macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install conserverlocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install conserver with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, Nix, zypper
Allows multiple users to watch a serial console at the same time. Version 8.3.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add conserverAlpine Linux edge package indexes · conserver · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install conserver-clientDebian stable package indexes · conserver-client · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install conserverFedora Rawhide package metadata · conserver · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#conservernixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/co/conserver/package.nix · source: api.github.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install gnome-consoleopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · gnome-console · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Allows multiple users to watch a serial console at the same time
Project links
Commands and aliases
- conserver
- console
history
Project history and usage
Conserver is a console-server daemon and client for shared serial-console access, logging, and remote operations. It belongs to the older system-administration world of terminal servers, crash consoles, out-of-band access, and forensic console logs.
Project history
The official site defines Conserver as an application that lets multiple users watch a serial console at the same time, log traffic, grant one writer at a time, and access equipment over the network. The conserver(8) manual describes the daemon, console client, logging, access control, authentication, and multi-server redirection model.
The CHANGES file shows a long pre-GitHub lineage. It notes many poorly tracked variations before version 6.05, a public web page by version 6.10 in January 1999, GNU configure-based packaging in version 7.0.0 in February 2001, and continued maintenance through version 8.3.0 in February 2026.
Adoption history
Conserver's adoption is tied to data-center operations rather than consumer CLI fashion. The official site emphasizes reviewing crashes, tracking console changes, feeding console logs into monitoring, mentoring during live work, and reaching equipment remotely.
Input package metadata lists Conserver across Homebrew, apk, Debian/Ubuntu client packages, Fedora/dnf, Nix, and other distributions, which fits its role as durable sysadmin infrastructure.
How it is used
Operators run conserver as a daemon, configure consoles in conserver.cf, authenticate through conserver.passwd, and use the console client to attach, watch, take write access, replay logs, or coordinate with other users.
The manual documents local serial ports, Unix domain sockets, TCP sockets for terminal servers, and external programs as console connection types.
Why package nerds care
Conserver is package-nerd archaeology that still earns its keep. It packages a very specific operational workflow: serial-console multiplexing and logging for machines that may be unreachable by SSH or normal network services.
Its CHANGES file is also a history of portability work: Solaris, BSD, Linux, Cygwin, IPv6, OpenSSL, GSS-API, FreeBSD CI, autoconf updates, and downstream packaging fixes appear across decades.
Timeline
- Before 1999: CHANGES records many pre-6.05 variations with limited tracking.
- 1999: Version 6.10 notes that the web page was up and running.
- 2001: Version 7.0.0 introduces GNU configure-based packaging.
- 2018: Version 8.2.2 notes documentation adjustments after the move to GitHub.
- 2026: Version 8.3.0 is released with fixes and packaging/build updates.
Related projects
- Terminal servers, serial consoles, IPMI serial-over-LAN, OpenSSL, tcp-wrappers, PAM, and GSS-API are adjacent operational technologies documented in the manual and CHANGES file.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: blue
broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.
Risk classifier
blue risk · medium confidence · tool
Why
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
Signals
- text:server
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
Configuration and credential file locations
These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.
Configuration files
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Unix
/etc/conserver.cf/etc/console.cf~/.consolerc
Credential files
Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.
- Unix
/etc/conserver.passwd
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
conserver | cli | global executable | |
console | 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 version8.3.0
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://github.com/bstansell/conserver
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/bstansell/conservernone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:conserver |
|---|---|
| Version | 8.3.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/conserver |
| Homepage | https://www.conserver.com/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/bstansell/conserver |
| Upstream docs | https://conserver.com/ |
| License | BSD-3-Clause |
| Source archive | https://github.com/bstansell/conserver/releases/download/v8.3.0/conserver-8.3.0.tar.gz |
| Dependencies | openssl@3 |
| Uses from macOS | krb5, libxcrypt |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, 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 | conserver |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Conflicts With |
|
| 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%
conserver-client 8.2.7-3
connect to a console server
sudo apt install conserver-client- Section: comm
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: conserver
- 5 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Conserver
Debian apt95%
conserver-server 8.2.7-3
connect multiple user to a serial console with logging
sudo apt install conserver-server- Section: comm
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: conserver
- 11 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Conserver
Nix95%
conserver
nix profile install nixpkgs#conserver- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Conserver
Ubuntu apt95%
conserver-client 8.2.7-2build2
connect to a console server
sudo apt install conserver-client- Section: universe/comm
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: conserver
- 5 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Conserver
Ubuntu apt95%
conserver-server 8.2.7-2build2
connect multiple user to a serial console with logging
sudo apt install conserver-server- Section: universe/comm
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: conserver
- 11 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Conserver
apk95%
conserver 8.3.0-r0
Serial console remote sharing and logging daemon
sudo apk add conserver- License: BSD-3-Clause AND BSD-4-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: conserver
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Conserver
apk95%
conserver-doc 8.3.0-r0
Serial console remote sharing and logging daemon (documentation)
sudo apk add conserver-doc- License: BSD-3-Clause AND BSD-4-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: conserver
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Conserver
apk95%
conserver-openrc 8.3.0-r0
Serial console remote sharing and logging daemon (OpenRC init scripts)
sudo apk add conserver-openrc- License: BSD-3-Clause AND BSD-4-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: conserver
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Conserver
dnf95%
conserver 8.3.0-1.fc44
Serial console server daemon/client
sudo dnf install conserver- License: BSD-3-Clause AND Zlib
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: conserver
- 10 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Conserver
dnf95%
conserver-client 8.3.0-1.fc44
Serial console client
sudo dnf install conserver-client- License: BSD-3-Clause AND Zlib
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: conserver
- 5 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Conserver
zypper92%
gnome-console 50.0-1.2
A minimal terminal for GNOME
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/console
sudo zypper install gnome-console- License: GPL-3.0-only
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: gnome-console
- 11 dependencies
- 5 provides
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Console
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 configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment