# Install libksba with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper X.509 and CMS library. Version 1.8.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-14. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:libksba ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install libksba ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install libksba ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: devel/libksba/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add libksba ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libksba from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install libksba-dev ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: libksba-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install libksba ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libksba from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#libksba ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/libksba/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S libksba ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: libksba from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/core/os/x86_64/core.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install libksba-devel ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libksba-devel from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:libksba - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.8.0 - **Source summary:** X.509 and CMS library - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** LGPL-3.0-or-later OR GPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-05-14T01:41:21Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - ksba-config (cli) - ksba-config (alias) ## Dependencies - libgpg-error ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 1.8.0 - Package-manager updated: 2026-05-14 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://www.gnupg.org/related_software/libksba/ - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage Libksba is GnuPG's X.509 and CMS library. It gives C applications a shared interface for parsing and handling X.509 certificates, CMS/PKCS#7 messages, certificate revocation lists, and PKCS#10 certificate requests. ### Project history GnuPG's Libksba page describes the library as a way to hide the many protocol details and dialects of X.509 certificates, CMS data, and related objects behind one C API. The README explains that KSBA is pronounced Kasbah, ships as a standard shared library, and deliberately does not rely on another cryptographic library. The reference manual edition 1.0.6 was last updated on 2009-01-09 for KSBA 1.0.6, showing that Libksba had already stabilized as a documented component of the GnuPG library set by the late 2000s. GnuPG download metadata lists Libksba 1.8.0 on 2026-05-13. ### Adoption history Libksba's adoption is mostly through GnuPG and GnuPG-adjacent packaging. The README says GnuPG's dirmngr module makes extensive use of Libksba's OCSP feature, while GnuPG documentation and related manuals identify gpgsm as the X.509/CMS counterpart to gpg for S/MIME workflows. It appears in Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Alpine, Arch, MacPorts, Nix, and openSUSE because GnuPG stacks are base security infrastructure on Unix-like systems. Users rarely install it for its own UI; they inherit it through certificate, S/MIME, and CMS support. ### How it is used Developers use Libksba when they need C-level access to X.509 certificate structures, CMS messages, CRLs, PKCS#10 requests, and related parsing/serialization inside GnuPG-style applications. Packagers see ksba-config as the small build-helper executable attached to the library. ### Why package nerds care Libksba is significant because it is a quiet security plumbing package: not the cryptographic primitive library, not the mail client, and not the gpg command, but the X.509/CMS parser layer that lets GnuPG's S/MIME side exist as a separately packaged dependency. ### Timeline - 2001: README copyright range begins with 2001 for g10 Code GmbH. - 2009-01-09: KSBA Reference Manual edition 1.0.6 last updated for library version 1.0.6. - 2020-11-19: GnuPG Libksba web page source date. - 2026-05-13: GnuPG download page lists Libksba 1.8.0. ### Related projects - Related projects include GnuPG, gpgsm, dirmngr, GPGME, Gpg4win, S/MIME, X.509, CMS/PKCS#7, CRLs, OCSP, and PKCS#10 tooling. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for libksba. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL. ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** libksba - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - libksba-dev - 1.6.7-2+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libksba-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | X.509 and CMS support library - development files | https://www.gnupg.org/related_software/libksba/ - Debian apt - libksba-mingw-w64-dev - 1.6.7-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libksba-mingw-w64-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | X.509 and CMS support library (Windows development) | https://www.gnupg.org/related_software/libksba/ - Debian apt - libksba8 - 1.6.7-2+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libksba8 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | X.509 and CMS support library | https://www.gnupg.org/related_software/libksba/ - Nix - libksba: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/libksba/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - libksba-dev - 1.6.6-1build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libksba-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | X.509 and CMS support library - development files | https://www.gnupg.org/related_software/libksba/ - Ubuntu apt - libksba-mingw-w64-dev - 1.6.6-1build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libksba-mingw-w64-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | X.509 and CMS support library (Windows development) | https://www.gnupg.org/related_software/libksba/ - Ubuntu apt - libksba8 - 1.6.6-1build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libksba8 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | X.509 and CMS support library | https://www.gnupg.org/related_software/libksba/ - apk - libksba - 1.7.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libksba from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Libksba is a CMS and X.509 access library | https://www.gnupg.org/software/libksba/index.html - apk - libksba-dev - 1.7.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libksba-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Libksba is a CMS and X.509 access library (development files) | https://www.gnupg.org/software/libksba/index.html - apk - libksba-doc - 1.7.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libksba-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Libksba is a CMS and X.509 access library (documentation) | https://www.gnupg.org/software/libksba/index.html - dnf - libksba - 1.8.0-1.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libksba from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | CMS and X.509 library | https://www.gnupg.org/ - dnf - libksba-devel - 1.8.0-1.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libksba-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Development headers and libraries for libksba | https://www.gnupg.org/ - pacman - libksba - 1.8.0-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: libksba from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/core/os/x86_64/core.db.tar.gz | Library for working with X.509 certificates, CMS data and related objects | https://www.gnupg.org/related_software/libksba/ - zypper - libksba-devel - 1.8.0-1.1: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libksba-devel from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | A X.509 Library | https://www.gnupg.org - zypper - libksba8 - 1.8.0-1.1: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libksba8 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | A X.509 Library | https://www.gnupg.org - MacPorts - libksba: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: devel/libksba/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched curated package taxonomy and local package facts. - [libgpg-error](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libgpg-error/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [gnupg](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gnupg/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [ntbtls](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ntbtls/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [libassuan](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libassuan/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: config, error, libgpg, libgpg-error. - [libgcrypt](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libgcrypt/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: config, error, libgpg, libgpg-error. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/libksba.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/libksba.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph