avahi ☆

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Description:
Service Discovery for Linux using mDNS/DNS-SD

Type: Formula | Latest Version: 0.8@2 | Tracked Since: Dec 17, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Networking

Tags: networking discovery mdns dns-sd zeroconf avahi

Install: brew install avahi

About:
Avahi is a zero-configuration networking (Zeroconf) implementation that allows devices to automatically discover and communicate on a local network without a central DNS server. It provides mDNS (Multicast DNS) and DNS-SD (DNS Service Discovery) capabilities, enabling plug-and-play network service integration. This makes it essential for seamless printing, file sharing, and device discovery across Linux and macOS environments.

Key Features:

mDNS/DNS-SD implementation for local service discovery
Integration with D-Bus for easy application communication
Automatic hostname resolution without centralized DNS
Support for publishing and browsing network services

Use Cases:

Enabling automatic printer discovery (AirPrint/IPP)
Discovering local network services and devices
Zero-configuration file sharing between devices
IoT device communication and discovery

Alternatives:

systemd-resolved – Provides built-in mDNS/DNS-SD support but is more tightly coupled to systemd
mDNSResponder – Apple's implementation, more prevalent in macOS/iOS ecosystems

License: LGPL-2.1-or-later

Dependencies: dbus, expat, gdbm, glib, libdaemon

Bottles available for: arm64_linux, x86_64_linux

Version History

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