install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install pv

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install pv

MacPorts ports tree · sysutils/pv/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add pv

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

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install pv

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

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install pv

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

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#pv

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

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S pv

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

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%

sudo zypper install pv

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

overview

Package summary

Monitor data's progress through a pipe

Project links

Commands and aliases

pv

history

Project history and usage

pv, or Pipe Viewer, monitors data flowing through Unix pipelines and reports measurements such as bytes transferred, throughput, elapsed time, progress, and estimated completion time.

Project history

Andrew Wood's Pipe Viewer is a terminal utility for observing and controlling data flowing through a pipeline. Beyond its cat-like mode, it gained support for monitoring another process's file descriptors, coordinating multiple displays, rate limiting, and command monitoring.

The project moved its public Git repository from GitHub to Codeberg in the 1.8.0 release cycle and changed its license from Artistic 2.0 to GPLv3 or later.

Adoption history

pv became a broadly packaged Unix utility. The official site lists packages or ports for Debian, Ubuntu, Arch Linux, Gentoo, Slackware, openSUSE, Fedora, the BSDs, Solaris, AIX, macOS package managers, Nix, Spack, and other systems.

How it is used

A typical invocation places pv between a producer and consumer, such as an archive command and a compressor or network client. It can also rate-limit transfers, watch file descriptors belonging to another process, coordinate several instances, or monitor a child command's input and output.

Why package nerds care

pv is a classic composable Unix tool: it adds progress, throughput, elapsed-time, and ETA reporting without requiring the programs on either side of a pipe to understand progress reporting. Its small interface and broad packaging make it a common shell-toolbox dependency.

Timeline

2002: The official project page preserves an early archive-recompression usage example.
2023: Version 1.8.0 moved the repository from GitHub to Codeberg and changed the license to GPLv3 or later.
2025: Version 1.10.0 added querying of another running pv process.
2026: Version 1.11.0 was released on 11 June.

Related projects

Related pipeline tools include cat, dd, tar, gzip, and nc; pv is commonly inserted between such commands to expose transfer progress.

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 6 platform targets.
Installs with 1 runtime 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
`pv`	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 generated2026-09-19

manager version1.12.0

manager updated2026-09-17

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://www.ivarch.com/programs/pv.shtml

infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.ivarch.com/programs/pv.shtmlnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:pv
Version	1.12.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/pv
Homepage	https://www.ivarch.com/programs/pv.shtml
Upstream docs	https://www.ivarch.com/programs/pv.shtml
License	Artistic-2.0
Source archive	https://www.ivarch.com/programs/sources/pv-1.11.0.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-09-17T20:53:21Z
Pulse	updated
Dependencies	gettext
Uses from macOS	ncurses
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	pv
Aliases	pipeviewer
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
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%

pv 1.9.31-1

Shell pipeline element to meter data passing through

https://www.ivarch.com/programs/pv.shtml

sudo apt install pv

Section: utils
Architecture: amd64
1 dependencies
1 optional deps
normalized package name match
Matched by: Pv

Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: pv from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

Nix95%

pv

nix profile install nixpkgs#pv

normalized package name match
Matched by: Pv

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/pv/pv/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

Ubuntu apt95%

pv 1.8.5-2build1

Shell pipeline element to meter data passing through

https://www.ivarch.com/programs/pv.shtml

sudo apt install pv

Section: utils
Architecture: amd64
1 dependencies
1 optional deps
normalized package name match
Matched by: Pv

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: pv from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

apk95%

pv 1.11.0-r0

Monitor the progress of data through a pipeline

https://www.ivarch.com/programs/pv.shtml

sudo apk add pv

License: Artistic-2.0
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: pv
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Pv

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: pv from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

pv-doc 1.11.0-r0

Monitor the progress of data through a pipeline (documentation)

https://www.ivarch.com/programs/pv.shtml

sudo apk add pv-doc

License: Artistic-2.0
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: pv
normalized package name match
Matched by: Pv

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: pv-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

dnf95%

pv 1.11.0-3.fc45

A tool for monitoring the progress of data through a pipeline

https://www.ivarch.com/programs/pv.shtml

sudo dnf install pv

License: GPL-3.0-or-later
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: pv
3 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Pv

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: pv from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/652278618dec9c023176a80c435a32a2c8154869fb0eb662c267a54df28d77d9-primary.xml.zst

pacman95%

pv 1.11.0-1

A terminal-based tool for monitoring the progress of data through a pipeline

https://www.ivarch.com/programs/pv.shtml

sudo pacman -S pv

License: GPL-3.0-or-later
Architecture: x86_64
1 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Pv

Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: pv from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

zypper95%

pv 1.11.0-1.3

Tool for monitor the progress of data through pipes

http://ivarch.com/programs/pv.shtml

sudo zypper install pv

License: GPL-3.0-or-later
Category: System/Base
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: pv
2 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Pv

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: pv from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/d310d5a96106e1e8872a385adf98aaa23be9db5d80937a6717314e7e7f37715065c6c748ab7ccee6475d620b46979c0fe64235fc0c46988e17edf659578fcf31-primary.xml.zst

MacPorts95%

pv

sudo port install pv

normalized package name match
Matched by: Pv

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/pv/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.

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.

combined/pv.yml

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

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

Additional install commands

macOS

Linux

Package summary

Project links

Commands and aliases

Project history and usage

Project history

Adoption history

How it is used

Why package nerds care

Timeline

Related projects

Sources

Risk level: green

Risk classifier

Why

Signals

Install behavior

Recommended review

Installed executables

Version and freshness

Package metadata

Source database details

Other package-manager records

Internal package links

Topical hubs

Related tools

Same workflow

Agent security guides

Generated from repository data

Combined YAML source

Used sources