# Install libmpeg2 with Homebrew, apk, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper, apt
Library to decode mpeg-2 and mpeg-1 video streams. Version 0.5.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#libmpeg2.
## Install
```sh
sudo av install brew:libmpeg2
```
Additional install commands:
### macOS
- Homebrew (100%):
```sh
brew install libmpeg2
```
Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata
- MacPorts (94%):
```sh
sudo port install libmpeg2
```
Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: multimedia/libmpeg2/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
### Linux
- apk (92%):
```sh
sudo apk add libmpeg2
```
Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libmpeg2 from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
- dnf (92%):
```sh
sudo dnf install libmpeg2
```
Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libmpeg2 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#libmpeg2
```
Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/libmpeg2/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- pacman (92%):
```sh
sudo pacman -S libmpeg2
```
Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: libmpeg2 from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz
- zypper (92%):
```sh
sudo zypper install libmpeg2-0
```
Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libmpeg2-0 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst
- Debian apt (92%):
```sh
sudo apt install mpeg2dec
```
Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: mpeg2dec from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
## Package facts
- **Package key:** brew:libmpeg2
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 0.5.1
- **Source summary:** Library to decode mpeg-2 and mpeg-1 video streams
- **Homepage:**
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00
## Executables
- corrupt_mpeg2 (alias)
- extract_mpeg2 (alias)
- mpeg2dec (alias)
## Install behavior
- Bottle: not available
## Freshness
- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 0.5.1
## Project history and usage
libmpeg2 is a free GPL C library for decoding MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 video streams, distributed with the mpeg2dec test program. It represents the small, focused multimedia libraries that predate the dominance of larger codec frameworks.
### Project history
The official download page lists mpeg2dec 0.1.7 on November 2, 2000 with MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 support, an integrated demuxer, and standards-compliance work. Later releases added a new libmpeg2 API, 4:2:2-profile decoding, robustness improvements, and platform optimizations.
The 2008 libmpeg2 0.5.x releases brought newer compiler and system support, SSE2 and ARM optimizations, aspect-ratio handling, and installation/pkg-config fixes. The official project page also notes VideoLAN maintainers joining the project.
### Adoption history
libmpeg2 became a reusable decoder dependency because it was portable C code with a narrow library purpose and a bundled test program. The batch input lists broad package-manager coverage across Homebrew, Debian-family, Fedora-family, Arch, MacPorts, Nix, and openSUSE ecosystems.
Upstream lists projects using libmpeg2, including xine, VideoLAN, MPlayer, GStreamer, XBMC, HandBrake, and other media tools, showing its historical role as a shared MPEG decoder component.
### How it is used
Downstream software uses libmpeg2 to decode MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 streams. Packagers and developers can use mpeg2dec as a simple test program and rely on the official conformance test-suite notes on the download page.
### Why package nerds care
For package maintainers, libmpeg2 is notable as a compact codec library with hand-written CPU optimizations, GPL licensing, pkg-config metadata, and a long tail of reverse dependencies. It persists because legacy media formats and decoder dependencies remain relevant long after newer codecs appear.
### Timeline
- 2000-11-02: mpeg2dec 0.1.7 release with MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 support.
- 2002-11-27: mpeg2dec 0.3.0 release with a new libmpeg2 API.
- 2003-12-23: mpeg2dec 0.4.0 release with 4:2:2-profile decoding and robustness work.
- 2006-09-19: mpeg2dec 0.4.1 portability and bugfix release.
- 2008-07-12: libmpeg2 0.5.0 release with SSE2 and ARM optimizations.
- 2008-07-19: libmpeg2 0.5.1 release fixing header installation and pkg-config files.
### Related projects
- Related projects include mpeg2dec, VideoLAN, xine, MPlayer, GStreamer, HandBrake, and liba52, all connected by the upstream site or project navigation.
### Sources
-
-
-
- source_facts.package-manager
## Security Notes
No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for libmpeg2. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.
## Other Package-Manager Records
- Nix - libmpeg2: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/libmpeg2/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- apk - libmpeg2 - 0.5.1-r12: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libmpeg2 from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | A library for decoding MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 video streams | https://libmpeg2.sourceforge.net/
- apk - libmpeg2-dev - 0.5.1-r12: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libmpeg2-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | A library for decoding MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 video streams (development files) | https://libmpeg2.sourceforge.net/
- apk - libmpeg2-doc - 0.5.1-r12: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libmpeg2-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | A library for decoding MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 video streams (documentation) | https://libmpeg2.sourceforge.net/
- apk - mpeg2dec - 0.5.1-r12: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: mpeg2dec from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | a test program for libmpeg2 | https://libmpeg2.sourceforge.net/
- dnf - libmpeg2 - 0.5.1-34.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libmpeg2 from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | MPEG-2 decoder libraries | http://libmpeg2.sourceforge.net
- dnf - libmpeg2-devel - 0.5.1-34.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libmpeg2-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Development files for libmpeg2 | http://libmpeg2.sourceforge.net
- dnf - mpeg2dec - 0.5.1-34.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: mpeg2dec from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | MPEG-2 decoder program | http://libmpeg2.sourceforge.net
- pacman - libmpeg2 - 0.5.1-11: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: libmpeg2 from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Library for decoding MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 video streams | https://libmpeg2.sourceforge.io/
- zypper - libmpeg2-0 - 0.5.1-3.25: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libmpeg2-0 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | MPEG-2 Video Stream Decoder | http://libmpeg2.sourceforge.net/
- zypper - libmpeg2-0-32bit - 0.5.1-3.25: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libmpeg2-0-32bit from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | MPEG-2 Video Stream Decoder | http://libmpeg2.sourceforge.net/
- zypper - libmpeg2-devel - 0.5.1-3.25: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libmpeg2-devel from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Development files for libmpeg2 | http://libmpeg2.sourceforge.net/
- zypper - libmpeg2convert0 - 0.5.1-3.25: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libmpeg2convert0 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | MPEG-2 Video Stream Decoder | http://libmpeg2.sourceforge.net/
- zypper - mpeg2dec - 0.5.1-3.25: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: mpeg2dec from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | MPEG-2 Decoder | http://libmpeg2.sourceforge.net/
- MacPorts - libmpeg2: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: multimedia/libmpeg2/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Debian apt - libmpeg2-4 - 0.5.1-9+b3: installed executable or alias match | Debian stable package indexes: libmpeg2-4 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | MPEG1 and MPEG2 video decoder library | http://libmpeg2.sourceforge.net/
## Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/libmpeg2.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/libmpeg2.yml)
## Sources
- pkg.so package database
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph