install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install eatmemory

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install eatmemory

MacPorts ports tree · sysutils/eatmemory/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add eatmemory

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · eatmemory · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

overview

Package summary

Simple program to allocate memory from the command-line

Project links

Commands and aliases

eatmemory

history

Project history and usage

eatmemory is a tiny command-line utility that allocates and holds a requested amount of RAM. Its significance is practical: it gives operators and developers a simple, packageable way to create memory pressure without installing a large stress-testing suite.

Project history

The public repository was created in August 2012. The README frames the tool as a one-job C99 binary that allocates, verifies, holds, and frees resident committed memory.

Recent releases show the project being modernized rather than expanded into a suite. Version 1.0.0 added broader platform work, CI organization, and release binaries; version 1.1.0 followed in May 2026 with packaged binaries for multiple Linux, macOS, and Windows architectures.

Adoption history

The input metadata records packaging in Homebrew, MacPorts, and Alpine. The upstream README also documents Homebrew installation and an official Docker image, which fits the tool's common use in local, container, and CI memory-limit tests.

How it is used

Users run commands such as `eatmemory 1G` or percentage-based allocations to test swap, container memory limits, Kubernetes eviction behavior, alerts, degradation under pressure, autoscaling, and noisy-neighbor scenarios.

Why package nerds care

eatmemory is a good example of the Unix packaging sweet spot: a tiny C tool with no runtime dependencies, obvious behavior, and measurable operational value. It overlaps with stress-ng but intentionally keeps the interface narrow.

Timeline

2012: Public repository created.
2015: v0.1.4 release published.
2023: v0.1.9 added timed exit and improved argument parsing.
2026: v1.0.0 and v1.1.0 releases added modern release binaries and platform support.

Related projects

stress-ng is the comparison tool named by the README. The README also documents Docker Hub image usage for container memory testing.

Sources

security posture

No protected-tool coverage found yet

No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for eatmemory. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 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
`eatmemory`	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 version1.1.0

manager updated2026-05-15

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv1.1.0

https://github.com/julman99/eatmemory

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:eatmemory
Version	1.1.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/eatmemory
Homepage	https://github.com/julman99/eatmemory
Repository	https://github.com/julman99/eatmemory
Upstream docs	https://github.com/julman99/eatmemory#readme
License	MIT
Source archive	https://github.com/julman99/eatmemory/archive/refs/tags/v1.1.0.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-05-15T16:21:06Z
Pulse	updated
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	eatmemory
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

apk95%

eatmemory 0.1.6-r2

Simple C program to allocate memory from the command line

https://github.com/julman99/eatmemory

sudo apk add eatmemory

License: MIT
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: eatmemory
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Eatmemory

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: eatmemory from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

MacPorts95%

eatmemory

sudo port install eatmemory

normalized package name match
Matched by: Eatmemory

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/eatmemory/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

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.

combined/eatmemory.yml

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

Install eatmemory with Homebrew, apk, MacPorts