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Install i686-elf-binutils with Homebrew
GNU Binutils for i686-elf cross development. Version 2.47 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-29.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
GNU Binutils for i686-elf cross development
Project links
Commands and aliases
- i686-elf-addr2line
- i686-elf-ar
- i686-elf-as
- i686-elf-c++filt
- i686-elf-elfedit
- i686-elf-gprof
- i686-elf-ld
- i686-elf-ld.bfd
- i686-elf-nm
- i686-elf-objcopy
- i686-elf-objdump
- i686-elf-ranlib
- i686-elf-readelf
- i686-elf-size
- i686-elf-strings
- i686-elf-strip
history
Project history and usage
i686-elf-binutils is Homebrew's target-prefixed GNU Binutils package for i686-elf cross development. It packages the assembler, linker, object-file tools, and ELF inspection utilities that usually sit underneath a cross GCC.
Project history
GNU Binutils collects the binary tools of the GNU toolchain. The GNU project page names ld, as, and gold as the main programs and lists utilities such as ar, nm, objcopy, objdump, readelf, strings, and strip, backed by libraries including BFD and opcodes.
The January 1987 GNU bulletin already described a GNU assembler, GNU ld in regular use, and object-file management utilities. The later Binutils project made those pieces a coherent release stream, with Sourceware-hosted documentation, release branches, release tags, and the shared binutils-gdb source repository.
Adoption history
Binutils adoption follows the adoption of GNU compilers and Unix-like package systems: assemblers and linkers are needed for building operating systems, libraries, embedded firmware, and cross targets. The GNU page explicitly states that Binutils' main reason for existence is giving GNU and GNU/Linux the facility to compile and link programs.
The i686-elf-binutils formula is part of the package-manager tradition of target-prefixed toolchains. Homebrew identifies it as GNU Binutils for i686-elf cross development and ships prefixed commands including i686-elf-as, i686-elf-ld, i686-elf-objcopy, and i686-elf-readelf.
How it is used
In an i686-elf cross toolchain, Binutils usually comes before GCC: the assembler and linker are required to build or use a cross compiler, and tools such as objdump, readelf, nm, and objcopy inspect or transform ELF artifacts.
The package is most useful in bare-metal, kernel, bootloader, and low-level systems work where output objects target i686-elf rather than the host machine's native ABI.
Why package nerds care
Package nerds care about i686-elf-binutils because it is the small foundation layer of a cross toolchain. A working target-prefixed Binutils package lets the rest of the stack use predictable names and keeps host and target object formats from being confused.
It is also a good example of why package managers expose cross tools as separate formulae: the upstream source is the same as GNU Binutils, but the configured target changes the command names and the artifacts users can produce.
Timeline
- 1987: GNU's bulletin described GNU assembler work, GNU ld in regular use, and object-file utilities.
- 1998: The GNU Binutils web page copyright history begins on the GNU project page.
- 1999: Historical Binutils mailing lists gas2 and bfd were superseded by the binutils list, according to the GNU project page.
- 2008: gold was added to Binutils as an ELF-only linker.
- 2026: Homebrew packaged i686-elf-binutils as the Binutils layer for i686-elf cross development.
Related projects
- GNU GCC commonly consumes the target assembler and linker supplied by Binutils.
- GDB shares the binutils-gdb repository; elfutils and LLVM tools occupy adjacent object-file and linker-tooling space.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
i686-elf-addr2line | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
i686-elf-ar | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
i686-elf-as | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
i686-elf-c++filt | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
i686-elf-elfedit | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
i686-elf-gprof | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
i686-elf-ld | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
i686-elf-ld.bfd | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
i686-elf-nm | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
i686-elf-objcopy | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
i686-elf-objdump | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
i686-elf-ranlib | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
i686-elf-readelf | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
i686-elf-size | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
i686-elf-strings | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
i686-elf-strip | 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 version2.47
manager updated2026-07-29
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:i686-elf-binutils |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.47 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://www.gnu.org/software/binutils/ |
| Last updated | 2026-07-29T14:10:12Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| 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