# Install flow-tools with Homebrew, dnf, MacPorts Collect, send, process, and generate NetFlow data reports. Version 0.68.5.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-19. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:flow-tools ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install flow-tools ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install flow-tools ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: net/flow-tools/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install flow-tools ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: flow-tools from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:flow-tools - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.68.5.1 - **Source summary:** Collect, send, process, and generate NetFlow data reports - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** BSD-2-Clause - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-19T12:30:40-07:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - flow-capture (cli) - flow-cat (cli) - flow-dscan (cli) - flow-expire (cli) - flow-export (cli) - flow-fanout (cli) - flow-filter (cli) - flow-gen (cli) - flow-header (cli) - flow-import (cli) - flow-log2rrd (cli) - flow-mask (cli) - flow-merge (cli) - flow-nfilter (cli) - flow-print (cli) - flow-receive (cli) - flow-report (cli) - flow-rpt2rrd (cli) - flow-rptfmt (cli) - flow-send (cli) - flow-split (cli) - flow-stat (cli) - flow-tag (cli) - flow-xlate (cli) - flow-capture (alias) - flow-cat (alias) - flow-dscan (alias) - flow-expire (alias) - flow-export (alias) - flow-fanout (alias) - flow-filter (alias) - flow-gen (alias) - flow-header (alias) - flow-import (alias) - flow-log2rrd (alias) - flow-mask (alias) - flow-merge (alias) - flow-nfilter (alias) - flow-print (alias) - flow-receive (alias) - flow-report (alias) - flow-rpt2rrd (alias) - flow-rptfmt (alias) - flow-send (alias) - flow-split (alias) - flow-stat (alias) - flow-tag (alias) - flow-xlate (alias) ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 0.68.5.1 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-19 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://code.google.com/archive/p/flow-tools/ - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage flow-tools is a suite of command-line programs and a library for collecting, processing, storing, filtering, replaying, and reporting on NetFlow export data. ### Project history The archived upstream README says flow-tools was originally written by Mark Fullmer while he was working at Ohio State University, with documentation, functionality, and feedback from Steve Romig and the OSU network security group. It also credits OARnet and the Ohio ITEC with funding work on version 8 PDU support and other features. The project's older changelog shows an established pre-Git release history through the early 2000s, including 0.65, 0.66, 0.67, and 0.68 releases. The source now lives in the Google Code archive, preserving the code, SGML man pages, examples, and historical changelog. ### Adoption history flow-tools circulated as a Unix network-operations package for sites collecting Cisco and Juniper NetFlow exports. The changelog records fixes and requested features from universities, network operators, and backbone users, reflecting use in operational traffic accounting and troubleshooting environments. ### How it is used The toolset is composed of small Unix-style commands such as flow-capture, flow-cat, flow-report, flow-filter, flow-print, flow-send, and flow-gen. Official man-page sources describe deployments on one server or split across multiple servers for larger flow-collection setups. Common use cases include collecting router exports, concatenating short capture windows into longer report windows, filtering records, generating top-talkers and AS reports, tagging customer networks, exporting to other formats, and replaying or generating NetFlow data for tests. ### Why package nerds care For package maintainers, flow-tools is a classic example of a mature C networking utility suite: many small binaries, generated man pages, sample configuration files, and long-lived ABI/protocol assumptions around NetFlow versions. It remains relevant in package indexes because NetFlow workflows often depend on stable old command names. ### Timeline - 2003: flow-tools 0.65, 0.66, and 0.67 appear in the historical changelog. - 2005: flow-tools 0.68 is released with report post-processing helpers and many portability and NetFlow handling fixes. - 2016: Google Code archive preserves the upstream source repository snapshot. ### Related projects - The official documentation frames flow-tools around NetFlow exports from Cisco and Juniper routers and includes import/export support for cflowd-style data. ### Sources - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** flow-tools - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - dnf - flow-tools - 0.68.5.1-46.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: flow-tools from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Tool set for working with NetFlow data | http://code.google.com/p/flow-tools/ - dnf - flow-tools-devel - 0.68.5.1-46.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: flow-tools-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Development files for flow-tools | http://code.google.com/p/flow-tools/ - dnf - flow-tools-docs - 0.68.5.1-46.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: flow-tools-docs from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | HTML and other redundant docs for flow-tools | http://code.google.com/p/flow-tools/ - dnf - flow-tools-rrdtool - 0.68.5.1-46.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: flow-tools-rrdtool from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Scripts for flow-tools to build rrd graphs | http://code.google.com/p/flow-tools/ - MacPorts - flow-tools: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: net/flow-tools/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Archive and compression packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/archive-compression-tools/) - Matched archive or compression metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Database and data packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/database-data-tools/) - Matched database, SQL, migration, or data-store metadata. - [flow](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/flow/) - Package name indicates the same formula family. - [fprobe](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fprobe/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, netflow, networking, traffic-analysis. - [ndpi](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ndpi/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, traffic-analysis. - [yconalyzer](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/yconalyzer/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, traffic-analysis. - [libprotoident](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libprotoident/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, traffic-analysis. - [nfdump](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/nfdump/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, netflow, networking, traffic-analysis. - [darkstat](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/darkstat/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, traffic-analysis. - [dnstop](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dnstop/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, traffic-analysis. - [fastnetmon](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fastnetmon/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, netflow, networking. - [hostdb](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/hostdb/) - Local metadata places this package in an adjacent workflow. Shared terms: cli, generate, network, networking. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/flow-tools.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/flow-tools.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph