---
id: mda-xdrlib
version: "0.2.0"
license: MDA-XDRLIB LICENSING ==================== The MDA-XDRLIB package is a mostly vendored implementation of the cpython xdrlib module as released in cpython version 3.10.8. As such the package is… (full text in the JSON record)
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: aging
---

# mda-xdrlib — Stand-alone XDRLIB module (from cpython 3.10.8)

License: permissive · Maintenance: aging · Downloads: 309.5K/mo

## What it is and what it does

mda-xdrlib is a standalone extraction of CPython 3.10.8's xdrlib module, packaged to preserve functionality after xdrlib was deprecated in Python 3.11 and marked for removal in Python 3.13. The module provides classes and functions for encoding and decoding data in XDR (External Data Representation) format, a standard binary serialization protocol. It was created to support projects that rely on xdrlib for parsing GROMACS TPR and EDR molecular dynamics files, avoiding the need to vendor the code into multiple projects.

The package contains the original CPython implementation with minimal cosmetic changes, documented in a CHANGES file. It supports Python 3.7 through 3.11, has no external runtime dependencies, and installs as a simple wheel. The code is mature and stable, requiring little ongoing maintenance since it is a frozen snapshot of a well-tested standard library component.

Use it for:

- Parse GROMACS TPR and EDR files in molecular dynamics analysis workflows
- Maintain compatibility with code that uses xdrlib after upgrading to Python 3.11 or later
- Serialize and deserialize binary data in XDR format for scientific computing applications
- Support legacy molecular dynamics analysis pipelines that depend on xdrlib functionality

## Worth the install?

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

Provides the xdrlib module for encoding and decoding XDR (External Data Representation) data, extracted from CPython 3.10.8 to support code that relied on this standard library before its deprecation in Python 3.11.

Yes, if you use code that depends on xdrlib and you are running Python 3.11 or later. The package is a direct extraction of stable CPython code with no dependencies, permissive licensing, and no known vulnerabilities. Install it only if you actually need xdrlib; if you are still on Python 3.10 or earlier, the standard library version is sufficient.

## Install

pip install mda-xdrlib
uv add mda-xdrlib
poetry add mda-xdrlib

## Installing mda-xdrlib

Before you install: Installation is straightforward with no runtime dependencies. The package is aging (last release over a year ago) but the repository remains active, suggesting stable code that requires minimal ongoing work.

License in practice: Released under the Python Software Foundation License Version 2, a permissive open-source license that allows modification and redistribution with attribution. The package includes a CHANGES file documenting modifications as required by the PSF license.

Quickstart:

pip install mda-xdrlib

import xdrlib

p = xdrlib.Packer()
p.pack_int(x)
data = p.get_buffer()

Verify before relying:

- Whether the extracted xdrlib code maintains full API compatibility with CPython 3.10.8's xdrlib module
- Performance characteristics compared to the original CPython implementation
- Specific projects and versions that depend on this package beyond MDAnalysis

## Package facts

- License: MDA-XDRLIB LICENSING ==================== The MDA-XDRLIB package is a mostly vendored implementation of the cpython xdrlib module as released in cpython version 3.10.8. As such the package is… (full text in the JSON record) (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: aging
- Downloads: 309.5K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

xdrlib xdr encoding decoding, external data representation python, gromacs tpr edr file parsing, xdrlib replacement cpython, binary data serialization xdr, deprecated xdrlib module, xdrlib backport support, deprecated-stdlib-backport, binary-serialization

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