# Install berkeley-db with Homebrew High performance key/value database. Version 18.1.40 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-21. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:berkeley-db ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install berkeley-db ``` Evidence: provider-native install command ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:berkeley-db - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 18.1.40 - **Source summary:** High performance key/value database - **Homepage:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-21T18:35:11-04:00 - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T00:40:33+00:00 ## Executables - db_archive (alias) - db_checkpoint (alias) - db_convert (alias) - db_deadlock (alias) - db_dump (alias) - db_hotbackup (alias) - db_load (alias) - db_log_verify (alias) - db_printlog (alias) - db_recover (alias) - db_replicate (alias) - db_stat (alias) - db_tuner (alias) - db_upgrade (alias) - db_verify (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 18.1.40 ## Project history and usage Berkeley DB is the classic embedded key/value database library lineage now distributed by Oracle. For package-manager users it is less a standalone server than a C library plus administrative utilities whose major version, license, and on-disk compatibility can matter to many dependent packages. ### Project history Berkeley DB originated in the BSD Unix world and became a general embedded database library under Sleepycat Software. Oracle acquired Sleepycat in 2006, and Oracle's current Berkeley DB pages and documentation now present the product as Oracle Berkeley DB. The Homebrew berkeley-db package represents the current Oracle Berkeley DB line, with docs for the 18.1 series. It exposes command-line maintenance tools such as db_archive, db_checkpoint, db_dump, db_load, db_recover, db_upgrade, and db_verify in addition to the library API. ### Adoption history Berkeley DB's adoption pattern was unusual: many users never chose it directly, but installed it because another package embedded it for local indexes, metadata stores, mail/news databases, directory services, package metadata, or application state. That indirect adoption made the package-manager story important. Distributions historically carried multiple db, db4, db5, and berkeley-db variants because applications could be tied to a specific ABI or database file format. ### How it is used Developers link Berkeley DB into an application rather than run a database daemon. Runtime state lives in application-controlled database environments, where DB_CONFIG can tune caches, logging, locking, transactions, replication, and recovery behavior. The bundled tools are operationally important: they let maintainers dump and reload databases, recover environments, inspect logs and statistics, verify files, and upgrade database formats when moving across versions. ### Why package nerds care Berkeley DB is package-nerd canon because it is tiny in concept but huge in dependency consequences. A formula upgrade can affect ABI compatibility, license acceptability, and whether old database files can be opened. The current brew:berkeley-db and versioned brew:berkeley-db@5 relationship is exactly the sort of thing package historians care about: the unversioned formula tracks the modern Oracle line, while @5 keeps an older major line alive for dependents that cannot simply follow the latest library. ### Timeline - 1990s: Berkeley DB grew out of BSD database code and became Sleepycat Software's embedded database product. - 2006: Oracle acquired Sleepycat Software, bringing Berkeley DB under Oracle. - 2011: Berkeley DB 5.3 documentation was published for the 11g Release 2 generation. - 2018: Oracle Berkeley DB 18.1 documentation represents the later Oracle version-numbering line used by the unversioned berkeley-db package. ### Related projects - brew:berkeley-db@5 is the versioned Homebrew formula for the older Berkeley DB 5 line. - SQLite is a related embedded database alternative, but with a relational SQL model rather than Berkeley DB's key/value API. - LMDB is a related embedded key/value store often discussed in the same package and storage-engine context. ### Sources - - - - ## Security Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. generalized runtime or code generation signal. - **Geiger risk:** yellow / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal - generalized runtime or code generation signal ## Configuration and credential file locations These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval. ## Configuration files - Unix: /DB_CONFIG - Windows: \DB_CONFIG ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/berkeley-db.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/berkeley-db.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - curated configuration and credential file locations - curated package history - pkgdb category and tag curation