install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install rpiboot

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#rpiboot

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

Ubuntu aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install rpiboot

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · rpiboot · source: archive.ubuntu.com

overview

Package summary

Raspberry Pi USB boot tool for Compute Modules

Project links

Commands and aliases

rpiboot

history

Project history and usage

rpiboot is Raspberry Pi's USB device-boot and provisioning host utility, principally used with Compute Modules and other supported Raspberry Pi devices.

Project history

Raspberry Pi developed rpiboot as the host component of its USB device-boot system. Its original mass-storage workflow made Compute Module eMMC appear as a standard USB drive; newer workflows also support Linux-based mass-storage gadgets, bootloader EEPROM updates, metadata extraction, and secure-boot provisioning.

Adoption history

Raspberry Pi uses rpiboot in Compute Module provisioning workflows and tests it during Compute Module manufacture. The host utility is widely used on Linux and is also supported on macOS and Windows through Cygwin, with packages available for Raspberry Pi OS, Ubuntu, Nix, and Homebrew.

How it is used

Operators connect a supported Raspberry Pi in USB boot mode and run rpiboot to serve boot files from the host. Common tasks include exposing eMMC or NVMe storage to Raspberry Pi Imager, flashing recovery firmware, gathering OTP metadata, and provisioning signed boot.

Why package nerds care

rpiboot is notable because it bridges host package management and low-level board provisioning. A small libusb utility can expose otherwise inaccessible eMMC storage, update SPI EEPROM firmware, retrieve device metadata, or participate in irreversible secure-boot enrollment.

Timeline

Compute Module era: rpiboot enables host access to on-module eMMC through USB mass-storage emulation.
Compute Module 4 era: rpiboot gains workflows for updating SPI bootloader EEPROM.
Later releases: Linux-based mass-storage-gadget, metadata, Compute Module 5, and secure-boot provisioning workflows expand its role.

Related projects

Raspberry Pi Imager writes operating-system images after rpiboot exposes target storage. The rpi-eeprom project supplies bootloader firmware and tools, while Raspberry Pi's mass-storage-gadget build uses Buildroot and Linux USB gadget support.

Sources

Official README: https://github.com/raspberrypi/usbboot/blob/master/Readme.md
Official secure-boot guide: https://github.com/raspberrypi/usbboot/blob/master/docs/secure-boot.md
Official troubleshooting guide: https://github.com/raspberrypi/usbboot/blob/master/docs/troubleshooting.md

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 1 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

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`rpiboot`	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 generated2026-09-19

manager version162618

manager updated2026-09-12

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://github.com/raspberrypi/usbboot

infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/raspberrypi/usbbootnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:rpiboot
Version	162618
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/rpiboot
Homepage	https://github.com/raspberrypi/usbboot
Repository	https://github.com/raspberrypi/usbboot
License	Apache-2.0
Source archive	https://github.com/raspberrypi/usbboot.git
Last updated	2026-09-12T11:10:09Z
Pulse	updated
Dependencies	libusb
Build dependencies	pkgconf
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared
Caveats	To boot a Compute Module with the default mass storage gadget: sudo rpiboot -d "$(brew --prefix rpiboot)"/share/rpiboot/mass-storage-gadget64

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	rpiboot
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
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.

Nix95%

rpiboot

nix profile install nixpkgs#rpiboot

normalized package name match
Matched by: Rpiboot

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/rp/rpiboot/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

Ubuntu apt95%

rpiboot 0~20220315+git6fa2ec0+nowin-0ubuntu1

Raspberry Pi USB booting code

https://github.com/raspberrypi/usbboot

sudo apt install rpiboot

Section: multiverse/utils
Architecture: amd64
3 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Rpiboot

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: rpiboot from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/multiverse/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

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/rpiboot.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment
pkg.so package database
pkgdb category and tag curation

Install rpiboot with Homebrew, Nix, apt