macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install osm-pbflocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install osm-pbf with Homebrew
Tools related to PBF (an alternative to XML format). Version 1.6.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-20.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Tools related to PBF (an alternative to XML format)
Project links
Commands and aliases
- osmpbf-outline
history
Project history and usage
osm-pbf packages the OpenStreetMap binary PBF tooling around OSM-binary, the Java/C++ library and protocol definitions for reading and writing OpenStreetMap's Protocolbuffer Binary Format. PBF is the compact binary alternative to OSM XML used for planet files, extracts, and data pipelines.
Project history
The OSM-binary GitHub repository was created on August 9, 2010. The project README describes OSMPBF as a Java/C++ library for OpenStreetMap PBF files, with Google Protocol Buffers as the low-level storage format.
The OpenStreetMap wiki documents PBF as an XML alternative designed for future extensibility and flexibility. It stores independently decodable file blocks, assumes 64-bit OSM entity IDs, and preserves entities and tags without hard-coding tag keys or values.
Adoption history
The format became a broad OSM ecosystem interchange format because it is significantly smaller and faster to read and write than compressed XML planet files. The OSM wiki notes wide software support and points to compliance information for tools that read or write PBF variants.
How it is used
Developers use the Java artifact from Maven Central or the C++ library and headers when they need low-level access to PBF encoding. The Homebrew package exposes `osmpbf-outline`, a diagnostic tool that prints debug output for the contents of a `.osm.pbf` file.
Why package nerds care
This is a format package more than an end-user application. Its importance comes from standardizing the wire/storage representation that lets planet-scale OSM data move between importers, renderers, routing engines, and analysis tools without paying XML's size and parsing costs.
Timeline
- 2010-08-09: the OpenStreetMap OSM-binary repository is created.
- The PBF wiki page records the format's design goals: smaller files, faster compressed-planet IO, independently decodable blocks, and future-compatible protocol-buffer definitions.
- The repository ships Java and C++ build paths and the `osmpbf-outline` inspection tool.
Related projects
- Osmosis is documented by the OSM wiki as a reference implementation path for PBF. libosmium is named by the OSM-binary README as a more complete OSM PBF reader/writer for applications that need more than the low-level library.
Sources
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.
- Installs with 2 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
osmpbf-outline | 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 version1.6.1
manager updated2026-06-20
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv1.6.1
https://github.com/openstreetmap/OSM-binary
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:osm-pbf |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.6.1 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/osm-pbf |
| Homepage | https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/PBF_Format |
| Repository | https://github.com/openstreetmap/OSM-binary |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/openstreetmap/OSM-binary#readme |
| License | LGPL-3.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://github.com/openstreetmap/OSM-binary/archive/refs/tags/v1.6.1.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-20T05:07:44Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | abseil, protobuf |
| Build dependencies | cmake |
| 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 | osm-pbf |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 6 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
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
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment