macOS
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brew install format-udflocal Homebrew formula metadata
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Install format-udf with Homebrew
Bash script to format a block device to UDF. Version 1.8.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Bash script to format a block device to UDF
Project links
Commands and aliases
- format-udf
history
Project history and usage
format-udf is a Bash script for formatting block devices as UDF volumes intended to be read and written across Windows, macOS, and Linux. Its README presents it as a compatibility tool for external hard drives and flash drives.
Project history
The GitHub repository was created in August 2014. The README says the project was created to address operating-system-specific quirks that make naively formatted UDF devices fail across platforms, including block-size expectations, partition-table behavior, and macOS full-disk mounting behavior.
Adoption history
The project remains a focused utility rather than a broad platform. Its official release history shows incremental fixes around OS and device support, including macOS 10.12 support, loop devices, udftools 2.0+, NVMe, and broader block-device handling.
How it is used
Users run the script against a Linux device such as /dev/sdx or a macOS device such as /dev/diskN, supplying a volume label. The script detects block size, validates dependencies, can wipe the target, formats with UDF revision 2.01 for compatibility, and writes a fake MBR unless disabled.
Why package nerds care
format-udf matters to package nerds because it codifies a pile of cross-platform filesystem edge cases in one auditable shell script. It is the kind of small system package that exists because the underlying native tools are powerful but not friendly to a portable-disk workflow.
Timeline
- 2014: GitHub repository created.
- 2016: Release added macOS 10.12 support.
- 2018: Release added support for udftools 2.0 and newer.
- 2020: Releases added Linux NVMe and broader block-device support.
Related projects
- format-udf depends on platform tools such as mkudffs or newfs_udf and wraps Universal Disk Format workflows. Its README discusses the fake-MBR technique used to improve Windows compatibility for whole-disk UDF volumes.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
format-udf | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-08-03
manager version1.8.0
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:format-udf |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.8.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://github.com/JElchison/format-udf |
| Repository | https://github.com/JElchison/format-udf |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- pkg.so package database
- pkgdb category and tag curation