macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install i2c-toolslocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install i2c-tools with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, Nix, pacman, zypper
Heterogeneous set of I2C tools for Linux. Version 4.4 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add i2c-toolsAlpine Linux edge package indexes · i2c-tools · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install i2c-toolsDebian stable package indexes · i2c-tools · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install i2c-toolsFedora Rawhide package metadata · i2c-tools · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#i2c-toolsnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/i2/i2c-tools/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S i2c-toolsArch Linux sync databases · i2c-tools · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install i2c-toolsopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · i2c-tools · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Heterogeneous set of I2C tools for Linux
Project links
Commands and aliases
- ddcmon
- decode-dimms
- decode-edid
- decode-vaio
- eeprog
- i2c-stub-from-dump
- i2cdetect
- i2cdump
- i2cget
- i2cset
- i2ctransfer
history
Project history and usage
i2c-tools is the standard user-space toolbox for Linux I2C and SMBus work. It contains probing, dump, get, set, transfer, EEPROM, DIMM, and library pieces used by hardware bring-up engineers, Linux distribution packagers, and anyone debugging devices exposed through the kernel i2c-dev interface.
Project history
The Linux i2c wiki and project README both state that i2c-tools was originally part of lm-sensors and was split into a separate package because not all hardware-monitoring chips are I2C devices and not all I2C devices are hardware monitors. That split gave generic I2C and SMBus utilities their own release stream and repository.
The 3.0.0 line started as an independent release in 2007. The 4.0 release in 2017 added libi2c, i2ctransfer, Python 3 support for py-smbus, many decode-dimms improvements, and refreshed licensing notes. Later 4.x releases continued to modernize bus listing, block reads, DDR memory decoding, build behavior, and command help.
Adoption history
Because Linux exposes many I2C adapters through /dev/i2c-* and because board peripherals often need low-level checks before drivers are stable, i2c-tools became a routine package in embedded Linux, server hardware, laptop diagnostics, display data decoding, and sensor work. It is carried across major Linux package ecosystems and Homebrew for Linux.
The package's adoption is practical rather than fashionable: i2cdetect, i2cdump, i2cget, i2cset, and i2ctransfer are frequently the quickest way to discover bus topology, verify register behavior, or reproduce a hardware issue outside a custom program.
How it is used
The core tools operate on Linux I2C buses and SMBus transactions, usually requiring the i2c-dev kernel driver and appropriate permissions. decode-dimms and decode-edid turn EEPROM data into readable hardware information, while i2ctransfer supports custom message sequences in one transfer.
The project README also documents libi2c for C and C++ access over i2c-dev, py-smbus as an optional Python wrapper, and build-time control over static and dynamic library variants.
Why package nerds care
i2c-tools is a classic distribution package: small, close to the kernel, dangerous if misused, and indispensable when you need it. Its source lives under kernel.org, its bug and patch flow points to linux-i2c, and its release tarballs are signed and mirrored from kernel infrastructure.
For package maintainers, it is interesting because it combines command-line utilities, scripts, library headers, optional language bindings, manpages, Linux-only requirements, and architecture-neutral hardware workflows in a compact source tree.
Timeline
- 2007: i2c-tools 3.0.0 was released as an independent package.
- 2011: i2c-tools 3.1.0 added more SMBus and DIMM decoding work.
- 2017: i2c-tools 4.0 added libi2c and i2ctransfer.
- 2020: i2c-tools 4.2 added a libi2c manual page and DDR5-related decode-dimms work.
- 2024: i2c-tools 4.4 added getopt-based help improvements and py-smbus packaging updates.
Related projects
- Related projects include the Linux kernel i2c subsystem, lm-sensors, i2c-dev, py-smbus, JEDEC SPD decoding work, and user-space tools such as ddcutil that also depend on low-level bus access.
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 2 platform targets.
