Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install usbutils with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper

List detailed info about USB devices. Version 019 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-19.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install usbutils

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install usbutils

MacPorts ports tree · sysutils/usbutils/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add usbutils

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

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install usbutils

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

Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install usbutils

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · usbutils · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#usbutils

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

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S usbutils

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

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install usbutils

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · usbutils · source: download.opensuse.org

overview

Package summary

List detailed info about USB devices

Commands and aliases

  • usbhid-dump

history

Project history and usage

usbutils is the Linux and BSD user-space toolkit for inspecting USB devices attached to a host. Its README describes it as a collection of USB tools used to query what kind of USB devices are connected to a system, with the important distinction that it runs on USB hosts, not USB devices.

Project history

The official kernel.org Git history begins on 2004-02-20 with an initial revision, followed by early 2004 changes around lsusb behavior, USB IDs, and descriptor reporting. That places usbutils in the long-running Linux USB user-space tooling lineage rather than in the newer single-purpose CLI wave.

The package has remained small but central: the tree contains `lsusb`, `usb-devices`, `usbreset`, USB descriptor tables, and usbhid-dump integration. The README records libusb and libudev as build dependencies and lists kernel.org as the maintainer-preferred source location, with mirrors at SourceHut and GitHub.

The old-style NEWS file is maintained for people without access to Git history, which is a very package-oriented signal: distro users and packagers can still see release changes even when they are building from a source tarball instead of browsing the repository.

Adoption history

The input package metadata lists usbutils across Alpine, Homebrew, Debian, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, Arch, Ubuntu, and openSUSE package families. That breadth follows naturally from its role as the standard user-space package behind `lsusb` and related USB inspection tools.

usbutils is usually adopted indirectly by administrators, developers, and hardware debuggers: it is installed when someone needs to identify USB vendors/products, inspect descriptors, reset devices, or troubleshoot how the kernel sees attached USB hardware.

How it is used

The core workflow is host inspection: run the tools on a machine with USB devices attached, list devices, inspect descriptors, dump HID information, or reset a device. The README emphasizes that the tools are for host-side querying and require libusb and libudev to build.

In package-manager culture, usbutils is often one of the first packages installed inside containers, rescue systems, minimal Linux images, or macOS/Linux developer workstations when hardware discovery is needed.

Why package nerds care

usbutils is significant because it turns kernel USB state into command-line facts. Packagers care about it as a small, stable diagnostic bundle with a recognizable executable surface and a dependency relationship to libusb, udev, hardware ID data, and distribution packaging policies.

Timeline

  • 2004-02-20: Official Git history begins with an initial revision.
  • 2009-04-26: Official tag v0.80 created.
  • 2018-2025: NEWS file maintained for packaged versions without Git history.
  • 2024-10-22: Official tag v018 created.
  • 2025-10-22: Official tag v019 created.

Related projects

  • The official README names libusb and libudev as dependencies, and the contribution section points to the linux-usb mailing list.

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 1 runtime dependencies.
  • Build metadata lists 3 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
usbhid-dumpcliglobal 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 version019
manager updated2026-06-19
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected

http://www.linux-usb.org/

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:usbutils
Version019
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/usbutils
Homepagehttp://www.linux-usb.org/
Repositoryhttps://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/gregkh/usbutils.git
Upstream docshttp://www.linux-usb.org/
LicenseGPL-2.0-only AND GPL-2.0-or-later AND (GPL-2.0-only OR GPL-3.0-only)
Source archivehttps://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/usb/usbutils/usbutils-019.tar.gz
Last updated2026-06-19T12:33:04-07:00
Pulseupdated
Dependencieslibusb
Build dependenciesmeson, ninja, pkgconf
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared
Caveatsusbhid-dump requires either proper code signing with com.apple.vm.device-access entitlement or root privilege

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Nameusbutils
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Conflicts With
  • lsusb
  • lsusb-laniksj
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
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.

Debian apt95%

usbutils 1:018-2

Linux USB utilities

https://github.com/gregkh/usbutils

sudo apt install usbutils
  • Section: utils
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 3 dependencies
  • 1 optional deps
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Usbutils
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: usbutils from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Debian apt95%

usbutils-py 1:018-2

Linux USB utilities - lsusb.py command

https://github.com/gregkh/usbutils

sudo apt install usbutils-py
  • Section: utils
  • Architecture: all
  • Source Package: usbutils
  • 2 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Usbutils
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: usbutils-py from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Nix95%

usbutils

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

usbutils 1:017-3build1

Linux USB utilities

https://github.com/gregkh/usbutils

sudo apt install usbutils
  • Section: utils
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 3 dependencies
  • 1 optional deps
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Usbutils
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: usbutils from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
Ubuntu apt95%

usbutils-py 1:017-3build1

Linux USB utilities - lsusb.py command

https://github.com/gregkh/usbutils

sudo apt install usbutils-py
  • Section: universe/utils
  • Architecture: all
  • Source Package: usbutils
  • 2 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Usbutils
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: usbutils-py from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
apk95%

usbutils 019-r0

USB Device Utilities

https://linux-usb.sourceforge.net/

sudo apk add usbutils
  • License: GPL-2.0-or-later
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: usbutils
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Usbutils
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: usbutils from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

usbutils-doc 019-r0

USB Device Utilities (documentation)

https://linux-usb.sourceforge.net/

sudo apk add usbutils-doc
  • License: GPL-2.0-or-later
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: usbutils
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Usbutils
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: usbutils-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
dnf95%

usbutils 019-2.fc44

Linux USB utilities

http://www.linux-usb.org/

sudo dnf install usbutils
  • License: GPL-2.0-or-later
  • Category: Unspecified
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: usbutils
  • 7 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Usbutils
Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: usbutils from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst
pacman95%

usbutils 019-1

A collection of USB tools to query connected USB devices

https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/gregkh/usbutils.git/

sudo pacman -S usbutils
  • License: GPL-2.0-only AND GPL-2.0-or-later AND GPL-3.0-only AND LGPL-2.1-or-later AND MIT
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • 6 dependencies
  • 3 optional deps
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Usbutils
Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: usbutils from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/core/os/x86_64/core.db.tar.gz
zypper95%

usbutils 019-1.4

Tools and libraries for USB devices

https://sourceforge.net/projects/linux-usb/

sudo zypper install usbutils
  • License: GPL-2.0-or-later
  • Category: Hardware/Other
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: usbutils
  • 6 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Usbutils
openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: usbutils from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst
MacPorts95%

usbutils

sudo port install usbutils
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Usbutils
MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/usbutils/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.

Related tools

  • mesonBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • ninjaBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • pkgconfBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

  • cymeShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, hardware, lsusb, system, usb.
  • dcledShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, hardware, linux, system, usb.
  • lsusbShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, hardware, system, usb.
  • rkflashtoolShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, hardware, system, usb.
  • digitempShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, hardware, system.
  • gfxutilShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, hardware, system.

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