macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install bittwistlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install bittwistMacPorts ports tree · net/bittwist/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install bittwist with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, zypper
Libcap-based Ethernet packet generator. Version 4.7 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install bittwistDebian stable package indexes · bittwist · source: deb.debian.org
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install bittwistopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · bittwist · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Libcap-based Ethernet packet generator
Project links
Commands and aliases
- bittwist
- bittwiste
history
Project history and usage
Bit-Twist is a libpcap-based Ethernet packet generator and packet editor maintained by Addy Yeow. Its official site presents it as a companion to tcpdump: capture traffic into pcap files, edit the packets, then regenerate that traffic on a live network.
Project history
The official changelog begins with version 0.1 on January 25, 2006, initially using libpcap and libnet and tested on FreeBSD. By version 0.2, the project removed the libnet dependency and centered on libpcap.
The 2006 public release added man pages for bittwist, bittwistb, and bittwiste. Later releases consolidated the tool around the packet generator and editor, with version 2.0 in 2012 adding a Mac OS X distribution and ending the old web edition and bridge maintenance.
Adoption history
The input package-manager data lists Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, MacPorts, and openSUSE packaging, which matches Bit-Twist's official cross-platform positioning for Windows, Linux, BSD, and macOS.
Version 4.x in 2024 refreshed distribution artifacts across Windows, Linux, BSD, and macOS and added modern network-test features such as jumbo frames and VLAN editing.
How it is used
Users typically combine bittwiste and bittwist: create or edit a pcap with bittwiste, then send it on an interface with bittwist. The official examples include throughput testing, firewall testing, SYN flood simulation, ARP-cache-poisoning demonstrations, and jumbo-frame testing in controlled networks.
The tool is aimed at administrators and network testers who need repeatable packet streams for firewalls, IDS/IPS, routers, switches, load balancers, and troubleshooting.
Why package nerds care
Bit-Twist is package-nerd interesting because it is a small C-era Unix networking tool that survived across libpcap, WinPcap/Npcap, BSD, macOS, and Linux packaging rather than becoming a one-platform appliance utility.
Its split between a pcap editor and a sender reflects classic command-line composability: tcpdump captures, bittwiste edits, bittwist replays.
Timeline
- 2006-01-25: Version 0.1 skeleton program released.
- 2006-04-11: Version 0.7 public release with man pages.
- 2007-10-26: Version 1.0 increased generator throughput option up to 10 Gbps.
- 2012-04-21: Version 2.0 added Mac OS X distribution and revised platform support.
- 2023-05-24: Version 3.0 updated homepage to bittwist.sourceforge.io.
- 2024-11-01: Version 4.7 released with IEEE 802.1ad Q-in-Q VLAN editing support.
Related projects
- tcpdump is the capture-side tool Bit-Twist explicitly complements.
- libpcap is the packet capture/transmission library Bit-Twist is built around.
- Npcap is listed by the official site as the Windows prerequisite.
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 post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 8 platform targets.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
bittwist | cli | global executable | |
bittwiste | cli | global executable |
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 generated2026-07-08
manager version4.7
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://bittwist.sourceforge.io
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://bittwist.sourceforge.ionone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:bittwist |
|---|---|
| Version | 4.7 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/bittwist |
| Homepage | https://bittwist.sourceforge.io |
| Repository | https://sourceforge.net/p/bittwist/git |
| Upstream docs | https://bittwist.sourceforge.io/doc.html |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/bittwist/macOS/Bit-Twist%204.7/bittwist-macos-4.7.tar.gz |
| Uses from macOS | libpcap |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | bittwist |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
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%
bittwist 4.7+ds-2
libpcap based Ethernet packet generator
https://bittwist.sourceforge.io
sudo apt install bittwist- Section: net
- Architecture: amd64
- 2 dependencies
- 2 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Bittwist
Ubuntu apt95%
bittwist 3.8-1build2
libpcap based Ethernet packet generator
https://bittwist.sourceforge.io
sudo apt install bittwist- Section: universe/net
- Architecture: amd64
- 2 dependencies
- 2 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Bittwist
zypper95%
bittwist 3.8-2.6
A libpcap-based Ethernet packet generator
https://bittwist.sourceforge.io
sudo zypper install bittwist- License: GPL-2.0-only
- Category: Productivity/Networking/Diagnostic
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: bittwist
- 2 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Bittwist
MacPorts95%
bittwist
sudo port install bittwist- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Bittwist
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
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment