brew / rank 3533

Install mapserver with Homebrew, apk, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, zypper, apt

Publish spatial data and interactive mapping apps to the web. Version 8.6.5 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-12. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install cgi-mapserver.

Install command Security notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install mapserver

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install mapserver

MacPorts ports tree · gis/mapserver/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add mapserver

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · mapserver · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install mapserver

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · mapserver · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#mapserver

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ma/mapserver/package.nix · source: api.github.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%

sudo zypper install mapserver

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · mapserver · source: download.opensuse.org

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install cgi-mapserver

Debian stable package indexes · cgi-mapserver · source: deb.debian.org

overview

Package summary

Publish spatial data and interactive mapping apps to the web

Project links

Homepage

Commands and aliases

coshp
legend
map2img
mapserv
msencrypt
scalebar
shptree
shptreetst
shptreevis
sortshp
tile4ms

history

Project history and usage

MapServer is a long-running open-source web mapping engine for publishing spatial data and interactive mapping applications, administered in the OSGeo ecosystem and configured primarily through .map files.

Project history

OSGeo's project page says MapServer was originally developed in the mid-1990s at the University of Minnesota and is known as a fast open-source platform for publishing spatial data and interactive mapping applications to the web. The official GitHub repository credits Stephen Lime as the original author and notes major NASA funding through cooperative agreements with the University of Minnesota Department of Forest Resources.

MapServer predates many modern web-map stacks. It began as a C-based CGI-era map engine and grew into a standards-heavy server that can publish raster and vector data through OGC protocols. OSGeo lists support for GDAL/OGR data access, PROJ projections, WMS, WFS, WCS, SOS, GML, GeoJSON, KML, SLD, and related web mapping standards.

The current GitHub repository was created in April 2012, reflecting migration of an older project into GitHub-hosted development rather than the beginning of the software itself. Releases in the 8.6 line were still being published in 2025 and 2026, showing unusually long continuity for a web mapping engine.

Adoption history

MapServer's adoption is institutional and infrastructure-oriented: public agencies, universities, and GIS teams use it to publish spatial services rather than to run a desktop UI. OSGeo says it is supported by a diverse group of organizations and administered by the MapServer Project Steering Committee.

The input package metadata lists MapServer packages across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Alpine, MacPorts, Nix, and openSUSE-style packaging. That broad packaging footprint is typical for mature GIS infrastructure with native dependencies and server deployment needs.

How it is used

Users configure MapServer with mapfiles, conventionally named with a .map extension, then run tools such as mapserv, map2img, shp utilities, legend, scalebar, and related helpers. OSGeo's feature list specifically notes that MapServer is easily configured through .map files.

Package users care about both the CGI/server binary and the helper utilities. mapserv is the recognizable runtime, but tools such as map2img and shptree make it possible to test rendering and prepare data from the command line.

Why package nerds care

MapServer is package-nerd important because it is old, native, standards-heavy GIS infrastructure that still ships. It pulls together C, GDAL/OGR, PROJ, image libraries, optional scripting environments, and web-server deployment conventions.

It is also historically important as one of the classic open-source web mapping engines, surviving the transition from CGI map servers to modern OGC and tile-oriented web GIS stacks.

Timeline

Mid-1990s: Project originated at the University of Minnesota.
1990s: NASA funding supported development through University of Minnesota forestry-related work.
2012: Current GitHub repository created.
2025: MapServer 8.6.0 released.
2026: MapServer 8.6.4 released.

Related projects

MapCache is listed by OSGeo as a MapServer sub-project for tile caching.
GDAL/OGR and PROJ are central supporting geospatial libraries.
GeoServer, MapGuide Open Source, and deegree are listed by OSGeo as similar web mapping projects.

Sources

https://api.github.com/repos/MapServer/MapServer
https://api.github.com/repos/MapServer/MapServer/releases?per_page=5
https://github.com/MapServer/MapServer
https://www.osgeo.org/projects/mapserver/
source_facts.executables
source_facts.package-manager

security posture

No protected-tool coverage found yet

No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for mapserver. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.

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.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix: *.map

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`coshp`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`legend`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`map2img`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mapserv`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`msencrypt`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`scalebar`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`shptree`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`shptreetst`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`shptreevis`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`sortshp`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`tile4ms`	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 version8.6.5

manager updated2026-07-12

local dataunknown

upstreamnot available

latest detectednot detected

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:mapserver
Version	8.6.5
Package manager	Homebrew
Homepage	https://mapserver.org/
Last updated	2026-07-12T05:27:39Z
Pulse	updated
Bottle	not recorded
Service	none declared

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Debian apt95%

cgi-mapserver 8.4.0-4+deb13u2

CGI executable for MapServer