macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install wtflocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install wtfMacPorts ports tree · games/wtf/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install wtf with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix
Translate common Internet acronyms. Version 20230906 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#wtfnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/wt/wtf/package.nix · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
Translate common Internet acronyms
Project links
Commands and aliases
- wtf
history
Project history and usage
wtf is the small BSD command-line acronym lookup utility: users type forms such as `wtf TCP` or the natural-language `wtf is TCP`, and the command expands matching terms from acronym databases or falls back to system help sources.
Project history
The current NetBSD manual identifies `wtf` as a section 6 utility that looks up one or more terms, first in acronym databases and then through tools such as whatis, pkg_info, and pkgsrc help when appropriate. Its files include the default acronym database, an offensive acronym database enabled by option, and a computer-related acronym database.
The FreeBSD 7.2 manual page records the historical origin succinctly: `wtf` first appeared in NetBSD 1.5. The current NetBSD manual adds that it initially only translated acronyms, while later versions gained the ability to look up terms in other system sources.
Adoption history
The command spread beyond NetBSD through BSD ports and redistributions of the NetBSD script and acronym databases. The SourceForge bsd-wtf project describes itself as a convenient place to get the `wtf` program and acronyms database outside the NetBSD source tree, while FreeBSD and other packaging ecosystems carried variants for users who wanted the BSD utility on non-NetBSD systems.
How it is used
The canonical usage is intentionally casual: `wtf` accepts an optional ignored `is` operand so `wtf is WTF` works naturally. Users can override the acronym database with `-f` or the ACRONYMDB environment variable, which makes the tool easy to adapt to local jargon lists.
In pkgsrc-aware environments, the command is more than a slang lookup: if an acronym is not found, it can ask package and manual-page sources. That makes it a tiny bridge between Unix wordplay, system documentation, and package-tree help.
Why package nerds care
wtf is package-nerd lore because it is a deliberately unserious command that still follows Unix conventions: plain text databases, environment overrides, manpage documentation, and integration with package metadata. It is also a reminder that BSD games and misc utilities often became portable command-line packages in their own right.
Timeline
- 2000: NetBSD 1.5 era in which `wtf` first appeared.
- 2007-07-27: The FreeBSD 7.2 manual page documents the NetBSD origin.
- 2015-04-22: The current NetBSD manual page documents later term-lookup behavior beyond acronym translation.
- 2010s: SourceForge bsd-wtf provides the NetBSD utility and acronym database outside the NetBSD source tree.
Related projects
- NetBSD supplies the canonical manual page and acronym database behavior.
- SourceForge bsd-wtf mirrors the NetBSD utility and data for use outside the NetBSD tree.
- FreeBSD carried a ported manual page documenting the NetBSD origin.
Sources
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 1 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
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
wtf | 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 version20230906
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://sourceforge.net/projects/bsdwtf/
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://sourceforge.net/projects/bsdwtf/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:wtf |
|---|---|
| Version | 20230906 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/wtf |
| Homepage | https://sourceforge.net/projects/bsdwtf/ |
| Upstream docs | https://man.netbsd.org/wtf.6 |
| License | LicenseRef-Homebrew-public-domain |
| Source archive | https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/bsdwtf/wtf-20230906.tar.gz |
| Bottle | available (on all) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | wtf |
| 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%
wtf
nix profile install nixpkgs#wtf- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Wtf
MacPorts95%
wtf
sudo port install wtf- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Wtf
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