# Install fetch-crl with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts Retrieve certificate revocation lists (CRLs). Version 3.0.23 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install fetch-crl. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:fetch-crl ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install fetch-crl ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install fetch-crl ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: security/fetch-crl/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install fetch-crl ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: fetch-crl from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install fetch-crl ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: fetch-crl from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:fetch-crl - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 3.0.23 - **Source summary:** Retrieve certificate revocation lists (CRLs) - **Homepage:** - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00 ## Executables - clean-crl (alias) - fetch-crl (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 3.0.23 ## Project history and usage fetch-crl is a small but operationally important PKI utility for retrieving certificate revocation lists for installed trust anchors. Its home is grid and research-computing infrastructure rather than end-user security tooling: it reads trust-anchor metadata, downloads CRLs, verifies and formats them, and installs them where OpenSSL, NSS, or other consumers can find them. ### Project history The fetch-crl3 line is a complete rewrite of earlier fetch-crl 1.x and 2.x tools. The project README credits the original fetch-crl to Fabio Hernandez for the EU DataGrid project, notes significant contributions from Steve Traylen, and identifies David Groep as the author of the version 3 rewrite at Nikhef. ### Adoption history Official Nikhef documentation frames fetch-crl around IGTF-style trust-anchor deployments and points users to the IGTF distribution area for packages. That places the tool in the long-running grid-PKI maintenance path where administrators need repeatable CRL refreshes for certificate authorities rather than an interactive certificate-management application. ### How it is used Typical use is unattended Unix administration: fetch-crl reads /etc/fetch-crl.conf by default, can merge drop-in files from /etc/fetch-crl.d, and defaults trust-anchor metadata to /etc/grid-security/certificates. Version 3 added stateful retrieval, HEAD requests, multiple output formats, proxy controls, retry/fallback URLs, per-trust-anchor suppression, and parallel retrieval. ### Why package nerds care For package maintainers, fetch-crl is interesting because it is glue code at the boundary between PKI policy, filesystem layout, init or cron scheduling, and library-specific certificate stores. Its version 3 rewrite removed dependencies on shell helpers such as wget and lynx, making the packaged behavior more self-contained and predictable. ### Timeline - EU DataGrid era: Original fetch-crl developed by Fabio Hernandez. - 2010-2013: fetch-crl3 copyright period in the README for David Groep and Nikhef-related research-grid work. - 3.0: Complete Perl rewrite, preserving the role of earlier 1.x and 2.x utilities while adding stateful retrieval and multiple output formats. - 3.0.23: Official Nikhef documentation lists proxy handling improvements as the package changes in that documentation. ### Related projects - fetch-crl is closely tied to IGTF trust-anchor metadata, OpenSSL hash-directory conventions, NSS databases, and grid-security certificate directories. ### Sources - - - - ## 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: /etc/fetch-crl.conf, /etc/fetch-crl.d/ ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - fetch-crl - 3.0.23-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: fetch-crl from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Downloads Certificate Revocation Lists | https://wiki.nikhef.nl/grid/FetchCRL3 - Ubuntu apt - fetch-crl - 3.0.22-2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: fetch-crl from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Downloads Certificate Revocation Lists | https://wiki.nikhef.nl/grid/FetchCRL3 - dnf - fetch-crl - 3.0.23-9.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: fetch-crl from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Downloads Certificate Revocation Lists | https://wiki.nikhef.nl/grid/FetchCRL3 - MacPorts - fetch-crl: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: security/fetch-crl/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/fetch-crl.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/fetch-crl.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