macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install fwuplocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install fwupMacPorts ports tree · sysutils/fwup/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install fwup with Homebrew, apk, MacPorts, Nix, scoop
Configurable embedded Linux firmware update creator and runner. Version 1.16.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-01.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add fwupAlpine Linux edge package indexes · fwup · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#fwupnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/fw/fwup/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Windows
Scoopverified · 92%
scoop install extras/fwupScoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/fwup.json · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
Configurable embedded Linux firmware update creator and runner
Project links
Commands and aliases
- fwup
- img2fwup
history
Project history and usage
fwup is an embedded Linux firmware update creator and runner. It packages update logic and payloads into standard ZIP-based `.fw` archives and applies them using configurable tasks such as full image writes, A/B partition swaps, recovery updates, and trial update or failback flows.
Project history
The public repository was created in June 2014. GitHub release metadata shows 0.x releases in 2015, and the 1.x line continued through the mid-2020s.
The README describes a design focused on minimal dependencies, streaming archive processing, careful write ordering, verification, and limited scripting so that failure modes on embedded targets are easier to reason about.
Recent changelog entries show continued work on delta updates, encrypted partitions, block cache sizing, U-Boot environment handling, and package dependencies for static builds.
Adoption history
fwup is distributed through release artifacts and several package managers. The README names Homebrew for macOS, Linux packages, Chocolatey for Windows, Alpine, Buildroot, Yocto via meta-fwup, and version-manager support through asdf-fwup and mise.
The README points to the Nerves Project as a better-maintained source of examples, which reflects fwup's practical role in the Nerves embedded Elixir ecosystem and embedded Linux image update workflows.
How it is used
Users create firmware archives with a `fwup.conf` file, apply `.fw` archives to devices or image files, generate signing keys, verify or sign archives, and use `img2fwup` to convert raw images to `.fw` files.
The tool is deliberately not an update distribution service. Upstream documentation expects users to deliver `.fw` files through external media, network streams, Ansible, or other deployment tooling.
Why package nerds care
fwup matters to package maintainers because it packages firmware update policy, payloads, signing, partition manipulation, metadata, progress reporting, and failure behavior into one portable artifact format.
It is also a useful counterexample to application-level update tools: its domain is block devices, boot partitions, sparse writes, and embedded recovery flows, where package-manager semantics meet physical storage constraints.
Timeline
- 2014: Public GitHub repository created.
- 2015: Early 0.x releases published.
- 2016: README notes Buildroot support included upstream since Buildroot 2016.05.
- 2024: 1.12.0 adds features such as extended MBR partitions and Raspberry Pi tryboot support.
- 2025: 1.13.x and 1.14.x improve delta updates and metadata handling.
- 2026: 1.15.x and 1.16.0 improve encrypted update performance and block-cache sizing.
Related projects
- asdf-fwup and mise support manage fwup versions with `.tool-versions` files.
- meta-fwup supports Yocto integration, and Buildroot includes upstream support.
- The Nerves Project and nerves_system_br are related embedded Linux users and examples.
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.
- Installs with 2 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
fwup | cli | global executable | |
img2fwup | 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 version1.16.0
manager updated2026-05-01
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://github.com/fwup-home/fwup
- infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/fwup-home/fwupnone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:fwup |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.16.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/fwup |
| Homepage | https://github.com/fwup-home/fwup |
| Repository | https://github.com/fwup-home/fwup |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/fwup-home/fwup#readme |
| License | Apache-2.0 |
| Source archive | https://github.com/fwup-home/fwup/releases/download/v1.16.0/fwup-1.16.0.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-05-01T15:32:25Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | confuse, libarchive |
| Build dependencies | 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 | fwup |
| 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%
fwup
nix profile install nixpkgs#fwup- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fwup
apk95%
fwup 1.15.0-r0
Configurable embedded Linux firmware update creator and runner
https://github.com/fwup-home/fwup
sudo apk add fwup- License: Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: fwup
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fwup
apk95%
fwup-bash-completion 1.15.0-r0
Bash completions for fwup
https://github.com/fwup-home/fwup
sudo apk add fwup-bash-completion- License: Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: fwup
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fwup
apk95%
fwup-doc 1.15.0-r0
Configurable embedded Linux firmware update creator and runner (documentation)
https://github.com/fwup-home/fwup
sudo apk add fwup-doc- License: Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: fwup
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fwup
MacPorts95%
fwup
sudo port install fwup- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fwup
Scoop95%
extras/fwup
scoop install extras/fwup- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fwup
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