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Install libcap with Homebrew
User-space interfaces to POSIX 1003.1e capabilities. Version 2.78 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
User-space interfaces to POSIX 1003.1e capabilities
Project links
Commands and aliases
- capsh
- getcap
- getpcaps
- setcap
history
Project history and usage
libcap is Andrew G. Morgan's user-space library and utility suite for Linux capabilities, including setcap, getcap, getpcaps, capsh, pam_cap, and related support libraries.
Project history
The upstream README describes libcap as a library for getting and setting POSIX.1e draft 15 capabilities, with native C/C++ and Go support. The Fully Capable site frames Linux capabilities as an alternative to the superuser model of privilege under Linux and notes that the Linux implementation is based on the defunct POSIX.1e draft.
The project grew beyond a C library into a family of privilege-management tools and helper code. The README names capsh, getpcaps, setcap, and getcap as example programs, while the Fully Capable site documents libpsx for POSIX semantics in threaded applications and Go packages for capability manipulation.
Adoption history
libcap became baseline Linux security infrastructure because file capabilities and process capabilities need user-space tooling. Distribution packages expose its command-line tools for administrators and its headers and library for software that must drop root while keeping only specific privileges.
How it is used
Administrators use setcap and getcap to assign and inspect file capabilities, getpcaps to inspect processes, and capsh to experiment with capability sets and shells. Developers link libcap when applications need direct control over Linux capability state.
Why package nerds care
libcap is one of the packages that turns a kernel security feature into everyday packaging policy. Without it, downstream maintainers have a harder time replacing setuid-root patterns with smaller capability grants.
Timeline
- POSIX.1e draft 15: Upstream README identifies this draft as the capabilities model libcap targets.
- 2024-05-18: kernel.org refs list libcap 2.70 tags.
- 2024-10-25: kernel.org refs list libcap 2.71 tags.
- 2025-03-04: kernel.org refs list libcap 2.75 tags.
- 2026-04-05: kernel.org refs list libcap 2.78 tags.
Related projects
- Related projects include the Linux kernel capability implementation, libcap-ng, libpsx, pam_cap, Go cap and psx packages, and distribution packaging that replaces setuid-root usage with file capabilities.
Sources
- https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/libcap
- https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/libs/libcap/libcap.git
- https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/libs/libcap/libcap.git/plain/CHANGELOG
- https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/libs/libcap/libcap.git/plain/README
- https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/libs/libcap/libcap.git/refs/tags
- https://sites.google.com/site/fullycapable
security posture
Risk level: green
library-like package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- library-like package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:library-like
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
capsh | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
getcap | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
getpcaps | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
setcap | 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 version2.78
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:libcap |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.78 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://sites.google.com/site/fullycapable/ |
| 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