# Install libftdi with Homebrew, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, apt Library to talk to FTDI chips. Version 1.5 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install libftdi-dev. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:libftdi ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install libftdi ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install libftdi ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: devel/libftdi/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install libftdi ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libftdi from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#libftdi ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/libftdi/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S libftdi ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: libftdi from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install libftdi-dev ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: libftdi-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:libftdi - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 1.5 - **Source summary:** Library to talk to FTDI chips - **Homepage:** - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00 ## Executables - ftdi_eeprom (alias) - libftdi1-config (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 1.5 ## Project history and usage libftdi is Intra2net’s open-source userspace library for communicating with FTDI USB serial and FIFO chips through libusb, including bitbang and EEPROM tooling. ### Project history The official libFTDI page describes the library as a way to talk to FTDI chips from userspace with no kernel driver required, supporting chip families from FT8U232/FT8U245 through FT230X, FT232R, FT245R, FT2232, and FT4232H. Intra2net’s repository page identifies master as the libusb 1.0 development branch and libftdi-0.x as the legacy libusb 0.x branch. The project’s official news records libftdi 1.3 on 2016-05-20, 1.4 on 2017-08-07, and 1.5 on 2020-07-07. Those releases added USB string APIs, transfer cancellation, EEPROM configuration improvements, FT230X baud-rate handling, kernel driver auto attach and detach, tcflush-style APIs, SPDX identifiers, Python wrapper improvements, and CMake improvements. ### Adoption history libftdi became common in hardware development because it avoided vendor-only driver stacks for FTDI adapters while still supporting popular serial, FIFO, and bitbang use cases. Its package presence across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, MacPorts, Nix, and other distributions reflects broad embedded, lab, and board-bringup usage. ### How it is used Applications link libftdi to enumerate and communicate with FTDI devices through libusb. The package also ships ftdi_eeprom for EEPROM decoding and programming, with release notes calling out repeated EEPROM handling improvements. ### Why package nerds care libftdi is a small but important hardware-enablement package: it gives distributions a Free Software path for FTDI chips without forcing every electronics tool to vendor its own USB code. It is also a packaging reminder that command-line EEPROM utilities, Python bindings, libusb transitions, and kernel-driver detach behavior are part of the real ABI users care about. ### Timeline - 2016-05-20: Intra2net news records libftdi 1.3. - 2017-08-07: Intra2net news records libftdi 1.4. - 2020-07-07: Intra2net news records libftdi 1.5. - 2026: The official repository page still documents master for libusb 1.0 development and libftdi-0.x for legacy libusb 0.x code. ### Related projects - libusb provides the portable USB access layer used by libftdi. - The Linux ftdi_sio kernel driver is the kernel-space counterpart that many libftdi workflows deliberately bypass or detach from. ### Sources - - - ## Security Notes No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for libftdi. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL. ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - libftdi-dev - 0.20-4+b2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libftdi-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Development files for libftdi | http://www.intra2net.com/en/developer/libftdi/ - Debian apt - libftdi1 - 0.20-4+b2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libftdi1 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Library to control and program the FTDI USB controller | http://www.intra2net.com/en/developer/libftdi/ - Debian apt - libftdi1-dbg - 0.20-4+b2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libftdi1-dbg from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Debugging symbols for libftdi1 | http://www.intra2net.com/en/developer/libftdi/ - Nix - libftdi: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/libftdi/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - libftdi-dev - 0.20-4ubuntu3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libftdi-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Development files for libftdi | http://www.intra2net.com/en/developer/libftdi/ - Ubuntu apt - libftdi1 - 0.20-4ubuntu3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libftdi1 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Library to control and program the FTDI USB controller | http://www.intra2net.com/en/developer/libftdi/ - Ubuntu apt - libftdi1-dbg - 0.20-4ubuntu3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libftdi1-dbg from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Debugging symbols for libftdi1 | http://www.intra2net.com/en/developer/libftdi/ - dnf - libftdi - 1.5-26.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libftdi from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Library to program and control the FTDI USB controller | https://www.intra2net.com/en/developer/libftdi/ - dnf - libftdi-c++ - 1.5-26.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libftdi-c++ from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Libftdi library C++ binding | https://www.intra2net.com/en/developer/libftdi/ - dnf - libftdi-c++-devel - 1.5-26.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libftdi-c++-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Libftdi library C++ binding development headers and libraries | https://www.intra2net.com/en/developer/libftdi/ - dnf - libftdi-devel - 1.5-26.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libftdi-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Header files and static libraries for libftdi | https://www.intra2net.com/en/developer/libftdi/ - dnf - python3-libftdi - 1.5-26.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: python3-libftdi from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Libftdi library Python 3 binding | https://www.intra2net.com/en/developer/libftdi/ - pacman - libftdi - 1.5-10: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: libftdi from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | A library to talk to FTDI chips | https://www.intra2net.com/en/developer/libftdi/ - MacPorts - libftdi: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: devel/libftdi/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Debian apt - ftdi-eeprom - 1.5-10: installed executable or alias match | Debian stable package indexes: ftdi-eeprom from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Tool for reading/erasing/flashing FTDI USB chip EEPROMs | https://www.intra2net.com/en/developer/libftdi/ - Ubuntu apt - ftdi-eeprom - 1.5-6build5: installed executable or alias match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: ftdi-eeprom from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Tool for reading/erasing/flashing FTDI USB chip EEPROMs | https://www.intra2net.com/en/developer/libftdi/ ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/libftdi.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/libftdi.yml) ## Sources - pkg.so package database - curated package history - pkgdb category and tag curation - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph