macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install ifstatlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install ifstatMacPorts ports tree · sysutils/ifstat/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install ifstat with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts
Tool to report network interface bandwidth. Version 1.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install ifstatDebian stable package indexes · ifstat · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install ifstatFedora Rawhide package metadata · ifstat · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
overview
Package summary
Tool to report network interface bandwidth
Project links
Commands and aliases
- ifstat
history
Project history and usage
ifstat is a small network-interface statistics tool by Gael Roualland. Its upstream page describes it as doing for network interfaces what vmstat and iostat do for other system counters.
The tool reports interface activity by reading operating-system counters directly, with optional SNMP support for remote hosts, routers, and switches.
Project history
The release history begins with v0.1 on 2001-12-02, supporting Linux 2.2 and /proc. Within days, v0.2 added FreeBSD ifmib, Solaris kstat, interface discovery, and man pages.
During 2001 and 2002 the tool gained BSD kvm support, ucd-snmp support, Debian and RPM packaging support, loopback handling, multiple driver support, timestamping, and cleaner internal driver structure.
Version 1.0 in 2003 broadened Unix support with IRIX, OpenBSD, BSD route sysctl, improved kvm, terminal resizing behavior, total bandwidth reporting, and static library support. Version 1.1 in 2004 added Digital Unix, Tru64, AIX, HP-UX, Win32, and net-snmp-config integration.
Adoption history
ifstat spread through classic Unix packaging channels because it solved a simple operational problem with a familiar interface: repeatable interface counters in a terminal. The supplied metadata lists Homebrew, Debian, Fedora, MacPorts, and Ubuntu package names.
Its adoption is also tied to portability. The upstream README lists Linux, Solaris, FreeBSD, IRIX, OpenBSD, NetBSD, Darwin, Digital Unix, AIX, HP-UX, and Win32 support, which made it useful on mixed Unix estates before Linux-only tooling dominated.
How it is used
Users run ifstat to watch receive and transmit rates for one or more interfaces. The README's usage section reduces the basic workflow to running the command and watching statistics update.
Administrators can use the build-time driver options to force or disable platform backends, and SNMP support lets the same style of output poll remote equipment when net-snmp or ucd-snmp is available.
Why package nerds care
ifstat is the sort of boring CLI package that explains why Unix package collections matter: it wraps many incompatible kernel-counter APIs behind one tiny command.
It also shows an older portability style, where configure checks, optional drivers, and per-OS counter backends made one C utility useful across a surprising number of operating systems.
Timeline
- 2001-12-02: v0.1 initial implementation with Linux /proc support.
- 2001-12-04: v0.2 adds FreeBSD ifmib and Solaris kstat support.
- 2001-12-24: v0.4 adds SNMP support through ucd-snmp.
- 2002-01-17: v0.5 adds packaging support and multiple driver work.
- 2003-04-21: v1.0 expands BSD and terminal behavior features.
- 2004-01-01: v1.1 adds more Unix and Win32 support.
Related projects
- vmstat and iostat are the conceptual models named by upstream.
- net-snmp, ucd-snmp, wmnet, and OS-specific kernel interfaces such as /proc/net/dev, kstat, ifmib, route sysctl, kvm, and GetIfTable are closely related to its implementation and use.
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:network
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
ifstat | 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
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
http://gael.roualland.free.fr/ifstat/
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.http://gael.roualland.free.fr/ifstat/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:ifstat |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.1 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/ifstat |
| Homepage | http://gael.roualland.free.fr/ifstat/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/matttbe/ifstat |
| Upstream docs | http://gael.roualland.free.fr/ifstat |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://deb.debian.org/debian/pool/main/i/ifstat/ifstat_1.1.orig.tar.gz |
| 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 | ifstat |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| 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%
ifstat 1.1.1-2+b1
InterFace STATistics Monitoring
http://gael.roualland.free.fr/ifstat/
sudo apt install ifstat- Section: net
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: ifstat
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ifstat
Debian apt95%
libifstat-dev 1.1.1-2+b1
Ifstat Development Files
http://gael.roualland.free.fr/ifstat/
sudo apt install libifstat-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: ifstat
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ifstat
Ubuntu apt95%
ifstat 1.1.1-2build2
InterFace STATistics Monitoring
http://gael.roualland.free.fr/ifstat/
sudo apt install ifstat- Section: universe/net
- Architecture: amd64
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ifstat
Ubuntu apt95%
libifstat-dev 1.1.1-2build2
Ifstat Development Files
http://gael.roualland.free.fr/ifstat/
sudo apt install libifstat-dev- Section: universe/devel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: ifstat
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ifstat
dnf95%
ifstat 1.1-50.fc44
Interface statistics
http://gael.roualland.free.fr/ifstat/
sudo dnf install ifstat- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ifstat
- 3 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ifstat
MacPorts95%
ifstat
sudo port install ifstat- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ifstat
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
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment