install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install netwatch

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#netwatch

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

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S netwatch

Arch Linux sync databases · netwatch · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

Windows

Scoopverified · 92%

scoop install main/netwatch

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/netwatch.json · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Cross-platform realtime network diagnostics TUI

Project links

Commands and aliases

netwatch

history

Project history and usage

NetWatch is a young Rust terminal tool for live network diagnostics and forensics. Its upstream README positions it as a zero-config binary for seeing live network activity, mapping connections to processes, decoding protocols, and preserving incident evidence from a terminal workflow.

Project history

The public project is centered on matthart1983/netwatch and the NetWatch Labs site. GitHub showed the repository at roughly 2.2k stars, 84 forks, 282 commits, and 60 releases when researched on 2026-07-01. Homebrew listed stable version 0.25.9, matching the active cadence visible in the GitHub releases page.

Adoption history

Adoption looks like a fast-moving specialist tool rather than a long-established Unix utility. Homebrew analytics reported 275 install-on-request events over 30, 90, and 365 day windows, which suggests Homebrew adoption was concentrated in a single early window. The upstream README also exposes crates.io and release badges and mentions Terminal Trove recognition, so its early spread appears to be through Rust/terminal-tool circles and security/networking communities.

How it is used

Package users install it as a single binary and run `netwatch` for interface stats, connection views, and configuration, or `sudo netwatch` for packet capture and health probes. The README documents a TLS inspection workflow using `SSLKEYLOGFILE` for traffic the operator controls, plus tabs for dashboard, connections, interfaces, packets, stats, topology, timeline, processes, and optional insights.

The package-nerd angle is that NetWatch bundles several tasks people often split across `iftop`, `lsof`, `ss`, `tcpdump`, Wireshark, and ad hoc shell pipelines: per-process network attribution, libpcap capture, protocol decoding, TLS keylog-file decryption, JA4-oriented threat hunting, and evidence bundle export.

Why package nerds care

NetWatch is notable less as a foundational package and more as part of the 2025-2026 wave of Rust TUI observability tools: one static-ish terminal binary with polished UX, Homebrew packaging, Cargo install path, and security-oriented defaults.

Timeline

2026-06-27: GitHub releases page showed v0.25.9.
2026-07-01: Homebrew formula API reported stable 0.25.9 and 275 install-on-request events in the 365-day analytics window.

Related projects

SysWatch and DiskWatch are listed by upstream as sibling tools with the same TUI style.
NetWatch Cloud, netwatch-agent, netwatch-sdk, and netwatch-dashboard are related projects referenced from the upstream README.

Sources

security posture

No protected-tool coverage found yet

No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for netwatch. 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.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`netwatch`	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 generated2026-07-25

manager version0.26.1

manager updated2026-07-04

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv0.26.1

https://github.com/matthart1983/netwatch

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:netwatch
Version	0.26.1
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/netwatch
Homepage	https://www.netwatchlabs.com/labs/netwatch
Repository	https://github.com/matthart1983/netwatch
Upstream docs	https://github.com/matthart1983/netwatch#readme
License	MIT
Source archive	https://github.com/matthart1983/netwatch/archive/refs/tags/v0.26.1.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-07-04T07:03:38Z
Pulse	updated
Build dependencies	rust
Uses from macOS	libpcap
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, 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	netwatch
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	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%

netwatch

nix profile install nixpkgs#netwatch

normalized package name match
Matched by: Netwatch

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ne/netwatch/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

pacman95%

netwatch 1.3.1_2-4

monitor network connections

http://www.slctech.org/~mackay/NETWATCH/netwatch.html

sudo pacman -S netwatch

License: GPL
Architecture: x86_64
1 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Netwatch

Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: netwatch from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

Scoop95%

main/netwatch

scoop install main/netwatch

normalized package name match
Matched by: Netwatch

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · api.github.com · Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/netwatch.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

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

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/netwatch.yml

Used sources

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

Install netwatch with Homebrew, Nix, pacman, scoop