Install netcdf-fortran with Homebrew

Project links

• Homepage
• Repository

Commands and aliases

• nf-config

Project history

Fortran has been part of the netCDF story from the beginning because Unidata's original interface work had to account for portable scientific programs across C and Fortran environments. The separate netcdf-fortran distribution now provides Fortran application interfaces, depends on netCDF-C, and contains both F77 and F90 APIs. The Fortran usage guide notes that since netCDF 4.1.3 the Fortran software and library have been distinct from the C library while depending on it.

Adoption history

Its adoption is concentrated in HPC and scientific-modeling build stacks. On July 1, 2026, Homebrew showed 2,728 installs over 365 days and 213 installs over 30 days, with gcc and netcdf as runtime dependencies. The lower volume than netcdf itself is expected because many users only need command-line tools or C libraries, while Fortran consumers install this package to compile model code.

How it is used

Practical use is compiler-facing: Fortran programs call routines such as nf90_create, nf90_def_dim, nf90_def_var, nf90_put_var, nf90_open, nf90_get_var, and nf90_close. The package installs nf-config so builds can obtain the correct include and linker flags with commands like nf-config --fflags --flibs, avoiding hand-written library paths that break across shared/static builds or Homebrew prefix changes.

Why package nerds care

This package matters because many legacy and active scientific codes are Fortran-first. Packaging it separately keeps the core C library smaller while preserving the long-running netCDF contract for Fortran model code. Dependency mismatches with netCDF-C are the main thing maintainers watch; the 4.6.3 release notes require netCDF-C 4.9.2 or newer.

Timeline

• 1988: Unidata prototyped netCDF in C while evaluating portable interfaces for scientific users, including Fortran constraints.
• 2011-era netCDF 4.1.3: the Fortran library became consistently distinct from the C library while depending on it, according to the Fortran guide.
• 2025-03-26: netCDF-Fortran 4.6.2 was released.
• 2026-05-20: netCDF-Fortran 4.6.3 was released.
• 2026-07-01: Homebrew listed stable version 4.6.3.

Related projects

• netcdf
• netcdf-cxx
• HDF5
• PnetCDF

Sources

• https://docs.unidata.ucar.edu/netcdf-fortran/current/
• https://docs.unidata.ucar.edu/netcdf-fortran/current/f90-use-of-the-netcdf-library.html
• https://docs.unidata.ucar.edu/netcdf-fortran/current/nf_release_notes.html
• https://docs.unidata.ucar.edu/nug/2.0-draft/netcdf_history.html
• https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/netcdf-fortran