macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install gphoto2local Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install gphoto2MacPorts ports tree · graphics/gphoto2/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install gphoto2 with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman
Command-line interface to libgphoto2. Version 2.5.32 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add gphoto2Alpine Linux edge package indexes · gphoto2 · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install gphoto2Debian stable package indexes · gphoto2 · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install gphoto2Fedora Rawhide package metadata · gphoto2 · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#gphoto2nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/gp/gphoto2/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S gphoto2Arch Linux sync databases · gphoto2 · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
overview
Package summary
Command-line interface to libgphoto2
Project links
Commands and aliases
- gphoto2
history
Project history and usage
gphoto2 is the command-line frontend for libgphoto2, the gPhoto project's camera access library. It gives Unix-like systems a scriptable way to inspect, download from, configure, and in many cases remotely control digital cameras.
Project history
The gPhoto project describes gPhoto2 as a free, redistributable set of digital camera software applications for Unix-like systems. The gphoto2 repository README defines the package itself as the command-line frontend to libgphoto2.
The project history is inseparable from libgphoto2. The library provides camera drivers and protocol support, while the CLI exposes that support for users, scripts, tethered shooting, camera configuration, preview capture, and file operations.
The gphoto2 NEWS file records years of CLI-focused evolution: split capture and download commands, `--capture-tethered`, event waiting, movie capture, filename templating improvements, parsable file listings, EXIF retrieval, and signal-controlled long-running capture operations.
Adoption history
gphoto2 became a standard package in Unix-like distributions because camera access was not uniform across vendors or protocols. The gPhoto homepage explicitly names Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, macOS, and major Linux distributions as supported or packaged environments.
Its adoption is also tied to automation. Photographers, labs, kiosks, astrophotography setups, archive workflows, and CI-like hardware rigs can call a CLI command where GUI photo importers are too manual.
How it is used
Users run `gphoto2` to list cameras and files, download images, set or read camera configuration, trigger captures, wait for camera events, capture tethered sessions, and stream or save previews depending on camera support.
The manual page describes gphoto2 as a command-line client for a cross-platform digital camera library. The repository README lists libgphoto2 as the required library and popt as the command-line option dependency, with optional EXIF, JPEG, CDK, and AALIB support.
Why package nerds care
gphoto2 is a classic package-manager favorite because it bridges hardware, scripting, and desktop media workflows. Installing it pulls together the CLI, libgphoto2, USB/serial camera support, translations, optional preview libraries, and udev-style integration handled by distributions.
For maintainers, the hard part is not the small CLI but the moving camera ecosystem underneath it. libgphoto2 NEWS entries continually add camera IDs, protocol quirks, PTP behavior, vendor-specific configuration, Android file-descriptor support, and security fixes for untrusted USB devices.
Timeline
- 2.4.2 series: NEWS records the split between capture-only and capture-and-download image commands.
- 2.4.7 series: NEWS records wait-event, wait-event-and-download, capture-tethered, and large-file download support.
- 2.4.10 series: NEWS records continuous movie capture via preview frames.
- 2.5.0 series: NEWS records keep/no-keep capture options, timed wait-event forms, and full configuration tree listing.
- 2.5.9 series: NEWS records source and issue tracking moving to GitHub.
- 2019-10-27: GitHub releases page records gphoto2 2.5.20 with larger file ranges and added shell commands.
- 2025-08-11: GitHub releases page records gphoto2 2.5.32 with EXIF retrieval commands and file-operation reverse ordering.
Related projects
- Related projects include libgphoto2, gtkam, digiKam camera import support, desktop photo managers, camera tethering tools, PTP/MTP libraries, and distribution udev rules for camera access.
Sources
- https://github.com/gphoto/gphoto2
- https://github.com/gphoto/gphoto2/blob/master/NEWS
- https://github.com/gphoto/gphoto2/releases
- https://github.com/gphoto/libgphoto2/blob/master/NEWS
- https://www.gphoto.org/
- https://www.gphoto.org/doc/manual/ref-gphoto2-cli.html
- https://www.gphoto.org/proj/libgphoto2/
- https://www.gphoto.org/proj/libgphoto2/support.php
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 8 platform targets.
- Installs with 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
gphoto2 | 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 version2.5.32
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.http://www.gphoto.org/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:gphoto2 |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.5.32 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/gphoto2 |
| Homepage | http://www.gphoto.org/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/gphoto/gphoto2 |
| Upstream docs | https://www.gphoto.org/doc/manual |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/gphoto/gphoto/2.5.32/gphoto2-2.5.32.tar.bz2 |
| Dependencies | gettext, jpeg-turbo, libexif, libgphoto2, popt, readline |
| Build dependencies | pkgconf |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, 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 | gphoto2 |
| 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.
Debian apt95%
gphoto2 2.5.28-3
digital camera command-line client
https://github.com/gphoto/gphoto2
sudo apt install gphoto2- Section: utils
- Architecture: amd64
- 10 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gphoto2
Nix95%
gphoto2
nix profile install nixpkgs#gphoto2- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gphoto2
Ubuntu apt95%
gphoto2 2.5.28-2build2
digital camera command-line client
https://github.com/gphoto/gphoto2
sudo apt install gphoto2- Section: universe/utils
- Architecture: amd64
- 10 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gphoto2
apk95%
gphoto2 2.5.32-r0
Commandline utilities for accessing cameras
sudo apk add gphoto2- License: LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: gphoto2
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gphoto2
apk95%
gphoto2-doc 2.5.32-r0
Commandline utilities for accessing cameras (documentation)
sudo apk add gphoto2-doc- License: LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: gphoto2
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gphoto2
apk95%
gphoto2-lang 2.5.32-r0
Languages for package gphoto2
sudo apk add gphoto2-lang- License: LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: gphoto2
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gphoto2
dnf95%
gphoto2 2.5.28-5.fc44
Software for accessing digital cameras
sudo dnf install gphoto2- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: gphoto2
- 8 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gphoto2
pacman95%
gphoto2 2.5.32-1
A digital camera download and access program.
sudo pacman -S gphoto2- License: GPL AND LGPL
- Architecture: x86_64
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gphoto2
MacPorts95%
gphoto2
sudo port install gphoto2- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gphoto2
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