# Install kaitai-struct-compiler with Homebrew, Nix, winget

Compiler for generating binary data parsers. Version 0.11 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#kaitai-struct-compiler.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:kaitai-struct-compiler
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install kaitai-struct-compiler
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

### Linux

- Nix (92%):

```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#kaitai-struct-compiler
```

  Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ka/kaitai-struct-compiler/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

### Windows

- winget (92%):

```sh
winget install --id Kaitai.StructCompiler -e
```

  Evidence: Windows Package Manager source index: Kaitai.StructCompiler from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:kaitai-struct-compiler
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 0.11
- **Source summary:** Compiler for generating binary data parsers
- **Homepage:** <https://kaitai.io/>
- **Repository:** <https://github.com/kaitai-io/kaitai_struct_compiler>
- **Last updated:** 2026-06-22T14:03:52-07:00
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- kaitai-struct-compiler (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 0.11
## Project history and usage

Kaitai Struct Compiler turns declarative .ksy descriptions of binary formats into parser source code for multiple programming languages.

### Project history

The Kaitai project presents Kaitai Struct as a language-neutral way to describe binary layouts once and generate parsers for many target languages. The compiler is the package-manager-facing executable in that ecosystem, turning format specifications into code that reads binary files, memory layouts, and network packet structures.

### Adoption history

The project maintains official documentation, a Web IDE, and a public format gallery generated from an open repository of file-format and protocol specifications. The website lists open-source users such as Veles, mitmproxy, Kismet, Beat Link Trigger, and Hobbits, showing adoption in reverse engineering, network inspection, wireless analysis, and binary tooling.

### How it is used

Developers write a .ksy schema, run kaitai-struct-compiler, and import the generated parser into a target language. The result is especially useful when a binary format is fixed by someone else and the developer needs a maintainable parser rather than hand-written byte-offset code.

### Why package nerds care

Kaitai Struct Compiler is package-nerd catnip because it converts binary-format archaeology into reproducible build artifacts: one declarative source file can generate parsers for many language ecosystems, and the format gallery makes specifications browseable like package docs.

### Timeline

- 2015: Kaitai Project copyright period begins on the official site.
- 2020-10-16: Kaitai Struct v0.9 release notes announced a major release and documentation/CI changes.
- 2022-07-08: Compiler release 0.10 published.
- 2025-09-07: Compiler release 0.11 published.

### Related projects

- Related projects include the Kaitai Struct Web IDE, the formats.kaitai.io gallery, the kaitai_struct_formats repository, Veles, mitmproxy, Kismet, and other binary-analysis tools.

### Sources

- <https://api.github.com/repos/kaitai-io/kaitai_struct_compiler/releases?per_page=100>
- <https://doc.kaitai.io/>
- <https://github.com/kaitai-io/kaitai_struct_compiler/releases>
- <https://kaitai.io/>
- <https://kaitai.io/news/2020/10/16/kaitai-struct-v0.9-released.html>


## Security Notes

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

- **Geiger risk:** green / low
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

## Other Package-Manager Records

- Nix - kaitai-struct-compiler: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ka/kaitai-struct-compiler/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- winget - Kaitai.StructCompiler: normalized package name match | Windows Package Manager source index: Kaitai.StructCompiler from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix


## Combined YAML source

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


## Sources

- pkg.so package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph