Fink

Spec sheet

Purpose

Fink ports Unix open source software to macOS and packages it as a coherent distribution.Read 12 Oct 2026 · finkproject.org

Platforms

The project reports work in progress support for macOS 11 through macOS 13, while its status page lists full support through macOS 10.15 and older versions with varying update availability.Read 12 Oct 2026 · finkproject.org

Support

Fink offers documentation, an FAQ, user mailing lists, and an IRC channel on Libera.chat for help.Read 12 Oct 2026 · finkproject.org

Architecture

The main development branch supports Intel x86_64 and Apple M1 and M2 arm64 for macOS 11 through macOS 13.Read 12 Oct 2026 · finkproject.org

Build process

Fink downloads original source code, applies patches as needed, configures and builds it, then creates a package archive for dpkg.Read 12 Oct 2026 · finkproject.org

Current release availability

The project says there is no current binary installer for macOS 10.6 through 10.15 and directs those users to source installation instructions.Read 12 Oct 2026 · finkproject.org

Dependency resolution

YesRead 21 Sep 2026 · finkproject.org

Features

Fink automates compilation and uses dependency management to ensure required libraries are present.Read 12 Oct 2026 · finkproject.org

GUI packages

Most Fink applications with graphical interfaces require an X11 implementation.Read 12 Oct 2026 · finkproject.org

Installation requirement

The project says Xcode must be installed before Fink, and building packages from source requires Developer Tools on supported OS versions.Read 12 Oct 2026 · finkproject.org

Isolation

Fink manages a separate directory tree under macOS and follows a policy intended to avoid interfering with the base system.Read 12 Oct 2026 · finkproject.org

Offline installation

NoRead 21 Sep 2026 · finkproject.org

Package formats

Fink offers precompiled binary packages and an automated build from source system.Read 12 Oct 2026 · finkproject.org

Package manager

Fink uses Debian tools including dpkg, dselect, and apt-get, and adds its own package manager and build engine.Read 12 Oct 2026 · finkproject.org

Package selection

Users can install only the programs they need and choose whether to use X11.Read 12 Oct 2026 · finkproject.org

Supported platforms

macOS/Darwin; x86_64 and arm64 supported by the development branchRead 21 Sep 2026 · finkproject.org

Who it is for

Fink is intended for Mac users who want Unix command line tools and graphical applications developed for Linux and other Unix variants.Read 12 Oct 2026 · finkproject.org

Plans and prices

Every Fink plan and price →

Where Specifiction places it

• Package Managers#72 of 937.5