# Install libfreefare with Homebrew, Nix, apt, zypper API for MIFARE card manipulations. Version 0.4.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install libfreefare-bin. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:libfreefare ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install libfreefare ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#libfreefare ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/libfreefare/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install libfreefare-bin ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: libfreefare-bin from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install libfreefare-devel ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libfreefare-devel from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:libfreefare - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 0.4.0 - **Source summary:** API for MIFARE card manipulations - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00 ## Executables - mifare-classic-format (alias) - mifare-classic-read-ndef (alias) - mifare-classic-write-ndef (alias) - mifare-desfire-access (alias) - mifare-desfire-create-ndef (alias) - mifare-desfire-ev1-configure-ats (alias) - mifare-desfire-ev1-configure-default-key (alias) - mifare-desfire-ev1-configure-random-uid (alias) - mifare-desfire-format (alias) - mifare-desfire-info (alias) - mifare-desfire-read-ndef (alias) - mifare-desfire-write-ndef (alias) - mifare-ultralight-info (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 0.4.0 ## Project history and usage libfreefare is the nfc-tools library that raises libnfc from raw NFC reader access to convenience APIs and command-line tools for MIFARE and related RFID/NFC tags. ### Project history The project sits in the nfc-tools family and is described by its project page as an API for RFID card manipulation on top of libnfc. Its README narrows that role to MIFARE card manipulation and lists libnfc, autotools, and OpenSSL as build dependencies for Unix-like systems. The public feature matrix documents support for common card families including FeliCa Lite, MIFARE Classic, MIFARE DESFire, MIFARE Ultralight, NTAG21x, and MIFARE Application Directory specifications. GitHub release metadata records libfreefare-0.4.0 on 2015-05-13. ### Adoption history libfreefare became useful where libnfc users wanted reusable C calls and bundled utilities instead of writing card-format details directly against the lower-level NFC stack. Its packaging across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Nix, and openSUSE reflects a small but durable audience around NFC labs, access-card tooling, and embedded experiments. ### How it is used The package installs a C library plus utilities for formatting, inspecting, and reading or writing NDEF data on MIFARE Classic, DESFire, and Ultralight cards. It is typically used with NFC readers supported by libnfc. ### Why package nerds care For package maintainers, libfreefare is a good example of a narrow hardware-adjacent library whose value comes from keeping protocol-specific card operations out of downstream applications. It also exposes the usual packaging concerns around libnfc ABI compatibility, OpenSSL linkage, and shipping command-line helpers with the library. ### Timeline - 2013-12-04: The commit tagged libfreefare-0.4.0 updated the project changelog for the 0.4.0 release. - 2015-05-13: GitHub release metadata records libfreefare-0.4.0. - 2015: The nfc-tools project page documents libfreefare as part of the nfc-tools project set. ### Related projects - libnfc supplies the lower-level NFC reader interface used by libfreefare. - Other nfc-tools projects such as mfoc, mfcuk, libllcp, and nfcutils occupy adjacent NFC tooling niches. ### Sources - - - - ## Security Notes library-like package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - library-like package without higher-risk signals ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - libfreefare-bin - 0.4.0-2.3+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libfreefare-bin from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | MIFARE card manipulations binaries | https://code.google.com/p/libfreefare/ - Debian apt - libfreefare-dev - 0.4.0-2.3+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libfreefare-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | MIFARE card manipulations library (development files) | https://code.google.com/p/libfreefare/ - Debian apt - libfreefare-doc - 0.4.0-2.3: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libfreefare-doc from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | documentation for libfreefare | https://code.google.com/p/libfreefare/ - Debian apt - libfreefare0t64 - 0.4.0-2.3+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libfreefare0t64 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | MIFARE card manipulations library | https://code.google.com/p/libfreefare/ - Nix - libfreefare: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/libfreefare/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - libfreefare-bin - 0.4.0-2.3build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libfreefare-bin from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | MIFARE card manipulations binaries | https://code.google.com/p/libfreefare/ - Ubuntu apt - libfreefare-dev - 0.4.0-2.3build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libfreefare-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | MIFARE card manipulations library (development files) | https://code.google.com/p/libfreefare/ - Ubuntu apt - libfreefare-doc - 0.4.0-2.3build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libfreefare-doc from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | documentation for libfreefare | https://code.google.com/p/libfreefare/ - Ubuntu apt - libfreefare0t64 - 0.4.0-2.3build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libfreefare0t64 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | MIFARE card manipulations library | https://code.google.com/p/libfreefare/ - zypper - libfreefare-devel - 0.4.0-5.7: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libfreefare-devel from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Development files for the Mifare card manipulation library | https://github.com/nfc-tools/libfreefare/ - zypper - libfreefare-tools - 0.4.0-5.7: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libfreefare-tools from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Tools for Mifare cards | https://github.com/nfc-tools/libfreefare/ - zypper - libfreefare0 - 0.4.0-5.7: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libfreefare0 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Library for Mifare card manipulations | https://github.com/nfc-tools/libfreefare/ ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/libfreefare.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/libfreefare.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