install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install pbzip2

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install pbzip2

MacPorts ports tree · archivers/pbzip2/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install pbzip2

Debian stable package indexes · pbzip2 · source: deb.debian.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install pbzip2

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · pbzip2 · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#pbzip2

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/pb/pbzip2/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S pbzip2

Arch Linux sync databases · pbzip2 · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%

sudo zypper install pbzip2

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · pbzip2 · source: download.opensuse.org

overview

Package summary

Parallel bzip2

Project links

Commands and aliases

pbunzip2
pbzcat
pbzip2

history

Project history and usage

PBZIP2 is a parallel implementation of bzip2 that uses pthreads to compress data across multiple processors while producing bzip2-compatible output.

Project history

Jeff Gilchrist created and maintains PBZIP2 as a pthreads-based parallel implementation of the bzip2 block-sorting compressor. Launchpad identifies C++ as its implementation language and Bazaar as its official version-control system.

The project emphasizes compatibility: files compressed by PBZIP2 can be decompressed by bzip2 1.0.2 or newer.

Adoption history

Launchpad records pbzip2 packages across multiple Ubuntu releases, while source_facts.package-manager lists Homebrew, Debian, Fedora-family, MacPorts, Nix, Arch, Ubuntu, and openSUSE packaging. This broad packaging reflects its usefulness as a format-compatible multicore alternative to bzip2.

How it is used

Users invoke pbzip2, pbunzip2, or pbzcat in bzip2-style compression and decompression workflows. Its main benefit appears when compressing large inputs on systems with multiple processor cores.

No official persistent configuration or credentials file is documented; behavior is selected through command-line options.

Why package nerds care

PBZIP2 is a classic package-manager optimization: it preserves an established compression format while exploiting SMP and multicore hardware. That makes it useful in existing archive workflows without requiring a new file format.

Timeline

2010: Jeff Gilchrist registered the project on Launchpad.
2015: PBZIP2 1.1.13 was released.
2016: The project announced the 1.1.13 bug-fix release.

Related projects

bzip2 defines the compatible compression format and conventional command-line workflow.
pbunzip2 and pbzcat are companion executable names supplied by the package.
pigz applies a similar parallel-compression approach to the gzip format.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 12 platform targets.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure
`pbunzip2`	cli	global executable
`pbzcat`	cli	global executable
`pbzip2`	cli	global executable

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 generated2026-09-19

manager version1.1.13

manager updated2026-09-11

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

http://compression.great-site.net/pbzip2/

infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.http://compression.great-site.net/pbzip2/none confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:pbzip2
Version	1.1.13
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/pbzip2
Homepage	http://compression.great-site.net/pbzip2/
Upstream docs	http://compression.great-site.net/pbzip2/
License	bzip2-1.0.6
Source archive	https://launchpad.net/pbzip2/1.1/1.1.13/+download/pbzip2-1.1.13.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-09-11T18:56:10Z
Pulse	updated
Uses from macOS	bzip2
Bottle	available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	pbzip2
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

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%

pbzip2 1.1.13-1

parallel bzip2 implementation

https://launchpad.net/pbzip2/

sudo apt install pbzip2

Section: utils
Architecture: amd64
4 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Pbzip2

Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: pbzip2 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

Nix95%

pbzip2

nix profile install nixpkgs#pbzip2

normalized package name match
Matched by: Pbzip2

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/pb/pbzip2/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

Ubuntu apt95%

pbzip2 1.1.13-1build1

parallel bzip2 implementation

https://launchpad.net/pbzip2/

sudo apt install pbzip2

Section: universe/utils
Architecture: amd64
4 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Pbzip2

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: pbzip2 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

dnf95%

pbzip2 1.1.13-17.fc45

Parallel implementation of bzip2

https://launchpad.net/pbzip2

sudo dnf install pbzip2

License: bzip2-1.0.6
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: pbzip2
5 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Pbzip2

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: pbzip2 from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/652278618dec9c023176a80c435a32a2c8154869fb0eb662c267a54df28d77d9-primary.xml.zst

pacman95%

pbzip2 1.1.13-5

Parallel implementation of the bzip2 block-sorting file compressor

http://compression.great-site.net/pbzip2/

sudo pacman -S pbzip2

License: bzip2-1.0.6
Architecture: x86_64
2 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Pbzip2

Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: pbzip2 from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

zypper95%

pbzip2 1.1.13-4.8

Parallelized Implementation of bzip2

http://compression.ca/pbzip2/

sudo zypper install pbzip2

License: BSD-4-Clause
Category: Productivity/Archiving/Compression
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: pbzip2
4 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Pbzip2

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: pbzip2 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/d310d5a96106e1e8872a385adf98aaa23be9db5d80937a6717314e7e7f37715065c6c748ab7ccee6475d620b46979c0fe64235fc0c46988e17edf659578fcf31-primary.xml.zst

MacPorts95%

pbzip2

sudo port install pbzip2

normalized package name match
Matched by: Pbzip2

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: archivers/pbzip2/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/pbzip2.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment
pkg.so package database
pkgdb category and tag curation

Install pbzip2 with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper