install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install stern

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install stern

MacPorts ports tree · sysutils/stern/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add stern

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · stern · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#stern

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

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S stern

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

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%

sudo zypper install stern

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

Windows

Chocolateyverified · 92%

choco install stern

Chocolatey community package catalog · stern · source: community.chocolatey.org

Scoopverified · 92%

scoop install main/stern

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

Windows Package Managerverified · 92%

winget install --id stern.stern -e

Windows Package Manager source index · stern.stern · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com

overview

Package summary

Tail multiple Kubernetes pods & their containers

Project links

Commands and aliases

stern

history

Project history and usage

stern is a Kubernetes log-tailing CLI for following multiple pods and containers at once. In package-manager culture it is the small, sharp alternative to repeating kubectl logs commands while debugging workloads.

Project history

The current stern project identifies itself as a friendly fork of the discontinued wercker/stern project. Its GitHub repository was created in 2020, and the README keeps the original purpose visible: tail matching Kubernetes pods, colorize output, and automatically follow pods as they appear or disappear.

Adoption history

stern is distributed through direct GitHub releases, Go install, asdf, Homebrew, Krew, and WinGet according to its README, while the input package metadata also lists Linux and Windows package managers. That spread reflects its role as a routine Kubernetes operator tool rather than a single-platform utility.

How it is used

Typical use is interactive cluster debugging: users pass a pod regex or resource name such as deployment/nginx, optionally select namespaces or containers, and stream logs with colored pod/container labels. Its config file lets users set default flag values such as tail count, concurrency, timestamps, and colors.

Why package nerds care

Package maintainers care about stern because it is a classic CLI that wraps a noisy platform workflow into one executable, has shell-completion and config-file behavior, and is also a kubectl-plugin ecosystem citizen through Krew.

Timeline

2020: The current stern/stern GitHub repository was created as a fork of discontinued wercker/stern.
2020s: The README documents installation through GitHub releases, Go install, asdf, Homebrew, Krew, and WinGet.
2020s: stern standardizes on ~/.config/stern/config.yaml as the default config file path.

Related projects

wercker/stern is the discontinued upstream named by the current fork.
kubectl and Kubernetes client-go are the surrounding command-line ecosystem.
Krew packages stern as a kubectl plugin.

Sources

https://api.github.com/repos/stern/stern
https://github.com/stern/stern#readme
source_facts.package-manager

security posture

Risk level: orange

infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal.

Risk classifier

orange risk · medium confidence · infrastructure

Why

infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal

Signals

text:container,kubernetes

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.

Unix: ~/.config/stern/config.yaml

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`stern`	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 generated2026-07-08

manager version1.34.0

manager updated2026-05-02

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv1.34.0

https://github.com/stern/stern

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:stern
Version	1.34.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/stern
Homepage	https://github.com/stern/stern
Repository	https://github.com/stern/stern
Upstream docs	https://github.com/stern/stern#readme
License	Apache-2.0
Source archive	https://github.com/stern/stern/archive/refs/tags/v1.34.0.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-05-02T15:41:29Z
Pulse	updated
Build dependencies	go
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	stern
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
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%

stern

nix profile install nixpkgs#stern

normalized package name match
Matched by: Stern

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

apk95%

stern 1.33.0-r6

Multi pod and container log tailing for Kubernetes

https://github.com/stern/stern

sudo apk add stern

License: Apache-2.0
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: stern
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Stern

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: stern from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

stern-bash-completion 1.33.0-r6

Bash completions for stern

https://github.com/stern/stern

sudo apk add stern-bash-completion

License: Apache-2.0
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: stern
normalized package name match
Matched by: Stern

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: stern-bash-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

stern-fish-completion 1.33.0-r6

Fish completions for stern

https://github.com/stern/stern

sudo apk add stern-fish-completion

License: Apache-2.0
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: stern
normalized package name match
Matched by: Stern

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: stern-fish-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

stern-zsh-completion 1.33.0-r6

Zsh completions for stern

https://github.com/stern/stern

sudo apk add stern-zsh-completion

License: Apache-2.0
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: stern
normalized package name match
Matched by: Stern

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: stern-zsh-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

pacman95%

stern 1.34.0-1

Multi pod and container log tailing for Kubernetes

https://github.com/stern/stern

sudo pacman -S stern

License: Apache-2.0
Architecture: x86_64
1 dependencies
1 optional deps
normalized package name match
Matched by: Stern

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

zypper95%

stern 1.34.0-1.1

Multi pod and container log tailing for Kubernetes

https://github.com/stern/stern

sudo zypper install stern

License: Apache-2.0
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: stern
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Stern

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: stern from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst

MacPorts95%

stern

sudo port install stern

normalized package name match
Matched by: Stern

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/stern/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

Chocolatey95%

stern

choco install stern

normalized package name match
Matched by: Stern

Chocolatey community package catalog · community.chocolatey.org · Chocolatey community package catalog: stern from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='6.5836','capture'

Scoop95%

main/stern

scoop install main/stern

normalized package name match
Matched by: Stern

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

winget95%

stern.stern

winget install --id stern.stern -e

normalized package name match
Matched by: Stern

Windows Package Manager source index · cdn.winget.microsoft.com · Windows Package Manager source index: stern.stern 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.

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/stern.yml

Used sources

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

Install stern with Homebrew, apk, chocolatey, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, scoop, winget, zypper

Additional install commands

macOS

Linux

Windows

Package summary

Project links

Commands and aliases

Project history and usage

Project history

Adoption history

How it is used

Why package nerds care

Timeline

Related projects

Sources

Risk level: orange

Risk classifier

Why

Signals

Install behavior

Recommended review

Configuration and credential file locations

Configuration files

Installed executables

Version and freshness

Package metadata

Source database details

Other package-manager records

Internal package links

Topical hubs

Related tools

Same workflow

Agent security guides

Generated from repository data

Combined YAML source

Used sources