# Install bibutils with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman

Bibliography conversion utilities. Version 7.2 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install bibutils.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:bibutils
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install bibutils
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

- MacPorts (94%):

```sh
sudo port install bibutils
```

  Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: tex/bibutils/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

### Linux

- Debian apt (92%):

```sh
sudo apt install bibutils
```

  Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: bibutils from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

- dnf (92%):

```sh
sudo dnf install bibutils
```

  Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: bibutils from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst

- Nix (92%):

```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#bibutils
```

  Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/bi/bibutils/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

- pacman (92%):

```sh
sudo pacman -S bibutils
```

  Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: bibutils from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:bibutils
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 7.2
- **Source summary:** Bibliography conversion utilities
- **Homepage:** <https://sourceforge.net/p/bibutils/home/Bibutils/>
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- bib2xml (alias)
- bibdiff (alias)
- biblatex2xml (alias)
- copac2xml (alias)
- ebi2xml (alias)
- end2xml (alias)
- endx2xml (alias)
- isi2xml (alias)
- med2xml (alias)
- modsclean (alias)
- nbib2xml (alias)
- ris2xml (alias)
- wordbib2xml (alias)
- xml2ads (alias)
- xml2bib (alias)
- xml2biblatex (alias)
- xml2end (alias)
- xml2isi (alias)
- xml2nbib (alias)
- xml2ris (alias)
- xml2wordbib (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 7.2
## Project history and usage

bibutils is a suite of Unix-style bibliography conversion filters that translate between formats through a common MODS XML intermediate representation.

### Project history

The official SourceForge wiki describes bibutils as a program set for interconverting bibliography formats using MODS XML as a common intermediate, reducing the number of converters needed for many input and output formats.

The documented development history groups changes by major versions: version 5 changed the default input and output character set to UTF-8 and added the ability to write MODS XML in multiple character sets, while later major versions reflect library changes.

### Adoption history

bibutils is available across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, Arch, and other package managers, which matches its role as a reusable command-line conversion toolkit for scripts.

Because it supports BibTeX, BibLaTeX, RIS, EndNote, ISI, PubMed/NBIB, Word bibliography, ADS, and MODS workflows, it is useful to users moving references among citation managers, library metadata systems, and publishing tools.

### How it is used

Users chain format-specific converters such as ris2xml followed by xml2bib, or bib2xml followed by xml2ris, using MODS XML as the intermediate format.

The tools are intentionally command-line filters, making them suitable for shell pipelines, automated metadata cleanup, and larger bibliographic projects.

### Why package nerds care

bibutils is a tidy example of Unix filter design applied to bibliography metadata: instead of maintaining N-squared pairwise converters, it centralizes conversion through MODS.

Package nerds care because it is one of those small, durable utilities that quietly make citation-manager and library-metadata interoperability scriptable.

### Timeline

- Version 2: Official development history records an early major-version line.
- Version 5: Default input and output character set changes to UTF-8, with MODS XML output in multiple character sets.
- Version 6: Major version changes because of library changes.
- Version 7: Major version changes again because of library changes.

### Related projects

- MODS, the Library of Congress Metadata Object Description Schema, is the intermediate format used by bibutils.
- BibTeX and BibLaTeX are both supported through bib2xml, biblatex2xml, xml2bib, and xml2biblatex.
- RIS, EndNote, PubMed/NBIB, ISI, ADS, and Word bibliography formats are part of the conversion ecosystem documented by the project.

### Sources

- <https://sourceforge.net/p/bibutils/home/Bibutils>
- <https://sourceforge.net/p/bibutils/home/Working%20with%20MODS>
- source_facts.executables
- source_facts.package-manager


## Security Notes

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

- **Geiger risk:** green / low
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

## Other Package-Manager Records

- Debian apt - bibutils - 7.2-3+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: bibutils from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | interconvert various bibliographic data formats | https://sourceforge.net/projects/bibutils/
- Debian apt - libbibutils-dev - 7.2-3+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libbibutils-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | bibliography file converter, development kit | https://sourceforge.net/projects/bibutils/
- Debian apt - libbibutils8 - 7.2-3+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libbibutils8 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | bibliography file converter, shared library | https://sourceforge.net/projects/bibutils/
- Nix - bibutils: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/bi/bibutils/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Ubuntu apt - bibutils - 7.2-3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: bibutils from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | interconvert various bibliographic data formats | https://sourceforge.net/projects/bibutils/
- Ubuntu apt - libbibutils-dev - 7.2-3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libbibutils-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | bibliography file converter, development kit | https://sourceforge.net/projects/bibutils/
- Ubuntu apt - libbibutils8 - 7.2-3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libbibutils8 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | bibliography file converter, shared library | https://sourceforge.net/projects/bibutils/
- dnf - bibutils - 7.2-14.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: bibutils from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Bibliography conversion tools | http://sourceforge.net/p/bibutils/home/Bibutils/
- dnf - bibutils-devel - 7.2-14.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: bibutils-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Development files for bibutils | http://sourceforge.net/p/bibutils/home/Bibutils/
- dnf - bibutils-libs - 7.2-14.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: bibutils-libs from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Bibutils library | http://sourceforge.net/p/bibutils/home/Bibutils/
- pacman - bibutils - 7.2-4: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: bibutils from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Bibliography format interconversion | http://sourceforge.net/p/bibutils/home/Bibutils
- MacPorts - bibutils: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: tex/bibutils/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1


## Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/bibutils.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/bibutils.yml)


## Sources

- pkg.so package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph