# Install sntop with Homebrew, apt Curses-based utility that polls hosts to determine connectivity. Version 1.4.3 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:sntop ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install sntop ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install sntop ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: sntop from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:sntop - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.4.3 - **Source summary:** Curses-based utility that polls hosts to determine connectivity - **Homepage:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-only - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - sntop (cli) - sntop (alias) ## Dependencies - fping ## Uses from macOS - ncurses ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Caveats: sntop uses fping by default and fping can only be run by root by default. You can run `sudo sntop` (or `sntop -p` which uses standard ping). You should be certain that you trust any software you grant root privileges. - 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: 1.4.3 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://sntop.sourceforge.net/ - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage sntop is a small ncurses, top-like monitor for checking whether configured network hosts are reachable. It is a SourceForge-era Unix utility: simple C code, terminal UI, fping/ping underneath, and package-manager availability for administrators who want a lightweight status board. ### Project history The official project site credits Robert M. Love and Chris M. Rivera and describes sntop as an ncurses-based console utility for monitoring host connectivity. It uses fping, with ping as a supported fallback, and displays results in a top-like format. SourceForge's files page lists sntop 1.4.3 as a release from November 2001, placing the tool in the early-2000s wave of small Unix admin utilities distributed through SourceForge tarballs, RPMs, and Debian packages. ### Adoption history The input records Homebrew, Debian, and Ubuntu packages. SourceForge's file tree also includes source, source RPM, i386 RPM, and Debian-package areas, showing that sntop was packaged for multiple Unix/Linux consumption styles. ### How it is used Administrators configure hosts, then use sntop to poll them at intervals and view their status in a terminal. The official page also mentions HTML generation, secure terminal mode, color support, daemon mode, and running external files when a host changes state or goes down. ### Why package nerds care Package nerds care because sntop is exactly the kind of tiny operational tool that survives through distro recipes: it wraps existing primitives like fping in a curses display, has almost no conceptual overhead, and remains useful on servers where a full monitoring stack would be excessive. ### Timeline - 2001: SourceForge files page lists sntop 1.4.3 released. - 2000s: SourceForge distribution includes source tarballs plus RPM and Debian packaging areas. - 2026: Input package-manager facts list Homebrew, Debian, and Ubuntu packages. ### Related projects - Related tools include fping, ping, top-style terminal monitors, and larger network monitoring systems. ### Sources - - - - source_facts.package-manager ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## 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 - Unix: ~/.sntoprc, /etc/sntoprc ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** sntop - **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 - sntop - 1.4.3-8: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: sntop from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | curses-based utility that polls hosts to determine connectivity | https://sourceforge.net/projects/sntop - Ubuntu apt - sntop - 1.4.3-6: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: sntop from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | curses-based utility that polls hosts to determine connectivity | https://sourceforge.net/projects/sntop ## 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. - [fping](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fping/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [iftop](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/iftop/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, monitoring, network-monitoring, networking, terminal. - [prettyping](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/prettyping/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, monitoring, network-monitoring, networking, terminal. - [slurm](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/slurm/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, monitoring, network-monitoring, networking, terminal. - [bmon](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bmon/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, monitoring, network-monitoring, networking. - [bwm-ng](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bwm-ng/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, monitoring, network-monitoring, networking. - [fprobe](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fprobe/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, monitoring, network-monitoring, networking. - [heartbeat](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/heartbeat/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, monitoring, network-monitoring, networking. - [ifstat](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ifstat/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, monitoring, network-monitoring, networking. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/sntop.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/sntop.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - 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