pkg.soopen package index

brew / rank 2100

Install picocom with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper

Minimal dumb-terminal emulation program. Version 2024-07 via Homebrew; verified 2026-09-13. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install picocom.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install picocom

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install picocom

MacPorts ports tree · comms/picocom/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add picocom

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

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install picocom

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

Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install picocom

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

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#picocom

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

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S picocom

Arch Linux sync databases · picocom · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install picocom

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

overview

Package summary

Minimal dumb-terminal emulation program

Commands and aliases

  • picocom

history

Project history and usage

picocom is a compact Unix serial terminal intended for modem configuration, hardware debugging, and access to device consoles. It favors command-line options and interactive escape commands over a full-screen configuration interface.

Project history

Nick Patavalis created picocom as a minimal dumb-terminal emulator. Its name deliberately contrasts it with minicom: “pico” rather than “mini.”

The program was designed for manual modem setup, testing, and debugging, then found wider use for consoles on routers, embedded boards, and other serially managed hardware. Release 2.0 changed external transfer-command execution to avoid using /bin/sh, improving command handling security.

Adoption history

picocom became broadly available across Unix-like package collections, including Homebrew, MacPorts, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora-family repositories, Arch Linux, Alpine Linux, Nix, and openSUSE. This reach reflects its usefulness as a small default serial-console utility.

The project moved issue and source activity to GitHub after earlier Google Code-era development, while preserving a deliberately small and portable design.

How it is used

A typical invocation selects a serial device and baud rate, such as picocom -b 115200 /dev/ttyUSB0. It is commonly used to inspect boot logs, configure modems, interact with microcontroller boards, and expose serial ports through simple SSH-based terminal servers.

Why package nerds care

picocom embodies the small-tool Unix ideal: it handles interactive serial communication without the menus and larger configuration model associated with minicom. Its tiny footprint also makes it suitable for constrained development and embedded hosts.

Timeline

  • Early project: picocom created by Nick Patavalis as a deliberately smaller alternative to minicom.
  • 2014: A logging feature request originated in the project’s Google Code tracker.
  • 2015: Earlier Google Code issues were migrated to GitHub.
  • Release 2.0: External send/receive commands stopped being executed through /bin/sh.
  • Release 3.1: Current long-lived stable release line documented by the official repository.

Related projects

  • The official README explicitly positions picocom as a smaller counterpart to minicom. It can also invoke external file-transfer programs when send and receive commands are configured.

Sources

  • Official manual: https://github.com/npat-efault/picocom/blob/master/picocom.1.html
  • Official repository and README: https://github.com/npat-efault/picocom
  • source_facts.package-manager

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 12 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
picocomcliglobal 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 generated2026-09-19
manager version2024-07
manager updated2026-09-13
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detected3.1

https://github.com/npat-efault/picocom

  • okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:picocom
Version2024-07
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/picocom
Homepagehttps://github.com/npat-efault/picocom
Repositoryhttps://github.com/npat-efault/picocom
LicenseGPL-2.0-or-later
Source archivehttps://github.com/npat-efault/picocom/archive/refs/tags/3.1.tar.gz
Last updated2026-09-13T17:04:25Z
Pulseupdated
Bottleavailable (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namepicocom
Version Scheme0
Revision1
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%

picocom 3.1-4

minimal dumb-terminal emulation program

https://github.com/npat-efault/picocom

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

picocom

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

picocom 3.1-4

minimal dumb-terminal emulation program

https://github.com/npat-efault/picocom

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

picocom 2024.07-r0

Minimal dumb-terminal emulation program

https://gitlab.com/wsakernel/picocom

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

picocom-doc 2024.07-r0

Minimal dumb-terminal emulation program (documentation)

https://gitlab.com/wsakernel/picocom

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

picocom 2024.07-7.fc45

Minimal serial communications program

https://gitlab.com/wsakernel/picocom/

sudo dnf install picocom
  • License: GPL-2.0-or-later
  • Category: Unspecified
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: picocom
  • 3 dependencies
  • 2 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Picocom
Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: picocom from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/652278618dec9c023176a80c435a32a2c8154869fb0eb662c267a54df28d77d9-primary.xml.zst
pacman95%

picocom 3.1-3

Minimal dumb-terminal emulation program, very much like minicom

https://github.com/npat-efault/picocom

sudo pacman -S picocom
  • License: GPL2
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Picocom
Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: picocom from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz
zypper95%

picocom 2024.07-1.6

Minimal dumb-terminal emulation program

https://gitlab.com/wsakernel/picocom/

sudo zypper install picocom
  • License: BSD-2-Clause AND GPL-2.0-or-later
  • Category: Hardware/Modem
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: picocom
  • 1 dependencies
  • 2 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Picocom
openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: picocom from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/d310d5a96106e1e8872a385adf98aaa23be9db5d80937a6717314e7e7f37715065c6c748ab7ccee6475d620b46979c0fe64235fc0c46988e17edf659578fcf31-primary.xml.zst
zypper95%

picocom-bash-completion 2024.07-1.6

Bash Completion for picocom

https://gitlab.com/wsakernel/picocom/

sudo zypper install picocom-bash-completion
  • License: BSD-2-Clause AND GPL-2.0-or-later
  • Category: Hardware/Modem
  • Architecture: noarch
  • Source Package: picocom
  • 2 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Picocom
openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: picocom-bash-completion from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/d310d5a96106e1e8872a385adf98aaa23be9db5d80937a6717314e7e7f37715065c6c748ab7ccee6475d620b46979c0fe64235fc0c46988e17edf659578fcf31-primary.xml.zst
MacPorts95%

picocom

sudo port install picocom
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Picocom
MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: comms/picocom/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

  • pvShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, system, terminal.
  • lessShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, system, terminal.
  • screenShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, system, terminal.
  • rangerShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, system, terminal.
  • lesspipeShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, system, terminal.
  • tioShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, embedded, serial, system, terminal.

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
  • cross-ecosystem install command graph
  • curated package history
  • external package-manager database matches
  • package relationship graph
  • package version freshness
  • package-page enrichment
  • pkg.so package database
  • pkgdb category and tag curation