# Install mklittlefs with Homebrew, Nix Creates LittleFS images for ESP8266, ESP32, Pico RP2040, and RP2350. Version 4.1.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:mklittlefs ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install mklittlefs ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#mklittlefs ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/mk/mklittlefs/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:mklittlefs - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 4.1.0 - **Source summary:** Creates LittleFS images for ESP8266, ESP32, Pico RP2040, and RP2350 - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T18:08:21+00:00 ## Executables - mklittlefs (cli) - mklittlefs (alias) ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 4.1.0 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/earlephilhower/mklittlefs - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## Project history and usage mklittlefs is earlephilhower's C++ utility for creating, listing, and unpacking LittleFS filesystem images for small embedded boards. The repository was created in 2018, and the README says the tool builds and unpacks LittleFS images and is based on Ivan Grokhotkov's mkspiffs. Its command-line interface accepts create, unpack, list, and image-info modes along with filesystem size, page size, block size, and debug options. ### Project history The tool's ecosystem role comes from Arduino, ESP8266, ESP32, and RP2040 workflows where a sketch uses a flash filesystem and a host-side tool must turn a local data directory into the binary image uploaded to the board. The README warns that LittleFS build-time options such as LFS_NAME_MAX affect image compatibility, so mklittlefs and the target firmware need matching settings. Related Arduino upload tooling from the same maintainer uses LittleFS filesystems for Arduino-Pico RP2040/RP2350, ESP8266, and ESP32 cores, while PlatformIO packages the tool as tool-mklittlefs. ### How it is used Homebrew packages mklittlefs as a standalone executable with no runtime dependencies, making it convenient for macOS users building embedded images outside an IDE. Compared with mkspiffs, its niche is the LittleFS format rather than SPIFFS. ### 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:** mklittlefs - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - mklittlefs: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/mk/mklittlefs/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [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. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [espflash](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/espflash/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, embedded, esp32. - [esptool](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/esptool/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, embedded, esp32, esp8266. - [jaguar](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/jaguar/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, embedded, esp32. - [picotool](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/picotool/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, embedded, rp2040. - [bossa](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bossa/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, embedded. - [elf2uf2-rs](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/elf2uf2-rs/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, embedded. - [gpsim](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gpsim/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, embedded. - [gputils](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gputils/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, embedded. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/mklittlefs.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/mklittlefs.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