install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install garmintools

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install garmintools

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · garmintools · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#garmintools

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ga/garmintools/package.nix · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Interface to the Garmin Forerunner GPS units

Project links

Commands and aliases

garmin_dump
garmin_gchart
garmin_get_info
garmin_gmap
garmin_gpx
garmin_save_runs

history

Project history and usage

garmintools is a C utility suite for Linux users communicating with Garmin Forerunner GPS devices over USB.

Project history

The official source archive says implementation began on 30 December 2006. Dave Bailey wrote the software for his Garmin Forerunner 305 after finding that gpsbabel did not expose the Forerunner run and lap data workflows he wanted from the command line.

The 0.10 source archive includes utilities such as garmin_get_info, garmin_save_runs, garmin_dump, garmin_gmap, garmin_gchart, and garmin_gpx, plus a libusb-based C API in src/garmin.h.

Adoption history

The project reflects the mid-2000s Linux hardware-support pattern: vendor devices, documented USB protocols, libusb, and command-line tools built by users to recover data workflows missing from official desktop software. Later package availability in Homebrew, Fedora, and Nix kept the old toolchain installable.

How it is used

garmintools can get device information, save Forerunner runs into .gmn files, dump .gmn contents, produce Google Maps encoded polyline output, and export GPX data. The README warns users that the Linux garmin_gps kernel module conflicts with the userspace tool.

Why package nerds care

garmintools is a classic package-manager preservation case: a small C/libusb utility for specific physical hardware, born before modern fitness-device sync ecosystems, still useful enough to carry in source-based and binary package collections.

Timeline

2006: Initial implementation began on 30 December.
2007: README dated 22 February documented Forerunner 205/305 USB workflows.
2008: 0.06 added man pages and 0.08 added garmin_gchart and garmin_gpx.
2009: 0.10 renamed the library to libgarmintools.

Related projects

garmintools is related to Garmin Forerunner devices, libusb, the Garmin protocol SDK, gpsbabel, and Linux kernel Garmin USB support.

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 13 platform targets.
Installs with 1 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.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure
`garmin_dump`	cli	global executable
`garmin_gchart`	cli	global executable
`garmin_get_info`	cli	global executable
`garmin_gmap`	cli	global executable
`garmin_gpx`	cli	global executable
`garmin_save_runs`	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 version0.10

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://code.google.com/archive/p/garmintools/

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://code.google.com/archive/p/garmintools/none confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:garmintools
Version	0.10
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/garmintools
Homepage	https://code.google.com/archive/p/garmintools/
Repository	https://code.google.com/archive/p/garmintools/source
Upstream docs	https://code.google.com/archive/p/garmintools
License	GPL-2.0-or-later
Source archive	https://storage.googleapis.com/google-code-archive-downloads/v2/code.google.com/garmintools/garmintools-0.10.tar.gz
Dependencies	libusb-compat
Bottle	available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura, 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	garmintools
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

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%

garmintools

nix profile install nixpkgs#garmintools

normalized package name match
Matched by: Garmintools

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ga/garmintools/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

dnf95%

garmintools 0.10-34.fc44

Tools for Garmin GPS-devices

https://garmintools.googlecode.com

sudo dnf install garmintools

License: GPL-2.0-or-later
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: i686
Source Package: garmintools
9 dependencies
3 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Garmintools

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: garmintools from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst

dnf95%

garmintools-devel 0.10-34.fc44

Development-files for garmintools

https://garmintools.googlecode.com

sudo dnf install garmintools-devel

License: GPL-2.0-or-later
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: i686
Source Package: garmintools
3 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Garmintools

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: garmintools-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

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.

combined/garmintools.yml

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

Install garmintools with Homebrew, dnf, Nix