macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install base16384local Homebrew formula metadata
brew / rank 11551
Install base16384 with Homebrew, apt, Nix
Encode binary files to printable utf16be. Version 2.3.2 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install base16384.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install base16384Debian stable package indexes · base16384 · source: deb.debian.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#base16384nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ba/base16384/package.nix · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
Encode binary files to printable utf16be
Project links
Commands and aliases
- base16384
history
Project history and usage
base16384 is a binary-to-text encoding tool and library that maps binary data into printable UTF-16BE text using 16,384 Chinese characters. It is intentionally framed by its README as a higher-radix cousin of base64.
Project history
The GitHub repository was created in April 2020. The README describes the format as using characters from U+4E00 through U+8DFF as the alphabet, with a remainder marker for incomplete final chunks.
The project is written as a C/CMake command-line utility and library, and the current CMake metadata identifies version 2.3.2 with a September 2025 version date. The README also notes use of Cosmopolitan for cross-platform binary compilation.
Adoption history
base16384 has crossed beyond a single Homebrew formula: the README documents installation from Debian Bookworm or higher, Homebrew, an Ubuntu PPA, OpenWrt packages, and Arch AUR. The input package metadata also lists Debian, Ubuntu, Nix, and Homebrew package names.
The README lists ports and bindings in Go, Python, Android, TypeScript, Lua, C#, Rust, Swift, Dart, and MoonBit, which is unusual for a niche encoding experiment and suggests adoption by developers interested in the format itself rather than only the original CLI.
How it is used
The command exposes encode and decode modes, can read from stdin and write to stdout, and includes options for timing, UTF-16BE byte-order marker behavior, and checksums. Examples in the README show piping through iconv so encoded UTF-16BE output can be displayed as UTF-8 text.
There is no documented user configuration file or credentials store; behavior is controlled by command-line flags.
Why package nerds care
base16384 is package-nerd catnip because it is a concrete reminder that base-N encodings are constrained by transport assumptions, not just math. It asks what happens when the transport can carry a large printable Unicode alphabet rather than ASCII.
Its packaging breadth is the notable part: a very specific encoding utility appears in general-purpose OS package indexes, language ports, and embedded/open-source package sets.
Timeline
- 2020: Public GitHub repository created.
- 2020s: README documented package availability across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu PPA, OpenWrt, and Arch AUR.
- 2020s: README accumulated ports and bindings in multiple languages.
- 2025: CMake metadata identified version 2.3.2 dated Sep 4th 2025.
Related projects
- base64 is the older and far more common binary-to-text encoding explicitly used as the comparison point in the README.
- Cosmopolitan is referenced by the README as the cross-platform binary compilation tool used by the project.
- The README lists related base16384 implementations for Go, Python, Android, TypeScript, Lua, C#, Rust, Swift, Dart, and MoonBit.
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 bottle metadata was recorded.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
base16384 | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
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 generated2026-08-03
manager version2.3.2
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:base16384 |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.3.2 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://github.com/fumiama/base16384 |
| Repository | https://github.com/fumiama/base16384 |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
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%
base16384 2.3.1-1
Encode binary files to printable utf16be
https://github.com/fumiama/base16384
sudo apt install base16384- Section: utils
- Architecture: amd64
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Base16384
Debian apt95%
libbase16384-2 2.3.1-1
Dynamic library of base16384
https://github.com/fumiama/base16384
sudo apt install libbase16384-2- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: base16384
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Base16384
Debian apt95%
libbase16384-dev 2.3.1-1
Header and archive of base16384
https://github.com/fumiama/base16384
sudo apt install libbase16384-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: base16384
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Base16384
Nix95%
base16384
nix profile install nixpkgs#base16384- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Base16384
Ubuntu apt95%
base16384 2.2.5-1
Encode binary files to printable utf16be
https://github.com/fumiama/base16384
sudo apt install base16384- Section: universe/utils
- Architecture: amd64
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Base16384
Ubuntu apt95%
libbase16384-2 2.2.5-1
Dynamic library of base16384
https://github.com/fumiama/base16384
sudo apt install libbase16384-2- Section: universe/libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: base16384
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Base16384
Ubuntu apt95%
libbase16384-dev 2.2.5-1
Header and archive of base16384
https://github.com/fumiama/base16384
sudo apt install libbase16384-dev- Section: universe/libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: base16384
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Base16384
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
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- pkg.so package database
- pkgdb category and tag curation