macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install libassuanlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install libassuanMacPorts ports tree · devel/libassuan/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install libassuan with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper
Assuan IPC Library. Version 3.0.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-23.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add libassuanAlpine Linux edge package indexes · libassuan · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install libassuan-devDebian stable package indexes · libassuan-dev · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install libassuanFedora Rawhide package metadata · libassuan · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#libassuannixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/li/libassuan/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S libassuanArch Linux sync databases · libassuan · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install libassuan-developenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · libassuan-devel · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Assuan IPC Library
Project links
Commands and aliases
- libassuan-config
history
Project history and usage
Libassuan is the GnuPG project's IPC library for the Assuan protocol. It exists so GnuPG front ends and helper processes can talk through a small, auditable client/server protocol instead of sharing one address space with sensitive cryptographic state.
Project history
The Assuan manual says the protocol and library were developed for GNU Privacy Guard so user interfaces, mail clients, and other encryption front ends could communicate with smaller GnuPG server components without being able to corrupt or inspect server memory.
The GnuPG project page describes Libassuan as a small library implementing the Assuan protocol, with both client-side and server-side functions. Development is hosted in the GnuPG Git infrastructure.
Adoption history
Libassuan became part of the broader GnuPG component stack. GnuPG describes the protocol as used for IPC between most newer GnuPG components, and release announcements also describe it as used by GnuPG, GPGME, and related packages.
How it is used
Programs use Libassuan to build transaction-oriented IPC over pipes or Unix domain sockets. The protocol is mostly text based, supports client/server communication with a back channel, descriptor passing for bulk data, and optional confidentiality features for parts of a conversation.
Why package nerds care
Libassuan is one of those small GnuPG libraries that appear everywhere because key management, pinentry, GPGME, and package-signature tooling depend on the GnuPG stack. For package maintainers, it matters less as a user-facing tool than as a security plumbing layer with ABI and licensing implications.
Timeline
- 2001: Assuan manual copyright history begins with the Free Software Foundation.
- 2015: Libassuan 2.3.0 announcement describes it as a generic IPC library used by GnuPG and GPGME.
- 2017: The published Assuan manual edition 2.5.3 is dated 2017-12-07.
- 2020: The GnuPG Libassuan project page records a 2020-11-19 page change.
Related projects
- GnuPG, GPGME, pinentry, libgpg-error, libgcrypt, libksba, and nPth are the closest package-stack relatives.
Sources
security posture
No protected-tool coverage found yet
No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for libassuan. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
libassuan-config | 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 version3.0.2
manager updated2026-05-23
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://www.gnupg.org/related_software/libassuan/
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.gnupg.org/related_software/libassuan/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:libassuan |
|---|---|
| Version | 3.0.2 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/libassuan |
| Homepage | https://www.gnupg.org/related_software/libassuan/ |
| Repository | https://git.gnupg.org/cgi-bin/gitweb.cgi?p=libassuan.git |
| Upstream docs | https://www.gnupg.org/documentation/manuals/assuan |
| License | LGPL-2.1-or-later AND GPL-3.0-or-later AND FSFULLR |
| Source archive | https://gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libassuan/libassuan-3.0.2.tar.bz2 |
| Last updated | 2026-05-23T13:48:09-04:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | libgpg-error |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, 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 | libassuan |
| Aliases |
|
| 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%
libassuan-dev 3.0.2-2
IPC library for the GnuPG components -- header files
https://www.gnupg.org/related_software/libassuan/index.html
sudo apt install libassuan-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libassuan
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libassuan
Debian apt95%
libassuan-mingw-w64-dev 3.0.2-2
IPC library for the GnuPG components -- Windows port
https://www.gnupg.org/related_software/libassuan/index.html
sudo apt install libassuan-mingw-w64-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: libassuan
- 1 dependencies
- 2 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libassuan
Debian apt95%
libassuan9 3.0.2-2
IPC library for the GnuPG components
https://www.gnupg.org/related_software/libassuan/index.html
sudo apt install libassuan9- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libassuan
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libassuan
Nix95%
libassuan
nix profile install nixpkgs#libassuan- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libassuan
Ubuntu apt95%
libassuan-dev 2.5.6-1build1
IPC library for the GnuPG components -- header files
https://www.gnupg.org/related_software/libassuan/index.html
sudo apt install libassuan-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libassuan
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libassuan
Ubuntu apt95%
libassuan-mingw-w64-dev 2.5.6-1build1
IPC library for the GnuPG components -- Windows port
https://www.gnupg.org/related_software/libassuan/index.html
sudo apt install libassuan-mingw-w64-dev- Section: universe/libdevel
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: libassuan
- 1 dependencies
- 2 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libassuan
Ubuntu apt95%
libassuan0 2.5.6-1build1
IPC library for the GnuPG components
https://www.gnupg.org/related_software/libassuan/index.html
sudo apt install libassuan0- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libassuan
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libassuan
apk95%
libassuan 3.0.2-r0
IPC library used by some GnuPG related software
https://www.gnupg.org/software/libassuan/index.html
sudo apk add libassuan- License: LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libassuan
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libassuan
apk95%
libassuan-dev 3.0.2-r0
IPC library used by some GnuPG related software (development files)
https://www.gnupg.org/software/libassuan/index.html
sudo apk add libassuan-dev- License: LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libassuan
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libassuan
apk95%
libassuan-doc 3.0.2-r0
IPC library used by some GnuPG related software (documentation)
https://www.gnupg.org/software/libassuan/index.html
sudo apk add libassuan-doc- License: LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libassuan
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libassuan
apk95%
libassuan-static 3.0.2-r0
IPC library used by some GnuPG related software (static library)
https://www.gnupg.org/software/libassuan/index.html
sudo apk add libassuan-static- License: LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libassuan
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libassuan
dnf95%
libassuan 2.5.7-5.fc44
GnuPG IPC library
sudo dnf install libassuan- License: GPL-3.0-or-later AND LGPL-2.1-or-later AND LGPL-3.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: libassuan
- 3 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libassuan
dnf95%
libassuan-devel 2.5.7-5.fc44
GnuPG IPC library
sudo dnf install libassuan-devel- License: GPL-3.0-or-later AND LGPL-2.1-or-later AND LGPL-3.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: libassuan
- 5 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libassuan
pacman95%
libassuan 3.0.0-1
IPC library used by some GnuPG related software
https://www.gnupg.org/related_software/libassuan/
sudo pacman -S libassuan- License: FSFULLR AND GPL-2.0-or-later AND LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- 3 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libassuan
zypper95%
libassuan-devel 3.0.2-1.4
IPC library used by GnuPG version 2
https://www.gnupg.org/related_software/libassuan/index.en.html
sudo zypper install libassuan-devel- License: GPL-3.0-or-later AND LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Category: Development/Libraries/C and C++
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libassuan
- 4 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libassuan
zypper95%
libassuan9 3.0.2-1.4
IPC library used by GnuPG version 2
https://www.gnupg.org/related_software/libassuan/index.en.html
sudo zypper install libassuan9- License: GPL-3.0-or-later AND LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Category: Development/Libraries/C and C++
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libassuan
- 3 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libassuan
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
- 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