macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install iputilslocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install iputils with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, Nix, pacman, zypper, winget
Set of small useful utilities for Linux networking. Version 20250605 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add iputilsAlpine Linux edge package indexes · iputils · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install iputils-arpingDebian stable package indexes · iputils-arping · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install iputilsFedora Rawhide package metadata · iputils · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#iputilsnixpkgs package indexes · iputils · source: raw.githubusercontent.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S iputilsArch Linux sync databases · iputils · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install iputilsopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · iputils · source: download.opensuse.org
Windows
Windows Package Managerverified · 92%
winget install --id WhoElse.Ping -eWindows Package Manager source index · WhoElse.Ping · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com
overview
Package summary
Set of small useful utilities for Linux networking
Project links
Commands and aliases
- clockdiff
- ping
- tracepath
history
Project history and usage
iputils is a compact Linux networking utility suite built around everyday diagnostic tools such as ping, arping, tracepath, and clockdiff. It packages the command-line instruments administrators reach for before heavier packet capture or routing-analysis tools.
Project history
The iputils README traces the project to Alexey Kuznetsov's 1999 releases, with a first downloadable release dated 1999-04-16 and later maintenance by Hideaki Yoshifuji from 2006 through 2015. The repository keeps that history visible in a dedicated History section rather than treating the tools as anonymous base-system commands.
The suite has been pruned over time. The README records removed tools such as ninfod, rarpd, rdisc, tftpd, and traceroute6, with replacements noted where appropriate. That pruning left the package focused on the small Linux network diagnostics that still fit its purpose.
Adoption history
iputils is widely packaged because ping and its sibling tools are expected on Linux systems, rescue environments, containers, CI images, and network troubleshooting hosts. The Homebrew formula and the distribution package names in the source facts reflect how the same upstream is split differently by downstream package managers.
The package also carries portability expectations across Linux libc implementations. Its README explicitly lists glibc, uClibc-ng, and musl support, which matters for Alpine, embedded systems, and container-focused distributions.
How it is used
Users invoke iputils tools for reachability checks, round-trip timing, path MTU discovery, simple route-path inspection, ARP probing, and clock-difference checks. The package deliberately stays close to the network stack and avoids becoming a broad monitoring framework.
Development guidance in the README asks bug reporters to document kernel and distribution details and suggests network namespaces for tests, which reflects the package's tight coupling to Linux kernel behavior.
Why package nerds care
iputils is package-nerd important because it turns 'ping' from a generic command expectation into a concrete upstream with release history, removed-program policy, libc support, and distribution-specific splits.
It is also a reminder that base utilities are not static: even tiny networking commands accumulate kernel compatibility, privilege-model, translation, and test-environment concerns.
Timeline
- 1999: Alexey Kuznetsov's iputils release line begins.
- 1999: First downloadable release listed as iputils-ss990417.
- 2006: Hideaki Yoshifuji's release line begins.
- 2015: Yoshifuji release line reaches s20151218.
- 2021: Several obsolete tools are listed with their last release before removal.
Related projects
- iputils overlaps historically with Linux iproute tooling, traceroute, mtr, tftp-hpa, dnsmasq, libc implementations, and the Linux kernel networking test surface.
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 2 platform targets.
- Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 2 build 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
clockdiff | cli | global executable | |
ping | cli | global executable | |
tracepath | 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 version20250605
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://github.com/iputils/iputils
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/iputils/iputilsnone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:iputils |
|---|---|
| Version | 20250605 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/iputils |
| Homepage | https://github.com/iputils/iputils |
| Repository | https://github.com/iputils/iputils |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/iputils/iputils#readme |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later AND BSD-3-Clause |
| Source archive | https://github.com/iputils/iputils/archive/refs/tags/20250605.tar.gz |
| Dependencies | libxslt |
| Build dependencies | meson, ninja |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, 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 | iputils |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Requirements |
|
| 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%
iputils-arping 3:20240905-3
Tool to send ICMP echo requests to an ARP address
https://github.com/iputils/iputils/
sudo apt install iputils-arping- Section: net
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: iputils
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Iputils
Debian apt95%
iputils-clockdiff 3:20240905-3
Measure the time difference between networked computers
https://github.com/iputils/iputils/
sudo apt install iputils-clockdiff- Section: net
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: iputils
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Iputils
Debian apt95%
iputils-ping 3:20240905-3
Tools to test the reachability of network hosts
https://github.com/iputils/iputils/
sudo apt install iputils-ping- Section: net
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: iputils
- 3 dependencies
- 1 provides
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Iputils
Debian apt95%
iputils-tracepath 3:20240905-3
Tools to trace the network path to a remote host
https://github.com/iputils/iputils/
sudo apt install iputils-tracepath- Section: net
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: iputils
- 1 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Iputils
Nix95%
iputils
nix profile install nixpkgs#iputils- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Iputils
Ubuntu apt95%
iputils-arping 3:20240117-1build1
Tool to send ICMP echo requests to an ARP address
https://github.com/iputils/iputils/
sudo apt install iputils-arping- Section: net
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: iputils
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Iputils
Ubuntu apt95%
iputils-clockdiff 3:20240117-1build1
Measure the time difference between networked computers
https://github.com/iputils/iputils/
sudo apt install iputils-clockdiff- Section: universe/net
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: iputils
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Iputils
Ubuntu apt95%
iputils-ping 3:20240117-1build1
Tools to test the reachability of network hosts
https://github.com/iputils/iputils/
sudo apt install iputils-ping- Section: net
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: iputils
- 4 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Iputils
Ubuntu apt95%
iputils-tracepath 3:20240117-1build1
Tools to trace the network path to a remote host
https://github.com/iputils/iputils/
sudo apt install iputils-tracepath- Section: net
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: iputils
- 1 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Iputils
apk95%
iputils 20250605-r2
IP Configuration Utilities
https://github.com/iputils/iputils/
sudo apk add iputils- License: BSD-3-Clause AND GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: iputils
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Iputils
apk95%
iputils-arping 20250605-r2
IP Configuration Utilities (arping utility)
https://github.com/iputils/iputils/
sudo apk add iputils-arping- License: BSD-3-Clause AND GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: iputils
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Iputils
apk95%
iputils-clockdiff 20250605-r2
IP Configuration Utilities (clockdiff utility)
https://github.com/iputils/iputils/
sudo apk add iputils-clockdiff- License: BSD-3-Clause AND GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: iputils
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Iputils
apk95%
iputils-doc 20250605-r2
IP Configuration Utilities (documentation)
https://github.com/iputils/iputils/
sudo apk add iputils-doc- License: BSD-3-Clause AND GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: iputils
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Iputils
apk95%
iputils-ping 20250605-r2
IP Configuration Utilities (ping utility)
https://github.com/iputils/iputils/
sudo apk add iputils-ping- License: BSD-3-Clause AND GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: iputils
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Iputils
apk95%
iputils-tracepath 20250605-r2
IP Configuration Utilities (tracepath utility)
https://github.com/iputils/iputils/
sudo apk add iputils-tracepath- License: BSD-3-Clause AND GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: iputils
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Iputils
dnf95%
iputils 20250605-2.fc44
Network monitoring tools including ping
https://github.com/iputils/iputils
sudo dnf install iputils- License: BSD-4-Clause-UC AND GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: iputils
- 5 dependencies
- 4 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Iputils
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