Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install libbtbb with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix

Bluetooth baseband decoding library. Version 2020-12-R1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install libbtbb

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install libbtbb

MacPorts ports tree · devel/libbtbb/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install libbtbb-dev

Debian stable package indexes · libbtbb-dev · source: deb.debian.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install libbtbb

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · libbtbb · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#libbtbb

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/li/libbtbb/package.nix · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Bluetooth baseband decoding library

Commands and aliases

  • btaptap

history

Project history and usage

libbtbb is Great Scott Gadgets' Bluetooth baseband decoding library, used with Ubertooth hardware and older GR-Bluetooth/USRP workflows to extract Bluetooth packet and piconet information.

Project history

The README describes libbtbb as forked from the GR-Bluetooth project. That origin matters: it moved Bluetooth baseband decoding from a GNU Radio research path into a reusable library that could support Ubertooth tools, packet formats, and Wireshark integration.

The changelog shows a hardware-toolchain release cadence tied to Ubertooth. The 2014-02-R2 release added Bluetooth Low Energy support, limited Adaptive Frequency Hopping support, a rewritten Basic Rate API, and Wireshark plugin support. Later releases focused on PCAP formats, BLE PCAPNG support, build simplification, and Python 3.

Adoption history

libbtbb's adoption followed the Ubertooth ecosystem rather than general-purpose networking libraries. It appears in Homebrew and Linux distributions because Bluetooth researchers, packet analysts, and hardware-security users need a packaged decoder to build the rest of the Ubertooth stack.

How it is used

Users install libbtbb as a C library and headers, then consume it through Ubertooth utilities, packet decoders, and Wireshark-related workflows. The README notes use with Ubertooth devices and GR-Bluetooth/USRP.

Why package nerds care

libbtbb is significant as a small package that unlocks a larger hardware-hacking workflow. In a package graph, it is the Bluetooth baseband decoding layer between SDR capture hardware and user-facing analysis tools.

Timeline

  • 2014-02-20: 2014-02-R2 added Bluetooth Low Energy support, limited AFH support, a rewritten Basic Rate API, and Wireshark plugin support.
  • 2015-09-05: 2015-09-R2 added a new PCAP format for BR/EDR packets and BLE PCAPNG support.
  • 2017-03-01: 2017-03-R2 removed the libpcap dependency to simplify builds.
  • 2018: 2018-08-R1 and 2018-12-R1 kept version parity with Ubertooth releases.
  • 2020-12-25: 2020-12-R1 added Python 3 support and minor bug fixes.

Related projects

  • Related projects include Ubertooth, GR-Bluetooth, GNU Radio, USRP hardware workflows, Wireshark dissectors, and Bluetooth Low Energy packet analysis.

security posture

Risk level: green

library-like package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

  • library-like package without higher-risk signals

Signals

  • metadata:library-like

Install behavior

  • No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
  • Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.
  • Build metadata lists 1 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

CommandKindExposureNote
btaptapcliglobal 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 version2020-12-R1
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected

https://github.com/greatscottgadgets/libbtbb

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:libbtbb
Version2020-12-R1
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/libbtbb
Homepagehttps://github.com/greatscottgadgets/libbtbb
Repositoryhttps://github.com/greatscottgadgets/libbtbb
Upstream docshttps://github.com/greatscottgadgets/libbtbb#readme
LicenseGPL-2.0-or-later
Source archivehttps://github.com/greatscottgadgets/libbtbb/archive/refs/tags/2020-12-R1.tar.gz
Dependenciespython@3.14
Build dependenciescmake
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namelibbtbb
Version Scheme0
Revision1
Head VersionHEAD
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • head
  • stable

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%

libbtbb-dev 2018.12.R1-1+b2

Bluetooth baseband decoding library - development files

http://libbtbb.sourceforge.net/

sudo apt install libbtbb-dev
  • Section: libdevel
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: libbtbb
  • 2 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Libbtbb
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: libbtbb-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Debian apt95%

libbtbb1 2018.12.R1-1+b2

Bluetooth baseband decoding library

http://libbtbb.sourceforge.net/

sudo apt install libbtbb1
  • Section: libs
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: libbtbb
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Libbtbb
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: libbtbb1 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Nix95%

libbtbb

nix profile install nixpkgs#libbtbb
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Libbtbb
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/libbtbb/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Ubuntu apt95%

libbtbb-dev 2018.12.R1-1

Bluetooth baseband decoding library - development files

http://libbtbb.sourceforge.net/

sudo apt install libbtbb-dev
  • Section: universe/libdevel
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: libbtbb
  • 2 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Libbtbb
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libbtbb-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
Ubuntu apt95%

libbtbb1 2018.12.R1-1

Bluetooth baseband decoding library

http://libbtbb.sourceforge.net/

sudo apt install libbtbb1
  • Section: universe/libs
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: libbtbb
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Libbtbb
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libbtbb1 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
dnf95%

libbtbb 2020.12.R1-16.fc44

A Bluetooth baseband decoding library

https://github.com/greatscottgadgets/libbtbb

sudo dnf install libbtbb
  • License: GPL-2.0-only
  • Category: Unspecified
  • Architecture: i686
  • Source Package: libbtbb
  • 2 dependencies
  • 2 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Libbtbb
Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libbtbb from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst
dnf95%

libbtbb-devel 2020.12.R1-16.fc44

Development files for libbtbb

https://github.com/greatscottgadgets/libbtbb

sudo dnf install libbtbb-devel
  • License: GPL-2.0-only
  • Category: Unspecified
  • Architecture: i686
  • Source Package: libbtbb
  • 3 dependencies
  • 2 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Libbtbb
Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libbtbb-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst
MacPorts95%

libbtbb

sudo port install libbtbb
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Libbtbb
MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: devel/libbtbb/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

Related tools

  • python@3.14Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • cmakeBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • ubertoothPopular package that depends on this formula.

Same workflow

  • adnsShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, library, networking.
  • c-aresShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, library, networking.
  • cdprShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, packet-decoding.
  • curlShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, library, networking.
  • czmqShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, library, networking.
  • freerdpShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, library, networking.

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.

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