macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install opencbmlocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew / rank 9109
Install opencbm with Homebrew, Nix
Provides access to various floppy drive formats. Version 0.4.99.104 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#opencbm.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#opencbmnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/op/opencbm/package.nix · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
Provides access to various floppy drive formats
Project links
Commands and aliases
- cbmcopy
- cbmctrl
- cbmformat
- cbmforng
- cbmlinetester
- cbmread
- cbmrpm41
- cbmwrite
- d64copy
- d82copy
- frm_analyzer
- imgcopy
- opencbm_plugin_helper_tools
- samplelibtransf
- testlines
- xum1541cfg
history
Project history and usage
OpenCBM is a retro-computing hardware-access package that lets PCs talk to Commodore serial-bus devices such as 1541, 1571, and 1581 floppy drives through parallel-port cables or USB adapters such as XU1541/XUM1541, also known as ZoomFloppy.
Project history
OpenCBM is explicitly described by its repository as the successor of cbm4linux. A 2006 release announcement described OpenCBM 0.4.0 as a joined release of cbm4linux and cbm4win, while the 0.4.99.104 manual states that OpenCBM 0.4.0 re-joined cbm4linux 0.3.2 and cbm4win 0.1.0a.
The project kept the original low-level niche alive while moving beyond old parallel-port assumptions. Its README describes support for Linux, Windows, FreeBSD, and macOS, with parallel-port cables for older setups and libusb-based USB cable support for XU1541/XUM1541 devices.
Adoption history
OpenCBM's adoption is concentrated in Commodore preservation and hobbyist workflows rather than mainstream systems administration. SourceForge records the project registration date as October 19, 2004 and classifies it under archiving, emulators, and hardware drivers, which matches how users apply it: moving software between real disks, disk images, and emulators.
ZoomFloppy/XUM1541 support made OpenCBM more practical on machines without legacy parallel ports. That bridge is why the package continues to matter after the hardware it serves left commercial production: USB adapters let collectors and archivists read, write, format, and test physical Commodore media from a contemporary host.
How it is used
Users run tools such as `cbmctrl`, `cbmcopy`, `d64copy`, `d82copy`, `imgcopy`, `cbmread`, `cbmwrite`, and `cbmformat` to inspect drives, transfer files, copy whole disk images, format disks, and write emulator images back to physical media.
The library layer exposes IEC bus operations at the level of TALK and LISTEN commands, plus higher- and lower-level bus control. That makes the package both an end-user transfer toolkit and a developer base for custom Commodore-device tooling.
Why package nerds care
OpenCBM is a reminder that package managers carry physical-world history. It ships kernel/driver-era assumptions, libusb device access, command-line disk imaging tools, and compatibility with specific cables and decades-old Commodore drives.
For distribution maintainers, the package is niche but sharp-edged: device permissions, USB access, old operating-system support claims, and the difference between source releases for Unix-like systems and Windows binary releases all matter more than a typical CLI utility.
Timeline
- 2004-10-19: SourceForge records OpenCBM's project registration.
- 2006-04-28: A release announcement presented OpenCBM 0.4.0 as the combined cbm4linux/cbm4win line.
- 2022-01-23: OpenCBM 0.4.99.104 Windows binaries were announced on the ZoomFloppy users list, with Unix-like users directed to source releases.
Related projects
- Related projects and hardware include cbm4linux, cbm4win, ZoomFloppy/XUM1541, XU1541, XM1541/XA1541 cables, VICE emulator workflows, and the Commodore 1541/1571/1581 drive family.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
cbmcopy | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
cbmctrl | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
cbmformat | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
cbmforng | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
cbmlinetester | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
cbmread | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
cbmrpm41 | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
cbmwrite | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
d64copy | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
d82copy | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
frm_analyzer | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
imgcopy | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
opencbm_plugin_helper_tools | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
samplelibtransf | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
testlines | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
xum1541cfg | 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 version0.4.99.104
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:opencbm |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.4.99.104 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://spiro.trikaliotis.net/opencbm |
| Repository | https://github.com/OpenCBM/OpenCBM |
| 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.
Nix95%
opencbm
nix profile install nixpkgs#opencbm- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Opencbm
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- pkg.so package database
- pkgdb category and tag curation