# Install dosfstools with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper Tools to create, check and label file systems of the FAT family. Version 4.2 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:dosfstools ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install dosfstools ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install dosfstools ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/dosfstools/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add dosfstools ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: dosfstools from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install dosfstools ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: dosfstools from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install dosfstools ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: dosfstools from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#dosfstools ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/do/dosfstools/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S dosfstools ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: dosfstools from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/core/os/x86_64/core.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install dosfstools ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: dosfstools from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:dosfstools - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 4.2 - **Source summary:** Tools to create, check and label file systems of the FAT family - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-3.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - dosfsck (cli) - dosfslabel (cli) - fatlabel (cli) - fsck.fat (cli) - fsck.msdos (cli) - fsck.vfat (cli) - mkdosfs (cli) - mkfs.fat (cli) - mkfs.msdos (cli) - mkfs.vfat (cli) - dosfsck (alias) - dosfslabel (alias) - fatlabel (alias) - fsck.fat (alias) - fsck.msdos (alias) - fsck.vfat (alias) - mkdosfs (alias) - mkfs.fat (alias) - mkfs.msdos (alias) - mkfs.vfat (alias) ## Build dependencies - autoconf - automake - gettext - pkgconf ## 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: 4.2 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/dosfstools/dosfstools - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## Project history and usage dosfstools is the small system-tool collection behind mkfs.fat, fsck.fat, and fatlabel, used to create, check, and label FAT-family filesystems. It sits at the practical boundary between Unix-like systems and decades of DOS/Windows-compatible removable media. ### Project history The official source tree records mkfs.fat lineage beginning with Linus Torvalds in 1991 and fsck.fat lineage beginning with Werner Almesberger in 1993. Later copyright history in the source credits work by Remy Card, David Hudson, H. Peter Anvin, Roman Hodek, Daniel Baumann, Andreas Bombe, and Pali Rohár. Roman Hodek's 1998 work added or fixed major FAT features such as Atari format support, larger filesystems, and FAT32 support. The modern project now presents itself as a GPLv3-or-later suite consisting of mkfs.fat, fsck.fat, and fatlabel. The NEWS file shows a portability turn in version 4.0 in 2016: Linux-specific assumptions were reduced, the build moved to autotools, and the tools were tested on FreeBSD and OS X. Version 4.1 added a test suite in 2017, and version 4.2 in 2021 expanded fatlabel behavior, FAT label compatibility, repair prompts, Year 2038 fixes, and many fsck/mkfs correctness details. ### Adoption history dosfstools became infrastructure because FAT filesystems remained common on USB drives, SD cards, firmware update media, cameras, and Windows-compatible exchange volumes. Source facts list packaging across apk, Homebrew, Debian, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, Ubuntu, and zypper. Compatibility symlinks keep older command names such as dosfsck, fsck.msdos, fsck.vfat, mkdosfs, mkfs.msdos, mkfs.vfat, and dosfslabel available for distributions and scripts that predate the current mkfs.fat/fsck.fat/fatlabel naming. ### How it is used The commands create FAT filesystems, check and repair FAT filesystems, and read or write labels and volume IDs. They are normally used by administrators, installers, image-building scripts, and packaging workflows that need FAT-formatted media or disk images. Release notes emphasize edge-case correctness: volume label compatibility with MS-DOS and Windows variants, FAT12/FAT16/FAT32 cluster handling, sparse-file test images, CHS geometry for SD cards, MBR helper behavior, and repair behavior for corrupt FAT tables. ### Why package nerds care dosfstools is package-nerd significant because it is boring in exactly the valuable way: a tiny suite of root-adjacent utilities that must encode filesystem folklore from DOS, Windows, Linux, SD cards, Atari variants, and old command names. The 2016 portability work is especially relevant for Homebrew and MacPorts: it turned a historically Linux-centered tool into something more natural to ship on other Unix-like systems. ### Timeline - 1991: mkfs.fat lineage begins with Linus Torvalds' FAT/MS-DOS filesystem creation utility. - 1993: fsck.fat lineage begins with Werner Almesberger's FAT checker. - 1998: Roman Hodek adds Atari format support, FAT32 support, and large-filesystem work. - 2015: Version 3.0.28 makes fsck.fat default to interactive repair mode. - 2016: Version 4.0 makes the tools portable beyond Linux and converts the build to autotools. - 2017: Version 4.1 adds a test suite. - 2021: Version 4.2 expands fatlabel, fsck, mkfs, compatibility, and Year 2038 handling. ### Related projects - dosfstools is related to the Linux FAT/vfat/msdos filesystem stack, mtools, historical DOS/Windows FAT implementations, SD-card formatting expectations, and the older compatibility command names dosfsck, mkdosfs, and dosfslabel. ### 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:** dosfstools - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - dosfstools - 4.2-1.2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: dosfstools from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | utilities for making and checking MS-DOS FAT filesystems | https://github.com/dosfstools/dosfstools - Nix - dosfstools: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/do/dosfstools/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - dosfstools - 4.2-1.1build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: dosfstools from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | utilities for making and checking MS-DOS FAT filesystems | https://github.com/dosfstools/dosfstools - apk - dosfstools - 4.2-r2: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: dosfstools from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | DOS filesystem utilities | https://github.com/dosfstools/dosfstools - apk - dosfstools-doc - 4.2-r2: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: dosfstools-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | DOS filesystem utilities (documentation) | https://github.com/dosfstools/dosfstools - dnf - dosfstools - 4.2-18.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: dosfstools from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Utilities for making and checking MS-DOS FAT filesystems on Linux | https://github.com/dosfstools/dosfstools - pacman - dosfstools - 4.2-5: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: dosfstools from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/core/os/x86_64/core.db.tar.gz | DOS filesystem utilities | https://github.com/dosfstools/dosfstools - zypper - dosfstools - 4.2-4.11: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: dosfstools from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Utilities for Making and Checking MS-DOS FAT File Systems on Linux | https://github.com/dosfstools/dosfstools - MacPorts - dosfstools: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/dosfstools/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [autoconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/autoconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [automake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/automake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [gettext](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gettext/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [pkgconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pkgconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [mender-artifact](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mender-artifact/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [mtools](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mtools/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, fat, filesystem, filesystems, system. - [btfs](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/btfs/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, filesystems, system. - [btrfs-progs](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/btrfs-progs/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, filesystems, system. - [dwarfs](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dwarfs/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, filesystems, system. - [dysk](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dysk/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, filesystems, system. - [e2fsprogs](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/e2fsprogs/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, filesystems, system. - [e2tools](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/e2tools/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, filesystems, system. - [erdtree](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/erdtree/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, filesystems, system. - [squashfs](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/squashfs/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, file, filesystem, filesystems, system. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/dosfstools.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/dosfstools.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