macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install log4clocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install log4cMacPorts ports tree · devel/log4c/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install log4c with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, zypper
Logging Framework for C. Version 1.2.4 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-19.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install liblog4c-devDebian stable package indexes · liblog4c-dev · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install log4cFedora Rawhide package metadata · log4c · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install liblog4c-developenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · liblog4c-devel · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Logging Framework for C
Project links
Commands and aliases
- log4c-config
history
Project history and usage
log4c is a C logging framework modeled after Apache log4j, intended to bring category-based logging, appenders, layouts, and runtime configuration to C programs that need flexible output to files, syslog, or other destinations.
Project history
The official documentation describes log4c as a SourceForge-hosted C library that stayed close to the log4j API where practical while adapting the design to C. Its documentation also credits earlier and parallel C logging work, including Mark Mendel's macro-oriented log4c project and Bastiaan Bakker's log4cpp as influences.
SourceForge release metadata shows a long 1.0.x line in the 2000s, a 1.2.1 release in 2007, and later maintenance releases through 1.2.4 in October 2013. The 1.2.4 documentation still presents an autotools build and an XML-style log4crc configuration file.
Adoption history
log4c became a package-manager-visible C logging dependency rather than a large end-user command. The supplied package metadata records packaging in Homebrew, Debian and Ubuntu as liblog4c-dev, Fedora/DNF, MacPorts, and openSUSE/Zypper, which is the main adoption signal for a small C library of this vintage.
Its official platform list covers several Unix systems, including HP-UX, AIX, FreeBSD, Solaris, macOS-era Darwin, and multiple Linux distributions, reflecting the portability expectations of C infrastructure libraries.
How it is used
Programs link against log4c and configure categories, appenders, and layouts with a log4crc XML file. The documented search order is `${LOG4C_RCPATH}/log4crc`, then `${HOME}/.log4crc`, then `./log4crc`, with environment variables also available for root priority and appender selection.
Package users mostly encounter log4c through development packages, headers, libraries, generated Doxygen documentation, pkg-config or log4c-config metadata, and build scripts that need a C logging backend.
Why package nerds care
log4c is a classic example of the early-2000s log4j pattern spreading into native-language package ecosystems. For package maintainers it matters less as a flashy CLI and more as a small ABI-bearing C library with autotools metadata, distro patches, and reverse dependencies that expect stable headers and linker flags.
Timeline
- 2007: SourceForge metadata lists log4c 1.2.1 artifacts.
- 2012: log4c 1.2.2 release artifacts are published on SourceForge.
- 2013: log4c 1.2.3 and 1.2.4 release artifacts are published on SourceForge.
Related projects
- log4j: the Java logging library whose API and design motivated log4c.
- log4cpp: the C++ logging project credited by the log4c documentation as an influence.
Sources
- https://log4c.sourceforge.net/
- https://sourceforge.net/projects/log4c/files/log4c/1.2.4/
- source_facts.package-manager
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 13 platform targets.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
Configuration and credential file locations
These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.
Configuration files
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Unix
${LOG4C_RCPATH}/log4crc${HOME}/.log4crc./log4crc
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
log4c-config | 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 version1.2.4
manager updated2026-06-19
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://log4c.sourceforge.net/
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://log4c.sourceforge.net/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:log4c |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.2.4 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/log4c |
| Homepage | https://log4c.sourceforge.net/ |
| Repository | https://sourceforge.net/p/log4c/log4c |
| Upstream docs | https://log4c.sourceforge.net/ |
| License | LGPL-2.1-only |
| Source archive | https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/log4c/log4c/1.2.4/log4c-1.2.4.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-19T12:31:48-07:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura, 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 | log4c |
| 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%
liblog4c-dev 1.2.4-5
C library for flexible logging (development)
sudo apt install liblog4c-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: log4c
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Log4c
Debian apt95%
liblog4c-doc 1.2.4-5
C library for flexible logging (documentation)
sudo apt install liblog4c-doc- Section: doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: log4c
- 2 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Log4c
Debian apt95%
liblog4c3t64 1.2.4-5
C library for flexible logging (runtime)
sudo apt install liblog4c3t64- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: log4c
- 2 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Log4c
Ubuntu apt95%
liblog4c-dev 1.2.4-3.1build1
C library for flexible logging (development)
sudo apt install liblog4c-dev- Section: universe/libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: log4c
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Log4c
Ubuntu apt95%
liblog4c-doc 1.2.4-3.1build1
C library for flexible logging (documentation)
sudo apt install liblog4c-doc- Section: universe/doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: log4c
- 2 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Log4c
Ubuntu apt95%
liblog4c3t64 1.2.4-3.1build1
C library for flexible logging (runtime)
sudo apt install liblog4c3t64- Section: universe/libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: log4c
- 2 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Log4c
dnf95%
log4c 1.2.4-35.fc44
Library for logging application messages
sudo dnf install log4c- License: LicenseRef-Callaway-LGPLv2+
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: log4c
- 3 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Log4c
dnf95%
log4c-devel 1.2.4-35.fc44
Header files, libraries and development documentation for log4c
sudo dnf install log4c-devel- License: LicenseRef-Callaway-LGPLv2+
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: log4c
- 4 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Log4c
dnf95%
log4c-doc 1.2.4-35.fc44
Documentation for log4c
sudo dnf install log4c-doc- License: LicenseRef-Callaway-LGPLv2+
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: log4c
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Log4c
zypper95%
liblog4c-devel 1.2.4-5.36
Development files for log4c
sudo zypper install liblog4c-devel- License: LGPL-2.1+
- Category: Development/Libraries/C and C++
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: log4c
- 3 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Log4c
zypper95%
liblog4c-doc 1.2.4-5.36
Documentation for log4c
sudo zypper install liblog4c-doc- License: LGPL-2.1+
- Category: Development/Languages/C and C++
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: log4c
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Log4c
zypper95%
liblog4c3 1.2.4-5.36
A library of C for flexible logging to files, syslog and other destinations
sudo zypper install liblog4c3- License: LGPL-2.1+
- Category: System/Libraries
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: log4c
- 3 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Log4c
MacPorts95%
log4c
sudo port install log4c- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Log4c
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 configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment