# Install nanopb with Homebrew, apt, dnf, Nix, zypper C library for encoding and decoding Protocol Buffer messages. Version 0.4.9.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:nanopb ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install nanopb ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install libnanopb-dev ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: libnanopb-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install nanopb ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: nanopb 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#nanopb ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/na/nanopb/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install libprotobuf-nanopb0 ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libprotobuf-nanopb0 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:nanopb - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.4.9.1 - **Source summary:** C library for encoding and decoding Protocol Buffer messages - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** Zlib - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - nanopb_generator (cli) - nanopb_generator.py (cli) - protoc-gen-nanopb (cli) - nanopb_generator (alias) - nanopb_generator.py (alias) - protoc-gen-nanopb (alias) ## Dependencies - protobuf - python@3.14 ## Build dependencies - cmake ## 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: 0.4.9.1 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://jpa.kapsi.fi/nanopb/docs/index.html - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage nanopb is a small-code-size Protocol Buffers implementation in ANSI C, aimed at microcontrollers and other memory-constrained systems. Its official site describes targets with tight memory budgets under 10 kB ROM and under 1 kB RAM. ### Project history The upstream license text credits Petteri Aimonen and dates the project to 2011. The GitHub repository used for development was created on 2015-04-29, and the official site points development and bug reporting to GitHub while keeping the documentation and release downloads on jpa.kapsi.fi. The core design is deliberately embedded-first: pure C runtime, generated `.pb.c` and `.pb.h` files from `.proto` definitions, static sizing through `.options` files, no required malloc, split encoder/decoder files so projects can compile only the pieces they need, and callback streams for messages larger than available RAM. ### Adoption history GitHub API data fetched on 2026-07-01 showed 5,454 stars and 1,027 forks, strong adoption for a niche embedded serialization library. The repository also includes Zephyr-related integration files, examples, tests, Bazel/CMake/Meson/Swift package metadata, and generator tooling, reflecting use across several embedded build systems. Homebrew's formula JSON generated on 2026-07-01 reported stable version 0.4.9.1, an old formula name of `nanopb-generator`, 1,082 installs over 365 days, and 740 installs-on-request over 365 days. That pattern fits a toolchain component: many installs are explicit because developers need the generator and protoc integration for firmware or cross-platform protocol work. ### How it is used A typical user writes Protocol Buffer schemas in `.proto` files, runs `nanopb_generator.py` or `protoc-gen-nanopb` to produce C headers and sources, then compiles `pb_common.c`, `pb_encode.c`, and/or `pb_decode.c` into firmware. `.options` files set maximum field sizes so generated structs can stay static. Package nerds use the Homebrew package mostly for the host-side generator, not because macOS is the target runtime. The generated C is then carried into firmware, RTOS, or embedded Linux builds where normal Google protobuf runtimes would be too large or too allocation-heavy. ### Why package nerds care nanopb is one of the standard answers when someone wants Protocol Buffers on a microcontroller without dragging in a large runtime. It keeps protobuf's schema compatibility story while making the code size, allocation behavior, and generated C output legible to embedded build systems. ### Timeline - 2011: upstream license text credits the original nanopb copyright to Petteri Aimonen. - 2015-04-29: nanopb/nanopb repository created on GitHub. - 2025-08-14: Nanopb 0.4.9.1 release published. - 2026-07-01: Homebrew formula JSON listed stable version 0.4.9.1 and 1,082 installs over 365 days. ### Related projects - Google Protocol Buffers - Zephyr RTOS - grpcio-tools - protoc ### Sources - - - - - - - - ## Security Notes library-like package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - library-like package without higher-risk signals ## 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 - Unix: .options next to the .proto file ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** nanopb - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 6 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - libnanopb-dev - 0.4.9.1-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libnanopb-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Protocol Buffers with small code size, development files | https://jpa.kapsi.fi/nanopb/ - Debian apt - nanopb - 0.4.9.1-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: nanopb from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Protocol Buffers with small code size | https://jpa.kapsi.fi/nanopb/ - Nix - nanopb: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/na/nanopb/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - libnanopb-dev - 0.4.8-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnanopb-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Protocol Buffers with small code size, development files | https://jpa.kapsi.fi/nanopb/ - Ubuntu apt - nanopb - 0.4.8-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: nanopb from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Protocol Buffers with small code size | https://jpa.kapsi.fi/nanopb/ - dnf - nanopb - 0.4.9.1-3.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: nanopb from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | A small code-size Protocol Buffers implementation in ansi C | https://jpa.kapsi.fi/nanopb/ - dnf - nanopb-devel - 0.4.9.1-3.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: nanopb-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Development files for nanopb | https://jpa.kapsi.fi/nanopb/ - dnf - nanopb-python3 - 0.4.9.1-3.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: nanopb-python3 from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Small code-size Protocol Buffers implementation in Python | https://jpa.kapsi.fi/nanopb/ - zypper - libprotobuf-nanopb0 - 0.4.9.1-1.6: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libprotobuf-nanopb0 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Shared library for nanopb | https://jpa.kapsi.fi/nanopb/ - zypper - nanopb-devel - 0.4.9.1-1.6: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: nanopb-devel from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Development files for nanopb | https://jpa.kapsi.fi/nanopb/ - zypper - nanopb-source - 0.4.9.1-1.6: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: nanopb-source from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Source code of nanopb | https://jpa.kapsi.fi/nanopb/ ## Related links - [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. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [protobuf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/protobuf/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [python@3.14](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/python-3-14/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [cmake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cmake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [protobuf-c](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/protobuf-c/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c, cli, code-generation, developer-tools, serialization. - [flatbuffers](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/flatbuffers/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, code-generation, developer-tools, serialization. - [flatcc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/flatcc/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c, cli, developer-tools, serialization. - [capnp](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/capnp/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, serialization. - [libplist](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libplist/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, serialization. - [planus](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/planus/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, serialization. - [buffrs](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/buffrs/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, serialization. - [cbindgen](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cbindgen/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c, cli, code-generation, developer-tools. - [protoc-gen-doc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/protoc-gen-doc/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: buffers, cli, code, code-generation, developer. - [protoc-gen-js](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/protoc-gen-js/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: buffers, cli, code, code-generation, developer. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/nanopb.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/nanopb.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - 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