Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install tcptraceroute with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, zypper

Traceroute implementation using TCP packets. Version 1.5beta7 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install tcptraceroute

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install tcptraceroute

MacPorts ports tree · net/tcptraceroute/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add tcptraceroute

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

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install tcptraceroute

Debian stable package indexes · tcptraceroute · source: deb.debian.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install traceroute

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · traceroute · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#tcptraceroute

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

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install traceroute

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

overview

Package summary

Traceroute implementation using TCP packets

Commands and aliases

  • tcptraceroute

history

Project history and usage

tcptraceroute is a traceroute implementation that sends TCP packets instead of relying on the traditional UDP or ICMP probe pattern. Its package-manager niche is diagnosing paths through networks where ordinary traceroute behavior is filtered or misleading.

Project history

Michael C. Toren's official README identifies the project as a TCP-packet traceroute implementation and carries copyright coverage from 2001 through 2015. The ChangeLog records version 1.0 as the initial release on 2001-04-10, followed quickly by safer privilege handling, more probe options, portability work, Debian-related fixes, and libnet/libpcap integration.

Adoption history

The supplied package metadata shows tcptraceroute packaged across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Alpine, MacPorts, Nix, and several RPM-family distributions, sometimes through the broader traceroute package name. That spread reflects the long-standing need for a TCP-flavored traceroute in sysadmin and network-diagnostics toolbelts.

How it is used

The official examples file demonstrates tcptraceroute tracing through firewalled webservers where traceroute had trouble, using TCP port 80 probes and displaying open endpoints. In practice it is installed when a user wants traceroute-style hop visibility using traffic that resembles a real TCP connection attempt.

Why package nerds care

tcptraceroute is significant because it turns a common troubleshooting workaround into a named package. It is small, old, and specialized, but it has enough operational value that package ecosystems continue to carry it alongside traceroute, libpcap, and libnet.

Timeline

  • 2001-04-10: Version 1.0 initial release.
  • 2001-06-30: Version 1.1 added root-privilege dropping after sockets are opened.
  • 2001-07-31: Version 1.2 added multiple probe and packet-option features.
  • 2006-03-28: Version 1.5beta7 updated manpage examples and Debian-related build details.
  • 2001-2015: README copyright range for Michael C. Toren's project.

Related projects

  • Traditional traceroute is the conceptual baseline; libnet and libpcap are documented build dependencies; the official examples compare behavior against traceroute on firewalled destinations.

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 13 platform targets.
  • Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.
  • Build metadata lists 2 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

CommandKindExposureNote
tcptraceroutecliglobal 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 generated2026-07-07
manager version1.5beta7
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected

https://github.com/mct/tcptraceroute

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:tcptraceroute
Version1.5beta7
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/tcptraceroute
Homepagehttps://github.com/mct/tcptraceroute
Repositoryhttps://github.com/mct/tcptraceroute
Upstream docshttps://github.com/mct/tcptraceroute#readme
LicenseGPL-2.0-only
Source archivehttps://github.com/mct/tcptraceroute/archive/refs/tags/tcptraceroute-1.5beta7.tar.gz
Dependencieslibnet
Build dependenciesautoconf, automake
Uses from macOSlibpcap
Bottleavailable (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared
Caveatstcptraceroute requires root privileges so you will need to run `sudo tcptraceroute`. You should be certain that you trust any software you grant root privileges.

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Nametcptraceroute
Version Scheme0
Revision2
Head VersionHEAD
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
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.

Debian apt95%

tcptraceroute 1.5beta7+debian-4.2

traceroute implementation using TCP packets

https://github.com/mct/tcptraceroute

sudo apt install tcptraceroute
  • Section: net
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 3 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Tcptraceroute
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: tcptraceroute from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Nix95%

tcptraceroute

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

tcptraceroute 1.5beta7+debian-4.1build2

traceroute implementation using TCP packets

https://github.com/mct/tcptraceroute

sudo apt install tcptraceroute
  • Section: universe/net
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 3 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Tcptraceroute
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: tcptraceroute from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
apk95%

tcptraceroute 1.5_beta7-r4

Display route path using TCP probes

https://github.com/mct/tcptraceroute

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

tcptraceroute-doc 1.5_beta7-r4

Display route path using TCP probes (documentation)

https://github.com/mct/tcptraceroute

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

traceroute 2.1.6-4.fc44

Traces the route taken by packets over an IPv4/IPv6 network

http://traceroute.sourceforge.net

sudo dnf install traceroute
  • License: GPL-2.0-or-later
  • Category: Unspecified
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: traceroute
  • 4 dependencies
  • 2 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Tcptraceroute
Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: traceroute from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst
zypper95%

traceroute 2.1.6-1.3

Packet route path tracing utility

https://traceroute.sourceforge.net/

sudo zypper install traceroute
  • License: GPL-2.0-or-later
  • Category: Productivity/Networking/Other
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: traceroute
  • 3 dependencies
  • 3 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Tcptraceroute
openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: traceroute from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst
MacPorts95%

tcptraceroute

sudo port install tcptraceroute
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Tcptraceroute
MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: net/tcptraceroute/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.

Related tools

  • libnetRuntime dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • autoconfBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • automakeBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

  • lftShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, diagnostics, network-diagnostics, networking, tcp.
  • nexttraceShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, diagnostics, network-diagnostics, networking, routing.
  • fastraceShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, diagnostics, network-diagnostics, networking, traceroute.
  • mtrShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, diagnostics, network-diagnostics, networking, traceroute.
  • traceboxShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, diagnostics, network-diagnostics, networking, traceroute.
  • trippyShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, diagnostics, network-diagnostics, networking, traceroute.

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