install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install bootloadhid

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#bootloadhid

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/bo/bootloadhid/package.nix · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

HID-based USB bootloader for AVR microcontrollers

Project links

Commands and aliases

bootloadHID

history

Project history and usage

BootloadHID is Objective Development's HID-class USB bootloader for AVR microcontrollers using the V-USB software USB stack. Its history is narrow but useful: it solved the practical problem of updating small AVR firmware over USB without requiring custom kernel drivers on Windows.

Project history

The official page presents BootloadHID as a USB boot loader for AVRs with at least a 2 kB bootloader section, including popular chips such as the ATmega8. The bootloader occupies the upper flash area, starts after reset, and either waits for USB upload when a configured hardware condition is met or jumps to the target firmware.

Objective Development's release table shows public BootloadHID archives from June 2007 through December 2012. Release notes mention code-size optimizations, fixes for larger flash devices, improvements ported from USBaspLoader, updates to the V-USB driver, and compatibility fixes for newer gcc/avr-libc.

Adoption history

BootloadHID's adoption was mainly in the AVR hobbyist and small-device firmware world, where V-USB made USB possible on microcontrollers without dedicated USB hardware. The project was attractive on Windows because HID devices could use built-in OS support rather than a custom kernel driver.

How it is used

Users configure the boot condition and firmware settings in the source tree, flash the bootloader into the AVR boot section, reset the board into bootloader mode, and upload an Intel HEX file with the `bootloadHID` command-line tool. The host-side tool accepts the firmware image as its main argument.

Why package nerds care

BootloadHID is package-nerd significant as a tiny embedded tool that package managers keep alive after upstream release activity slowed. It represents the era of software-only USB on AVR parts and the practical value of HID-class protocols for avoiding driver installation.

Timeline

2007: First listed BootloadHID archive published by Objective Development.
2008: Releases add USBaspLoader improvements and code-size work.
2010: Release adds gcc 4 optimizations and a command-line utility option.
2012: Latest listed release updates the driver and fixes newer gcc/avr-libc builds.

Related projects

Related projects include Objective Development's V-USB firmware-only USB stack, Thomas Fischl's avrusbboot, USBaspLoader, and third-party HID boot flash tools for Windows.

Sources

https://www.obdev.at/products/vusb/bootloadhid.html
https://www.obdev.at/products/vusb/index.html
source_facts.package-manager

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 13 platform targets.
Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix: firmware/bootloaderconfig.hfirmware/Makefile

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`bootloadHID`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08

manager version2012-12-08

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://www.obdev.at/products/vusb/bootloadhid.html

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.obdev.at/products/vusb/bootloadhid.htmlnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:bootloadhid
Version	2012-12-08
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/bootloadhid
Homepage	https://www.obdev.at/products/vusb/bootloadhid.html
Upstream docs	https://www.obdev.at/products/vusb/bootloadhid.html
License	GPL-2.0-only OR GPL-3.0-only
Source archive	https://www.obdev.at/downloads/vusb/bootloadHID.2012-12-08.tar.gz
Dependencies	libusb-compat
Bottle	available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	bootloadhid
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Nix95%

bootloadhid

nix profile install nixpkgs#bootloadhid

normalized package name match
Matched by: Bootloadhid

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/bo/bootloadhid/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/bootloadhid.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated configuration and credential file locations
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install bootloadhid with Homebrew, Nix