# Install libgfshare with Homebrew, MacPorts, pacman, apt Library for sharing secrets. Version 2.0.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install libgfshare-bin. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:libgfshare ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install libgfshare ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install libgfshare ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: security/libgfshare/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S libgfshare ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: libgfshare from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install libgfshare-bin ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: libgfshare-bin from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:libgfshare - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 2.0.0 - **Source summary:** Library for sharing secrets - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00 ## Executables - gfcombine (alias) - gfsplit (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 2.0.0 ## Project history and usage libgfshare is a compact C implementation of Shamir secret sharing over GF(2^8), with gfsplit and gfcombine tools for splitting and recombining byte-oriented secrets. ### Project history The upstream README is signed by Daniel Silverstone on 2006-01-15 and describes the library as a Shamir Secret Sharing implementation in the Galois Field 2^8. It explicitly credits inspiration from Mark D. Wooding's Catacomb library. A 2009-11-18 README note by Simon McVittie documents recovery behavior for earlier gfsplit outputs that could produce a share numbered 000, giving the project a small but concrete maintenance history. ### Adoption history libgfshare stayed niche but useful: package managers expose it for users who want a small secret-sharing library and command-line tools without a larger key-management suite. Its own README gives rare-use GPG secret keys, such as archive-signing keys, as a motivating example. ### How it is used The library splits a secret into C shares such that any T shares can recover it. The CLI tools make that model usable from shell scripts or operational key-handling procedures. ### Why package nerds care For package nerds, libgfshare is the tiny Unix-security-tool version of an important cryptographic idea: no service, no database, just a C library and two tools. Its significance is mostly in simplicity and auditability rather than broad adoption. ### Timeline - 2006: Daniel Silverstone README note describes the initial library and its GF(2^8) Shamir-sharing design. - 2009: Simon McVittie README note documents recovery from earlier gfsplit share-numbering behavior. - 2026: GitHub repository metadata listed 80 commits and one tag. ### Related projects - Shamir secret sharing is the underlying scheme. Mark D. Wooding's Catacomb library is named by the upstream README as an inspiration. GnuPG key-handling is a documented use case. ### Sources - - - ## Security Notes library-like package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - library-like package without higher-risk signals ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - libgfshare-bin - 2.0.0-7: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libgfshare-bin from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | utilities for multi-way secret-sharing | https://github.com/kinnison/libgfshare - Debian apt - libgfshare-dev - 2.0.0-7: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libgfshare-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | library for multi-way secret-sharing (headers) | https://github.com/kinnison/libgfshare - Debian apt - libgfshare2 - 2.0.0-7: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libgfshare2 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | library for multi-way secret-sharing | https://github.com/kinnison/libgfshare - Ubuntu apt - libgfshare-bin - 2.0.0-6build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libgfshare-bin from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | utilities for multi-way secret-sharing | https://git.gitano.org.uk/libgfshare.git/ - Ubuntu apt - libgfshare-dev - 2.0.0-6build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libgfshare-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | library for multi-way secret-sharing (headers) | https://git.gitano.org.uk/libgfshare.git/ - Ubuntu apt - libgfshare2 - 2.0.0-6build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libgfshare2 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | library for multi-way secret-sharing | https://git.gitano.org.uk/libgfshare.git/ - pacman - libgfshare - 2.0.0-5: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: libgfshare from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Utilities for multi-way secret-sharing | https://www.digital-scurf.org/software/libgfshare - MacPorts - libgfshare: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: security/libgfshare/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/libgfshare.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/libgfshare.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