Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install k6 with Homebrew, chocolatey, MacPorts, Nix, scoop, winget, zypper

Modern load testing tool, using Go and JavaScript. Version 2.1.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-30.

Install commandSecurity notes

agent safety

Agent safety answer

k6 runs load tests that can hit local or remote systems with scripted traffic.

Credential access

Reads environment variables, test scripts, and optional cloud tokens.

Remote mutation

Can generate traffic against production endpoints or upload cloud results.

Publish/artifact risk

Can publish test results or stress external systems.

Recommended control

Gate cloud uploads, production targets, and secret-backed test runs.

Agent-use guidance

Allow local dry tests; require approval for remote load, cloud output, and tokens.

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install k6

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install k6

MacPorts ports tree · net/k6/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#k6

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/k6/k6/package.nix · source: api.github.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install k6

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · k6 · source: download.opensuse.org

overview

Package summary

Modern load testing tool, using Go and JavaScript

Commands and aliases

  • k6

history

Project history and usage

Grafana k6 is an open source load and performance testing tool written in Go with test scripts authored in JavaScript or TypeScript, designed for developer-friendly reliability testing from local runs through cloud and CI workflows.

Project history

k6 began as an open source load-testing tool from Load Impact, with public releases visible from 2017. It combined a Go runtime with JavaScript test scripts, aiming to make load tests feel like code that developers could keep with application projects.

Load Impact rebranded around k6 in 2020, including the GitHub repository move from `loadimpact/k6` to `k6io/k6`. Grafana Labs acquired the Stockholm-based k6 company in June 2021 and folded the project into Grafana's observability stack.

In 2025, Grafana announced k6 1.0 as a general-availability milestone with Semantic Versioning, stability guarantees, TypeScript support, native extensibility, and a stronger long-term support story.

Adoption history

k6 adoption grew from teams wanting scripted, automatable load testing without older GUI-heavy workflows. Its JavaScript API, CLI-first design, thresholds, CI integrations, and Grafana/Prometheus-friendly metrics made it attractive to developers, SREs, QA engineers, and platform teams.

After the Grafana acquisition, k6 became part of a broader observability loop: generate load with k6, observe behavior in Grafana-backed systems, and use cloud or Kubernetes execution when local tests are not enough.

How it is used

Users write test scenarios in JavaScript or TypeScript and run them with `k6 run`, often checking thresholds in CI. More advanced setups send metrics to observability backends, run distributed tests, use extensions, or execute tests through Grafana Cloud k6.

Why package nerds care

k6 is significant because it made load testing feel like a normal developer CLI dependency: install a binary, commit scripts, run in CI, and export metrics. Its Go-plus-JavaScript architecture also makes it an interesting packaging target: a single executable with an embedded scripting engine and extension ecosystem.

Timeline

  • 2017: k6 public releases were published under the Load Impact era.
  • 2020: Load Impact rebranded to k6 and moved the GitHub repository to the k6 organization.
  • 2021: Grafana Labs acquired k6 on June 17.
  • 2025: Grafana announced k6 1.0 with stability guarantees and Semantic Versioning.

Related projects

  • k6 is related to Grafana, Grafana Cloud k6, Prometheus-style metrics workflows, xk6 extensions, the k6 Kubernetes operator, and older load-testing tools such as JMeter, Gatling, and Locust.

security posture

No protected-tool coverage found yet

No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for k6. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.

Install behavior

  • No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
  • Build metadata lists 1 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.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

macOS
~/Library/Application Support/k6/config.json
Unix
~/.config/k6/config.json

Credential files

Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.

macOS
~/Library/Application Support/k6/config.json
Unix
~/.config/k6/config.json

executables

Installed executables

CommandKindExposureNote
k6cliglobal 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 version2.1.0
manager updated2026-06-30
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv2.1.0

https://github.com/grafana/k6

  • okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:k6
Version2.1.0
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/k6
Homepagehttps://k6.io
Repositoryhttps://github.com/grafana/k6
Upstream docshttps://grafana.com/docs/k6/latest
LicenseAGPL-3.0-or-later
Source archivehttps://github.com/grafana/k6/archive/refs/tags/v2.1.0.tar.gz
Last updated2026-06-30T09:51:09Z
Pulseupdated
Build dependenciesgo
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namek6
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Head VersionHEAD
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • head
  • stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Nix95%

k6

nix profile install nixpkgs#k6
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: K6
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/k6/k6/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
zypper95%

k6 2.0.0-1.1

Modern load testing tool, using Go and JavaScript

https://github.com/grafana/k6

sudo zypper install k6
  • License: AGPL-3.0
  • Category: Unspecified
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: k6
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: K6
openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: k6 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst
zypper95%

k6-bash-completion 2.0.0-1.1

Bash Completion for k6

https://github.com/grafana/k6

sudo zypper install k6-bash-completion
  • License: AGPL-3.0
  • Category: System/Shells
  • Architecture: noarch
  • Source Package: k6
  • 2 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: K6
openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: k6-bash-completion from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst
zypper95%

k6-fish-completion 2.0.0-1.1

Fish Completion for k6

https://github.com/grafana/k6

sudo zypper install k6-fish-completion
  • License: AGPL-3.0
  • Category: System/Shells
  • Architecture: noarch
  • Source Package: k6
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: K6
openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: k6-fish-completion from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst
zypper95%

k6-zsh-completion 2.0.0-1.1

Zsh Completion for k6

https://github.com/grafana/k6

sudo zypper install k6-zsh-completion
  • License: AGPL-3.0
  • Category: System/Shells
  • Architecture: noarch
  • Source Package: k6
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: K6
openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: k6-zsh-completion from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst
MacPorts95%

k6

sudo port install k6
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: K6
MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: net/k6/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Chocolatey95%

k6

choco install k6
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: K6
Chocolatey community package catalog · community.chocolatey.org · Chocolatey community package catalog: k6 from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='11','jetbrains-rider'
Scoop95%

main/k6

scoop install main/k6
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: K6
Scoop official bucket manifest trees · api.github.com · Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/k6.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1
winget95%

GrafanaLabs.k6

winget install --id GrafanaLabs.k6 -e
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: K6
Windows Package Manager source index · cdn.winget.microsoft.com · Windows Package Manager source index: GrafanaLabs.k6 from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

Related tools

  • goBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • xk6Shares the same upstream homepage.

Same workflow

  • artilleryShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, load-testing, performance-testing, testing.
  • bztShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, load-testing, performance-testing, testing.
  • cassowaryShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, go, load-testing, testing.
  • gorShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, go, load-testing, testing.
  • jmeterShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, load-testing, performance-testing, testing.
  • locustShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, load-testing, performance-testing, testing.

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.

combined/k6.yml

Used sources

  • Geiger risk classifier
  • Nucleus package database
  • av.db category and tag curation
  • cross-ecosystem install command graph
  • curated agent safety answer
  • curated configuration and credential file locations
  • curated package history
  • external package-manager database matches
  • package relationship graph
  • package version freshness
  • package-page enrichment