macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install libxmlblocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install libxmlbMacPorts ports tree · devel/libxmlb/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install libxmlb with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper
Library for querying compressed XML metadata. Version 0.3.28 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-30.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add libxmlbAlpine Linux edge package indexes · libxmlb · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install gir1.2-xmlb-2.0Debian stable package indexes · gir1.2-xmlb-2.0 · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install libxmlbFedora Rawhide package metadata · libxmlb · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#libxmlbnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/li/libxmlb/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S libxmlbArch Linux sync databases · libxmlb · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install libxmlb-developenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · libxmlb-devel · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Library for querying compressed XML metadata
Project links
Commands and aliases
- xb-tool
history
Project history and usage
libxmlb is a small system library for compiling XML metadata into a binary representation that can be memory-mapped and queried quickly. It is most associated with desktop and firmware metadata workflows where large XML files need repeated lookups.
Project history
Richard Hughes' README frames the project around the cost of parsing XML and the inability to mmap normal XML strings directly. libxmlb converts XML into a structured binary format with a deduplicated string table and NUL-terminated strings, trading compactness for fast queries and near zero-copy access.
The first visible 0.1.0 GitHub tag points to a commit dated 2018-10-04. The design is intentionally narrow: it implements only a subset of XPath and ships xb-tool for compiling and querying binary XML.
Adoption history
libxmlb became useful in Linux desktop plumbing because projects such as AppStream and fwupd deal in large XML metadata collections. The same maintainer ecosystem around GNOME, fwupd, and LVFS made the binary metadata cache a practical dependency for package and firmware tooling.
How it is used
Typical usage is to compile XML metadata into an .xmlb file and query it with xb-tool or through the library API. It is a cache/query accelerator, not a general-purpose XML replacement.
Why package nerds care
libxmlb matters to package nerds because it sits where package metadata, desktop app metadata, and firmware metadata meet performance constraints. It turns text metadata into a binary cache that package managers and desktop software centers can query cheaply.
Timeline
- 2018: The 0.1.0 tag points to a commit dated 2018-10-04.
- 2019: AppStream discussions describe LVFS and fwupd as using AppStream metadata for firmware metadata.
- 2020s: libxmlb is packaged across Linux distributions and Homebrew as xb-tool and the libxmlb library.
Related projects
- fwupd, LVFS, AppStream, GNOME Software, and other metadata-heavy desktop tools are the neighboring ecosystem. libxml2 remains the broader XML library; libxmlb is the binary metadata cache layer.
Sources
security posture
No protected-tool coverage found yet
No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for libxmlb. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Installs with 3 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 7 build dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
xb-tool | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version0.3.28
manager updated2026-06-30
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://github.com/hughsie/libxmlb
- infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/hughsie/libxmlbnone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:libxmlb |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.3.28 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/libxmlb |
| Homepage | https://github.com/hughsie/libxmlb |
| Repository | https://github.com/hughsie/libxmlb |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/hughsie/libxmlb |
| License | LGPL-2.1-or-later |
| Source archive | https://github.com/hughsie/libxmlb/releases/download/0.3.28/libxmlb-0.3.28.tar.xz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-30T16:11:04Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | glib, xz, zstd |
| Build dependencies | gi-docgen, gobject-introspection, meson, ninja, pkgconf, python@3.14, vala |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | libxmlb |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
gir1.2-xmlb-2.0 0.3.22-1
GObject introspection data for libxmlb
https://github.com/hughsie/libxmlb
sudo apt install gir1.2-xmlb-2.0- Section: introspection
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libxmlb
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libxmlb
Debian apt95%
libxmlb-dev 0.3.22-1
Development files for libxmlb
https://github.com/hughsie/libxmlb
sudo apt install libxmlb-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libxmlb
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libxmlb
Debian apt95%
libxmlb-tests 0.3.22-1
Installed tests for libxmlb2
https://github.com/hughsie/libxmlb
sudo apt install libxmlb-tests- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libxmlb
- 6 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libxmlb
Debian apt95%
libxmlb-utils 0.3.22-1
Binary XML library - Command-line utility
https://github.com/hughsie/libxmlb
sudo apt install libxmlb-utils- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libxmlb
- 4 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libxmlb
Debian apt95%
libxmlb2 0.3.22-1
Binary XML library
https://github.com/hughsie/libxmlb
sudo apt install libxmlb2- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libxmlb
- 4 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libxmlb
Nix95%
libxmlb
nix profile install nixpkgs#libxmlb- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libxmlb
Ubuntu apt95%
gir1.2-xmlb-2.0 0.3.18-1
GObject introspection data for libxmlb
https://github.com/hughsie/libxmlb
sudo apt install gir1.2-xmlb-2.0- Section: introspection
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libxmlb
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libxmlb
Ubuntu apt95%
libxmlb-dev 0.3.18-1
Development files for libxmlb
https://github.com/hughsie/libxmlb
sudo apt install libxmlb-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libxmlb
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libxmlb
Ubuntu apt95%
libxmlb-tests 0.3.18-1
Installed tests for libxmlb2
https://github.com/hughsie/libxmlb
sudo apt install libxmlb-tests- Section: universe/libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libxmlb
- 6 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libxmlb
Ubuntu apt95%
libxmlb-utils 0.3.18-1
Binary XML library - Command-line utility
https://github.com/hughsie/libxmlb
sudo apt install libxmlb-utils- Section: universe/libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libxmlb
- 4 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libxmlb
Ubuntu apt95%
libxmlb2 0.3.18-1
Binary XML library
https://github.com/hughsie/libxmlb
sudo apt install libxmlb2- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libxmlb
- 4 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libxmlb
apk95%
libxmlb 0.3.27-r0
Library to help create and query binary XML blobs
https://github.com/hughsie/libxmlb
sudo apk add libxmlb- License: LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libxmlb
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libxmlb
apk95%
libxmlb-dbg 0.3.27-r0
Library to help create and query binary XML blobs (debug symbols)
https://github.com/hughsie/libxmlb
sudo apk add libxmlb-dbg- License: LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libxmlb
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libxmlb
apk95%
libxmlb-dev 0.3.27-r0
Library to help create and query binary XML blobs (development files)
https://github.com/hughsie/libxmlb
sudo apk add libxmlb-dev- License: LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libxmlb
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libxmlb
apk95%
libxmlb-doc 0.3.27-r0
Library to help create and query binary XML blobs (documentation)
https://github.com/hughsie/libxmlb
sudo apk add libxmlb-doc- License: LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libxmlb
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libxmlb
dnf95%
libxmlb 0.3.27-1.fc45
Library for querying compressed XML metadata
https://github.com/hughsie/libxmlb
sudo dnf install libxmlb- License: LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: libxmlb
- 10 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libxmlb
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment