libmd
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Description:
BSD Message Digest library
Type: Formula  |  Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: Security
Tags: cryptography library hashing bsd security
Install: brew install libmd
About:
Libmd is a portable library that provides the interface of the BSD message digest functions, such as SHA256 and MD5, on various operating systems. It allows developers to compute cryptographic hashes using a stable API without needing to implement low-level algorithms themselves. This is particularly valuable for porting BSD software to non-BSD platforms like Linux or macOS.
Key Features:
  • Provides BSD-style MD5, SHA256, and other hash APIs
  • Highly portable across Unix-like operating systems
  • No external dependencies beyond standard C library
  • Designed for easy integration into existing projects
Use Cases:
  • Porting BSD-licensed software to Linux or other non-BSD systems
  • Implementing standard cryptographic hashing in C applications
  • Verifying file integrity using standard message digest algorithms
Alternatives:
  • OpenSSL – OpenSSL is much larger and more complex, whereas Libmd is lightweight and focused solely on message digests.
  • libsodium – Libsodium focuses on modern high-level crypto primitives, while Libmd provides legacy BSD hash interfaces.
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