macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install libgtoplocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install libgtopMacPorts ports tree · gnome/libgtop/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install libgtop with Homebrew, apk, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper
Library for portably obtaining information about processes. Version 2.40.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-21.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add libgtopAlpine Linux edge package indexes · libgtop · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#libgtopnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/li/libgtop/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S libgtopArch Linux sync databases · libgtop · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install libgtopopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · libgtop · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Library for portably obtaining information about processes
Project links
Commands and aliases
- libgtop_daemon2
- libgtop_server2
history
Project history and usage
libgtop is a GNOME-era C library for querying system information such as CPU, memory, and process state across Unix-like platforms. Its value is not a flashy user interface but an old portability layer over platform-specific process and kernel data sources.
Project history
The source tree identifies Martin Baulig's April 1998 contribution of LibGTop 1.0-era headers, and the RPM spec records a 0.25.0 release on August 19, 1998. The package description framed libgtop as a library for fetching running-system information, using /proc directly on Linux and a helper server for systems where information had to come from /dev/kmem or equivalent kernel interfaces.
A May 1999 GNOME mailing-list message referred to a LIBGTOP_STABLE_1_0 branch that would remain binary-compatible with LibGTop 1.0.1 as shipped with GNOME 1.0. That places libgtop squarely in the early GNOME platform period, when desktop utilities needed shared C libraries to hide differences between Unix process-accounting APIs.
Adoption history
libgtop became a distro-library dependency rather than an end-user command in its own right. The batch input lists packages for Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, Arch, Alpine, and openSUSE, reflecting its role as a support library for system-monitoring and GNOME-adjacent software.
How it is used
Developers use libgtop when a GNOME or GLib-based program needs process, memory, CPU, mount, or related host information without embedding per-platform probing code. The installed helper programs libgtop_daemon2 and libgtop_server2 exist for the older server-mediated access model documented in the package spec.
Why package nerds care
libgtop is a preservation layer for old desktop portability work. Package maintainers care about it because it sits at the intersection of GNOME, GLib, process inspection, platform-specific kernel interfaces, and ABI stability across long-lived desktop applications.
Timeline
- 1998-04: Martin Baulig contributed LibGTop 1.0-era source code.
- 1998-08-16: The RPM spec recorded the first RPM packaging entry.
- 1998-08-19: The RPM changelog recorded the LibGTop 0.25.0 release.
- 1999-05: GNOME mailing-list traffic described the stable 1.0 branch as binary-compatible with LibGTop 1.0.1 from GNOME 1.0.
Related projects
- GNOME is the desktop project that hosts libgtop.
- GLib and GObject provide the base C platform used by libgtop.
- Linux /proc and non-Linux kernel interfaces such as /dev/kmem are the low-level data sources abstracted by the library.
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 13 platform targets.
- Installs with 3 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
libgtop_daemon2 | cli | global executable | |
libgtop_server2 | 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 version2.40.0
manager updated2026-06-21
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libgtop
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libgtopnone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:libgtop |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.40.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/libgtop |
| Homepage | https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libgtop |
| Repository | https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libgtop |
| Upstream docs | https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libgtop |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://download.gnome.org/sources/libgtop/2.40/libgtop-2.40.0.tar.xz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-21T19:14:09-04:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | gettext, glib, libxau |
| Build dependencies | gobject-introspection, pkgconf |
| 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 | libgtop |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 1 |
| 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.
Nix95%
libgtop
nix profile install nixpkgs#libgtop- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libgtop
apk95%
libgtop 2.41.3-r1
GNOME top library
sudo apk add libgtop- License: LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libgtop
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libgtop
apk95%
libgtop-dev 2.41.3-r1
GNOME top library (development files)
sudo apk add libgtop-dev- License: LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libgtop
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libgtop
apk95%
libgtop-doc 2.41.3-r1
GNOME top library (documentation)
sudo apk add libgtop-doc- License: LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libgtop
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libgtop
apk95%
libgtop-lang 2.41.3-r1
Languages for package libgtop
sudo apk add libgtop-lang- License: LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libgtop
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libgtop
apk95%
libgtop-tools 2.41.3-r1
GNOME top library SETUID server for unsupported platforms
sudo apk add libgtop-tools- License: LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libgtop
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libgtop
pacman95%
libgtop 2.41.3-2
Library for collecting system monitoring data
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libgtop
sudo pacman -S libgtop- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libgtop
zypper95%
libgtop 2.41.3+4-3.1
System status information library
https://developer.gnome.org/libgtop/stable/
sudo zypper install libgtop- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Development/Libraries/C and C++
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libgtop
- 6 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libgtop
zypper95%
libgtop-2_0-11 2.41.3+4-3.1
System status information library
https://developer.gnome.org/libgtop/stable/
sudo zypper install libgtop-2_0-11- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: System/Libraries
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libgtop
- 5 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libgtop
zypper95%
libgtop-devel 2.41.3+4-3.1
Development files for libgtop
https://developer.gnome.org/libgtop/stable/
sudo zypper install libgtop-devel- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Development/Libraries/GNOME
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libgtop
- 5 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libgtop
zypper95%
libgtop-doc 2.41.3+4-3.1
Documentation for the libgtop library
https://developer.gnome.org/libgtop/stable/
sudo zypper install libgtop-doc- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Development/Libraries/GNOME
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: libgtop
- 3 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libgtop
zypper95%
libgtop-lang 2.41.3+4-3.1
Translations for package libgtop
https://developer.gnome.org/libgtop/stable/
sudo zypper install libgtop-lang- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: System/Localization
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: libgtop
- 1 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libgtop
zypper95%
typelib-1_0-GTop-2_0 2.41.3+4-3.1
Introspection bindings for libgtop
https://developer.gnome.org/libgtop/stable/
sudo zypper install typelib-1_0-GTop-2_0- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: System/Libraries
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libgtop
- 1 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libgtop
MacPorts95%
libgtop
sudo port install libgtop- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libgtop
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