# Install crunch with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, Nix Wordlist generator. Version 3.6 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:crunch ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install crunch ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install crunch ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: security/crunch/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install crunch ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: crunch from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#crunch ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/cr/crunch/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:crunch - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 3.6 - **Source summary:** Wordlist generator - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-only - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - crunch (cli) - crunch (alias) ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 3.6 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://sourceforge.net/projects/crunch-wordlist/ - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage Crunch is a small GPL wordlist generator used in password-auditing workflows. Its package-manager identity is tied less to a large upstream ecosystem than to its role as a compact command-line tool that can emit large, patterned candidate lists for other security tools. ### Project history The upstream readme credits Crunch version 1.0 to mimayin and dates the initial release to 2004 based on copyright metadata. Later versions were maintained by bofh28, with the changelog showing the tool evolving through character-set files, output splitting, resume support, compression, pattern syntax, Unicode support, and archive-format support. ### Adoption history Crunch remained a SourceForge-hosted utility rather than a larger platform project, but it became broadly packaged because its interface is simple and useful in security lab environments. The supplied package metadata lists it in Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, MacPorts, and Nix, which matches its role as a portable Unix-style CLI. ### How it is used Users commonly run Crunch to generate all combinations or permutations from a standard or custom character set, often piping the output into password-auditing tools or writing very large wordlist files. The upstream changelog explicitly calls out work on output chunking, files larger than 2 GB, resume behavior, compression, and pattern handling, all of which are package-nerd details that matter when a formula is used in long-running shell pipelines. ### Why package nerds care For packagers, Crunch is the classic kind of security formula: a C command-line program, a manpage/readme as the main documentation surface, and a stable executable name that matters more than a rich library API. Its SourceForge code and release files make provenance straightforward, while its use in potentially huge output pipelines makes predictable builds and path installation important. ### Timeline - 2004: Version 1.0 initial release is recorded in the upstream changelog. - 2008-2012: Later copyrights and changelog entries show continued maintenance by bofh28. - 2014: SourceForge file metadata shows the readme updated alongside the 3.x release series. ### Related projects - Crunch is commonly used alongside password-auditing and cracking tools that consume generated candidate lists, such as John the Ripper-style workflows mentioned in the upstream changelog. ### Sources - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** crunch - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - crunch - 3.6-3: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: crunch from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | tool for creating wordlist | http://sourceforge.net/projects/crunch-wordlist/ - Nix - crunch: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/cr/crunch/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - crunch - 3.6-3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: crunch from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | tool for creating wordlist | http://sourceforge.net/projects/crunch-wordlist/ - MacPorts - crunch: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: security/crunch/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Security and crypto packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/security-crypto-tools/) - Matched security, identity, cryptography, password, signing, or certificate metadata. - [checkpwn](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/checkpwn/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, passwords, security. - [cracklib](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cracklib/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, passwords, security. - [name-that-hash](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/name-that-hash/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, passwords, security. - [passwdqc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/passwdqc/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, passwords, security. - [pwgen](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pwgen/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, generator, passwords, security. - [search-that-hash](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/search-that-hash/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, passwords, security. - [diceware](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/diceware/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, passwords, security, wordlists. - [hydra](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/hydra/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, password-auditing, security. - [dc3dd](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dc3dd/) - Security-sensitive metadata or terminology overlaps. Shared terms: cli, security. - [flawfinder](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/flawfinder/) - Security-sensitive metadata or terminology overlaps. Shared terms: cli, security. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/crunch.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/crunch.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph