Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install stress-ng with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper

Stress test a computer system in various selectable ways. Version 0.21.03 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-12.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install stress-ng

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install stress-ng

MacPorts ports tree · benchmarks/stress-ng/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add stress-ng

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

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install stress-ng

Debian stable package indexes · stress-ng · source: deb.debian.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install stress-ng

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · stress-ng · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#stress-ng

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

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S stress-ng

Arch Linux sync databases · stress-ng · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install stress-ng

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · stress-ng · source: download.opensuse.org

overview

Package summary

Stress test a computer system in various selectable ways

Commands and aliases

  • stress-ng

history

Project history and usage

stress-ng is a broad system stress and kernel-exercising CLI descended in spirit from the older `stress` utility but expanded into hundreds of targeted stressors for CPUs, memory, filesystems, kernel interfaces, and hardware behavior.

Project history

The in-tree Debian changelog records stress-ng 0.01.00 on 2013-10-15 as the initial version by Colin King. The upstream README describes stress-ng as the upstream project repository and says it was designed to exercise physical subsystems and operating-system kernel interfaces.

The project name means stress next generation, and the README now describes a large test surface: hundreds of stress tests, CPU-specific tests, virtual-memory tests, filesystem tests, and memory/cache tests. That growth changed it from a simple load generator into a toolkit for provoking kernel, platform, and hardware edge cases.

Adoption history

stress-ng is distributed across many Unix-like package managers in the supplied package facts, including apk, Homebrew, Debian, Fedora/dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, Ubuntu, and zypper. Its README also points Ubuntu users to a project PPA for recent versions.

Its official Ubuntu wiki page is maintained as a kernel reference and quick-start guide, which reflects how the tool moved from a standalone utility into common kernel, distro, and hardware validation workflows.

How it is used

Common package-manager usage is installing `stress-ng` and running one or more named stressors with a timeout, such as CPU matrix work, scheduler classes, memory pressure, filesystem operations, or perf/metrics reporting. The Ubuntu guide emphasizes caution because the tests can heat hardware and cause heavy thrashing.

The README warns that stress-ng can measure throughput rates but is not intended as a precise benchmark suite. In package culture, that distinction matters: it is for reproducing stress and finding failures, not for publishing synthetic leaderboard numbers.

Why package nerds care

stress-ng is beloved by system-package people because it is small to install, scriptable, broad in coverage, and useful immediately after a kernel, libc, compiler, VM, or hardware change.

For maintainers, it is also a packaging canary: if a platform port, sandbox, container, scheduler, filesystem, or architecture behaves oddly under stress-ng, there is probably a real bug worth chasing.

Timeline

  • 2013-10-15: In-tree Debian changelog records stress-ng 0.01.00 as the initial version.
  • 2015-06-05: GitHub repository metadata records public repository creation.
  • 2019: Ubuntu wiki reference guide documents typical stress-ng use cases for kernel and system testing.
  • 2026: README describes more than 380 stress tests and broad portability across Unix-like systems and related environments.

Related projects

  • `stress` is the older load-generation tool that stress-ng effectively supersedes for broader kernel and subsystem coverage.
  • Ubuntu kernel testing, Linux perf, containers, and distro build farms are natural neighboring workflows.

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

  • narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

  • metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

  • No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.

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

CommandKindExposureNote
stress-ngcliglobal 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 version0.21.03
manager updated2026-06-12
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected

https://github.com/ColinIanKing/stress-ng

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:stress-ng
Version0.21.03
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/stress-ng
Homepagehttps://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/Reference/stress-ng
Repositoryhttps://github.com/ColinIanKing/stress-ng
Upstream docshttps://github.com/ColinIanKing/stress-ng#readme
LicenseGPL-2.0-or-later
Source archivehttps://github.com/ColinIanKing/stress-ng/archive/refs/tags/V0.21.03.tar.gz
Last updated2026-06-12T12:52:25Z
Pulseupdated
Uses from macOSlibxcrypt
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namestress-ng
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
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.

Debian apt95%

stress-ng 0.19.02-1

tool to load and stress a computer

https://github.com/ColinIanKing/stress-ng

sudo apt install stress-ng
  • Section: devel
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 19 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Stress Ng
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: stress-ng from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Nix95%

stress-ng

nix profile install nixpkgs#stress-ng
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Stress Ng
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/st/stress-ng/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Ubuntu apt95%

stress-ng 0.17.06-1build1

tool to load and stress a computer

https://github.com/ColinIanKing/stress-ng

sudo apt install stress-ng
  • Section: universe/devel
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 19 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Stress Ng
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: stress-ng from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
apk95%

stress-ng 0.21.02-r0

stress-ng will stress test a computer system in various selectable ways

https://github.com/ColinIanKing/stress-ng

sudo apk add stress-ng
  • License: GPL-2.0-or-later
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: stress-ng
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Stress Ng
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: stress-ng from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

stress-ng-bash-completion 0.21.02-r0

Bash completions for stress-ng

https://github.com/ColinIanKing/stress-ng

sudo apk add stress-ng-bash-completion
  • License: GPL-2.0-or-later
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: stress-ng
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Stress Ng
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: stress-ng-bash-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

stress-ng-doc 0.21.02-r0

stress-ng will stress test a computer system in various selectable ways (documentation)

https://github.com/ColinIanKing/stress-ng

sudo apk add stress-ng-doc
  • License: GPL-2.0-or-later
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: stress-ng
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Stress Ng
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: stress-ng-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
dnf95%

stress-ng 0.21.01-1.fc45

Stress test a computer system in various ways

https://github.com/ColinIanKing/stress-ng

sudo dnf install stress-ng
  • License: GPL-2.0-or-later
  • Category: Unspecified
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: stress-ng
  • 10 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Stress Ng
Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: stress-ng from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst
pacman95%

stress-ng 0.21.02-1

Software to stress test a computer system in various selectable ways

https://github.com/ColinIanKing/stress-ng

sudo pacman -S stress-ng
  • License: GPL-2.0-or-later
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • 10 dependencies
  • 5 optional deps
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Stress Ng
Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: stress-ng from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz
zypper95%

stress-ng 0.21.02-1.1

Tool to load and stress a computer

https://github.com/ColinIanKing/stress-ng

sudo zypper install stress-ng
  • License: GPL-2.0-only
  • Category: System/Benchmark
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: stress-ng
  • 10 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Stress Ng
openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: stress-ng from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst
zypper95%

stress-ng-bash-completion 0.21.02-1.1

Bash Completion for stress-ng

https://github.com/ColinIanKing/stress-ng

sudo zypper install stress-ng-bash-completion
  • License: GPL-2.0-only
  • Category: System/Benchmark
  • Architecture: noarch
  • Source Package: stress-ng
  • 2 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Stress Ng
openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: stress-ng-bash-completion from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst
MacPorts95%

stress-ng

sudo port install stress-ng
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Stress Ng
MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: benchmarks/stress-ng/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/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.

Same workflow

  • stressShares av.db curated category or tags: benchmarking, cli, cpu, memory, stress-test.
  • fioShares av.db curated category or tags: benchmarking, cli, stress-test, system.
  • mbwShares av.db curated category or tags: benchmarking, cli, memory, system.
  • phoronix-test-suiteShares av.db curated category or tags: benchmarking, cli, system.
  • libgtopShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cpu, memory, system.
  • rainbarfShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cpu, memory, system.

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.

Used sources

  • Geiger risk classifier
  • 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