# Install libosinfo with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper Operating System information database. Version 1.12.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:libosinfo ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install libosinfo ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install libosinfo ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/libosinfo/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add libosinfo ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libosinfo from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install gir1.2-libosinfo-1.0 ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: gir1.2-libosinfo-1.0 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install libosinfo ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libosinfo 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#libosinfo ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/libosinfo/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S libosinfo ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: libosinfo from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install libosinfo ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libosinfo from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:libosinfo - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.12.0 - **Source summary:** Operating System information database - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** LGPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - osinfo-detect (cli) - osinfo-install-script (cli) - osinfo-query (cli) - osinfo-detect (alias) - osinfo-install-script (alias) - osinfo-query (alias) ## Dependencies - gettext - glib - libsoup - osinfo-db - usb.ids ## Build dependencies - gettext - gobject-introspection - meson - ninja - pkgconf - vala ## Uses from macOS - libxml2 - libxslt ## 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: 1.12.0 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://libosinfo.org/ - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage libosinfo is the C/GObject library in the libosinfo family: a shared database, API, and set of command-line tools for describing guest operating systems, hypervisors, virtual hardware, install media, and installation resources used by virtualization provisioning tools. ### Project history The project published its first public libosinfo tag in October 2011, after establishing a model in which operating-system facts live in a common XML database and applications query them through a reusable library rather than carrying their own detection tables. The official site describes the project as three cooperating parts: metadata database, GObject API, and query/extraction tools. By 2016 the project had formalized adjacent pieces such as osinfo-db-tools for importing, exporting, validating, and packaging the database files, and libosinfo 1.0.0 was tagged in October 2016. Later releases continued the steady maintenance pattern expected from low-level virtualization infrastructure: translation updates, build-system work, memory fixes, and compatibility with XML library changes. ### Adoption history libosinfo became useful wherever virtual-machine front ends need to choose sane defaults for a guest: identifying ISO media, mapping an OS to supported virtual devices, finding install trees, and generating unattended-install scripts. Its value is strongest in Linux virtualization stacks because multiple applications can share the same operating-system knowledge instead of each shipping stale lists. ### How it is used Packagers usually split the ecosystem into libosinfo, osinfo-db, and osinfo-db-tools. The library is consumed by programs through the C API or GObject Introspection bindings, while users and maintainers interact with tools such as osinfo-query, osinfo-detect, osinfo-install-script, and osinfo-db-import. ### Why package nerds care For package maintainers, libosinfo is a classic data-versus-code package: the library changes slowly, but the OS database needs frequent updates as distributions, Windows releases, and install media change. That split explains why package freshness can visibly affect VM creation dialogs and automated provisioning even when the hypervisor itself is working. ### Timeline - 2011: libosinfo v0.0.1 was tagged as the first public release. - 2016: osinfo-db-tools was created for managing libosinfo database files. - 2016: libosinfo v1.0.0 was tagged. - 2024: libosinfo 1.12.0 and osinfo-db-tools 1.12.0 release notes listed maintenance fixes, CI work, and translation updates. ### Related projects - osinfo-db supplies the XML operating-system data consumed by libosinfo. - osinfo-db-tools provides import, export, validation, and packaging tools for the database. - libvirt and desktop virtualization front ends are the natural consumers of the metadata model because they need OS-aware guest defaults. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. - **Geiger risk:** blue / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** libosinfo - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 1 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - gir1.2-libosinfo-1.0 - 1.12.0-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: gir1.2-libosinfo-1.0 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | GObject introspection data for libosinfo | https://libosinfo.org/ - Debian apt - libosinfo-1.0-0 - 1.12.0-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libosinfo-1.0-0 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Library for managing information about operating systems and hypervisors | https://libosinfo.org/ - Debian apt - libosinfo-1.0-dev - 1.12.0-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libosinfo-1.0-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | libosinfo development files | https://libosinfo.org/ - Debian apt - libosinfo-bin - 1.12.0-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libosinfo-bin from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Tools for querying the osinfo database via libosinfo | https://libosinfo.org/ - Debian apt - libosinfo-l10n - 1.12.0-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libosinfo-l10n from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Translations for libosinfo | https://libosinfo.org/ - Nix - libosinfo: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/libosinfo/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - gir1.2-libosinfo-1.0 - 1.11.0-2build3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: gir1.2-libosinfo-1.0 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | GObject introspection data for libosinfo | https://libosinfo.org/ - Ubuntu apt - libosinfo-1.0-0 - 1.11.0-2build3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libosinfo-1.0-0 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Library for managing information about operating systems and hypervisors | https://libosinfo.org/ - Ubuntu apt - libosinfo-1.0-dev - 1.11.0-2build3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libosinfo-1.0-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | libosinfo development files | https://libosinfo.org/ - Ubuntu apt - libosinfo-bin - 1.11.0-2build3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libosinfo-bin from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Tools for querying the osinfo database via libosinfo | https://libosinfo.org/ - Ubuntu apt - libosinfo-l10n - 1.11.0-2build3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libosinfo-l10n from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Translations for libosinfo | https://libosinfo.org/ - apk - libosinfo - 1.12.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libosinfo from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | library for managing OS information for virtualization | https://libosinfo.org/ - apk - libosinfo-dev - 1.12.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libosinfo-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | library for managing OS information for virtualization (development files) | https://libosinfo.org/ - apk - libosinfo-doc - 1.12.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libosinfo-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | library for managing OS information for virtualization (documentation) | https://libosinfo.org/ - apk - libosinfo-lang - 1.12.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libosinfo-lang from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Languages for package libosinfo | https://libosinfo.org/ - dnf - libosinfo - 1.12.0-9.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libosinfo from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | A library for managing OS information for virtualization | https://libosinfo.org/ ## Related links - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Database and data packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/database-data-tools/) - Matched database, SQL, migration, or data-store metadata. - [gettext](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gettext/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [glib](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/glib/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [gobject-introspection](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gobject-introspection/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [meson](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/meson/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [ninja](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ninja/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [virt-manager](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/virt-manager/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [osinfo-db-tools](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/osinfo-db-tools/) - Shares the same upstream homepage. - [lume](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lume/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, virtualization. - [nemu](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/nemu/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, virtualization. - [qemu](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/qemu/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, virtualization. - [vmdktool](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/vmdktool/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, virtualization. - [lima](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lima/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, virtualization. - [rvvm](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/rvvm/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, system, virtualization. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/libosinfo.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/libosinfo.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - 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