macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install witrlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install witrMacPorts ports tree · sysutils/witr/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install witr with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, scoop, winget
Why is this running? Version 0.3.3 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-25. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#witr.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#witrnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/wi/witr/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Windows
Scoopverified · 92%
scoop install main/witrScoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/witr.json · source: api.github.com
Windows Package Managerverified · 92%
winget install --id PranshuParmar.witr -eWindows Package Manager source index · PranshuParmar.witr · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com
overview
Package summary
Why is this running?
Project links
Commands and aliases
- witr
history
Project history and usage
witr, short for the question 'Why is this running?', is a Go system-inspection CLI focused on explaining the cause behind running processes, open ports, containers, and file locks. The public repository was created in December 2025, and its README positions it as a causality layer above tools such as ps, top, lsof, ss, systemctl, and docker ps.
Project history
The project appeared as a small single-purpose diagnostics tool and quickly acquired a broader interactive mode. Its README emphasizes both direct human-readable output and an interactive terminal dashboard with tabs for processes, ports, containers, and locks, reflecting a shift from one-shot inspection toward an operator-facing TUI.
Adoption history
Although new, witr shows unusually strong early adoption signals for a system utility: the GitHub API showed more than 18,000 stars during this enrichment run, and the latest GitHub release at the time checked was v0.3.3, published on June 24, 2026. The README also points to packaging across multiple ecosystems, including Unix, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD, and several package managers, which is notable for a young CLI.
How it is used
witr is used when an operator sees a process, listening port, container, or lock and wants the chain of responsibility rather than another flat listing. It correlates process metadata, services, containers, shells, repositories, and related system state to explain where a running thing came from and how it was started.
Why package nerds care
Its package-nerd appeal is the tidy premise: most Unix inspection tools expose facts, while witr tries to narrate cause. That makes it a modern companion to classic observability commands, especially for developers moving between local machines, containers, service managers, and language-specific dev servers.
Sources
security posture
No protected-tool coverage found yet
No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for witr. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.
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.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
witr | 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 generated2026-07-26
manager version0.3.3
manager updated2026-07-25
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv0.3.3
https://github.com/pranshuparmar/witr
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:witr |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.3.3 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/witr |
| Homepage | https://github.com/pranshuparmar/witr |
| Repository | https://github.com/pranshuparmar/witr |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/pranshuparmar/witr#readme |
| License | Apache-2.0 |
| Source archive | https://github.com/pranshuparmar/witr/archive/refs/tags/v0.3.3.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-07-25T22:40:21+02:00 |
| 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 | witr |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
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%
witr
nix profile install nixpkgs#witr- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Witr
MacPorts95%
witr
sudo port install witr- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Witr
Scoop95%
main/witr
scoop install main/witr- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Witr
winget95%
PranshuParmar.witr
winget install --id PranshuParmar.witr -e- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Witr
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.
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