macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install dearklocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install dearkMacPorts ports tree · archivers/deark/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install deark with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix
File conversion utility for older formats. Version 1.7.3 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-14.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#dearknixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/de/deark/package.nix · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
File conversion utility for older formats
Project links
Commands and aliases
- deark
history
Project history and usage
Deark is a portable C command-line utility for decoding, converting, inspecting, and extracting data from older or uncommon file formats. It is especially visible in package collections because it covers a large spread of legacy graphics, archive, font, executable, metadata, and document formats without trying to become a general archive manager.
Project history
Jason Summers' README credits Deark as written by Jason Summers over 2014-2026, and the GitHub repository metadata records public creation in April 2014. The project's own technical notes explain that it grew from many one-off file-format decoders into one place for rescuing data from under-served formats and preserving knowledge about file structures.
Adoption history
Deark's homepage publishes source downloads and Windows binaries, while the repository and package-manager metadata make it available to Unix-like users through package systems such as Homebrew, MacPorts, and Nix. Its adoption is less about a network effect and more about being a compact specialist tool for file-format archaeology.
How it is used
Typical use is to point `deark` at a file and let it autodetect a module, or select a module explicitly when the format is ambiguous. The README recommends ZIP output for archive-like formats so member filenames and paths can be retained, and the technical documentation emphasizes the `-d` inspection mode for learning about file contents and metadata.
Why package nerds care
Deark is the sort of utility package that earns its keep when a user finds a strange old asset in a source tree, disk image, or archive. Its value is breadth, conservative dependencies, and a preservation-minded approach to formats that are too obscure for everyday desktop apps.
Timeline
- 2014: GitHub repository created for Deark.
- 2016: README copyright line begins the current Deark copyright span and notes later MIT-style licensing from the 1.4.x series.
- 2026: 1.7.3 listed on the official homepage as the current download.
Related projects
- Deark overlaps with format-specific extractors, archive tools, image converters, and digital-preservation utilities. The related deark-extras repository contains ancillary files for Deark development.
Sources
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 6 platform targets.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
deark | 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 version1.7.3
manager updated2026-06-14
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://entropymine.com/deark/
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://entropymine.com/deark/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:deark |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.7.3 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/deark |
| Homepage | https://entropymine.com/deark/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/jsummers/deark |
| Upstream docs | https://entropymine.com/deark |
| License | MIT |
| Source archive | https://entropymine.com/deark/releases/deark-1.7.3.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-14T10:19:52Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, 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 | deark |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
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%
deark
nix profile install nixpkgs#deark- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Deark
MacPorts95%
deark
sudo port install deark- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Deark
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.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment