# Install whois with Homebrew, apk, chocolatey, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, winget, zypper Lookup tool for domain names and other internet resources. Version 5.6.6 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-15. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:whois ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install whois ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install whois ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: net/whois/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add mkpasswd ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: mkpasswd from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install whois ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: whois from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install mkpasswd ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: mkpasswd from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#whois ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/wh/whois/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S whois ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: whois from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install whois ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: whois from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ### Windows - Chocolatey (92%): ```sh choco install whois ``` Evidence: Chocolatey community package catalog: whois from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='11','webex-meetings' - winget (92%): ```sh winget install --id Microsoft.Sysinternals.Whois -e ``` Evidence: Windows Package Manager source index: Microsoft.Sysinternals.Whois from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:whois - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 5.6.6 - **Source summary:** Lookup tool for domain names and other internet resources - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-15T19:20:19Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T18:08:21+00:00 ## Executables - whois (cli) - whois (alias) ## Dependencies - libidn2 ## Build dependencies - pkgconf ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 5.6.6 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-15 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/rfc1036/whois - Upstream latest detected: v5.6.6 (current) ## Project history and usage whois is Marco d'Itri's intelligent WHOIS command-line client. It wraps one of the Internet's oldest registry lookup protocols in a practical Unix tool that automatically chooses likely registry servers for domains, IP allocations, AS numbers, and related resources. ### Project history The WHOIS protocol predates the modern commercial Internet. RFC 812 described NICNAME/WHOIS in 1982 as an ARPANET directory service running at the Network Information Center at SRI International; RFC 954 updated the official NICNAME/WHOIS specification in 1985; RFC 3912 replaced those earlier RFCs in September 2004 with the current WHOIS protocol specification. Marco d'Itri's client has its own narrower software history. The README says he wrote this Whois client from scratch in 1999 because alternatives were obsolete or bloated. The client is described as intelligent because it automatically selects the appropriate WHOIS server for most queries, with an internal database that is often more accurate than IANA's published data. The rfc1036/whois GitHub repository was created on March 31, 2013, but the canonical release distribution remains Debian's source pool. The README also explains the historically odd inclusion of `mkpasswd`, a password-hash helper inherited from the original RIPE whois package lineage. ### Adoption history WHOIS became a default operational lookup mechanism for domain registrations, IP network assignments, autonomous system numbers, and registry contacts. IANA's WHOIS service still exposes a port 43 service and accepts domain names, IP addresses, and AS numbers, while ICANN operates a registration-data lookup service for public domain and Internet number resource data. The rfc1036 client became especially visible through Debian and derivative distributions. Debian describes the package as an intelligent WHOIS client for RFC 3912 queries, and package indexes across Unix-like systems package the same code because it solves the mundane but persistent problem of knowing which registry server to ask. WHOIS has also acquired historical baggage: free-form text responses, inconsistent formats, privacy restrictions, and the later emergence of RDAP as a more structured successor. That context makes the command-line client useful but also explains why serious automation often needs registry-specific parsing or newer protocols. ### How it is used Typical usage is a direct terminal lookup such as `whois example.com`, an IP address, an AS number, or a registry handle. The client chooses a server, sends a simple text query over the WHOIS protocol, and prints the human-readable registry response. Network operators, security researchers, abuse desks, domain buyers, and developers use `whois` for quick ownership, delegation, registrar, nameserver, allocation, and contact clues. The result is intentionally close to the registry's original text output, which is convenient for humans but uneven for scripts. ### Why package nerds care whois is package-nerd infrastructure in the oldest sense: a small command that turns Internet registry bureaucracy into a shell query. It is the kind of tool that persists because every generation of network debugging still needs to ask who owns a name, address block, or ASN. The rfc1036 implementation is notable because it adds registry-selection intelligence to an intentionally minimal protocol. The package also carries the strange Unix fossil `mkpasswd`, a reminder that package histories often preserve useful leftovers from older network-operations toolchains. ### Timeline - 1982: RFC 812 described NICNAME/WHOIS for ARPANET directory lookups. - 1985: RFC 954 updated NICNAME/WHOIS and became the official protocol specification. - 1999: Marco d'Itri wrote a new Whois client from scratch because alternatives were obsolete or bloated. - 2004-09: RFC 3912 standardized the current WHOIS protocol specification and obsoleted RFC 954 and RFC 812. - 2013-03-31: The rfc1036/whois GitHub repository was created. - 2026-07-02: The project remained packaged across Unix-like package ecosystems and maintained as Debian-oriented source. ### Related projects - IANA WHOIS is a central referral-style WHOIS service for domains, IP addresses, and AS numbers. - ICANN Lookup is a web-facing registration data lookup service. - RDAP is the structured, HTTP-based successor protocol often discussed as a replacement for free-form WHOIS responses. - RIPE whois is part of the older client lineage referenced by the package's `mkpasswd` history. ### Sources - Debian package description: https://packages.debian.org/sid/whois - Debian package tracker: https://tracker.debian.org/whois - IANA WHOIS service: https://www.iana.org/whois - ICANN WHOIS/RDDS page: https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/whois-rdds-2023-11-02-en - RFC 3912 WHOIS Protocol Specification: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc3912/ - RFC 812 NICNAME/WHOIS: https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc812 - RFC 954 NICNAME/WHOIS: https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc954 - rfc1036/whois GitHub API metadata: https://api.github.com/repos/rfc1036/whois - rfc1036/whois repository and README: https://github.com/rfc1036/whois ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** whois - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** yes - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - whois - 5.6.3: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: whois from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | intelligent WHOIS client - Nix - whois: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/wh/whois/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - whois - 5.5.22: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: whois from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | intelligent WHOIS client - apk - mkpasswd - 5.6.6-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: mkpasswd from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | mkpasswd with configurable number of rounds | https://github.com/rfc1036/whois - apk - whois - 5.6.6-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: whois from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Intelligent WHOIS client by Marco d'Itri | https://github.com/rfc1036/whois - apk - whois-doc - 5.6.6-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: whois-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Intelligent WHOIS client by Marco d'Itri (documentation) | https://github.com/rfc1036/whois - dnf - mkpasswd - 5.6.6-1.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: mkpasswd from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Encrypt a password with crypt(3) function using a salt | https://www.linux.it/~md/software/ - dnf - whois - 5.6.6-1.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: whois from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Improved WHOIS client | https://www.linux.it/~md/software/ - dnf - whois-nls - 5.6.6-1.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: whois-nls from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Gettext catalogs for whois tools | https://www.linux.it/~md/software/ - pacman - whois - 5.6.6-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: whois from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Intelligent WHOIS client | https://github.com/rfc1036/whois - zypper - whois - 5.6.6-1.2: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: whois from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Intelligent WHOIS client | https://github.com/rfc1036/whois - zypper - whois-bash-completion - 5.6.6-1.2: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: whois-bash-completion from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Bash completion for whois | https://github.com/rfc1036/whois - MacPorts - whois: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: net/whois/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Chocolatey - whois: normalized package name match | Chocolatey community package catalog: whois from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='11','webex-meetings' - winget - Microsoft.Sysinternals.Whois: normalized package name match | Windows Package Manager source index: Microsoft.Sysinternals.Whois from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [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. - [libidn2](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libidn2/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [pkgconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pkgconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [bind](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bind/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, networking. - [c-ares](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/c-ares/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, networking. - [chinadns-c](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/chinadns-c/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, networking. - [ddclient](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ddclient/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, networking. - [domain-check](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/domain-check/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, networking, whois. - [dug](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dug/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, networking. - [knot](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/knot/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, networking. - [knot-resolver](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/knot-resolver/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, networking. - [whois](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/npm/whois/) - Same normalized package name appears in another local ecosystem. Shared terms: cli, dns, domains, networking, whois. - [whois](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/npm/whois/) - Same normalized package name in another local ecosystem. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/whois.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/whois.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - 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