# Install gi-docgen with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper
Documentation tool for GObject-based libraries. Version 2026.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-13. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install gi-docgen.
## Install
```sh
sudo av install brew:gi-docgen
```
Additional install commands:
### macOS
- Homebrew (100%):
```sh
brew install gi-docgen
```
Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata
- MacPorts (94%):
```sh
sudo port install gi-docgen
```
Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: gnome/gi-docgen/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
### Linux
- apk (92%):
```sh
sudo apk add gi-docgen
```
Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: gi-docgen from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
- Debian apt (92%):
```sh
sudo apt install gi-docgen
```
Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: gi-docgen from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
- dnf (92%):
```sh
sudo dnf install gi-docgen
```
Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: gi-docgen 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#gi-docgen
```
Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/gi/gi-docgen/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- pacman (92%):
```sh
sudo pacman -S gi-docgen
```
Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: gi-docgen from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz
- zypper (92%):
```sh
sudo zypper install gi-docgen
```
Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: gi-docgen from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst
## Package facts
- **Package key:** brew:gi-docgen
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 2026.1
- **Source summary:** Documentation tool for GObject-based libraries
- **Homepage:**
- **Last updated:** 2026-06-13T23:34:55+02:00
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00
## Executables
- gi-docgen (alias)
## Install behavior
- Bottle: not available
## Freshness
- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 2026.1
## Project history and usage
GI-DocGen is GNOME's documentation generator for GObject-based libraries. It uses GObject Introspection data to produce API references and ancillary documentation, especially for GTK and nearby platform libraries.
### Project history
The GNOME-hosted GitLab project was created in November 2020 and carries GNOME Foundation copyright terms from 2021. Its documentation frames the project as a focused generator for libraries that expose GObject Introspection data, with GTK and its immediate dependencies as the primary target rather than all C libraries.
GI-DocGen sits in the lineage of GNOME API documentation tooling alongside GTK-Doc, but it reflects a later approach built around introspection metadata, Sphinx-style documentation pages, Meson integration, and generated reference sites for the GObject ecosystem.
### Adoption history
The project's adoption is tied to GNOME library publishing rather than broad language-wide documentation. It matters because many GNOME platform libraries share the same GObject Introspection machinery, so a generator that understands that metadata can produce consistent API references for libraries that bindings and application developers depend on.
Distribution packaging across Linux distributions, Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, and Python packaging made GI-DocGen available to maintainers building GNOME-related source releases and documentation sites.
### How it is used
Practitioners use GI-DocGen from a source tree or a package installation to generate reference documentation from introspection data and a project configuration file. The documented workflow points users to a tutorial, project configuration, linking rules, introspection attributes, templates, content pages, and command documentation.
The README emphasizes that GI-DocGen is not a general C documentation tool. Its practical use is strongest in GObject projects that already produce introspection data and want API pages aligned with GTK and GNOME documentation conventions.
### Why package nerds care
For package maintainers, GI-DocGen is a build-time documentation dependency with GNOME-specific semantics. It is useful in distro and Homebrew contexts because it can be installed as a normal tool while preserving the GNOME project's preferred documentation pipeline.
### Timeline
- 2020: GNOME GitLab project created.
- 2021: GNOME Foundation copyright appears in the project README and documentation.
- 2025: Tagged releases included 2025.4 and 2025.5.
- 2026: The 2026.1 tag documented parser, template, and styling fixes.
### Related projects
- GI-DocGen is related to GObject Introspection, GTK, Meson, GTK-Doc, HotDoc, Doxygen, and Devhelp documentation indexes.
### Sources
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## 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 - gi-docgen - 2025.3-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: gi-docgen from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | source code documentation tool using GObject-Introspection | https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gi-docgen/
- Debian apt - gi-docgen-doc - 2025.3-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: gi-docgen-doc from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Documentation for the gi-docgen documentation tool | https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gi-docgen/
- Nix - gi-docgen: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/gi/gi-docgen/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Ubuntu apt - gi-docgen - 2023.3+ds-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: gi-docgen from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | source code documentation tool using GObject-Introspection | https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gi-docgen/
- Ubuntu apt - gi-docgen-doc - 2023.3+ds-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: gi-docgen-doc from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Documentation for the gi-docgen documentation tool | https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gi-docgen/
- apk - gi-docgen - 2026.1-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: gi-docgen from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | A documentation generator for GObject-based libraries | https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gi-docgen
- apk - gi-docgen-pyc - 2026.1-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: gi-docgen-pyc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Precompiled Python bytecode for gi-docgen | https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gi-docgen
- dnf - gi-docgen - 2026.1-12.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: gi-docgen from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Documentation tool for GObject-based libraries | https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gi-docgen
- dnf - gi-docgen-fonts - 2026.1-12.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: gi-docgen-fonts from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Metapackage providing fonts for gi-docgen output | https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gi-docgen
- pacman - gi-docgen - 2026.1-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: gi-docgen from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Documentation generator for GObject-based libraries | https://gnome.pages.gitlab.gnome.org/gi-docgen/
- zypper - gi-docgen - 2026.1-1.1: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: gi-docgen from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | A documentation generator for GObject-based libraries | https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gi-docgen
- MacPorts - gi-docgen: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: gnome/gi-docgen/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/gi-docgen.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/gi-docgen.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