# Install libirecovery with Homebrew, apk, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, apt Library and utility to talk to iBoot/iBSS via USB. Version 1.3.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install irecovery. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:libirecovery ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install libirecovery ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install libirecovery ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: devel/libirecovery/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add libirecovery ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libirecovery from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install libirecovery ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libirecovery 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#libirecovery ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/libirecovery/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install irecovery ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: irecovery from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:libirecovery - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 1.3.1 - **Source summary:** Library and utility to talk to iBoot/iBSS via USB - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00 ## Executables - irecovery (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 1.3.1 ## Project history and usage libirecovery is the libimobiledevice-family library and irecovery command for talking to iBoot and iBSS on Apple iOS devices over USB. It occupies the recovery-mode corner of the broader open source Apple-device stack. ### Project history The README describes libirecovery as a cross-platform library for communicating with iBoot and iBSS over USB and says it is a fork of an older version from former openjailbreak.org. The project is intended for use with idevicerestore and the larger libimobiledevice project. The repository tags show early 0.1-era tags in 2011, while the project's first 1.0.0 GitHub release was part of the June 15, 2020 libimobiledevice release round that also included idevicerestore 1.0.0 and libimobiledevice 1.3.0. Later releases continued to track Apple hardware IDs, recovery-mode behavior, and Windows and macOS build details. ### Adoption history libirecovery is adopted mostly through restore, recovery, and device-support tooling rather than end-user applications. Its presence in Homebrew, Debian and Ubuntu as irecovery, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, and Alpine reflects the need for a packaged recovery-mode utility in open source Apple-device workflows. ### How it is used The irecovery tool is used for low-level recovery-mode interaction, and the library is used by idevicerestore and related utilities that need USB communication with iBoot or iBSS. This is a lower-level workflow than ordinary device info, backup, or AFC file access through libimobiledevice. ### Why package nerds care For package maintainers, libirecovery is notable because it is small but version-sensitive: device databases, USB backends, readline support, libimobiledevice-glue, and idevicerestore compatibility all matter. It is the package that makes recovery-mode support available without bundling restore tooling into every consumer. ### Timeline - 2011-03-04: The repository records a 0.1 tag-era commit for early libirecovery code. - 2020-06-15: libirecovery 1.0.0 was announced in the libimobiledevice release round alongside idevicerestore 1.0.0. - 2023-05-13: libirecovery 1.1.0 was published on GitHub releases. - 2024-03-23: libirecovery 1.2.0 was published on GitHub releases. - 2025-09-12: libirecovery 1.3.0 added iOS 1 and iOS 2 recovery-mode support and updated the device database. - 2025-10-17: libirecovery 1.3.1 added support for M5-family devices and fixed MSVC array-initialization compatibility. ### Related projects - Related projects include idevicerestore, libimobiledevice, libimobiledevice-glue, libusb, Apple iBoot and iBSS, and historical openjailbreak.org recovery tooling. ### 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 - irecovery - 1.2.1-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: irecovery from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Command line utility to communication with iOS recovery systems | https://www.libimobiledevice.org/ - Debian apt - libirecovery-1.0-5 - 1.2.1-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libirecovery-1.0-5 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Library allowing communication with iBoot/iBSS of iOS devices via USB | https://www.libimobiledevice.org/ - Debian apt - libirecovery-1.0-dev - 1.2.1-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libirecovery-1.0-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Development files for libirecovery | https://www.libimobiledevice.org/ - Debian apt - libirecovery-common - 1.2.1-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libirecovery-common from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Common files for libirecovery | https://www.libimobiledevice.org/ - Nix - libirecovery: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/libirecovery/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - irecovery - 1.0.0-5build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: irecovery from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Command line utility to communication with iOS recovery systems | https://www.libimobiledevice.org/ - Ubuntu apt - libirecovery-1.0-3 - 1.0.0-5build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libirecovery-1.0-3 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Library allowing communication with iBoot/iBSS of iOS devices via USB | https://www.libimobiledevice.org/ - Ubuntu apt - libirecovery-1.0-dev - 1.0.0-5build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libirecovery-1.0-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Development files for libirecovery | https://www.libimobiledevice.org/ - Ubuntu apt - libirecovery-common - 1.0.0-5build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libirecovery-common from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Common files for libirecovery | https://www.libimobiledevice.org/ - apk - libirecovery - 1.3.1-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libirecovery from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Library and utility to talk to iBoot/iBSS via USB on Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux | https://libimobiledevice.org - apk - libirecovery-dev - 1.3.1-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libirecovery-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Library and utility to talk to iBoot/iBSS via USB on Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux (development files) | https://libimobiledevice.org - apk - libirecovery-progs - 1.3.1-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libirecovery-progs from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Tools that talks iPhone and iPod Touch devices' protocols on Linux | https://libimobiledevice.org - dnf - libirecovery - 1.3.1-2.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libirecovery from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Library and utility to talk to iBoot/iBSS via USB | https://github.com/libimobiledevice/libirecovery - dnf - libirecovery-devel - 1.3.1-2.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libirecovery-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Development files for libirecovery | https://github.com/libimobiledevice/libirecovery - dnf - libirecovery-utils - 1.3.1-2.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libirecovery-utils from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Utilites for libirecovery | https://github.com/libimobiledevice/libirecovery - MacPorts - libirecovery: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: devel/libirecovery/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/libirecovery.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/libirecovery.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