macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install mapniklocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install mapnikMacPorts ports tree · gis/mapnik/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install mapnik with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman
Toolkit for developing mapping applications. Version 4.2.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-09.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add mapnikAlpine Linux edge package indexes · mapnik · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install libmapnik-devDebian stable package indexes · libmapnik-dev · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install mapnikFedora Rawhide package metadata · mapnik · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#mapniknixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ma/mapnik/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S mapnikArch Linux sync databases · mapnik · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
overview
Package summary
Toolkit for developing mapping applications
Project links
Commands and aliases
- geometry_to_wkb
- mapnik-index
- mapnik-render
- pgsql2sqlite
- shapeindex
- svg2png
history
Project history and usage
Mapnik is an open-source C++ toolkit for high-quality map rendering, exposed to package users through command-line tools and language bindings for Python, Node.js, and C++.
Project history
The Mapnik documentation history says Artem Pavlenko started the project in 2005. Early project news records show public activity and releases in 2005, including a BerliOS development move, early release notes, and continued 0.x releases through 2006 and 2007.
Mapnik grew around the idea that cartographic rendering should be programmable and high quality. The official docs emphasize use of established libraries such as Boost rather than reinventing common C++ infrastructure, while the homepage presents Mapnik as a core geospatial visualization and processing project.
By the 4.x era, Mapnik had a long-running release stream: the official site listed 4.2.0 in December 2025, 4.2.1 in January 2026, and 4.2.2 in March 2026. That longevity matters because many renderer packages disappear once their bindings or compiler stack age; Mapnik kept moving across several generations of C++, Python, and Node packaging.
Adoption history
Mapnik became a common dependency in geospatial packaging because it is a library and toolkit rather than a single end-user app. The input package metadata lists packages in Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, MacPorts, Nix, and Alpine, reflecting broad distribution across Unix-like systems.
Its official homepage advertises direct code examples in Python, Node.js, and C++, which explains why package managers often split Mapnik into libraries, development headers, data plugins, and CLI utilities. The same native renderer can be embedded in applications or invoked through tools like mapnik-render and shapeindex.
How it is used
A typical Mapnik workflow defines map styling and data sources, loads a stylesheet or constructs the map programmatically, and renders image output. The homepage examples show creating a map, loading a style file, zooming to data, and rendering to PNG from Python and Node.js.
Homebrew exposes practical command-line utilities such as mapnik-render, mapnik-index, shapeindex, svg2png, pgsql2sqlite, and geometry_to_wkb. For package users, that makes Mapnik useful both as a dependency for larger map stacks and as a toolbox for testing styles and geospatial assets.
Why package nerds care
Mapnik is significant because it sits at the uncomfortable but important intersection of C++ ABI compatibility, geospatial native dependencies, scripting-language bindings, and cartographic output quality. It is the sort of package that stresses formula maintenance more than its simple description suggests.
For package historians, Mapnik also marks the era when open-source web cartography moved from server-generated raster maps toward programmable rendering engines backed by reusable geospatial libraries.
Timeline
- 2005: Project started by Artem Pavlenko, with early public releases recorded in the news archive.
- 2007: Official news archive includes Debian packages and community/event activity.
- 2011: Current GitHub repository created.
- 2025: Mapnik 4.2.0 released.
- 2026: Mapnik 4.2.2 released.
Related projects
- Boost is cited by Mapnik documentation as an important supporting C++ library.
- Python and Node.js bindings are first-class user surfaces on the official homepage.
- Mapnik commonly appears near GDAL, PROJ, PostGIS, and other geospatial packages in distribution dependency graphs.
Sources
security posture
No protected-tool coverage found yet
No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for mapnik. 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 17 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
geometry_to_wkb | cli | global executable | |
mapnik-index | cli | global executable | |
mapnik-render | cli | global executable | |
pgsql2sqlite | cli | global executable | |
shapeindex | cli | global executable | |
svg2png | 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 version4.2.2
manager updated2026-05-09
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://github.com/mapnik/mapnik
- infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/mapnik/mapniknone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:mapnik |
|---|---|
| Version | 4.2.2 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/mapnik |
| Homepage | https://mapnik.org/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/mapnik/mapnik |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/mapnik/mapnik/wiki |
| License | LGPL-2.1-or-later |
| Source archive | https://github.com/mapnik/mapnik/releases/download/v4.2.2/mapnik-v4.2.2.tar.bz2 |
| Last updated | 2026-05-09T14:00:18Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | boost, cairo, freetype, gdal, harfbuzz, icu4c@78, jpeg-turbo, libavif, libpng, libpq, libtiff, libxml2, openssl@3, proj, protozero, sqlite, webp |
| Build dependencies | cmake, pkgconf |
| 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 | mapnik |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 1 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Conflicts With |
|
| 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%
libmapnik-dev 4.0.7+ds-1
C++ toolkit for developing GIS applications (devel)
sudo apt install libmapnik-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: mapnik
- 29 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mapnik
Debian apt95%
libmapnik4.0 4.0.7+ds-1
C++ toolkit for developing GIS applications (libraries)
sudo apt install libmapnik4.0- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: mapnik
- 17 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mapnik
Debian apt95%
mapnik-doc 4.0.7+ds-1
C++ toolkit for developing GIS applications (doc)
sudo apt install mapnik-doc- Section: doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: mapnik
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mapnik
Debian apt95%
mapnik-utils 4.0.7+ds-1
C++ toolkit for developing GIS applications (utilities)
sudo apt install mapnik-utils- Section: utils
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: mapnik
- 8 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mapnik
Nix95%
mapnik
nix profile install nixpkgs#mapnik- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mapnik
Ubuntu apt95%
libmapnik-dev 3.1.0+ds-7ubuntu2
C++ toolkit for developing GIS applications (devel)
sudo apt install libmapnik-dev- Section: universe/libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: mapnik
- 26 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mapnik
Ubuntu apt95%
libmapnik3.1t64 3.1.0+ds-7ubuntu2
C++ toolkit for developing GIS applications (libraries)
sudo apt install libmapnik3.1t64- Section: universe/libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: mapnik
- 18 dependencies
- 1 provides
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mapnik
Ubuntu apt95%
mapnik-doc 3.1.0+ds-7ubuntu2
C++ toolkit for developing GIS applications (doc)
sudo apt install mapnik-doc- Section: universe/doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: mapnik
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mapnik
Ubuntu apt95%
mapnik-utils 3.1.0+ds-7ubuntu2
C++ toolkit for developing GIS applications (utilities)
sudo apt install mapnik-utils- Section: universe/utils
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: mapnik
- 6 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mapnik
apk95%
mapnik 4.1.4-r3
An open source toolkit for developing mapping applications
sudo apk add mapnik- License: LGPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mapnik
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mapnik
apk95%
mapnik-dev 4.1.4-r3
Mapnik development files
sudo apk add mapnik-dev- License: LGPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mapnik
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mapnik
apk95%
mapnik-doc 4.1.4-r3
Mapnik documentation
sudo apk add mapnik-doc- License: LGPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mapnik
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mapnik
dnf95%
mapnik 4.2.2-2.fc45
Free Toolkit for developing mapping applications
sudo dnf install mapnik- License: LGPL-2.1-only
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: mapnik
- 32 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mapnik
dnf95%
mapnik-demo 4.2.2-2.fc45
Demo utility and some sample data distributed with mapnik
sudo dnf install mapnik-demo- License: GPL-2.0-or-later AND LicenseRef-GeoGratis
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mapnik
- 2 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mapnik
dnf95%
mapnik-devel 4.2.2-2.fc45
Mapnik is a Free toolkit for developing mapping applications
sudo dnf install mapnik-devel- License: LGPL-2.1-only
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: mapnik
- 21 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mapnik
dnf95%
mapnik-static 4.2.2-2.fc45
Static libraries for the Mapnik spatial visualization library
sudo dnf install mapnik-static- License: LGPL-2.1-only
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: mapnik
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mapnik
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