# Install libquicktime with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, zypper

Library for reading and writing quicktime files. Version 1.2.4 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-25.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:libquicktime
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install libquicktime
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

- MacPorts (94%):

```sh
sudo port install libquicktime
```

  Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: multimedia/libquicktime/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

### Linux

- Debian apt (92%):

```sh
sudo apt install libquicktime-dev
```

  Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: libquicktime-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

- dnf (92%):

```sh
sudo dnf install libquicktime
```

  Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libquicktime from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst

- zypper (92%):

```sh
sudo zypper install libquicktime
```

  Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libquicktime from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:libquicktime
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Package manager page:** <https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/libquicktime>
- **Version:** 1.2.4
- **Source summary:** Library for reading and writing quicktime files
- **Homepage:** <https://libquicktime.sourceforge.net/>
- **Repository:** <https://sourceforge.net/p/libquicktime/git/ci/master/tree>
- **Upstream docs:** <https://libquicktime.sourceforge.net/>
- **License:** LGPL-2.1-or-later
- **Source archive:** <https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/libquicktime/libquicktime/1.2.4/libquicktime-1.2.4.tar.gz>
- **Last updated:** 2026-06-25T08:00:45-04:00
- **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00

## Executables

- lqt_transcode (cli)
- lqtremux (cli)
- qt2text (cli)
- qtdechunk (cli)
- qtdump (cli)
- qtinfo (cli)
- qtrechunk (cli)
- qtstreamize (cli)
- qtyuv4toyuv (cli)
- lqt_transcode (alias)
- lqtremux (alias)
- qt2text (alias)
- qtdechunk (alias)
- qtdump (alias)
- qtinfo (alias)
- qtrechunk (alias)
- qtstreamize (alias)
- qtyuv4toyuv (alias)

## Dependencies

- gettext

## Build dependencies

- pkgconf

## 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: 1.2.4
- Package-manager updated: 2026-06-25
- Local data: ok
- Upstream repository: https://libquicktime.sourceforge.net/
- info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.
## Project history and usage

libquicktime is a C library and tool suite for reading and writing QuickTime-family media files on Unix-like systems, descended from the quicktime4linux codebase.

### Project history

The SourceForge project was registered on 2002-02-08 and its news page records the 0.9.0 release on 2002-05-21. The README describes libquicktime as based on quicktime4linux, but with autoconf, automake, libtool, system codec-library detection, dynamically loadable codecs, and source compatibility goals for quicktime4linux applications such as Cinelerra and xmovie.

The project sits in the early-2000s Linux multimedia lineage, when QuickTime, AVI, MP4, and codec support were fragmented across libraries, plugins, and external codec packages. Its design reflects that era: split codecs from the core library, depend on system JPEG, Ogg Vorbis, libpng, libdv, and similar libraries, and expose command-line utilities for transcoding, remuxing, dumping, and stream preparation.

### Adoption history

libquicktime was packaged by Unix distributions because older video applications needed a LGPL library for QuickTime containers without bundling every codec. The input package-manager metadata lists Homebrew, Debian, Fedora, MacPorts, Ubuntu, and openSUSE packages, and the SourceForge file page records the 1.2.4 tarball as the downloadable source release.

### How it is used

Package users typically use libquicktime indirectly through applications or directly through tools such as lqt_transcode, lqtremux, qtdump, qtinfo, and qtstreamize for inspecting or converting old QuickTime-family media.

### Why package nerds care

libquicktime is a fossil from the pre-FFmpeg-everywhere multimedia stack. It is significant because it shows how distributions used modular codec libraries and LGPL container code to make proprietary-era media formats usable on free Unix desktops.

### Timeline

- 2002: SourceForge project registered on 2002-02-08.
- 2002: libquicktime 0.9.0 released on 2002-05-21.
- 2006: libquicktime 0.9.9 announced with improved codec and file-format support.
- 2012: SourceForge file browser listed the libquicktime package tree dated 2012-03-29.
- 2024: SourceForge project metadata recorded an activity update on 2024-02-03.

### Related projects

- libquicktime is directly related to quicktime4linux, Cinelerra, xmovie, FFmpeg plugin code, libdv, libpng, libjpeg, and Ogg Vorbis libraries. It also belongs to the same historical multimedia packaging neighborhood as other SourceForge-era video libraries.

