detect-libc

What is detect-libc?

The detect-libc npm package is a simple utility for detecting the C standard library version on a system. It is primarily used in node-gyp and prebuild-install to ensure binary compatibility with the host system's libc when compiling native addons.

What are detect-libc's main functionalities?

Detecting the system's C library

This feature allows you to detect the C library family (e.g., glibc, musl) and version used by the system. This is useful for determining binary compatibility for native modules.

const detectLibc = require('detect-libc');

const libcFamily = detectLibc.family;
const libcVersion = detectLibc.version;

console.log(`Libc Family: ${libcFamily}`);
console.log(`Libc Version: ${libcVersion}`);

Checking if the system uses a specific C library

This feature provides a boolean check to determine if the system is using a non-glibc C library, which can be important for certain build processes and compatibility checks.

const detectLibc = require('detect-libc');

if (detectLibc.isNonGlibcLinux) {
  console.log('The system uses a non-glibc C library.');
} else {
  console.log('The system uses glibc.');
}

Other packages similar to detect-libc

node-pre-gyp

node-pre-gyp is a package that provides a way to publish and install Node.js C++ addons from binaries. It has functionality to detect the platform and libc to download the correct binary for the system. It is more complex and feature-rich than detect-libc, as it handles the full lifecycle of binary management.

prebuild

prebuild is a package that helps in automating prebuilt binaries for Node.js modules. It also has the capability to detect libc for ensuring the correct binaries are used. Compared to detect-libc, prebuild is part of a larger system for managing prebuilt binaries rather than just detecting libc.

README

detect-libc

Node.js module to detect the C standard library (libc) implementation family and version