install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install unyaffs

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install unyaffs

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

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#unyaffs

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

overview

Package summary

Extract files from a YAFFS2 filesystem image

Project links

Commands and aliases

unyaffs

history

Project history and usage

unyaffs is a small extractor for YAFFS2 filesystem images, mainly useful to people inspecting embedded or Android-era NAND flash images rather than to general archive users.

Project history

The available upstream README says unyaffs was based on work from the YAFFS project, that the original implementation was by Kai Wei and hosted on Google Code, and that Bernhard Ehlers started a fork after the original project became inactive. A public mirror records the project as an extraction tool for YAFFS2 images created by mkyaffs2image.

The source-level history in the public mirror records v0.8 in August 2011 and v0.9 in September 2011. The README presents it as a conventional C utility for Unix-like systems with a make-based build.

Adoption history

Homebrew, Debian, Nix, and Ubuntu packaging in the supplied input show that unyaffs stayed available mostly through distribution package sets. That is typical for firmware-forensics utilities: small upstream, occasional packaging, and long shelf life because old image formats continue to appear.

How it is used

The README documents extraction of all files from a YAFFS2 filesystem image, optional layout selection, listing without extraction, verbose listings, standard-input support, and restoration of permissions, times, ownership, links, and special files where the host OS permits it.

Why package nerds care

The package is notable in a narrow niche: unpacking historical Android, embedded Linux, and NAND-flash images where YAFFS2 appears. Package maintainers care because it provides a single-purpose CLI that can be installed from general-purpose package managers instead of being recovered from archived Google Code downloads.

Timeline

2008: Source comments in the mirrored code record an initial version upload to Google Code.
2011: v0.8 and v0.9 tags appear in the public mirror.
2011: Public mirror repository created.
2026: Homebrew input still lists unyaffs as packaged.

Related projects

The README ties unyaffs to the YAFFS project and mkyaffs2image. Other tools in the same niche include yaffs2utils and YAFFS parsers, but those are outside the official unyaffs sources used here.

Sources

https://github.com/whataday/unyaffs
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/whataday/unyaffs/master/README
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/whataday/unyaffs/master/unyaffs.c
source_facts.package-manager

security posture

Risk level: blue

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.

Risk classifier

blue risk · medium confidence · tool

Why

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal

Signals

text:image

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 13 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
`unyaffs`	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 generated2026-08-04

manager version0.9.7

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://packages.debian.org/sid/unyaffs

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://packages.debian.org/sid/unyaffsnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:unyaffs
Version	0.9.7
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/unyaffs
Homepage	https://packages.debian.org/sid/unyaffs
Upstream docs	https://packages.debian.org/sid/unyaffs
License	GPL-2.0-only
Source archive	https://deb.debian.org/debian/pool/main/u/unyaffs/unyaffs_0.9.7.orig.tar.gz
Bottle	available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	unyaffs
Version Scheme	0
Revision	1
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.

Debian apt95%

unyaffs 0.9.7-1

Extracts files from a YAFFS2 filesystem image

https://github.com/ehlers/unyaffs

sudo apt install unyaffs

Section: devel
Architecture: amd64
1 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Unyaffs

Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: unyaffs from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

Nix95%

unyaffs

nix profile install nixpkgs#unyaffs

normalized package name match
Matched by: Unyaffs

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

Ubuntu apt95%

unyaffs 0.9.7-0.2

Extracts files from a YAFFS2 filesystem image

https://github.com/ehlers/unyaffs

sudo apt install unyaffs

Section: universe/devel
Architecture: amd64
1 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Unyaffs

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: unyaffs from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/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/unyaffs.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 unyaffs with Homebrew, apt, Nix