# Install libprotoident with Homebrew, Nix Performs application layer protocol identification for flows. Version 2.0.15-2 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:libprotoident ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install libprotoident ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#libprotoident ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/libprotoident/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:libprotoident - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 2.0.15-2 - **Source summary:** Performs application layer protocol identification for flows - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** LGPL-3.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - lpi_arff (cli) - lpi_find_unknown (cli) - lpi_protoident (cli) - lpi_arff (alias) - lpi_find_unknown (alias) - lpi_protoident (alias) ## Dependencies - libflowmanager - libtrace ## Build dependencies - autoconf - automake - libtool ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 2.0.15-2 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/LibtraceTeam/libprotoident - Upstream latest detected: 2.0.15-2 (current) - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. ## Project history and usage libprotoident is a lightweight network-traffic classification library from the University of Waikato WAND research group. Its niche is application protocol identification using only a small amount of payload from each direction of a flow. ### Project history The source headers credit the University of Waikato WAND research group and carry copyright years beginning in 2011. The public GitHub repository was created on 2014-03-20, and the README identifies Shane Alcock as author with additional contributors. The project frames itself as a deliberately limited form of deep packet inspection: it uses the first four bytes of application payload sent in each direction, plus flow metadata, instead of requiring complete packet payload capture. ### Adoption history libprotoident's adoption is concentrated in packet-trace and traffic-analysis circles rather than broad application development. Its README ties it to `libtrace` and `libflowmanager`, and its bundled tools operate on libtrace trace URIs, including live network-interface sources. ### How it is used The package provides a library API plus command-line tools: `lpi_protoident` identifies flows, `lpi_find_unknown` reports unidentified flows to aid new rule development, and `lpi_arff` emits ARFF output for Weka workflows. ### Why package nerds care For package maintainers, libprotoident is interesting because it sits between academic network measurement and practical CLI tooling. It pulls in the LibtraceTeam stack and gives users a packaged way to run protocol classification experiments without building the WAND tools by hand. ### Timeline - 2011: Source headers identify University of Waikato WAND work beginning in this period. - 2014-03-20: The public GitHub repository was created. - 2017-06-28: Version 2.0.11 added many protocols and moved tools to parallel libtrace and libflowmanager 3 compatibility. - 2020-11-12: Version 2.0.15 added protocols, an industrial-control-systems category, and category lookup APIs. ### Related projects - libtrace, libflowmanager, Weka, packet-trace analysis tools, and other traffic-classification projects such as nDPI and Zeek occupy adjacent space. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes library-like package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - library-like package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** libprotoident - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - libprotoident: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/libprotoident/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [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. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [libtrace](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libtrace/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [autoconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/autoconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [automake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/automake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [libtool](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libtool/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [ndpi](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ndpi/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, deep-packet-inspection, networking, traffic-analysis. - [flow-tools](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/flow-tools/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, traffic-analysis. - [yconalyzer](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/yconalyzer/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, traffic-analysis. - [darkstat](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/darkstat/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, network-traffic, networking, traffic-analysis. - [rustnet](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/rustnet/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, deep-packet-inspection, networking. - [tcpsplit](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/tcpsplit/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, flow-analysis, networking. - [activemq](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/activemq/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking. - [adns](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/adns/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking. - [sniffer](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/sniffer/) - Local metadata places this package in an adjacent workflow. Shared terms: analysis, cli, network, networking, packet. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/libprotoident.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/libprotoident.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