# Install netcat with Homebrew, apt, dnf, Nix, pacman, scoop, zypper Utility for managing network connections. Version 0.7.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:netcat ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install netcat ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install netcat-traditional ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: netcat-traditional from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install netcat ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: netcat 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#netcat ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: netcat from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/master/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S openbsd-netcat ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: openbsd-netcat from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install netcat-openbsd ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: netcat-openbsd from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ### Windows - Scoop (92%): ```sh scoop install main/netcat ``` Evidence: Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/netcat.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:netcat - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.7.1 - **Source summary:** Utility for managing network connections - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - nc (cli) - netcat (cli) - nc (alias) - netcat (alias) ## Build dependencies - autoconf - automake ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 0.7.1 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://netcat.sourceforge.net/ - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage Homebrew's netcat formula packages GNU Netcat 0.7.1, a GPL implementation of the classic nc-style tool for reading and writing TCP/UDP connections. Its own homepage frames it as both a scriptable back-end and a network debugging/exploration utility, with outbound and inbound connections, tunneling, and port-scanning features. ### Project history GNU Netcat is separate from the original Hobbit netcat lineage. The GNU project page records active development milestones in 2002, including a beta label starting with version 0.4 on May 15, 2002, and a core rewrite beginning around version 0.3 on May 2, 2002. The downloads page lists 0.7.1 as the current version and gives its release date as January 11, 2004; that long-stable release is what Homebrew distributes. ### Adoption history The package's adoption is mostly legacy and compatibility-driven rather than fast-moving. On July 1, 2026, the Homebrew formula page showed 12,774 installs over 365 days and 790 installs over 30 days, evidence that people still install this GNU variant even though many systems also ship OpenBSD nc, Nmap ncat, or other netcat-compatible tools. ### How it is used Package nerds use it for quick socket plumbing: listen on a port, connect to a host and port, test TCP/UDP reachability, move bytes between shell pipelines and sockets, or build small ad hoc tunnels. The important packaging detail is that behavior and flags vary across netcat implementations, so installing brew:netcat is often a way to get the old GNU semantics intentionally instead of relying on the platform-provided nc. ### Why package nerds care This is a small but historically important compatibility package: not glamorous, not actively evolving, but useful when scripts expect GNU Netcat's option set. Its significance is mostly in being one of the archetypal Unix network Swiss-army-knife tools and a source of recurring packaging confusion because nc/netcat names are shared by several implementations. ### Timeline - 2002-05-02: GNU netcat 0.3 development and a core rewrite were announced on the project news page. - 2002-05-15: GNU Netcat entered beta status with version 0.4. - 2004-01-11: GNU Netcat 0.7.1 was released. - 2026-07-01: Homebrew listed stable version 0.7.1 and 12,774 installs over 365 days. ### Related projects - OpenBSD netcat - Nmap ncat - socat ### Sources - - - - ## Security Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. - **Geiger risk:** blue / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** netcat - **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 - netcat-traditional - 1.10-50: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: netcat-traditional from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | TCP/IP swiss army knife | http://www.stearns.org/nc/ - Nix - netcat: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: netcat from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/master/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix - Ubuntu apt - netcat-traditional - 1.10-48: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: netcat-traditional from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | TCP/IP swiss army knife | http://www.stearns.org/nc/ - dnf - netcat - 1.238-1.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: netcat from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | OpenBSD netcat to read and write data across connections using TCP or UDP | https://man.openbsd.org/nc.1 - pacman - openbsd-netcat - 1.238_1-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: openbsd-netcat from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | TCP/IP swiss army knife. OpenBSD variant. | https://salsa.debian.org/debian/netcat-openbsd - zypper - netcat-openbsd - 1.229-1.3: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: netcat-openbsd from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | TCP/IP swiss army knife | https://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb/src/usr.bin/nc/ - Scoop - main/netcat: normalized package name match | Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/netcat.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - dnf - nmap-ncat - 7.92-9.fc45: installed executable or alias match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: nmap-ncat from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Nmap's Netcat replacement | http://nmap.org/ ## Related links - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [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. - [autoconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/autoconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [automake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/automake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [net-tools](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/net-tools/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, network-utilities, networking. - [udptunnel](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/udptunnel/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, tcp, udp. - [dish](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dish/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, tcp. - [dns2tcp](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dns2tcp/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, tcp. - [iperf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/iperf/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, tcp, udp. - [iperf3](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/iperf3/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, tcp, udp. - [nuttcp](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/nuttcp/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, tcp, udp. - [redir](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/redir/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, tcp. - [cidrmerge](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cidrmerge/) - Local metadata places this package in an adjacent workflow. Shared terms: cli, network, networking. - [bittwist](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bittwist/) - Local metadata places this package in an adjacent workflow. Shared terms: cli, network, networking. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/netcat.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/netcat.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