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CLI Open source 324 installs/mo

john for Mac

Featureful UNIX password cracker

Quick answer: john is a security tool for macOS. Install it with brew install john. It is distributed under the GPL-2.0-or-later licence. It has 324 Homebrew installs in the last 30 days.

What john is

john is a security tool for macOS: featureful UNIX password cracker.

It is distributed as a Homebrew formula, which builds or pours a binary and puts it on your PATH. It is distributed under the GPL-2.0-or-later licence.

How to install john

  1. Open Terminal (press ⌘ + Space and type “Terminal”).
  2. If Homebrew is not installed yet, run the installer below once.
  3. Run brew install john.

Homebrew installer, if you need it:

Prefer a graphical installer? Download it from the official site. MacPicks never hosts or mirrors binaries — the Homebrew command always pulls from the vendor's own release.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I install john on Mac?

Run brew install john in Terminal. This requires Homebrew; if you do not have it, install it first with the command below.

Is john open source?

Yes — Homebrew distributes it under the GPL-2.0-or-later licence.

Does john run on Apple silicon?

Homebrew publishes this formula for macOS. If upstream does not ship an Apple silicon build, Rosetta 2 handles the Intel binary.

How popular is john?

It was installed 324 times in the last 30 days according to Homebrew analytics, ranking #1938 in this catalogue.

What version of john is current?

The latest packaged version is 1.9.0.