# Install esptool with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman
ESP8266 and ESP32 serial bootloader utility. Version 5.3.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-08-02. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install esptool.
## Install
```sh
sudo av install brew:esptool
```
Additional install commands:
### macOS
- Homebrew (100%):
```sh
brew install esptool
```
Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata
- MacPorts (94%):
```sh
sudo port install esptool
```
Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: cross/esptool/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
### Linux
- apk (92%):
```sh
sudo apk add esptool
```
Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: esptool from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
- Debian apt (92%):
```sh
sudo apt install esptool
```
Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: esptool from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
- dnf (92%):
```sh
sudo dnf install esptool
```
Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: esptool from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst
- Nix (92%):
```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#esptool
```
Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/es/esptool/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- pacman (92%):
```sh
sudo pacman -S esptool
```
Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: esptool from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz
## Package facts
- **Package key:** brew:esptool
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 5.3.1
- **Source summary:** ESP8266 and ESP32 serial bootloader utility
- **Homepage:**
- **Last updated:** 2026-08-02T12:51:36+01:00
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00
## Executables
- esp_rfc2217_server (alias)
- esp_rfc2217_server.py (alias)
- espefuse (alias)
- espefuse.py (alias)
- espsecure (alias)
- espsecure.py (alias)
- esptool (alias)
- esptool.py (alias)
## Install behavior
- Bottle: not available
## Freshness
- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 5.3.1
## Project history and usage
esptool is Espressif's Python-based, platform-independent serial utility for flashing, provisioning, and interacting with Espressif SoCs.
### Project history
The official repository says esptool was initially created by Fredrik Ahlberg and later maintained by Angus Gratton; it is now supported by Espressif Systems and has received community improvements. That history reflects its move from community ESP8266 tooling into the vendor-supported flashing utility for the broader Espressif chip family.
### Adoption history
As ESP8266 and ESP32 boards became common in hobbyist, IoT, and embedded development, esptool became the packaging target for the host-side operation everyone needed: moving firmware images onto chips over serial. Its distribution through Homebrew and many Linux package managers mirrors its role as infrastructure rather than as an application.
Espressif's documentation and repository describe a tool that spans flashing, provisioning, secure operations, eFuse management, remote serial ports, scripting, and chip-specific targets. That breadth made it a dependency under higher-level build systems as well as a direct CLI for firmware developers.
### How it is used
The core workflow is `esptool write-flash`, where users provide a serial port and flash offsets plus one or more binary files. The documentation notes automatic chip detection for writing, serial transfer compression by default, erase behavior before writes, and options for skipping unchanged content or fast reflashing.
The Homebrew package also installs companion commands such as `espefuse`, `espsecure`, and `esp_rfc2217_server`, so package users get both everyday flashing and lower-level provisioning, security, and remote serial helpers from the same source package.
### Why package nerds care
esptool is one of those packages that quietly defines an ecosystem: if an OS package set wants embedded developers to flash ESP boards without a vendor IDE, it ships esptool. Its Python implementation, cross-platform serial behavior, and explicit config-file search paths make it easy to package and script.
### Timeline
- 2010s: Community-created esptool becomes the standard serial bootloader utility for ESP8266 and ESP32 development.
- 2016: Espressif-hosted documentation copyright period begins for the current docs site.
- 2020s: Espressif maintains esptool as the official multi-chip flashing, provisioning, and interaction utility.
### Related projects
- espflash cites esptool.py as an influence; ESP-IDF build and monitor workflows commonly sit next to esptool in Espressif development setups.
### Sources
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## Security Notes
broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.
- **Geiger risk:** blue / medium
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
## 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
- Linux: /home//.config/esptool/esptool.cfg
- macOS: /Users//.config/esptool/esptool.cfg
- Unix: ./esptool.cfg, ~/esptool.cfg, ./setup.cfg, ./tox.ini
- Windows: c:\Users\\AppData\Local\esptool\esptool.cfg, c:\Users\\esptool.cfg
## Other Package-Manager Records
- Debian apt - esptool - 4.7.0+dfsg-0.1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: esptool from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | create and flash firmware files to ESP8266 and ESP32 chips | https://github.com/espressif/esptool
- Nix - esptool: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/es/esptool/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Ubuntu apt - esptool - 4.7.0+dfsg-0.1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: esptool from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | create and flash firmware files to ESP8266 and ESP32 chips | https://github.com/espressif/esptool
- apk - esptool - 4.8.1-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: esptool from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | ESP8266 and ESP32 serial bootloader utility | https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esptool
- apk - esptool-pyc - 4.8.1-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: esptool-pyc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Precompiled Python bytecode for esptool | https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esptool
- dnf - esptool - 5.3.1-2.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: esptool from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | A utility to communicate with the ROM bootloader in Espressif ESP8266 & ESP32 | https://github.com/espressif/esptool
- pacman - esptool - 5.3.1-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: esptool from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Espressif SoC serial bootloader utility | https://github.com/espressif/esptool
- MacPorts - esptool: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: cross/esptool/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
## Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/esptool.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/esptool.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