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
ddcmon | cli | global executable | |
decode-dimms | cli | global executable | |
decode-edid | cli | global executable | |
decode-vaio | cli | global executable | |
eeprog | cli | global executable | |
i2c-stub-from-dump | cli | global executable | |
i2cdetect | cli | global executable | |
i2cdump | cli | global executable | |
i2cget | cli | global executable | |
i2cset | cli | global executable | |
i2ctransfer | 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 version4.4
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://i2c.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/I2C_Tools
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://i2c.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/I2C_Toolsnone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:i2c-tools |
|---|---|
| Version | 4.4 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/i2c-tools |
| Homepage | https://i2c.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/I2C_Tools |
| Repository | https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/utils/i2c-tools/i2c-tools.git |
| Upstream docs | https://i2c.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/I2C_Tools |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later AND LGPL-2.1-or-later |
| Source archive | https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/software/utils/i2c-tools/i2c-tools-4.4.tar.xz |
| Build dependencies | python@3.14 |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, 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 | i2c-tools |
| 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 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%
i2c-tools 4.4-2
heterogeneous set of I2C tools for Linux
https://www.kernel.org/pub/software/utils/i2c-tools/
sudo apt install i2c-tools- Section: utils
- Architecture: amd64
- 5 dependencies
- 3 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: I2c Tools
Debian apt95%
libi2c-dev 4.4-2
userspace I2C programming library development files
https://www.kernel.org/pub/software/utils/i2c-tools/
sudo apt install libi2c-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: i2c-tools
- 1 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: I2c Tools
Debian apt95%
libi2c0 4.4-2
userspace I2C programming library
https://www.kernel.org/pub/software/utils/i2c-tools/
sudo apt install libi2c0- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: i2c-tools
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: I2c Tools
Debian apt95%
python3-smbus 4.4-2
Python 3 bindings for Linux SMBus access through i2c-dev
https://www.kernel.org/pub/software/utils/i2c-tools/
sudo apt install python3-smbus- Section: python
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: i2c-tools
- 3 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: I2c Tools
Nix95%
i2c-tools
nix profile install nixpkgs#i2c-tools- normalized package name match
- Matched by: I2c Tools
Ubuntu apt95%
i2c-tools 4.3-4build2
heterogeneous set of I2C tools for Linux
https://www.kernel.org/pub/software/utils/i2c-tools/
sudo apt install i2c-tools- Section: universe/utils
- Architecture: amd64
- 5 dependencies
- 3 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: I2c Tools
Ubuntu apt95%
libi2c-dev 4.3-4build2
userspace I2C programming library development files
https://www.kernel.org/pub/software/utils/i2c-tools/
sudo apt install libi2c-dev- Section: universe/libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: i2c-tools
- 1 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: I2c Tools
Ubuntu apt95%
libi2c0 4.3-4build2
userspace I2C programming library
https://www.kernel.org/pub/software/utils/i2c-tools/
sudo apt install libi2c0- Section: universe/libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: i2c-tools
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: I2c Tools
Ubuntu apt95%
python3-smbus 4.3-4build2
Python 3 bindings for Linux SMBus access through i2c-dev
https://www.kernel.org/pub/software/utils/i2c-tools/
sudo apt install python3-smbus- Section: universe/python
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: i2c-tools
- 3 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: I2c Tools
apk95%
i2c-tools 4.4-r3
Tools for monitoring I2C devices
https://i2c.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/I2C_Tools
sudo apk add i2c-tools- License: GPL-2.0-or-later AND LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: i2c-tools
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: I2c Tools
apk95%
i2c-tools-dev 4.4-r3
Tools for monitoring I2C devices (development files)
https://i2c.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/I2C_Tools
sudo apk add i2c-tools-dev- License: GPL-2.0-or-later AND LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: i2c-tools
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: I2c Tools
apk95%
i2c-tools-doc 4.4-r3
Tools for monitoring I2C devices (documentation)
https://i2c.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/I2C_Tools
sudo apk add i2c-tools-doc- License: GPL-2.0-or-later AND LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: i2c-tools
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: I2c Tools
apk95%
py3-smbus 4.4-r3
i2c-tools python bindings
https://i2c.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/I2C_Tools
sudo apk add py3-smbus- License: GPL-2.0-or-later AND LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: i2c-tools
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: I2c Tools
dnf95%
i2c-tools 4.4-5.fc45
A heterogeneous set of I2C tools for Linux
https://i2c.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/I2C_Tools
sudo dnf install i2c-tools- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: i2c-tools
- 8 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: I2c Tools
dnf95%
i2c-tools-perl 4.4-5.fc45
i2c tools written in Perl
https://i2c.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/I2C_Tools
sudo dnf install i2c-tools-perl- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: i2c-tools
- 4 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: I2c Tools
dnf95%
libi2c 4.4-5.fc45
I2C/SMBus bus access library
https://i2c.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/I2C_Tools
sudo dnf install libi2c- License: LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: i2c-tools
- 2 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: I2c Tools
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