libusb ☆

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Description:
Library for USB device access

Type: Formula | Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: System utilities

Tags: usb library hardware driver cross-platform

Install: brew install libusb

About:
Libusb is a cross-platform user-space library that provides generic access to USB devices. It enables developers to communicate with hardware without needing kernel-level drivers, offering a simple API for device enumeration, data transfer, and control. Its main value is abstracting platform-specific complexities, allowing portable applications to interact with USB peripherals on Linux, macOS, Windows, and more.

Key Features:

Cross-platform API for USB device communication
Asynchronous and synchronous transfer modes
No kernel driver requirement for user-space operation
Supports isochronous, bulk, control, and interrupt transfers

Use Cases:

Developing user-space drivers for custom USB hardware
Implementing firmware uploaders or configuration tools
Communicating with USB peripherals like microcontrollers or test equipment

Alternatives:

libusb-compat – Provides a libusb-0.1 compatibility layer for legacy applications
OS-native APIs (Win32, libusbK) – Platform-specific, less portable but can offer deeper OS integration

Version History

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