# Install memtester with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman Utility for testing the memory subsystem. Version 4.7.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-04. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:memtester ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install memtester ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install memtester ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/memtester/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add memtester ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: memtester from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install memtester ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: memtester from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install memtester ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: memtester from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#memtester ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/me/memtester/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S memtester ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: memtester from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:memtester - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 4.7.1 - **Source summary:** Utility for testing the memory subsystem - **Homepage:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-only - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-04T13:13:43+09:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T18:08:21+00:00 ## Executables - memtester (cli) - memtester (alias) ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 4.7.1 - Package-manager updated: 2026-07-04 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://pyropus.ca/software/memtester/ - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage memtester is a GPL-2-only userspace utility for stress-testing a computer's memory subsystem for faults. Unlike boot-time memory-test environments, it runs under Unix-like operating systems and allocates memory from userspace. ### Project history The upstream README credits the original source to Simon Kirby in 1999, version 2 to Charles Cazabon in 1999, notes that version 3 was not publicly released, and describes version 4 as a 2004 rewrite by Cazabon. The rewrite focused on replacing hacky earlier code, improving portability, and making the tester fully 64-bit aware. The project page says memtester is portable across 32- and 64-bit Unix-like systems, including unusual proprietary Unix systems and Mac OS X. The 4.x changelog shows steady maintenance from the 2004 rewrite through 2024, with changes for 64-bit offsets, physical-address testing, portability fixes, compiler compatibility, and hardware-developer use cases. ### Adoption history memtester became a standard small system-utility package because it solves a practical diagnostic problem without needing a boot disk. The official page says prebuilt executables are included with or available for many operating systems and mentions Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora/DAG packages, NetBSD ports, MacPorts, and Solaris/SunOS sources; the batch input additionally lists apk, Homebrew, Debian, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, Arch, Ubuntu, and zypper package names. ### How it is used The basic invocation is `memtester [runs]`, usually as root so pages can be locked with `mlock`. The man page warns that unlocked testing is slower and less effective, that users must choose a safe allocation size, and that overcommitting memory can make a system unusable or trigger an out-of-memory killer. Hardware developers can use `-p` with an optional `-d` device to test a physical memory region mapped through `/dev/mem` or another device, and newer releases include options such as `-u` for uncached memory semantics on some systems. `MEMTESTER_TEST_MASK` can limit which tests run. ### Why package nerds care memtester is a classic sysadmin package: tiny C source, no elaborate build system, broad Unix portability, a man page, and a job that is easiest to trust when installed from the system package manager. It is also valuable to embedded and hardware bring-up workflows where userspace physical-memory testing is useful. ### Timeline - 1999: Original source by Simon Kirby; version 2 copyright by Charles Cazabon. - 2004-08-07: memtester 4.0.0 rewrite released for cleaner code, portability, and 64-bit awareness. - 2009-07-23: memtester 4.1.0 adds physical-region testing with `-p`. - 2012-06-09: memtester 4.3.0 adds alternate device mapping and MEMTESTER_TEST_MASK. - 2024-12-16: memtester 4.7.1 fixes stricter C23/gcc-15 compile compatibility. ### Related projects - memtester is related to boot-time memory testers and hardware diagnostic tools, but its niche is userspace Unix testing. It is commonly packaged alongside other low-level system utilities rather than developer profilers. ### Sources - - - - source_facts.package-manager-url ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** memtester - **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 - memtester - 4.7.1-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: memtester from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Utility for testing the memory subsystem | http://pyropus.ca/software/memtester/ - Nix - memtester: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/me/memtester/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - memtester - 4.6.0-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: memtester from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Utility for testing the memory subsystem | http://pyropus.ca/software/memtester/ - apk - memtester - 4.7.1-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: memtester from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | userspace utility for testing the memory subsystem for faults | https://pyropus.ca/software/memtester/ - apk - memtester-doc - 4.7.1-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: memtester-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | userspace utility for testing the memory subsystem for faults (documentation) | https://pyropus.ca/software/memtester/ - apk - memtester-static - 4.7.1-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: memtester-static from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | userspace utility for testing the memory subsystem for faults | https://pyropus.ca/software/memtester/ - dnf - memtester - 4.7.1-3.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: memtester from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Utility to test for faulty memory subsystem | http://pyropus.ca/software/memtester/ - pacman - memtester - 4.7.1-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: memtester from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | A userspace utility for testing the memory subsystem for faults | https://pyropus.ca./software/memtester/ - MacPorts - memtester: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/memtester/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Matched curated package taxonomy and local package facts. - [cyme](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cyme/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, hardware, system. - [dcled](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dcled/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, hardware, system. - [digitemp](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/digitemp/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, hardware, system. - [dpcmd](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dpcmd/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, hardware, system. - [eatmemory](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/eatmemory/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, diagnostics, system. - [framework-tool-tui](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/framework-tool-tui/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, hardware, system. - [garmintools](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/garmintools/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, hardware, system. - [gfxutil](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gfxutil/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, hardware, system. - [inxi](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/inxi/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, diagnostics, hardware, system. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/memtester.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/memtester.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