macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install heatshrinklocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install heatshrink with Homebrew, apt, Nix, zypper
Data compression library for embedded/real-time systems. Version 0.4.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install heatshrinkDebian stable package indexes · heatshrink · source: deb.debian.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#heatshrinknixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/he/heatshrink/package.nix · source: api.github.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install heatshrinkopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · heatshrink · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Data compression library for embedded/real-time systems
Project links
Commands and aliases
- heatshrink
history
Project history and usage
heatshrink is a small C compression and decompression library aimed at embedded and real-time systems, with a companion command-line program for testing and measuring compression settings. Its package-manager interest comes from being a tiny, copy-into-your-firmware style library that also ships as a Unix CLI.
Project history
Atomic Object published heatshrink as an LZSS-based compressor for environments where bounded memory and bounded CPU work are more important than maximum compression ratio. The repository metadata records the public GitHub project from March 2013, and the README describes a design that can run in tens or hundreds of bytes of memory, can be statically allocated, and exposes independent encoder and decoder files for direct embedding.
The project later documented an optional lightweight index for faster compression. That index kept with the same embedded-systems tradeoff: spend a small, predictable amount of additional memory to reduce search cost rather than introducing a large general-purpose compression runtime.
Adoption history
heatshrink spread as a niche systems package rather than as an application platform. The input package facts record it in Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Nix, and openSUSE-style packaging, which is typical for compact C utilities that developers want available both on build hosts and inside automated firmware toolchains.
How it is used
The README presents two usage modes: the standalone `heatshrink` command for compressing, decompressing, and evaluating window/lookahead settings, and direct inclusion of the encoder or decoder source files in another C project. Configuration centers on window size, lookahead size, input buffer size, and whether dynamic allocation is disabled for embedded builds.
Why package nerds care
For package nerds, heatshrink is interesting because it sits between a library and a diagnostic CLI. It is small enough to vendor into firmware, but packaging it gives Unix developers a reproducible host-side tool for generating or inspecting compressed payloads with the same algorithm as the embedded target.
Timeline
- 2013: Public GitHub repository metadata records the heatshrink project.
- 2013: Atomic Object published an overview of heatshrink for embedded data compression.
- 2014: Atomic Object documented the optional lightweight index used to speed compression.
- Package-manager era: The input package facts record heatshrink availability in Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Nix, and zypper-family packaging.
Related projects
- heatshrink is related to the LZSS family of compressors and to embedded-friendly compression tools that favor predictable memory use over maximum compression ratio. It is also adjacent to firmware build systems that need a host-side compressor matching a tiny decoder on the device.
Sources
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:compress
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
heatshrink | 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 version0.4.1
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv0.4.1
https://github.com/atomicobject/heatshrink
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:heatshrink |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.4.1 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/heatshrink |
| Homepage | https://github.com/atomicobject/heatshrink |
| Repository | https://github.com/atomicobject/heatshrink |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/atomicobject/heatshrink#readme |
| License | ISC |
| Source archive | https://github.com/atomicobject/heatshrink/archive/refs/tags/v0.4.1.tar.gz |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, 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 | heatshrink |
| 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%
heatshrink 0.4.1-3+b1
data compression/decompression library for embedded/real-time systems
https://github.com/atomicobject/heatshrink/
sudo apt install heatshrink- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: heatshrink
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Heatshrink
Debian apt95%
libheatshrink-dev 0.4.1-3+b1
data compression/decompression library for embedded/real-time systems
https://github.com/atomicobject/heatshrink/
sudo apt install libheatshrink-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: heatshrink
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Heatshrink
Nix95%
heatshrink
nix profile install nixpkgs#heatshrink- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Heatshrink
Ubuntu apt95%
heatshrink 0.4.1-3
data compression/decompression library for embedded/real-time systems
https://github.com/atomicobject/heatshrink/
sudo apt install heatshrink- Section: universe/libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Heatshrink
Ubuntu apt95%
libheatshrink-dev 0.4.1-3
data compression/decompression library for embedded/real-time systems
https://github.com/atomicobject/heatshrink/
sudo apt install libheatshrink-dev- Section: universe/libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: heatshrink
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Heatshrink
zypper95%
heatshrink 0.4.1-1.7
Data compression library for embedded/real-time systems
https://github.com/atomicobject/heatshrink
sudo zypper install heatshrink- License: ISC AND AGPL-3.0-only
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: heatshrink
- 2 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Heatshrink
zypper95%
heatshrink-devel 0.4.1-1.7
Development files for the heatshrink data compression library
https://github.com/atomicobject/heatshrink
sudo zypper install heatshrink-devel- License: ISC AND AGPL-3.0-only
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: heatshrink
- 2 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Heatshrink
zypper95%
libheatshrink0_4_1 0.4.1-1.7
Data compression library for embedded/real-time systems
https://github.com/atomicobject/heatshrink
sudo zypper install libheatshrink0_4_1- License: ISC AND AGPL-3.0-only
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: heatshrink
- 2 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Heatshrink
zypper95%
libheatshrink_dynalloc0_4_1 0.4.1-1.7
Data compression library for embedded/real-time systems
https://github.com/atomicobject/heatshrink
sudo zypper install libheatshrink_dynalloc0_4_1- License: ISC AND AGPL-3.0-only
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: heatshrink
- 2 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Heatshrink
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