macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install ffmpegthumbnailerlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install ffmpegthumbnailerMacPorts ports tree · multimedia/ffmpegthumbnailer/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install ffmpegthumbnailer with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, scoop, zypper
Create thumbnails for your video files. Version 2.3.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add ffmpegthumbnailerAlpine Linux edge package indexes · ffmpegthumbnailer · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install ffmpegthumbnailerDebian stable package indexes · ffmpegthumbnailer · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install ffmpegthumbnailerFedora Rawhide package metadata · ffmpegthumbnailer · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#ffmpegthumbnailernixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ff/ffmpegthumbnailer/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S ffmpegthumbnailerArch Linux sync databases · ffmpegthumbnailer · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install ffmpegthumbnaileropenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · ffmpegthumbnailer · source: download.opensuse.org
Windows
Scoopverified · 92%
scoop install main/ffmpegthumbnailerScoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/ffmpegthumbnailer.json · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
Create thumbnails for your video files
Project links
Commands and aliases
- ffmpegthumbnailer
history
Project history and usage
ffmpegthumbnailer is a small FFmpeg-based thumbnail generator for video files, designed for file managers and other desktop software that need quick previews.
Project history
The project describes itself as a lightweight video thumbnailer that uses FFmpeg to decode frames, with supported formats depending on how FFmpeg was built. Its early changelog starts at version 1.0 as the initial FFmpegThumbnailer release, and version 1.2.0 added libffmpegthumbnailer so applications could use it as a library instead of only a command-line tool.
The 2.x line modernized the project around a C++ library namespace, C API changes, CMake, and GitHub hosting. Later releases focused on practical desktop-thumbnailer concerns: rotation metadata, embedded image metadata, raw RGB output, command-line argument checks, compatibility with newer FFmpeg, and an optional audio thumbnailer.
Adoption history
ffmpegthumbnailer was adopted in package managers because it fills a narrow but recurring desktop need: produce thumbnails for arbitrary video formats using the same codec coverage FFmpeg already provides. Homebrew packages the single ffmpegthumbnailer executable, and the project also exposes a library for applications that want thumbnail generation directly.
How it is used
Typical use is either direct CLI thumbnail generation or integration by a file manager/desktop thumbnail service. Because it delegates decoding to FFmpeg, its practical media coverage follows the FFmpeg build options available on the system.
Why package nerds care
This is the kind of package maintainers like to keep boring: a tiny binary, a library, FFmpeg plus libpng dependencies, and a clear job. Its recurring build fixes against newer FFmpeg releases are the main maintenance story.
Timeline
- 1.0: Initial FFmpegThumbnailer release.
- 1.2.0: Added libffmpegthumbnailer library access.
- 2.0.10: Migrated to GitHub and CMake.
- 2016: Version 2.2.0 added embedded image metadata preference.
- 2024: Version 2.2.3 fixed builds against newer FFmpeg and compilers.
- 2025: Version 2.3.0 added an optional audio thumbnailer.
Related projects
- FFmpeg supplies the decoding layer. File managers and desktop thumbnail services are the main integration targets.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: blue
broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.
Risk classifier
blue risk · medium confidence · tool
Why
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
Signals
- text:video
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Installs with 3 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 2 build dependencies.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
ffmpegthumbnailer | 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 version2.3.0
manager updated2026-06-22
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv2.3.0
https://github.com/dirkvdb/ffmpegthumbnailer
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:ffmpegthumbnailer |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.3.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/ffmpegthumbnailer |
| Homepage | https://github.com/dirkvdb/ffmpegthumbnailer |
| Repository | https://github.com/dirkvdb/ffmpegthumbnailer |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/dirkvdb/ffmpegthumbnailer#readme |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://github.com/dirkvdb/ffmpegthumbnailer/archive/refs/tags/v2.3.0.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-22T14:03:20-07:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | ffmpeg, jpeg-turbo, libpng |
| Build dependencies | cmake, pkgconf |
| 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 | ffmpegthumbnailer |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| 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.