### Sources

- <https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/libquicktime>
- <https://libquicktime.sourceforge.net/>
- <https://sourceforge.net/p/libquicktime/git/ci/master/tree/>
- <https://sourceforge.net/p/libquicktime/news/>
- <https://sourceforge.net/projects/libquicktime/>
- <https://sourceforge.net/projects/libquicktime/files/>


## 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:** libquicktime
- **Version Scheme:** 0
- **Revision:** 5
- **Bottle Stable Root URL:** <https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core>
- **Deprecated:** no
- **Disabled:** no
- **Keg Only:** no
- **URL Keys:** stable

## Other Package-Manager Records

- Debian apt - libquicktime-dev - 2:1.2.4-16+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libquicktime-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | library for reading and writing Quicktime files (development) | https://libquicktime.sourceforge.net/
- Debian apt - libquicktime-doc - 2:1.2.4-16: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libquicktime-doc from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | library for reading and writing Quicktime files (documentation) | https://libquicktime.sourceforge.net/
- Debian apt - libquicktime2 - 2:1.2.4-16+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libquicktime2 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | library for reading and writing Quicktime files | https://libquicktime.sourceforge.net/
- Debian apt - quicktime-utils - 2:1.2.4-16+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: quicktime-utils from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | library for reading and writing Quicktime files (utilities) | https://libquicktime.sourceforge.net/
- Debian apt - quicktime-x11utils - 2:1.2.4-16+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: quicktime-x11utils from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | library for reading and writing Quicktime files (x11 utilities) | https://libquicktime.sourceforge.net/
- Ubuntu apt - libquicktime-dev - 2:1.2.4-16: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libquicktime-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | library for reading and writing Quicktime files (development) | https://libquicktime.sourceforge.net/
- Ubuntu apt - libquicktime-doc - 2:1.2.4-16: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libquicktime-doc from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | library for reading and writing Quicktime files (documentation) | https://libquicktime.sourceforge.net/
- Ubuntu apt - libquicktime2 - 2:1.2.4-16: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libquicktime2 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | library for reading and writing Quicktime files | https://libquicktime.sourceforge.net/
- Ubuntu apt - quicktime-utils - 2:1.2.4-16: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: quicktime-utils from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | library for reading and writing Quicktime files (utilities) | https://libquicktime.sourceforge.net/
- Ubuntu apt - quicktime-x11utils - 2:1.2.4-16: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: quicktime-x11utils from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | library for reading and writing Quicktime files (x11 utilities) | https://libquicktime.sourceforge.net/
- dnf - libquicktime - 1.2.4^20240202git2213b76-3.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libquicktime from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Library for reading and writing Quicktime files | http://libquicktime.sourceforge.net/
- dnf - libquicktime-devel - 1.2.4^20240202git2213b76-3.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libquicktime-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Development files for libquicktime | http://libquicktime.sourceforge.net/
- dnf - libquicktime-utils - 1.2.4^20240202git2213b76-3.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libquicktime-utils from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Utilities for working with Quicktime files | http://libquicktime.sourceforge.net/
- zypper - libquicktime - 1.2.4+git20180804.fff99cd-9.4: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libquicktime from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Library for Reading and Writing Quicktime Movie Files | http://libquicktime.sf.net
- zypper - libquicktime-32bit - 1.2.4+git20180804.fff99cd-9.4: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libquicktime-32bit from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Library for Reading and Writing Quicktime Movie Files | http://libquicktime.sf.net
- zypper - libquicktime-devel - 1.2.4+git20180804.fff99cd-9.4: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libquicktime-devel from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Library for reading/writing quicktime movie files | http://libquicktime.sf.net


## Related links

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- [Media and graphics packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/media-graphics-tools/) - Matched media, image, audio, video, or graphics metadata.
- [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider.
- [gettext](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gettext/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew.
- [pkgconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pkgconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew.
- [bento4](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bento4/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, video.
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- [dvanalyzer](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dvanalyzer/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, video.
- [dvr-scan](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dvr-scan/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, video.
- [ffmpeg](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ffmpeg/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, video.
- [ffmpeg-full](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ffmpeg-full/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, video.
- [ffmpeg2theora](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ffmpeg2theora/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, video.
- [ffmpegthumbnailer](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ffmpegthumbnailer/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, video.
- [mpgtx](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mpgtx/) - Both packages work with overlapping file formats or content types. Shared terms: cli, files, media, video.
- [tivodecode](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/tivodecode/) - Both packages work with overlapping file formats or content types. Shared terms: cli, media, video.
- [minidlna](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/minidlna/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, gettext, media.

## Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/libquicktime.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/libquicktime.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
