# Install libfreenect with Homebrew, apt, dnf Drivers and libraries for the Xbox Kinect device. Version 0.7.5 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:libfreenect ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install libfreenect ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install freenect ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: freenect from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install libfreenect ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libfreenect from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:libfreenect - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.7.5 - **Source summary:** Drivers and libraries for the Xbox Kinect device - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** Apache-2.0 OR GPL-2.0-only - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - fakenect (cli) - fakenect-record (cli) - freenect-camtest (cli) - freenect-chunkview (cli) - freenect-cpp_pcview (cli) - freenect-cppview (cli) - freenect-glpclview (cli) - freenect-glview (cli) - freenect-hiview (cli) - freenect-micview (cli) - freenect-regtest (cli) - freenect-regview (cli) - freenect-tiltdemo (cli) - freenect-wavrecord (cli) - fakenect (alias) - fakenect-record (alias) - freenect-camtest (alias) - freenect-chunkview (alias) - freenect-cpp_pcview (alias) - freenect-cppview (alias) - freenect-glpclview (alias) - freenect-glview (alias) - freenect-hiview (alias) - freenect-micview (alias) - freenect-regtest (alias) - freenect-regview (alias) - freenect-tiltdemo (alias) - freenect-wavrecord (alias) ## Dependencies - libusb ## Build dependencies - cmake ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 0.7.5 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/OpenKinect/libfreenect - Upstream latest detected: v0.7.5 (current) - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. ## Project history and usage libfreenect is the OpenKinect community userspace driver and library for the original Xbox Kinect, exposing RGB, depth, motor, accelerometer, LED, and audio access outside Microsoft’s Xbox stack. ### Project history The OpenKinect repository was created on GitHub on 2010-11-12, days after the Kinect hardware reached consumers. The README credits original code and engineering to Hector Martin, community leadership to Josh Blake, and integration to Kyle Machulis, and marks the copyright year as 2010 for individual OpenKinect contributors. The project later settled into a long-lived cross-platform hardware support library. GitHub release metadata records public libfreenect releases from v0.2.0 through v0.6.4 between 2014-02-15 and 2022-09-20, while the repository README points users of the newer Kinect v2 hardware to OpenKinect/libfreenect2. ### Adoption history libfreenect was adopted by hackers, artists, robotics users, and computer-vision experimenters who wanted raw access to Kinect sensors on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Distribution packages in Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora made that access available without requiring users to build the USB stack from source. ### How it is used The package provides libraries and utilities such as freenect-glview, freenect-regview, freenect-micview, fakenect, and recording or test tools. It is used for capturing depth and color streams, testing Kinect hardware, and feeding higher-level vision or robotics frameworks. ### Why package nerds care libfreenect is a classic package-manager artifact from the 2010 hardware-hacking wave: a reverse-engineered userspace driver that turned a mass-market console peripheral into a general-purpose depth camera. Its packaging also illustrates how fragile USB device access, udev rules, OpenGL demos, language bindings, and optional audio support can be for cross-platform formulae. ### Timeline - 2010-11-12: GitHub repository metadata records creation of OpenKinect/libfreenect. - 2014-02-15: GitHub release metadata records v0.2.0, v0.2.1, v0.3.0, and v0.4.0 releases. - 2017-11-20: GitHub release metadata records libfreenect v0.5.7. - 2020-02-16: GitHub release metadata records libfreenect v0.6.0. - 2022-09-20: GitHub release metadata records libfreenect v0.6.4. ### Related projects - OpenKinect/libfreenect2 is the related driver stack for Kinect v2 hardware. - Higher-level projects such as OpenNI and robotics or vision frameworks consume Kinect streams after libfreenect exposes the device. ### Sources - - - ## Security Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. - **Geiger risk:** blue / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** libfreenect - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - freenect - 1:0.5.3-3.2+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: freenect from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | library for accessing Kinect device -- metapackage | http://openkinect.org/ - Debian apt - libfreenect-bin - 1:0.5.3-3.2+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libfreenect-bin from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | library for accessing Kinect device -- utilities and samples | http://openkinect.org/ - Debian apt - libfreenect-demos - 1:0.5.3-3.2+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libfreenect-demos from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | library for accessing Kinect device -- dummy package | http://openkinect.org/ - Debian apt - libfreenect-dev - 1:0.5.3-3.2+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libfreenect-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | library for accessing Kinect device -- development files | http://openkinect.org/ - Debian apt - libfreenect-doc - 1:0.5.3-3.2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libfreenect-doc from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | library for accessing Kinect device -- documentation | http://openkinect.org/ - Debian apt - libfreenect0.5t64 - 1:0.5.3-3.2+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libfreenect0.5t64 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | library for accessing Kinect device | http://openkinect.org/ - Ubuntu apt - freenect - 1:0.5.3-3.2build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: freenect from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | library for accessing Kinect device -- metapackage | http://openkinect.org/ - Ubuntu apt - libfreenect-bin - 1:0.5.3-3.2build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libfreenect-bin from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | library for accessing Kinect device -- utilities and samples | http://openkinect.org/ - Ubuntu apt - libfreenect-demos - 1:0.5.3-3.2build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libfreenect-demos from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | library for accessing Kinect device -- dummy package | http://openkinect.org/ - Ubuntu apt - libfreenect-dev - 1:0.5.3-3.2build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libfreenect-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | library for accessing Kinect device -- development files | http://openkinect.org/ - Ubuntu apt - libfreenect-doc - 1:0.5.3-3.2build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libfreenect-doc from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | library for accessing Kinect device -- documentation | http://openkinect.org/ - Ubuntu apt - libfreenect0.5t64 - 1:0.5.3-3.2build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libfreenect0.5t64 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | library for accessing Kinect device | http://openkinect.org/ - dnf - libfreenect - 0.7.5-8.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libfreenect from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Device driver for the Kinect | https://github.com/OpenKinect/ - dnf - libfreenect-devel - 0.7.5-8.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libfreenect-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Development files for libfreenect | https://github.com/OpenKinect/ - dnf - libfreenect-fakenect - 0.7.5-8.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libfreenect-fakenect from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Library to play back recorded data for libfreenect | https://github.com/OpenKinect/ - dnf - libfreenect-opencv - 0.7.5-8.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libfreenect-opencv from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | OpenCV bindings for libfreenect | https://github.com/OpenKinect/ ## Related links - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [cmake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cmake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [rtabmap](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/rtabmap/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [libevdev](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libevdev/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c-library, cli, hardware, system. - [libfreefare](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libfreefare/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c-library, cli, hardware, system. - [cyme](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cyme/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, hardware, system. - [dcled](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dcled/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, hardware, system. - [digitemp](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/digitemp/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, hardware, system. - [dpcmd](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dpcmd/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, hardware, system. - [framework-tool-tui](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/framework-tool-tui/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, hardware, system. - [garmintools](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/garmintools/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, hardware, system. - [liquidctl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/liquidctl/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, device, drivers, hardware, libusb. - [libusb-compat](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libusb-compat/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, device, hardware, libusb, system. - [qdmr](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/qdmr/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, cpp, hardware, libusb, system. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/libfreenect.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/libfreenect.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph