macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install imagesnaplocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install ImageSnapMacPorts ports tree · sysutils/ImageSnap/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew / rank 2149
Install imagesnap with Homebrew, MacPorts
Tool to capture still images from an iSight or other video source. Version 0.3.0.2 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with macports: sudo port install ImageSnap.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Tool to capture still images from an iSight or other video source
Project links
Commands and aliases
- imagesnap
history
Project history and usage
ImageSnap is a macOS command-line camera capture utility by Robert Harder. It saves still images from the built-in iSight or other video devices, making webcam snapshots scriptable from the terminal.
Project history
Robert Harder's older iHarder Mac OS X utilities page describes ImageSnap as a successor path after Axel Bauer's `isightcapture`, with the goal of adapting command-line camera capture to Apple's changing architectures. The GitHub README identifies Robert Harder as the original author and documents the tool as public-domain software.
The project lived for years as an Objective-C utility, then gained a Swift rewrite using AVFoundation in the 0.3.0 series. The README notes that the Swift rewrite modernized the media stack but raised the macOS requirement to Ventura-era systems, while older Objective-C versions remain available from tags and releases.
Adoption history
ImageSnap became a small but recognizable Mac package-manager tool because it does one thing Unix users expect to script: take a camera snapshot without opening a full camera app. The README names Homebrew and MacPorts as common installation paths, and Homebrew analytics show a steady low-thousands yearly install base.
Its package adoption is tied to automation scenarios such as quick webcam captures, simple time-lapse scripts, hardware checks, and headless-ish Mac workflows where AVFoundation access can still be granted through macOS camera permissions.
How it is used
The `imagesnap` command captures to `snapshot.jpg` by default, accepts a filename as the final argument, lists cameras with `-l`, selects a device with `-d`, and supports time-lapse captures with `-t` and `-n`. It can write common formats such as JPEG, TIFF, PNG, GIF, and BMP based on the output filename extension.
The README documents a warmup delay, because real cameras need time after activation before a frame is useful. The tool also has to participate in macOS camera permission prompts the first time it is used.
Why package nerds care
ImageSnap is package-nerd useful because it exposes an Apple media-framework feature as a tiny, scriptable binary. It is the kind of package people install once for a build lab, kiosk, CI-adjacent hardware check, or personal automation and then forget until they need a camera frame from a shell script.
Timeline
- 2010s: iHarder described ImageSnap as a way forward from the older `isightcapture` utility.
- 2017: Version 0.2.6 appeared in GitHub releases.
- 2021: The 0.2.x series continued with camera-capture maintenance releases.
- 2023: Version 0.2.16 was released before the Swift rewrite line.
- 2026: Version 0.3.0 introduced a Swift rewrite using AVFoundation.
Related projects
- The historical comparison is Axel Bauer's `isightcapture`, which ImageSnap's original project page explicitly mentions. Within package managers, Homebrew and MacPorts both carry ImageSnap for macOS camera capture.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: blue
broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.
Risk classifier
blue risk · medium confidence · tool
Why
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
Signals
- text:video,image
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
imagesnap | 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 version0.3.0.2
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:imagesnap |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.3.0.2 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://github.com/rharder/imagesnap |
| Repository | https://github.com/rharder/imagesnap |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
MacPorts95%
ImageSnap
sudo port install ImageSnap- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Imagesnap
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
- external package-manager database matches
- pkg.so package database
- pkgdb category and tag curation