macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install cfitsioprovider-native install command
brew / rank 572
Install cfitsio with Homebrew
C access to FITS data files with optional Fortran wrappers. Version 4.6.4 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
C access to FITS data files with optional Fortran wrappers
Project links
Commands and aliases
- fitscopy
- fitsverify
- fpack
- funpack
- imcopy
- smem
- speed
history
Project history and usage
CFITSIO is NASA HEASARC's machine-independent C library for reading and writing FITS astronomy data files, with Fortran-callable wrappers and command-line utilities such as `fitscopy`, `fitsverify`, `fpack`, and `funpack`.
Project history
The CFITSIO User's Reference Guide says the package was initially developed by HEASARC to convert various high-energy astrophysics data sets into FITS format and to analyze data already in FITS format. The guide also documents that the Fortran wrappers replaced an older Fortran FITSIO interface.
Adoption history
The input package facts show CFITSIO packaged across Homebrew, Alpine, Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, Arch, and openSUSE ecosystems. That breadth matches its role as a shared astronomy data I/O dependency rather than a single application.
How it is used
The README documents the standard Unix build flow with `./configure`, `make`, `make check`, and `make install`, plus CMake support. The User's Guide documents every user-callable routine, while bundled utilities cover copying, verifying, compressing, and unpacking FITS files.
Why package nerds care
CFITSIO is the kind of package that quietly props up a scientific stack: a C ABI, headers, shared libraries, Fortran wrappers, and utility binaries that downstream astronomy tools expect to find in system package managers.
Timeline
- Initial development: HEASARC developed CFITSIO for high-energy astrophysics FITS conversion and analysis.
- CFITSIO 2.0: User's Guide notes plug-in I/O drivers introduced in v2.0.
- 2023: Official GitHub repository metadata records public repository creation.
- 2026: Official release metadata shows CFITSIO 4.6.4.
Related projects
- FTOOLS is called out by the User's Guide as a related package for manipulating and analyzing FITS files.
- CCFITS is the C++ interface associated with CFITSIO support contacts.
Sources
- https://api.github.com/repos/HEASARC/cfitsio
- https://github.com/HEASARC/cfitsio
- https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/software/fitsio/fitsio.html
- https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/software/fitsio
- https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/software/fitsio/c/c_user/cfitsio.html
- https://formulae.brew.sh/api/formula/cfitsio.json
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
fitscopy | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
fitsverify | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
fpack | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
funpack | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
imcopy | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
smem | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
speed | 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 version4.6.4
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:cfitsio |
|---|---|
| Version | 4.6.4 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/software/fitsio/fitsio.html |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
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
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation