macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install fitslocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install fits with Homebrew
File Information Tool Set. Version 1.6.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
File Information Tool Set
Project links
Commands and aliases
- fits
- fits-ngserver
history
Project history and usage
FITS, the File Information Tool Set, is a Java command-line tool from Harvard Library Technology Services for identifying, validating, and extracting technical metadata from many file formats.
Project history
The official project description presents FITS as a wrapper that invokes and manages output from several open source characterization tools, converts their outputs into a common format, compares them, and consolidates the result into one XML output file.
The current GitHub repository was created in 2013. The release line visible on GitHub includes the late 0.8.x series, 1.0.x releases in 2016 and 2017, 1.2 and 1.3 in 2017-2018, 1.4 and 1.5 in 2018-2019, and 1.6.0 in January 2023.
Adoption history
FITS adoption is strongest in digital preservation and repository operations, where repeatable file characterization matters more than a single detector's answer. Its documentation points to command-line use, a Java API, Docker workflows, and a separate FITS Web Service for deployment in application servers.
How it is used
Common usage runs FITS against a file or directory, optionally writing XML output to a file. Operators can use the bundled scripts, Docker image builds from release artifacts, custom FITS XML configuration, and Java API integration.
Why package nerds care
Package maintainers care about FITS because it bundles and coordinates heavyweight external tools such as ExifTool, JHOVE, Tika, MediaInfo, file, and jpylyzer. That makes versioning, Java compatibility, native helper binaries, and reproducible output part of the package story.
Timeline
- 2013: Current GitHub repository created.
- 2016: 1.0.2 release published.
- 2018: 1.3.0 release moved builds to Maven according to the README.
- 2019: 1.5.0 release published.
- 2023: 1.6.0 release published.
Related projects
- Related tools include ExifTool, JHOVE, Apache Tika, MediaInfo, file, jpylyzer, the FITS Web Service, and digital preservation repository systems.
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:server
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 10 platform targets.
- Installs with 3 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
xml/fits.xmlxml/fits_format_tree.xmlxml/fits_xml_map.xmlxml/format_map.txtxml/mime_map.txtxml/mime_to_format_map.txt
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
fits | cli | global executable | |
fits-ngserver | 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 version1.6.0
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://github.com/harvard-lts/fits
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/harvard-lts/fitsnone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:fits |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.6.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/fits |
| Homepage | https://harvard-lts.github.io/fits/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/harvard-lts/fits |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/harvard-lts/fits/wiki/Developer-Manual |
| License | LGPL-2.1-only |
| Source archive | https://github.com/harvard-lts/fits/releases/download/1.6.0/fits-1.6.0.zip |
| Dependencies | exiftool, libmediainfo, openjdk |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, monterey, sonoma, ventura) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | fits |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Requirements |
|
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
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 configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment