# Install fits with Homebrew

File Information Tool Set. Version 1.6.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:fits
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install fits
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:fits
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 1.6.0
- **Source summary:** File Information Tool Set
- **Homepage:** <https://harvard-lts.github.io/fits/>
- **Repository:** <https://github.com/harvard-lts/fits>
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- fits (alias)
- fits-ngserver (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 1.6.0
## Project history and usage

FITS, the File Information Tool Set, is a Java command-line tool from Harvard Library Technology Services for identifying, validating, and extracting technical metadata from many file formats.

### Project history

The official project description presents FITS as a wrapper that invokes and manages output from several open source characterization tools, converts their outputs into a common format, compares them, and consolidates the result into one XML output file.

The current GitHub repository was created in 2013. The release line visible on GitHub includes the late 0.8.x series, 1.0.x releases in 2016 and 2017, 1.2 and 1.3 in 2017-2018, 1.4 and 1.5 in 2018-2019, and 1.6.0 in January 2023.

### Adoption history

FITS adoption is strongest in digital preservation and repository operations, where repeatable file characterization matters more than a single detector's answer. Its documentation points to command-line use, a Java API, Docker workflows, and a separate FITS Web Service for deployment in application servers.

### How it is used

Common usage runs FITS against a file or directory, optionally writing XML output to a file. Operators can use the bundled scripts, Docker image builds from release artifacts, custom FITS XML configuration, and Java API integration.

### Why package nerds care

Package maintainers care about FITS because it bundles and coordinates heavyweight external tools such as ExifTool, JHOVE, Tika, MediaInfo, file, and jpylyzer. That makes versioning, Java compatibility, native helper binaries, and reproducible output part of the package story.

### Timeline

- 2013: Current GitHub repository created.
- 2016: 1.0.2 release published.
- 2018: 1.3.0 release moved builds to Maven according to the README.
- 2019: 1.5.0 release published.
- 2023: 1.6.0 release published.

### Related projects

- Related tools include ExifTool, JHOVE, Apache Tika, MediaInfo, file, jpylyzer, the FITS Web Service, and digital preservation repository systems.

### Sources

- <https://harvard-lts.github.io/fits/>
- <https://github.com/harvard-lts/fits>
- <https://github.com/harvard-lts/fits/releases>
- <http://fitstool.org/user-manual>
- <http://fitstool.org/developer-manual>


## 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

- Unix: xml/fits.xml, xml/fits_format_tree.xml, xml/fits_xml_map.xml, xml/format_map.txt, xml/mime_map.txt, xml/mime_to_format_map.txt

## Combined YAML source

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


## Sources

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