
sudo apt install libgucharmap-2-90-7- Section: universe/libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: gucharmap
- 8 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gucharmap
Ubuntu apt95%
libgucharmap-2-90-dev 1:15.1.3-1build1
Unicode browser widget library (development headers)
https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Gucharmap
sudo apt install libgucharmap-2-90-dev- Section: universe/libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: gucharmap
- 5 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gucharmap
apk95%
gucharmap 17.0.2-r0
GNOME Unicode Charmap
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gucharmap
sudo apk add gucharmap- License: GPL-3.0-or-later GFDL-1.3-only
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: gucharmap
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gucharmap
apk95%
gucharmap-dev 17.0.2-r0
GNOME Unicode Charmap (development files)
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gucharmap
sudo apk add gucharmap-dev- License: GPL-3.0-or-later GFDL-1.3-only
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: gucharmap
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gucharmap
apk95%
gucharmap-lang 17.0.2-r0
Languages for package gucharmap
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gucharmap
sudo apk add gucharmap-lang- License: GPL-3.0-or-later GFDL-1.3-only
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: gucharmap
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gucharmap
dnf95%
gucharmap 17.0.2-1.fc45
Unicode character picker and font browser
https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Gucharmap
sudo dnf install gucharmap- License: GPL-3.0-or-later AND GFDL-1.3-or-later AND Unicode-DFS-2016
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: gucharmap
- 11 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gucharmap
dnf95%
gucharmap-devel 17.0.2-1.fc45
Libraries and headers for libgucharmap
https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Gucharmap
sudo dnf install gucharmap-devel- License: GPL-3.0-or-later AND GFDL-1.3-or-later AND Unicode-DFS-2016
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: gucharmap
- 4 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gucharmap
dnf95%
gucharmap-libs 17.0.2-1.fc45
libgucharmap library
https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Gucharmap
sudo dnf install gucharmap-libs- License: GPL-3.0-or-later AND GFDL-1.3-or-later AND Unicode-DFS-2016
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: gucharmap
- 11 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gucharmap
pacman95%
gucharmap 17.0.2-1
Unicode Character Map
https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Gucharmap
sudo pacman -S gucharmap- License: GPL-3.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- 8 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gucharmap
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