Debian apt95%
ffmpegthumbnailer 2.2.3-2
fast and lightweight video thumbnailer
https://github.com/dirkvdb/ffmpegthumbnailer
sudo apt install ffmpegthumbnailer- Section: video
- Architecture: amd64
- 4 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ffmpegthumbnailer
Debian apt95%
libffmpegthumbnailer-dev 2.2.3-2
development files for ffmpegthumbnailer
https://github.com/dirkvdb/ffmpegthumbnailer
sudo apt install libffmpegthumbnailer-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: ffmpegthumbnailer
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ffmpegthumbnailer
Debian apt95%
libffmpegthumbnailer4v5 2.2.3-2
shared library for ffmpegthumbnailer
https://github.com/dirkvdb/ffmpegthumbnailer
sudo apt install libffmpegthumbnailer4v5- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: ffmpegthumbnailer
- 9 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ffmpegthumbnailer
Nix95%
ffmpegthumbnailer
nix profile install nixpkgs#ffmpegthumbnailer- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ffmpegthumbnailer
Ubuntu apt95%
ffmpegthumbnailer 2.2.2+git20240104+dfsg-1build1
fast and lightweight video thumbnailer
https://github.com/dirkvdb/ffmpegthumbnailer
sudo apt install ffmpegthumbnailer- Section: universe/graphics
- Architecture: amd64
- 4 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ffmpegthumbnailer
Ubuntu apt95%
libffmpegthumbnailer-dev 2.2.2+git20240104+dfsg-1build1
development files for ffmpegthumbnailer
https://github.com/dirkvdb/ffmpegthumbnailer
sudo apt install libffmpegthumbnailer-dev- Section: universe/libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: ffmpegthumbnailer
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ffmpegthumbnailer
Ubuntu apt95%
libffmpegthumbnailer4v5 2.2.2+git20240104+dfsg-1build1
shared library for ffmpegthumbnailer
https://github.com/dirkvdb/ffmpegthumbnailer
sudo apt install libffmpegthumbnailer4v5- Section: universe/video
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: ffmpegthumbnailer
- 9 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ffmpegthumbnailer
apk95%
ffmpegthumbnailer 2.2.4-r0
Lightweight video thumbnailer that can be used by file managers
https://github.com/dirkvdb/ffmpegthumbnailer
sudo apk add ffmpegthumbnailer- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ffmpegthumbnailer
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ffmpegthumbnailer
apk95%
ffmpegthumbnailer-dev 2.2.4-r0
Lightweight video thumbnailer that can be used by file managers (development files)
https://github.com/dirkvdb/ffmpegthumbnailer
sudo apk add ffmpegthumbnailer-dev- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ffmpegthumbnailer
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ffmpegthumbnailer
apk95%
ffmpegthumbnailer-doc 2.2.4-r0
Lightweight video thumbnailer that can be used by file managers (documentation)
https://github.com/dirkvdb/ffmpegthumbnailer
sudo apk add ffmpegthumbnailer-doc- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ffmpegthumbnailer
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ffmpegthumbnailer
dnf95%
ffmpegthumbnailer 2.3.0-2.fc44
Lightweight video thumbnailer that can be used by file managers
https://github.com/dirkvdb/ffmpegthumbnailer
sudo dnf install ffmpegthumbnailer- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ffmpegthumbnailer
- 6 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ffmpegthumbnailer
dnf95%
ffmpegthumbnailer-devel 2.3.0-2.fc44
Development files for ffmpegthumbnailer
https://github.com/dirkvdb/ffmpegthumbnailer
sudo dnf install ffmpegthumbnailer-devel- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: ffmpegthumbnailer
- 3 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ffmpegthumbnailer
dnf95%
ffmpegthumbnailer-libs 2.3.0-2.fc44
Library for ffmpegthumbnailer
https://github.com/dirkvdb/ffmpegthumbnailer
sudo dnf install ffmpegthumbnailer-libs- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: ffmpegthumbnailer
- 12 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ffmpegthumbnailer
pacman95%
ffmpegthumbnailer 2.3.0-1
Lightweight video thumbnailer that can be used by file managers
https://github.com/dirkvdb/ffmpegthumbnailer
sudo pacman -S ffmpegthumbnailer- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- 3 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ffmpegthumbnailer
zypper95%
ffmpegthumbnailer 2.2.3-1.6
Video thumbnailer that can be used by file managers
https://github.com/dirkvdb/ffmpegthumbnailer
sudo zypper install ffmpegthumbnailer- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ffmpegthumbnailer
- 4 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ffmpegthumbnailer
zypper95%
libffmpegthumbnailer-devel 2.2.3-1.6
Development files for ffmpegthumbnailer
https://github.com/dirkvdb/ffmpegthumbnailer
sudo zypper install libffmpegthumbnailer-devel- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ffmpegthumbnailer
- 2 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ffmpegthumbnailer
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