brew / rank 3006

Install libmtp with Homebrew, apk, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, apt, zypper

Implementation of Microsoft's Media Transfer Protocol (MTP). Version 1.1.23 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install libmtp-common.

Install command Security notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install libmtp

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install libmtp

MacPorts ports tree · multimedia/libmtp/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add libmtp

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · libmtp · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install libmtp

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · libmtp · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#libmtp

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/li/libmtp/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S libmtp

Arch Linux sync databases · libmtp · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install libmtp-common

Debian stable package indexes · libmtp-common · source: deb.debian.org

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%

sudo zypper install libmtp-devel

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · libmtp-devel · source: download.opensuse.org

overview

Package summary

Implementation of Microsoft's Media Transfer Protocol (MTP)

Project links

Homepage

Commands and aliases

mtp-albumart
mtp-albums
mtp-connect
mtp-delfile
mtp-detect
mtp-emptyfolders
mtp-files
mtp-filetree
mtp-folders
mtp-format
mtp-getfile
mtp-getplaylist
mtp-hotplug
mtp-newfolder
mtp-newplaylist
mtp-playlists
mtp-reset
mtp-sendfile
mtp-sendtr
mtp-thumb
mtp-tracks
mtp-trexist

history

Project history and usage

libmtp is a POSIX-oriented C implementation of the Media Transfer Protocol initiator side: host software talks to MTP responders such as media players, phones, and other portable devices.

Project history

The project grew around the practical problem that MTP devices are not normal mounted filesystems. The upstream homepage describes libmtp as an initiator implementation of MTP Basic, and the README explains the difference between a host-side initiator and a device-side responder.

Copyright notices in the public headers and examples show active authorship beginning in 2005, including Linus Walleij and other contributors. Over time the project accumulated a large device database, examples, command-line tools, and downstream integrations for desktop environments and media applications.

Adoption history

The libmtp homepage explicitly lists downstreams and related clients such as GVFS MTP support for GNOME, KIO-MTP for KDE, go-mtpfs, XNJB, Gnomad2, Amarok, and Rhythmbox. That downstream list captures why the library became the common Unix packaging point for MTP access.

Package managers ship both the shared library and many small mtp-* utilities, letting users inspect devices, transfer files, manage playlists, and debug unknown vendor/product IDs without writing code.

How it is used

Typical usage is through desktop file managers, media players, FUSE clients, or the bundled commands such as mtp-detect, mtp-files, mtp-getfile, and mtp-sendfile. The upstream site asks users with unrecognized devices to submit USB IDs and mtp-detect output, reflecting the device-quirk maintenance model.

Why package nerds care

libmtp matters to packagers because it turns a messy device protocol and vendor-ID database into one shared dependency. It is also a classic example of a library whose command-line tools are as important for debugging support tickets as the library ABI is for applications.

Timeline

2005: Public source copyright notices begin for libmtp authorship and examples.
2007: Additional contributors and device support appear in public source copyright notices.
2008: Several libmtp source files record continued authorship and device-support work.
2010s: GNOME, KDE, FUSE, and media-player clients use libmtp or related MTP access paths.
2020s: The project maintains SourceForge and GitHub source surfaces plus release packaging across Unix distributions.

Related projects

libmtp is related to libgphoto2's PTP/MTP handling, but the README explains that libmtp stays closer to the MTP object model rather than presenting everything as files. Desktop integrations include GVFS and KIO-MTP, while go-mtpfs and XNJB are standalone client examples.

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:media

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
`mtp-albumart`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mtp-albums`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mtp-connect`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mtp-delfile`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mtp-detect`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mtp-emptyfolders`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mtp-files`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mtp-filetree`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mtp-folders`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mtp-format`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mtp-getfile`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mtp-getplaylist`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mtp-hotplug`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mtp-newfolder`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mtp-newplaylist`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mtp-playlists`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mtp-reset`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mtp-sendfile`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mtp-sendtr`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mtp-thumb`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mtp-tracks`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mtp-trexist`	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 version1.1.23

manager updated

local dataunknown

upstreamnot available

latest detectednot detected

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:libmtp
Version	1.1.23
Package manager	Homebrew
Homepage	https://libmtp.sourceforge.net/
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.

Debian apt95%

libmtp-common 1.1.22-1

Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) common files