# Install libucl with Homebrew, apk, dnf, MacPorts, Nix Universal configuration library parser. Version 0.9.4 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#libucl. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:libucl ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install libucl ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install libucl ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: devel/libucl/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add libucl ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libucl from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install libucl ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libucl 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#libucl ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/libucl/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:libucl - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.9.4 - **Source summary:** Universal configuration library parser - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** BSD-2-Clause - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-25T07:20:51+00:00 ## Executables - ucl_chargen (cli) - ucl_objdump (cli) - ucl_tool (cli) - ucl_chargen (alias) - ucl_objdump (alias) - ucl_tool (alias) ## Build dependencies - autoconf - automake - libtool - 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: 2026-07-25 - Package-manager version: 0.9.4 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/vstakhov/libucl - Upstream latest detected: 0.9.4 (current) - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. ## Project history and usage libucl is Vsevolod Stakhov's C library for Universal Configuration Language, a configuration syntax designed to be easier for humans to edit than strict JSON while remaining machine-readable and JSON-compatible. ### Project history The libucl README describes UCL as a configuration language heavily influenced by nginx-style configuration while remaining compatible with JSON. The library parses UCL and can also operate with JSON, MessagePack, S-expressions, and limited YAML output. Public tags show early 0.2.x releases in December 2013 and 0.7.x by February 2015. After a long 0.8-era gap, GitHub releases show renewed release activity in 2023 and a 0.9 series beginning in February 2024. ### Adoption history UCL found its strongest adoption in systems and infrastructure software where maintainers wanted structured configuration without strict JSON's editing friction. Rspamd documents UCL as its configuration language, and the FreeBSD Handbook notes that some applications such as pkg(8) started using UCL. The library's package presence across Unix-like package managers reflects that adoption pattern: it is a small C parser and utility package that other software can embed or link for configuration parsing. ### How it is used Developers use libucl to parse configuration files with comments, unquoted keys, optional separators, implicit arrays, variables, macros, includes, human-friendly numeric suffixes, and validation. The README cautions that full-featured parsing with macros, includes, file I/O, and URL includes is intended for trusted administrator-controlled configuration rather than hostile input. ### Why package nerds care libucl is package-nerd interesting because it sits at the crossroads of config-language taste, Unix administration, FreeBSD tooling, and embeddable C libraries. It is a pragmatic alternative to forcing strict JSON into files humans edit by hand. ### Timeline - 2013: Public tag 0.2.0 was created in December 2013. - 2014: FreeBSD's ports tree added textproc/libucl in November 2014. - 2015: Public tag 0.7.2 was created in February 2015. - 2023: GitHub releases page lists libucl 0.8.2 on January 8, 2023. - 2024: GitHub releases page lists libucl 0.9.0 on February 1, 2024. ### Related projects - Rspamd is a major user and documentation source for the UCL syntax. - FreeBSD pkg(8) is cited by the FreeBSD Handbook as an application family using UCL. - JSON, YAML, MessagePack, and nginx-style configuration are adjacent formats or influences named by the project documentation. ### 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:** libucl - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - libucl: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/libucl/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - apk - libucl - 0.9.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libucl from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Universal configuration library parser | https://github.com/vstakhov/libucl - apk - libucl-dev - 0.9.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libucl-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Universal configuration library parser (development files) | https://github.com/vstakhov/libucl - apk - libucl-doc - 0.9.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libucl-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Universal configuration library parser (documentation) | https://github.com/vstakhov/libucl - dnf - libucl - 0.8.2-13.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libucl from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Universal configuration library parser | https://github.com/vstakhov/libucl - dnf - libucl-devel - 0.8.2-13.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libucl-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | libucl development files | https://github.com/vstakhov/libucl - dnf - python3-libucl - 0.8.2-13.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: python3-libucl from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Python bindings for libucl | https://github.com/vstakhov/libucl - MacPorts - libucl: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: devel/libucl/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/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. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata. - [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. - [pkgconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pkgconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [butane](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/butane/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, configuration, developer-tools. - [config-file-validator](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/config-file-validator/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, configuration, developer-tools. - [dhall-bash](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dhall-bash/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, configuration, developer-tools. - [dhall-json](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dhall-json/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, configuration, developer-tools. - [dynaconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dynaconf/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, configuration, developer-tools. - [editorconfig](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/editorconfig/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, configuration, developer-tools. - [envv](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/envv/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, configuration, developer-tools. - [json2hcl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/json2hcl/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, configuration, developer-tools. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/libucl.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/libucl.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