---
id: dlinfo
version: "2.0.0"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: aging
---

# dlinfo — Python wrapper for libc's dlinfo and dyld_find on Mac

License: permissive · Maintenance: aging · Downloads: 1.3M/mo

## What it is and what it does

dlinfo is a thin Python wrapper around libc's dlinfo function (and macOS's dyld_find), enabling you to inspect runtime properties of dynamically loaded libraries. It wraps low-level C library introspection behind a simple Python interface, so you can query things like the file path of a loaded shared library without calling dlinfo directly through ctypes.

The package has no runtime dependencies and installs as a pure Python wheel. It's intended for developers who need to examine loaded libraries at runtime—for example, to verify which version of a system library is in use, or to locate library files for further inspection. The interface is minimal: you create a DLInfo object from a ctypes library handle and access properties like path.

Use it for:

- Verify which version of libc or another system library is currently loaded in your Python process.
- Locate the file path of a dynamically loaded library for debugging or introspection purposes.
- Build tools or diagnostics that need to report on runtime library dependencies and their locations.
- Cross-platform library inspection on Linux and macOS without writing platform-specific C code.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Provides Python access to libc's dlinfo function and macOS dyld_find, allowing you to query runtime information about loaded dynamic libraries.

Yes, if you need low-level library introspection on Linux or macOS. The package is lightweight, has no dependencies, and carries a permissive license. The aging maintenance is a minor concern—the last release was 575 days ago—but the code is stable and the repository is not archived. Install it if you have a specific need for dlinfo; otherwise, it's a niche tool.

## Install

pip install dlinfo
uv add dlinfo
poetry add dlinfo

## Installing dlinfo

Before you install: Low install friction with no runtime dependencies. Maintenance is aging—last release was 575 days ago, though the repository remains active and the package is marked Production/Stable.

License in practice: MIT license is permissive; you can use, modify, and distribute this package with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

pip install dlinfo

from dlinfo import DLInfo
import ctypes
import ctypes.util

lib = ctypes.cdll.LoadLibrary(ctypes.util.find_library('c'))
dlinfo = DLInfo(lib)
print(dlinfo.path)

Requires Python 3.9 or later; only works on Linux and macOS systems where libc's dlinfo or dyld_find is available.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package works correctly with Python 3.12 despite the aging maintenance status.
- Current compatibility with recent macOS and Linux kernel versions.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: aging
- Downloads: 1.3M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

dlinfo wrapper python, libc dlinfo binding, dynamic library info, loaded library metadata, dyld_find macos, ctypes library introspection, ctypes-wrapper, system-introspection

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