macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install boottermlocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install bootterm with Homebrew, apk, apt, Nix, scoop, winget
Simple, reliable and powerful terminal to ease connection to serial ports. Version 0.5 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add boottermAlpine Linux edge package indexes · bootterm · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install boottermDebian stable package indexes · bootterm · source: deb.debian.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#boottermnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/bo/bootterm/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Windows
Scoopverified · 92%
scoop install extras/btScoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/bt.json · source: api.github.com
Windows Package Managerverified · 92%
winget install --id QwerProg.bt -eWindows Package Manager source index · QwerProg.bt · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com
overview
Package summary
Simple, reliable and powerful terminal to ease connection to serial ports
Project links
Commands and aliases
- bt
history
Project history and usage
BootTerm is a small serial-terminal CLI focused on the awkward moment when USB serial ports appear, disappear, and change names during board boot and flashing. It is a niche but polished tool for embedded developers working with SBCs, USB UART adapters, and bootloader consoles.
Project history
The README describes BootTerm as a simple, reliable terminal designed for ephemeral serial ports, especially USB-based ports on single-board computers. Its feature set grew around automatic port detection, waiting for new or any port, non-standard baud rates, break sequences, RTS/DTR toggling, captures, timestamps, and a single `bt` binary with no unusual dependencies.
The official GitHub tags show v0.1 through v0.5, with release metadata for v0.2 in December 2020, v0.3 and v0.4 in early 2021, and v0.5 in April 2024. Release names mention macOS support, ttyACM detection, timestamps, CRLF handling, and escape-mode refinements.
Adoption history
Adoption is mostly among embedded Linux and board bring-up users rather than the general terminal-emulator audience. Package-manager metadata in the input shows availability through Alpine, Debian, Homebrew, Nix, Scoop, and winget, which is broad for a deliberately tiny serial-port utility.
How it is used
The common workflow is `bt` with no argument to connect to the most recently registered serial device, `bt -l` to list candidates, `bt -n` to wait for a newly attached USB serial device, and baud or control-pin options for board reset and bootloader interactions.
Why package nerds care
BootTerm matters to package nerds because it is a focused replacement for heavier terminal programs in one specific packaging niche: reproducible board bring-up scripts and USB serial workflows. Its single-binary, libc-only style makes it easy for distributions to ship and for cross-platform embedded users to trust.
Timeline
- 2020: v0.2 release adds refined detection, filtering, and macOS support.
- 2021: v0.3 and v0.4 releases improve timestamps, ttyACM detection, CRLF, and escape handling.
- 2024: v0.5 published on GitHub.
Related projects
- Related tools include classic serial terminals such as minicom, screen, picocom, and tio, plus flashing scripts that need to wait for and identify USB serial devices.
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 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
bt | 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 version0.5
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv0.5
https://github.com/wtarreau/bootterm
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:bootterm |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.5 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/bootterm |
| Homepage | https://github.com/wtarreau/bootterm |
| Repository | https://github.com/wtarreau/bootterm |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/wtarreau/bootterm#readme |
| License | MIT |
| Source archive | https://github.com/wtarreau/bootterm/archive/refs/tags/v0.5.tar.gz |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, monterey, 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 | bootterm |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| 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%
bootterm 0.5-1+b1
simple terminal to ease connections with SBCs
https://github.com/wtarreau/bootterm
sudo apt install bootterm- Section: comm
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: bootterm
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Bootterm
Nix95%
bootterm
nix profile install nixpkgs#bootterm- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Bootterm
apk95%
bootterm 0.5-r0
Simple, reliable and powerful terminal designed to ease connection to ephemeral serial ports
https://github.com/wtarreau/bootterm
sudo apk add bootterm- License: MIT
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: bootterm
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Bootterm
apk95%
bootterm-dbg 0.5-r0
Simple, reliable and powerful terminal designed to ease connection to ephemeral serial ports (debug symbols)
https://github.com/wtarreau/bootterm
sudo apk add bootterm-dbg- License: MIT
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: bootterm
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Bootterm
Scoop92%
extras/bt
scoop install extras/bt- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Bt
winget92%
QwerProg.bt
winget install --id QwerProg.bt -e- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Bt
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