libcap-ng ☆

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Description:
Library for Linux that makes using posix capabilities easy

Type: Formula | Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Security

Tags: security linux capabilities library system-utilities

Install: brew install libcap-ng

About:
Libcap-ng is a library for Linux that implements the full POSIX 1003.1e capability system. It provides a more convenient and less error-prone alternative to the traditional libcap, simplifying the process of working with process capabilities and file system attributes for developers.

Key Features:

Simplifies POSIX capability management
Provides both C library and a command-line utility (capsh)
Offers a more intuitive API than traditional libcap
Supports file system capabilities and bounding sets

Use Cases:

Hardening daemons by dropping root privileges and retaining only necessary capabilities
Developing security-sensitive applications that require fine-grained privilege control
Auditing and debugging system capabilities via the command-line tool

Alternatives:

libcap – The standard Linux capability library; libcap-ng offers a more modern and easier-to-use API.

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Dec 17, 2024 9:02am		0	VERSION_BUMP	ac50c3f9