# Install hey with Homebrew, apk, apt, MacPorts, Nix, zypper HTTP load generator, ApacheBench (ab) replacement. Version 0.1.5 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:hey ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install hey ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install hey ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: www/hey/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add hey ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: hey from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install hey ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: hey from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#hey ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/he/hey/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install hey ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: hey from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:hey - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.1.5 - **Source summary:** HTTP load generator, ApacheBench (ab) replacement - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** Apache-2.0 - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - hey (cli) - hey (alias) ## Build dependencies - go ## 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: 0.1.5 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/rakyll/hey - Upstream latest detected: v0.1.5 (current) - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. ## Project history and usage hey is a small Go HTTP load generator and benchmarking CLI, explicitly described as an ApacheBench replacement. It sends concurrent requests to a URL and reports timing and response statistics. ### Project history The GitHub repository was created in September 2016. The README explains the naming history: the project was originally called boom, was influenced by Tarek Ziade's boom, and was renamed to hey to avoid binary-name conflicts and preserve the original boom name for its owner. The project stayed deliberately small: a single-purpose executable with flags for request count, concurrency, rate limiting, duration-based runs, output format, HTTP method, headers, body data, basic auth, proxy, keep-alive behavior, redirects, CPU count, and HTTP/2. ### Adoption history Homebrew packaging is documented directly in the README, and the batch metadata lists additional package-manager coverage in Alpine, Debian, MacPorts, Nix, Ubuntu, and openSUSE/Zypper. That spread reflects hey's role as a drop-in CLI utility for quick HTTP load checks. GitHub release pages show tagged 0.1.x releases and downloadable assets, including platform binaries in older releases. Later release notes document community pull requests and additions such as Dockerfile support, CI, DNS-output fixes, dependency upgrades, and a request-function hook for library-style traffic variation. ### How it is used The common use is intentionally direct: run hey against a URL, optionally choose total requests with -n, concurrency with -c, duration with -z, per-worker QPS with -q, and method/body/header options for non-GET requests. The README examples cover default requests, a 1000-request/100-worker run, duration-based load, POST bodies, custom headers, HTTP/2, and rate limiting. The tool sits between curl-style manual checks and heavier load-testing systems. It is most useful when a developer, operator, or package maintainer wants a quick repeatable command that can be installed with the local package manager and run without a service or scenario file. ### Why package nerds care hey is package-nerd significant because ApacheBench is ubiquitous but historically tied to Apache httpd packaging. hey gives users a small standalone Go binary with a modern CLI surface, HTTP/2 support, and easy cross-platform distribution. The rename from boom to hey is also a packaging lesson: executable names collide, and a short memorable binary name only works if it does not trample an existing tool's namespace. ### Timeline - 2016-09: GitHub repository metadata records creation of rakyll/hey. - 2016: The README records the rename from boom to hey after conflicts with Tarek Ziade's boom. - 2010s: README installation notes include platform binaries and Homebrew packaging. - 2020s: Release notes document continued maintenance through 0.1.x tags, including request-generation hooks, Dockerfile support, CI, and dependency updates. ### Related projects - Related tools include ApacheBench (ab), Tarek Ziade's boom, wrk, vegeta, bombardier, curl for single-request checks, and larger scenario-based load-testing systems. ### Sources - GitHub README provides the origin/rename explanation, ApacheBench-replacement description, installation, package-manager note, usage flags, HTTP/2 support, and examples. - GitHub release pages provide tagged release history and maintenance notes. - Homebrew formula metadata and the input package-manager map support the package-manager adoption summary. ## Security Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. generalized runtime or code generation signal. - **Geiger risk:** yellow / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal - generalized runtime or code generation signal ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** hey - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - hey - 0.1.4+ds-1+b8: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: hey from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Sends some load to a web application | https://github.com/rakyll/hey - Nix - hey: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/he/hey/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - hey - 0.1.4-2build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: hey from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Sends some load to a web application | https://github.com/rakyll/hey - apk - hey - 0.1.4-r41: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: hey from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | HTTP load generator | https://github.com/rakyll/hey - zypper - hey - 0.1.5-1.4: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: hey from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | HTTP load generator, ApacheBench (ab) replacement | https://github.com/rakyll/hey - MacPorts - hey: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: www/hey/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [go](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/go/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [cassowary](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cassowary/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, http, load-testing, testing. - [goku](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/goku/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, http, load-testing, testing. - [gor](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gor/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, http, load-testing, testing. - [siege](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/siege/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, http, load-testing, testing. - [tsung](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/tsung/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, http, load-testing, testing. - [vegeta](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/vegeta/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, http, load-testing, testing. - [ali](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ali/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: benchmark, cli, developer-tools, http, load-testing. - [artillery](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/artillery/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, load-testing, testing. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/hey.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/hey.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