# Install libkiwix with Homebrew, apk, dnf, Nix, pacman, apt Common code base for all Kiwix ports. Version 14.2.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install libkiwix-dev. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:libkiwix ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install libkiwix ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add libkiwix ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libkiwix from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install libkiwix ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libkiwix 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#libkiwix ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/libkiwix/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S libkiwix ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: libkiwix from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install libkiwix-dev ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: libkiwix-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:libkiwix - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 14.2.1 - **Source summary:** Common code base for all Kiwix ports - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00 ## Executables - kiwix-compile-i18n (alias) - kiwix-compile-resources (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 14.2.1 ## Project history and usage libkiwix is the shared C++ core of the Kiwix software suite, which reads and serves offline web-content archives in the ZIM format. It packages the reusable pieces used across Kiwix ports for desktop, mobile, server, and related tools. ### Project history Kiwix developed around the idea that large web knowledge bases, especially Wikipedia, should be browsable without a network connection. libkiwix separated the shared application core from individual ports, giving Kiwix a library layer for ZIM integration, HTTP serving, resource compilation, internationalization, and common UI/server assets. The repository's 0.1 tag is anchored in March 2017, with a 1.0.0 release merge in October 2017 and a 3.1.0 release merge in December 2018. The README describes the library as code shared by all Kiwix ports on Windows, GNU/Linux, macOS, Android, iOS, and other platforms. ### Adoption history libkiwix adoption follows Kiwix adoption: schools, offline deployments, constrained networks, and personal archives need native tools that can read ZIM files and expose them through desktop interfaces or HTTP servers. Packages in Homebrew and major Linux distributions make the shared core available without building the whole Kiwix stack by hand. Its dependency list shows where it sits in the offline-content stack: libzim for archive access, ICU for language handling, libcurl and aria2 for network/download support, microhttpd for serving, and Meson/Ninja for modern builds. ### How it is used End users usually see libkiwix through Kiwix applications rather than calling the library directly. Developers and packagers use it to build Kiwix Desktop, kiwix-tools, embedded HTTP serving, library management, resource compilation, and custom index pages for ZIM collections. ### Why package nerds care libkiwix is a good example of a project-specific shared core becoming a distribution package because downstream ports need consistent ABI, dependencies, and data-format behavior. For package managers, it connects a large offline-knowledge application family to the smaller openZIM/libzim ecosystem. ### Timeline - 2017-03-21: 0.1 tag points at a Meson project-version fix. - 2017-10-23: 1.0.0 release merge. - 2018-12-03: 3.1.0 release merge. - 2020s: README documents shared use across Windows, GNU/Linux, macOS, Android, iOS, and POSIX build paths. ### Related projects - Related projects include Kiwix Desktop, kiwix-tools, openZIM, libzim, zimwriterfs, ICU, aria2, libcurl, GNU libmicrohttpd, and the broader Kiwix offline-content catalog. ### Sources - - - - - - ## Security Notes No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for libkiwix. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL. ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - libkiwix-dev - 14.0.0-1.1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libkiwix-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | library of common code for Kiwix (development) | https://github.com/kiwix/libkiwix - Debian apt - libkiwix14 - 14.0.0-1.1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libkiwix14 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | library of common code for Kiwix | https://github.com/kiwix/libkiwix - Nix - libkiwix: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/libkiwix/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - libkiwix-dev - 12.1.1-1.1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libkiwix-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | library of common code for Kiwix (development) | https://github.com/kiwix/libkiwix - Ubuntu apt - libkiwix12t64 - 12.1.1-1.1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libkiwix12t64 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | library of common code for Kiwix | https://github.com/kiwix/libkiwix - apk - libkiwix - 14.2.0-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libkiwix from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Common code base for all Kiwix ports | https://github.com/kiwix/libkiwix - apk - libkiwix-dev - 14.2.0-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libkiwix-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Common code base for all Kiwix ports (development files) | https://github.com/kiwix/libkiwix - apk - libkiwix-doc - 14.2.0-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libkiwix-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Common code base for all Kiwix ports (documentation) | https://github.com/kiwix/libkiwix - dnf - libkiwix - 14.2.1-3.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libkiwix from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Common code base for all Kiwix ports | https://github.com/kiwix/libkiwix - dnf - libkiwix-devel - 14.2.1-3.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libkiwix-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Development files for libkiwix | https://github.com/kiwix/libkiwix - pacman - libkiwix - 14.2.1-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: libkiwix from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Library providing the Kiwix software core | https://github.com/kiwix/libkiwix ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/libkiwix.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/libkiwix.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