# Install crosstool-ng with Homebrew, apk, pacman, zypper

Tool for building toolchains. Version 1.28.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22. Also installable with apk: sudo apk add crosstool-ng.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:crosstool-ng
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install crosstool-ng
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

### Linux

- apk (92%):

```sh
sudo apk add crosstool-ng
```

  Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: crosstool-ng from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

- pacman (92%):

```sh
sudo pacman -S crosstool-ng
```

  Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: crosstool-ng from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

- zypper (92%):

```sh
sudo zypper install crosstool-ng
```

  Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: crosstool-ng from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:crosstool-ng
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 1.28.0
- **Source summary:** Tool for building toolchains
- **Homepage:** <https://crosstool-ng.github.io/>
- **Repository:** <https://github.com/crosstool-ng/crosstool-ng>
- **Last updated:** 2026-06-22T14:03:06-07:00
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- ct-ng (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 1.28.0
## Project history and usage

crosstool-NG is a configurable toolchain builder focused on producing cross-compilation toolchains. It is a package-nerd staple because it automates the otherwise tedious assembly of binutils, GCC, C libraries, kernel headers, debuggers, and target-specific patches.

### Project history

The project traces its lineage to Dan Kegel's original crosstool scripts, patch repository, and prepared configuration files. Yann E. Morin later reorganized that work, added uClibc and menu-driven configuration support, and released the new implementation as crosstool-NG, short for crosstool Next Generation.

The official documentation says Yann Morin became busy with Buildroot and other projects in late 2014, after which Bryan Hundven became the new maintainer. The GitHub README also records older Mercurial repositories as read-only and points current development to GitHub.

### Adoption history

crosstool-NG grew around embedded Linux and cross-compilation communities, where prebuilt toolchains are often either too generic, too old, or mismatched to a target. Its documentation keeps a direct connection to the crossgcc mailing list and to projects such as Buildroot, ptxdist, and OpenEmbedded.

### How it is used

Users configure crosstool-NG through a Linux-kernel-style menuconfig flow, producing a `.config` file that controls target architecture, component versions, installation prefix, samples, and options. Typical workflows start from a sample tuple, run `ct-ng menuconfig`, and then build a native, cross, cross-native, or Canadian Cross toolchain.

Because `ct-ng` is implemented as a make script, the project is familiar to source-based packaging users: it downloads and builds upstream components, applies version-specific patches, and installs an isolated toolchain such as under `/opt/x-tools/${CT_TARGET}`.

### Why package nerds care

crosstool-NG matters in package history because it turns a compiler stack into a reproducible configurable artifact. It sits between full root filesystem builders and ad hoc compiler builds: unlike Buildroot or OpenEmbedded, its stated target is only the toolchain, leaving the resulting compiler usable by other build systems and package workflows.

### Timeline

- 2000s: Dan Kegel's crosstool provides the precursor scripts and patches
- 2000s: Yann E. Morin releases crosstool-NG with uClibc and menu-driven configuration support
- 2014: Bryan Hundven becomes maintainer
- 2025: crosstool-ng 1.28.0 release

### Related projects

- The documentation compares crosstool-NG with Buildroot, ptxdist, and OpenEmbedded, and credits the original crosstool project as its direct ancestor.

### Sources

- <https://crosstool-ng.github.io/docs/introduction/>
- <https://crosstool-ng.github.io/docs/configuration/>
- <https://crosstool-ng.github.io/docs/toolchain-types/>
- <https://crosstool-ng.github.io/docs/credits/>
- <https://github.com/crosstool-ng/crosstool-ng#readme>
- <https://github.com/crosstool-ng/crosstool-ng/releases>
- <https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/crosstool-ng>


## Security Notes

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

- **Geiger risk:** green / low
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals


## Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.


## Configuration files

- Unix: .config
## Other Package-Manager Records

- apk - crosstool-ng - 1.28.0-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: crosstool-ng from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Versatile tool for building (cross-)toolchains | https://crosstool-ng.github.io/
- apk - crosstool-ng-bash-completion - 1.28.0-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: crosstool-ng-bash-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Bash completions for crosstool-ng | https://crosstool-ng.github.io/
- apk - crosstool-ng-doc - 1.28.0-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: crosstool-ng-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Versatile tool for building (cross-)toolchains (documentation) | https://crosstool-ng.github.io/
- pacman - crosstool-ng - 1.28.0-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: crosstool-ng from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | A versatile (cross-)toolchain generator | https://crosstool-ng.github.io/
- zypper - crosstool-ng - 1.25.0-1.13: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: crosstool-ng from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Toolchain building framework | http://crosstool-ng.org


## Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/crosstool-ng.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/crosstool-ng.yml)


## Sources

- pkg.so package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph