macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install sparselocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install sparse with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, Nix, pacman, zypper
Static C code analysis tool. Version 0.6.4 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add sparseAlpine Linux edge package indexes · sparse · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install sparseDebian stable package indexes · sparse · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install sparseFedora Rawhide package metadata · sparse · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#sparsenixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/sp/sparse/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S sparseArch Linux sync databases · sparse · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install sparseopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · sparse · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Static C code analysis tool
Project links
Commands and aliases
- cgcc
- sparse
history
Project history and usage
Sparse is a semantic parser and static-analysis tool for C, historically tied to Linux kernel development. It parses much of ANSI C plus many GCC extensions and uses annotations to catch mistakes such as incorrect address-space pointer use.
Project history
The official documentation says Linus Torvalds started writing Sparse in 2003, initially targeting issues such as mixing user-space and kernel-space pointers. It also records maintainer handoffs to Josh Triplett in 2006, Christopher Li in 2009, and Luc Van Oostenryck in late 2018.
Adoption history
Sparse's adoption is rooted in kernel and low-level C workflows rather than general application development. Its official documentation points contributors to the linux-sparse mailing list, kernel.org Git repository, release tarballs, and kernel bug tracker, while the supplied package data shows distribution through many Unix package managers.
How it is used
Users build Sparse from the kernel.org Git repository with `make` and `make install`, or install it from a system package manager. The `sparse` analyzer and `cgcc` wrapper are used to check C code with Sparse's type and annotation system.
Why package nerds care
Sparse matters to package nerds because it is old-school kernel infrastructure that still behaves like a classic Unix developer tool: source releases, mailing-list development, a kernel.org Git repository, manpage-like docs, and wide distro packaging. It also demonstrates how static-analysis tools become part of build and packaging QA culture.
Timeline
- 2003: Linus Torvalds started Sparse, according to the official documentation.
- 2006: Josh Triplett became the first maintainer, and v0.1 is listed in the official release notes.
- 2009: Christopher Li became maintainer.
- 2018: Luc Van Oostenryck became maintainer in late 2018.
- 2021: v0.6.4 release listed in official release notes.
Related projects
- Sparse is closely associated with the Linux kernel, GCC-style C extensions, kernel address-space annotations, and other static-analysis or compiler-front-end tooling for C.
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 13 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
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
cgcc | cli | global executable | |
sparse | 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 version0.6.4
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://sparse.wiki.kernel.org/
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://sparse.wiki.kernel.org/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:sparse |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.6.4 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/sparse |
| Homepage | https://sparse.wiki.kernel.org/ |
| Repository | https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/devel/sparse/sparse.git |
| Upstream docs | https://sparse.docs.kernel.org/en/latest |
| License | MIT |
| Source archive | https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/software/devel/sparse/dist/sparse-0.6.4.tar.xz |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura, 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 | sparse |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| 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%
sparse 0.6.4-5
semantic parser of source files
https://sparse.wiki.kernel.org/
sudo apt install sparse- Section: devel
- Architecture: amd64
- 5 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Sparse
Debian apt95%
sparse-test-inspect 0.6.4-5
semantic parser of source files
https://sparse.wiki.kernel.org/
sudo apt install sparse-test-inspect- Section: devel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: sparse
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Sparse
Nix95%
sparse
nix profile install nixpkgs#sparse- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Sparse
Ubuntu apt95%
sparse 0.6.4-4ubuntu3
semantic parser of source files
https://sparse.wiki.kernel.org/
sudo apt install sparse- Section: universe/devel
- Architecture: amd64
- 5 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Sparse
Ubuntu apt95%
sparse-test-inspect 0.6.4-4ubuntu3
semantic parser of source files
https://sparse.wiki.kernel.org/
sudo apt install sparse-test-inspect- Section: universe/devel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: sparse
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Sparse
apk95%
sparse 0.6.4-r2
A semantic parser of source files
http://sparse.wiki.kernel.org/
sudo apk add sparse- License: MIT
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: sparse
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Sparse
apk95%
sparse-doc 0.6.4-r2
A semantic parser of source files (documentation)
http://sparse.wiki.kernel.org/
sudo apk add sparse-doc- License: MIT
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: sparse
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Sparse
dnf95%
sparse 0.6.4-4.gce1a6720f69e.fc44.7
A semantic parser of source files
https://sparse.wiki.kernel.org
sudo dnf install sparse- License: MIT
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: sparse
- 8 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Sparse
pacman95%
sparse 0.6.5+rc1-2
Semantic parser for C
https://sparse.docs.kernel.org/en/latest/
sudo pacman -S sparse- License: MIT
- Architecture: x86_64
- 6 dependencies
- 3 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Sparse
zypper95%
sparse 0.6.4+20240203-1.7
A semantic parser of source files
https://sparse.docs.kernel.org/
sudo zypper install sparse- License: MIT
- Category: Development/Tools/Building
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: sparse
- 4 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Sparse
zypper95%
sparse-inspect 0.6.4+20240203-1.7
Inspect binary from sparse
https://sparse.docs.kernel.org/
sudo zypper install sparse-inspect- License: MIT
- Category: Development/Libraries/C and C++
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: sparse
- 4 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Sparse
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