# Install netcdf-cxx with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, pacman C++ libraries and utilities for NetCDF. Version 4.3.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:netcdf-cxx ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install netcdf-cxx ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install netcdf-cxx ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: science/netcdf-cxx/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install libnetcdf-c++4-1 ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: libnetcdf-c++4-1 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install netcdf-cxx ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: netcdf-cxx from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S netcdf-cxx ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: netcdf-cxx from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:netcdf-cxx - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 4.3.1 - **Source summary:** C++ libraries and utilities for NetCDF - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** NetCDF - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-22T14:05:37-07:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - ncxx4-config (cli) - ncxx4-config (alias) ## Dependencies - hdf5 - netcdf - zstd ## Build dependencies - cmake ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 4.3.1 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-22 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/Unidata/netcdf-cxx4 - Upstream latest detected: v4.3.1 (current) ## Project history and usage netcdf-cxx is Unidata's netCDF-4 C++ interface package. In Homebrew it is a small language-binding formula that depends on the main netcdf C library and installs the C++ library plus ncxx4-config for build integration. ### Project history The modern netCDF-4 C++ API came from Lynton Appel of the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, where it was developed for managing fusion research data from the MAST experiment. Unidata's C++ guide says the API is a complete read/write interface layered over the netCDF-4 C interface, replacing a previous partial C++ interface and using standard C++ features such as namespaces, exceptions, and templates that were not in the older mid-1990s netCDF-3 C++ API. ### Adoption history The package is important inside scientific C++ builds but much smaller than the core netCDF C package. On July 1, 2026, Homebrew reported 652 installs over 365 days and 69 installs over 30 days for netcdf-cxx, compared with tens of thousands for netcdf itself. That shape matches its role as a language binding pulled in only by projects that compile C++ against netCDF directly. ### How it is used Users install it when a C++ application needs native netCDF-4 read/write APIs rather than calling the C interface directly. In practice it is used by build systems through the installed headers, library, and ncxx4-config, and it inherits netCDF-C behavior, fixes, and file-format support because the C++ layer sits on top of the C library. ### Why package nerds care The nerdy packaging point is dependency order: netcdf-cxx is not the file format itself, and it does not replace netcdf. It is a thin language-specific layer for C++ consumers, so mismatched netCDF-C versions, HDF5 support, and library naming are the kinds of issues that matter more than end-user CLI behavior. ### Timeline - Mid-1990s: the first netCDF-3 C++ API existed, according to Unidata's C++ guide. - 2016-05-13: netcdf-cxx4 v4.3.0 was released. - 2019-09-12: netcdf-cxx4 v4.3.1 was released, requiring netCDF-C 4.6.0 or newer. - 2026-07-01: Homebrew listed stable version 4.3.1 revision 3. ### Related projects - netcdf - netcdf-fortran - netcdf4-python - HDF5 ### Sources - - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** netcdf-cxx - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 3 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - libnetcdf-c++4-1 - 4.3.1-5: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libnetcdf-c++4-1 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | C++ interface for scientific data access to large binary data | http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/ - Debian apt - libnetcdf-c++4-dev - 4.3.1-5: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libnetcdf-c++4-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | creation, access, and sharing of scientific data in C++ | http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/ - Debian apt - libnetcdf-c++4-doc - 4.3.1-5: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libnetcdf-c++4-doc from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | NetCDF C++ API documentation | http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/ - Ubuntu apt - libnetcdf-c++4-1 - 4.3.1-4build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnetcdf-c++4-1 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | C++ interface for scientific data access to large binary data | http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/ - Ubuntu apt - libnetcdf-c++4-dev - 4.3.1-4build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnetcdf-c++4-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | creation, access, and sharing of scientific data in C++ | http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/ - Ubuntu apt - libnetcdf-c++4-doc - 4.3.1-4build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnetcdf-c++4-doc from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | NetCDF C++ API documentation | http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/ - dnf - netcdf-cxx - 4.2-43.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: netcdf-cxx from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Legacy netCDF C++ library | http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/ - dnf - netcdf-cxx-devel - 4.2-43.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: netcdf-cxx-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Development files legacy netCDF C++ library | http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/ - dnf - netcdf-cxx-static - 4.2-43.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: netcdf-cxx-static from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Static libraries for legacy netCDF C++ library | http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/ - pacman - netcdf-cxx - 4.3.1-5: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: netcdf-cxx from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | NetCDF C++ bindings | https://github.com/Unidata/netcdf-cxx4/ - MacPorts - netcdf-cxx: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: science/netcdf-cxx/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## 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. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Database and data packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/database-data-tools/) - Matched database, SQL, migration, or data-store metadata. - [hdf5](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/hdf5/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [netcdf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/netcdf/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [zstd](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/zstd/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [cmake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cmake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [metview](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/metview/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [netcdf-fortran](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/netcdf-fortran/) - Shares the same upstream homepage. - [cgns](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cgns/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data, data-format, scientific-data. - [hdf5-mpi](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/hdf5-mpi/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data, scientific-data. - [libgetdata](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libgetdata/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data, scientific-data. - [adios2](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/adios2/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data, scientific-data. - [base91](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/base91/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data, data-format. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/netcdf-cxx.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/netcdf-cxx.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