Install arm-linux-gnueabihf-binutils with Homebrew

Project links

• Homepage

Commands and aliases

• arm-linux-gnueabihf-addr2line
• arm-linux-gnueabihf-ar
• arm-linux-gnueabihf-as
• arm-linux-gnueabihf-c++filt
• arm-linux-gnueabihf-elfedit
• arm-linux-gnueabihf-gprof
• arm-linux-gnueabihf-ld
• arm-linux-gnueabihf-ld.bfd
• arm-linux-gnueabihf-nm
• arm-linux-gnueabihf-objcopy
• arm-linux-gnueabihf-objdump
• arm-linux-gnueabihf-ranlib
• arm-linux-gnueabihf-readelf
• arm-linux-gnueabihf-size
• arm-linux-gnueabihf-strings
• arm-linux-gnueabihf-strip

Project history

GNU Binutils is the long-running GNU collection of binary tools around object files, archives, assembly, and linking. Sourceware's current documentation set includes manuals for gas, ld, BFD, libctf, gprof, gprofng, and the binary utilities such as ar, objcopy, objdump, readelf, size, strings, strip, and nm.

The Sourceware git repository is shared as binutils-gdb.git and identifies itself as the official gdb and binutils repository, with HTTPS, git, and SSH URLs. Current documentation is generated from Binutils 2.46 sources, and the git tag list includes official GNU Binutils 2.45, 2.46, and 2.46.1 release tags.

Adoption history

The arm-linux-gnueabihf target prefix exists for cross development aimed at ARM GNU/Linux systems using the hard-float ABI. In package-manager terms, the formula avoids colliding with host tools by installing prefixed commands such as arm-linux-gnueabihf-as, arm-linux-gnueabihf-ld, arm-linux-gnueabihf-objdump, and arm-linux-gnueabihf-readelf.

The supplied package facts show this exact cross-binutils package in Homebrew. That narrower packaging footprint is expected: cross-binutils packages are often target-specific and maintained where users need a particular embedded, board, sysroot, or foreign-architecture build workflow.

How it is used

Users install the package when they need binutils for ARM Linux objects from a non-ARM or differently configured host. The tools are used directly, or indirectly through a matching cross GCC, build system, or configure triplet that calls the prefixed assembler, linker, archiver, ranlib, objcopy, objdump, readelf, and strip.

The upstream manuals document the shared behavior: gas is the GNU assembler family, ld combines object and archive files and supports multiple object formats through BFD, and objcopy/objdump/readelf inspect or transform binary objects. The Homebrew package simply exposes those capabilities under the arm-linux-gnueabihf prefix.

Why package nerds care

This package is significant because cross-compilation lives and dies by boring names. A target-prefixed binutils set makes autotools, Makefiles, CMake toolchain files, and compiler drivers find the right ar, as, ld, objcopy, and strip without replacing the host system's own tools.

For package nerds, arm-linux-gnueabihf-binutils is not exciting because it adds features beyond GNU Binutils; it is useful because it packages a precise target tuple. That tuple carries ABI expectations into command names and build-system discovery.

Timeline

• 1991-2026: Current Sourceware manuals for ld and gas carry Free Software Foundation copyright ranges beginning in 1991.
• 2026: Sourceware publishes documentation for Binutils 2.46.
• 2026: Sourceware git tags include official GNU Binutils 2.46 and 2.46.1 releases.
• Current: Homebrew packages the arm-linux-gnueabihf-prefixed Binutils executable set.

Related projects

• Related upstream components are GCC, GDB, gas, ld, BFD, libctf, gprof, gprofng, and the GNU binary utilities.
• Related packaging patterns include arm-none-eabi-binutils for bare-metal ARM and target-prefixed GCC packages that drive these binutils under the hood.

Sources

• https://sourceware.org/binutils/docs
• https://sourceware.org/binutils/docs/as.html
• https://sourceware.org/binutils/docs/binutils.html
• https://sourceware.org/binutils/docs/ld.html
• https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=binutils-gdb.git;a=summary
• input.source_facts.executables
• input.source_facts.package-manager