Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install nspr with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman

Platform-neutral API for system-level and libc-like functions. Version 4.39 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-05.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install nspr

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install nspr

MacPorts ports tree · devel/nspr/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add nspr

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · nspr · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install libnspr4

Debian stable package indexes · libnspr4 · source: deb.debian.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install nspr

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · nspr · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#nspr

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ns/nspr/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S nspr

Arch Linux sync databases · nspr · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

overview

Package summary

Platform-neutral API for system-level and libc-like functions

Commands and aliases

  • nspr-config

history

Project history and usage

NSPR, the Netscape Portable Runtime, is a C portability layer from the Netscape/Mozilla lineage. It abstracts non-GUI operating-system services such as threads, synchronization, file and network I/O, time, memory allocation, and shared-library loading so Mozilla-era code can run across many Unix, Windows, and macOS targets.

Project history

Mozilla's NSPR history says the first generation was conceived to satisfy Java VM porting requirements, while the second-generation NSPR20 effort started in 1996 and expanded the idea into a general portability layer for C and C++ clients. The same page describes NSPR as functionally complete and in sustaining engineering, which matches its role as old, boring infrastructure rather than a fast-moving application framework.

Adoption history

Mozilla's documentation says NSPR is used by Mozilla clients plus many Red Hat and Oracle server applications. Its most visible downstream role is as the portability substrate for NSS, so package managers often install it indirectly through security libraries rather than because an end user asked for `nspr-config` by name.

On July 1, 2026, Homebrew's formula page listed NSPR 4.39 and reported 273,494 installs in its 365-day analytics window, but only 3,006 installs on request. That gap is a good package-nerd signal: NSPR is mostly dependency plumbing.

How it is used

Developers use NSPR directly when maintaining old Mozilla-family C/C++ code or software that already expects NSPR APIs. Practically, package users see headers, libraries, and `nspr-config`; modern greenfield projects usually choose native OS APIs, pthreads, or higher-level runtimes unless they need compatibility with NSS/Mozilla code.

Why package nerds care

NSPR matters because it is one of the tiny base layers beneath a surprising amount of browser and PKI software. It is not fashionable infrastructure, but build failures here ripple into NSS and packages that consume NSS.

Timeline

  • 1996: the NSPR20 second-generation effort began, rebuilding the original Java-porting portability layer into a broader runtime API.
  • July 1, 2026: Homebrew formula analytics listed NSPR 4.39 with large dependency-driven install volume.

Related projects

  • NSS depends on NSPR for cross-platform I/O and threading semantics.

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 6 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.

executables

Installed executables

CommandKindExposureNote
nspr-configcliglobal 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 generated2026-07-07
manager version4.39
manager updated2026-05-05
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected

https://hg.mozilla.org/projects/nspr

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:nspr
Version4.39
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/nspr
Homepagehttps://hg.mozilla.org/projects/nspr
Repositoryhttps://hg.mozilla.org/projects/nspr
Upstream docshttps://firefox-source-docs.mozilla.org/nspr/index.html
LicenseMPL-2.0
Source archivehttps://archive.mozilla.org/pub/nspr/releases/v4.39/src/nspr-4.39.tar.gz
Last updated2026-05-05T19:04:27Z
Pulseupdated
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namenspr
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • stable

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%

libnspr4 2:4.36-1

NetScape Portable Runtime Library

http://www.mozilla.org/projects/nspr/

sudo apt install libnspr4
  • Section: libs
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: nspr
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Nspr
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: libnspr4 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Debian apt95%

libnspr4-dev 2:4.36-1

Development files for the NetScape Portable Runtime library

http://www.mozilla.org/projects/nspr/

sudo apt install libnspr4-dev
  • Section: libdevel
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: nspr
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Nspr
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: libnspr4-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Nix95%

nspr

nix profile install nixpkgs#nspr
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Nspr
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ns/nspr/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Ubuntu apt95%

libnspr4 2:4.35-1.1build1

NetScape Portable Runtime Library

http://www.mozilla.org/projects/nspr/

sudo apt install libnspr4
  • Section: libs
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: nspr
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Nspr
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnspr4 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
Ubuntu apt95%

libnspr4-dev 2:4.35-1.1build1

Development files for the NetScape Portable Runtime library

http://www.mozilla.org/projects/nspr/

sudo apt install libnspr4-dev
  • Section: libdevel
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: nspr
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Nspr
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnspr4-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
apk95%

nspr 4.38.2-r0

Netscape Portable Runtime

https://www.mozilla.org/projects/nspr/

sudo apk add nspr
  • License: MPL-2.0
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: nspr
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Nspr
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nspr from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

nspr-dev 4.38.2-r0

Netscape Portable Runtime (development files)

https://www.mozilla.org/projects/nspr/

sudo apk add nspr-dev
  • License: MPL-2.0
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: nspr
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Nspr
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nspr-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
dnf95%

nspr 4.39-1.fc45

Netscape Portable Runtime

http://www.mozilla.org/projects/nspr/

sudo dnf install nspr
  • License: MPL-2.0
  • Category: Unspecified
  • Architecture: i686
  • Source Package: nss
  • 2 dependencies
  • 4 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Nspr
Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: nspr from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst
MacPorts95%

nspr

sudo port install nspr
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Nspr
MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: devel/nspr/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

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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.

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