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brew

Install openfpgaloader with Homebrew, apk, apt, Nix, pacman

Universal utility for programming FPGA. Version 1.1.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-15.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install openfpgaloader

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add openfpgaloader

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · openfpgaloader · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install openfpgaloader

Debian stable package indexes · openfpgaloader · source: deb.debian.org

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#openfpgaloader

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/op/openfpgaloader/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S openfpgaloader

Arch Linux sync databases · openfpgaloader · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

overview

Package summary

Universal utility for programming FPGA

Commands and aliases

  • openFPGALoader

history

Project history and usage

openFPGALoader is a cross-platform utility for programming FPGA devices and their attached flash memories. It targets a broad spread of boards, cables, and FPGA families from vendors including Xilinx, Altera/Intel, Lattice, Gowin, Efinix, Anlogic, and Cologne Chip.

Project history

The openFPGALoader repository was created in September 2019 and the first GitHub release, v0.1, was published in July 2020. Its documentation frames the project as a universal loader that hides vendor- and board-specific programming differences behind one command-line tool.

The project grew by adding board, cable, and vendor support rather than by becoming a synthesis or place-and-route framework. Its compatibility pages and vendor notes are central to the project because the practical challenge is recognizing and programming many slightly different JTAG, FTDI, DFU, CMSIS-DAP, and board-level configurations.

Adoption history

openFPGALoader became part of the open FPGA toolchain story because bitstream generation and bitstream loading are separate problems. F4PGA documentation describes it as a universal FPGA programming tool and an alternative to fragmented bitstream-loading tools, and package managers distribute it across Homebrew, Debian/Ubuntu, Arch Linux, Alpine, Nix, and other systems.

How it is used

Developers use openFPGALoader after producing a bitstream, selecting a board or cable and then writing the bitstream to SRAM or flash. The Ubuntu man page documents options for board selection, cable selection, device probing, JTAG frequency, DFU mode, bitstream arguments, and flash detection.

In practice it is especially useful for labs, teaching, CI benches, and hobbyist workflows where a small command-line programmer is easier to script than a vendor IDE.

Why package nerds care

openFPGALoader matters in package catalogs because it is a rare hardware-facing developer tool that can be installed like ordinary software while replacing a mess of vendor-specific programming utilities for many day-to-day FPGA boards.

Timeline

  • September 2019: the openFPGALoader GitHub repository was created.
  • July 2020: v0.1 was published as the first GitHub release.
  • 2021: releases through v0.5.0 indicate early rapid expansion of supported hardware and workflows.
  • 2025: v1.1.x releases appear on the GitHub releases page and package-manager metadata.

Related projects

  • openFPGALoader is commonly mentioned with F4PGA and other open FPGA tooling, and it overlaps operationally with vendor programmers, OpenOCD-style JTAG tooling, FTDI-based adapters, CMSIS-DAP probes, DirtyJTAG, and board-specific flash utilities.

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 6 platform targets.
  • Installs with 2 runtime dependencies.
  • Build metadata lists 2 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

CommandKindExposureNote
openFPGALoadercliglobal 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 version1.1.1
manager updated2026-06-15
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv1.1.1

https://github.com/trabucayre/openFPGALoader

  • okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:openfpgaloader
Version1.1.1
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/openfpgaloader
Homepagehttps://trabucayre.github.io/openFPGALoader/
Repositoryhttps://github.com/trabucayre/openFPGALoader
Upstream docshttps://github.com/trabucayre/openFPGALoader#readme
LicenseApache-2.0
Source archivehttps://github.com/trabucayre/openFPGALoader/archive/refs/tags/v1.1.1.tar.gz
Last updated2026-06-15T10:20:22-04:00
Pulseupdated
Dependencieslibftdi, libusb
Build dependenciescmake, pkgconf
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Nameopenfpgaloader
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Head VersionHEAD
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • head
  • 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.

Debian apt95%

openfpgaloader 0.13.1-1

Universal utility for programming FPGAs

https://github.com/trabucayre/openFPGALoader

sudo apt install openfpgaloader
  • Section: electronics
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 9 dependencies
  • 1 optional deps
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Openfpgaloader
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: openfpgaloader from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Nix95%

openfpgaloader

nix profile install nixpkgs#openfpgaloader
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Openfpgaloader
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/op/openfpgaloader/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Ubuntu apt95%

openfpgaloader 0.12.0-1

Universal utility for programming FPGAs

https://github.com/trabucayre/openFPGALoader

sudo apt install openfpgaloader
  • Section: universe/electronics
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 9 dependencies
  • 1 optional deps
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Openfpgaloader
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: openfpgaloader from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
apk95%

openfpgaloader 0.11.0-r0

Universal utility for programming FPGAs

https://github.com/trabucayre/openFPGALoader

sudo apk add openfpgaloader
  • License: Apache-2.0
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: openfpgaloader
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Openfpgaloader
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: openfpgaloader from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
pacman95%

openfpgaloader 1.1.1-1

Universal utility for programming FPGA

https://github.com/trabucayre/openFPGALoader

sudo pacman -S openfpgaloader
  • License: Apache-2.0
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • 10 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Openfpgaloader
Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: openfpgaloader from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

Related tools

  • libftdiRuntime dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • cmakeBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • pkgconfBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

  • nextpnr-ice40Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, fpga, hardware.
  • icestormShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, fpga, hardware.
  • prjtrellisShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, fpga, hardware.
  • i2c-toolsShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, hardware.
  • rggenShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, fpga, hardware.
  • sigrok-cliShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, hardware.

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.

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