macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install libgfsharelocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install libgfshareMacPorts ports tree · security/libgfshare/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install libgfshare with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, pacman
Library for sharing secrets. Version 2.0.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install libgfshare-binDebian stable package indexes · libgfshare-bin · source: deb.debian.org
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S libgfshareArch Linux sync databases · libgfshare · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
overview
Package summary
Library for sharing secrets
Project links
Commands and aliases
- gfcombine
- gfsplit
history
Project history and usage
libgfshare is a compact C implementation of Shamir secret sharing over GF(2^8), with gfsplit and gfcombine tools for splitting and recombining byte-oriented secrets.
Project history
The upstream README is signed by Daniel Silverstone on 2006-01-15 and describes the library as a Shamir Secret Sharing implementation in the Galois Field 2^8. It explicitly credits inspiration from Mark D. Wooding's Catacomb library.
A 2009-11-18 README note by Simon McVittie documents recovery behavior for earlier gfsplit outputs that could produce a share numbered 000, giving the project a small but concrete maintenance history.
Adoption history
libgfshare stayed niche but useful: package managers expose it for users who want a small secret-sharing library and command-line tools without a larger key-management suite. Its own README gives rare-use GPG secret keys, such as archive-signing keys, as a motivating example.
How it is used
The library splits a secret into C shares such that any T shares can recover it. The CLI tools make that model usable from shell scripts or operational key-handling procedures.
Why package nerds care
For package nerds, libgfshare is the tiny Unix-security-tool version of an important cryptographic idea: no service, no database, just a C library and two tools. Its significance is mostly in simplicity and auditability rather than broad adoption.
Timeline
- 2006: Daniel Silverstone README note describes the initial library and its GF(2^8) Shamir-sharing design.
- 2009: Simon McVittie README note documents recovery from earlier gfsplit share-numbering behavior.
- 2026: GitHub repository metadata listed 80 commits and one tag.
Related projects
- Shamir secret sharing is the underlying scheme. Mark D. Wooding's Catacomb library is named by the upstream README as an inspiration. GnuPG key-handling is a documented use case.
Sources
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.
- Build metadata lists 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
gfcombine | cli | global executable | |
gfsplit | 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 version2.0.0
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detected2.0.0
https://github.com/kinnison/libgfshare
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:libgfshare |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.0.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/libgfshare |
| Homepage | https://github.com/kinnison/libgfshare |
| Repository | https://github.com/kinnison/libgfshare |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/kinnison/libgfshare#readme |
| License | MIT |
| Source archive | https://github.com/kinnison/libgfshare/archive/refs/tags/2.0.0.tar.gz |
| Build dependencies | autoconf, automake, libtool |
| 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 | libgfshare |
| 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%
libgfshare-bin 2.0.0-7
utilities for multi-way secret-sharing
https://github.com/kinnison/libgfshare
sudo apt install libgfshare-bin- Section: utils
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libgfshare
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libgfshare
Debian apt95%
libgfshare-dev 2.0.0-7
library for multi-way secret-sharing (headers)
https://github.com/kinnison/libgfshare
sudo apt install libgfshare-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libgfshare
- 1 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libgfshare
Debian apt95%
libgfshare2 2.0.0-7
library for multi-way secret-sharing
https://github.com/kinnison/libgfshare
sudo apt install libgfshare2- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libgfshare
- 1 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libgfshare
Ubuntu apt95%
libgfshare-bin 2.0.0-6build1
utilities for multi-way secret-sharing
https://git.gitano.org.uk/libgfshare.git/
sudo apt install libgfshare-bin- Section: universe/libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libgfshare
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libgfshare
Ubuntu apt95%
libgfshare-dev 2.0.0-6build1
library for multi-way secret-sharing (headers)
https://git.gitano.org.uk/libgfshare.git/
sudo apt install libgfshare-dev- Section: universe/libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libgfshare
- 1 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libgfshare
Ubuntu apt95%
libgfshare2 2.0.0-6build1
library for multi-way secret-sharing
https://git.gitano.org.uk/libgfshare.git/
sudo apt install libgfshare2- Section: universe/libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libgfshare
- 1 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libgfshare
pacman95%
libgfshare 2.0.0-5
Utilities for multi-way secret-sharing
https://www.digital-scurf.org/software/libgfshare
sudo pacman -S libgfshare- License: MIT
- Architecture: x86_64
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libgfshare
MacPorts95%
libgfshare
sudo port install libgfshare- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libgfshare
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