macOS
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brew install http_loadlocal Homebrew formula metadata
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Install http_load with Homebrew
Test throughput of a web server by running parallel fetches. Version 20160309 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Test throughput of a web server by running parallel fetches
Project links
Commands and aliases
- http_load
history
Project history and usage
http_load is an ACME Labs command-line load tester for running many HTTP fetches in parallel from a single process. It is an older, small C-style web benchmarking utility focused on throughput and response timing rather than full browser simulation.
Project history
ACME's software page describes http_load as a multiprocessing HTTP test client and links a dated source tarball. An ACME Updates entry from 14 November 2001 announced a new version with features including settable timeout, HTTP response-code histograms, random source IP selection, and SSL cipher selection.
Adoption history
The Homebrew formula in the input metadata is the visible package-manager adoption point for this batch. The package's long-lived ACME Labs hosting and BSD-style source distribution place it among the small Unix web-testing utilities that predate many heavier benchmark suites.
How it is used
Users provide a file of URLs, choose whether to start requests by rate or simulated users, and choose whether to stop after a number of fetches or elapsed seconds. Optional flags cover checksums, throttling, random jitter, progress reports, HTTPS, and response-code reporting.
Why package nerds care
http_load is package-nerd significant as a compact historical benchmark tool from the ACME Labs web-software ecosystem. It is the kind of tiny package that persists because it has a narrow job, builds quickly, and fits shell-driven server testing.
Timeline
- 2001: ACME announced an http_load version with timeout, response-code histogram, random source-IP, and SSL cipher features.
- 2006: The ACME source tarball naming shows a 12mar2006 release archive.
- 2016: The ACME download link points to a 09Mar2016 source tarball.
- 2026: Homebrew metadata in the batch includes http_load as a packaged formula.
Related projects
- ACME's page links related tools http_ping, http_get, and thttpd. Broader neighbors include ab, siege, httperf, wrk, curl-based scripts, and other command-line HTTP load-test tools.
Sources
- ACME Labs software page, ACME Updates archive, source tarball metadata, and Homebrew input metadata.
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:http,server
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 13 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.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
http_load | 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 version20160309
manager updated2026-06-22
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://www.acme.com/software/http_load/
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.acme.com/software/http_load/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:http_load |
|---|---|
| Version | 20160309 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/http_load |
| Homepage | https://www.acme.com/software/http_load/ |
| Upstream docs | https://www.acme.com/software/http_load |
| License | BSD-2-Clause |
| Source archive | https://www.acme.com/software/http_load/http_load-09Mar2016.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-22T14:03:44-07:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | openssl@3 |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, 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 | http_load |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 2 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | yes |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
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
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment