macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install gdbmlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install gdbmMacPorts ports tree · databases/gdbm/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew / rank 186
Install gdbm with Homebrew, apk, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, apt, zypper
GNU database manager. Version 1.26 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-17. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install gdbm-l10n.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add gdbmAlpine Linux edge package indexes · gdbm · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install gdbmFedora Rawhide package metadata · gdbm · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#gdbmnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/gd/gdbm/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S gdbmArch Linux sync databases · gdbm · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install gdbm-l10nDebian stable package indexes · gdbm-l10n · source: deb.debian.org
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install gdbm-developenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · gdbm-devel · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
GNU database manager
Project links
Commands and aliases
- gdbm_dump
- gdbm_load
- gdbmtool
history
Project history and usage
GNU dbm, or GDBM, is the GNU database manager: a library and small utility set for disk-backed hashed key/value databases compatible in spirit with traditional Unix dbm.
Project history
The GDBM manual says the software was originally written by Philip A. Nelson. The project page also credits Philip A. Nelson, Jason Downs, and Sergey Poznyakoff.
GDBM was designed as a programmer library rather than a complete end-user database package. It stores unique key/data pairs in a GDBM disk file and provides primitives for storing, fetching, deleting, iterating, reorganizing, dumping, and loading records.
Adoption history
GDBM's adoption comes from its role as a small native library for programs that need simple persistent key/value storage without running a database server.
The package also provides traditional dbm and ndbm interfaces, which keeps old Unix dbm-style applications buildable against a GNU-maintained implementation.
How it is used
The manual shows C programs including gdbm.h, opening a database with gdbm_open, reading records with gdbm_fetch, and linking with -lgdbm.
The package includes command-line utilities such as gdbmtool, gdbm_dump, and gdbm_load for inspecting, modifying, exporting, and importing GDBM databases.
Why package nerds care
GDBM is package-nerd significant because it is an old, boring, ABI-sensitive C library that many higher-level packages can quietly depend on for dbm-compatible storage.
It sits in the same mental shelf as Berkeley DB and ndbm: not glamorous, but important when language runtimes or Unix tools need a tiny persistent hash table.
Timeline
- Original era: Philip A. Nelson writes the original GNU dbm software.
- Modern manual: GDBM 1.25 documents the current GNU database manager API and utilities.
- 2016-2022: The official project page copyright reflects Sergey Poznyakoff's maintained project page era.
Related projects
- GDBM is related to standard Unix dbm and ndbm interfaces.
- It is also comparable in package ecosystems to other embedded key/value stores such as Berkeley DB, although the official GDBM docs focus on dbm compatibility rather than positioning against alternatives.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: blue
broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.
Risk classifier
blue risk · medium confidence · tool
Why
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
Signals
- text:database
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
gdbm_dump | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
gdbm_load | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
gdbmtool | 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 version1.26
manager updated2026-07-17
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:gdbm |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.26 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://www.gnu.org.ua/software/gdbm/ |
| Last updated | 2026-07-17T11:08:00-04:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| 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%
gdbm-l10n 1.24-2
GNU dbm database routines (translation files)
sudo apt install gdbm-l10n- Section: localization
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: gdbm
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdbm
Debian apt95%
gdbmtool 1.24-2
GNU dbm database routines (command line tools)
sudo apt install gdbmtool- Section: utils
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: gdbm
- 3 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdbm
Debian apt95%
libgdbm-compat-dev 1.24-2
GNU dbm database routines (legacy support development files)
sudo apt install libgdbm-compat-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: gdbm
- 4 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdbm
Debian apt95%
libgdbm-compat4t64 1.24-2
GNU dbm database routines (legacy support runtime version)
sudo apt install libgdbm-compat4t64- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: gdbm
- 2 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdbm
Debian apt95%
libgdbm-dev 1.24-2
GNU dbm database routines (development files)
sudo apt install libgdbm-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: gdbm
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdbm
Debian apt95%
libgdbm6t64 1.24-2
GNU dbm database routines (runtime version)
sudo apt install libgdbm6t64- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: gdbm
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdbm
Nix95%
gdbm
nix profile install nixpkgs#gdbm- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdbm
Ubuntu apt95%
gdbm-l10n 1.23-5.1build1
GNU dbm database routines (translation files)
sudo apt install gdbm-l10n- Section: universe/libs
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: gdbm
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdbm
Ubuntu apt95%
gdbmtool 1.23-5.1build1
GNU dbm database routines (command line tools)
sudo apt install gdbmtool- Section: universe/utils
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: gdbm
- 3 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdbm
Ubuntu apt95%
libgdbm-compat-dev 1.23-5.1build1
GNU dbm database routines (legacy support development files)
sudo apt install libgdbm-compat-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: gdbm
- 4 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdbm
Ubuntu apt95%
libgdbm-compat4t64 1.23-5.1build1
GNU dbm database routines (legacy support runtime version)
sudo apt install libgdbm-compat4t64- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: gdbm
- 2 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdbm
Ubuntu apt95%
libgdbm-dev 1.23-5.1build1
GNU dbm database routines (development files)
sudo apt install libgdbm-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: gdbm
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdbm
Ubuntu apt95%
libgdbm6t64 1.23-5.1build1
GNU dbm database routines (runtime version)
sudo apt install libgdbm6t64- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: gdbm
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdbm
apk95%
gdbm 1.26-r0
GNU dbm is a set of database routines that use extensible hashing
https://www.gnu.org/software/gdbm/
sudo apk add gdbm- License: GPL-3.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: gdbm
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdbm
apk95%
gdbm-dev 1.26-r0
GNU dbm is a set of database routines that use extensible hashing (development files)
https://www.gnu.org/software/gdbm/
sudo apk add gdbm-dev- License: GPL-3.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: gdbm
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdbm
apk95%
gdbm-doc 1.26-r0
GNU dbm is a set of database routines that use extensible hashing (documentation)
https://www.gnu.org/software/gdbm/
sudo apk add gdbm-doc- License: GPL-3.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: gdbm
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdbm
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