install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install makeicns

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install makeicns

MacPorts ports tree · graphics/makeicns/Portfile · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Create icns files from the command-line

Project links

Commands and aliases

makeicns

history

Project history and usage

makeicns is a macOS command-line utility for converting images into Apple's .icns icon format.

Project history

The upstream page records an original release date of 20081122 and a v1.1 usage banner dated 20090413. It presents makeicns as a command-line answer to creating .icns files, especially when Leopard-era 512x512 icon variants were not handled by tiff2icns.

The same page says the downloadable archive is a universal binary with source included, but it does not publish an official source-control repository. That is why the repository field is null even though the package remains buildable from the upstream download.

Adoption history

The upstream page does not document broad adoption history. Its adoption signal is narrower: it was packaged as a small CLI alternative to GUI icon tools and to tiff2icns limitations for users who wanted scriptable .icns generation.

Because .icns files are Mac-specific, makeicns mainly matters in macOS packaging and app-bundle workflows rather than cross-platform graphics tooling.

How it is used

makeicns accepts key-value arguments naming input images for icon sizes such as 512, 256, 128, 32, and 16, plus 'in' for a shared input and 'out' for the output file. Examples on the upstream page show creating an .icns with selected image variants or overriding the output path.

The page also points users to Preview.app or sips for converting back from .icns to PNG, and includes terminal recipes using Rez and SetFile for assigning custom icon resources to files or folders.

Why package nerds care

makeicns is a tiny, old-school Mac packaging helper: one focused binary, no daemon, no configuration, and a job that matters when building app bundles or file icons from scripts.

Its significance is mostly historical and practical. It fills the gap between Apple's limited command-line tools of the time and GUI icon converters, especially for the larger icon sizes introduced in newer macOS releases.

Timeline

2008: Original release recorded by upstream as 20081122.
2009: Version 1.1 usage banner and last-updated note recorded as 20090413.

Related projects

tiff2icns is mentioned by upstream as a limited alternative.
img2icns is mentioned by upstream as a GUI program for the same purpose.
sips, Rez, and SetFile are mentioned by upstream for related icon conversion and resource workflows.

Sources

http://www.amnoid.de/icns/makeicns.html

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 11 platform targets.

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
`makeicns`	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 version1.4.10a

manager updated2026-06-19

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

http://www.amnoid.de/icns/makeicns.html

infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.http://www.amnoid.de/icns/makeicns.htmlnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:makeicns
Version	1.4.10a
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/makeicns
Homepage	http://www.amnoid.de/icns/makeicns.html
Upstream docs	http://www.amnoid.de/icns/makeicns.html
License	MIT
Source archive	https://distfiles.macports.org/makeicns/makeicns-1.4.10a.tar.bz2
Last updated	2026-06-19T12:32:39-07:00
Pulse	updated
Bottle	available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	makeicns
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Requirements	macos
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.

MacPorts95%

makeicns

sudo port install makeicns

normalized package name match
Matched by: Makeicns

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: graphics/makeicns/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

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/makeicns.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 makeicns with Homebrew, MacPorts