install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install tetra

local Homebrew formula metadata

overview

Package summary

Tetragon CLI to observe, manage and troubleshoot Tetragon instances

Project links

Commands and aliases

tetra

history

Project history and usage

tetra is the command-line client for Cilium Tetragon, an eBPF-based security observability and runtime enforcement project for Linux and Kubernetes environments.

Project history

The cilium/tetragon repository was created in March 2022. Its README describes Tetragon as a Cilium component for real-time, eBPF-based security observability and runtime enforcement, with Kubernetes-aware event detection.

The official release list includes a Tetragon CLI release in May 2022, a v0.8.0 release shortly afterward, and v1.0.0 in November 2023. The tetra CLI became the local operator and developer interface for observing, managing, and troubleshooting Tetragon installations.

Adoption history

Tetragon adoption is centered in the cloud-native security and observability community. The official USERS.md invites production users to list themselves and includes adopters using Tetragon for runtime security, process/file/network observability, Kubernetes security, and artifact attestation use cases.

For package-manager users, the tetra formula is useful because it installs just the client binary needed to interact with Tetragon agents and releases, without requiring users to build the full eBPF project.

How it is used

The official tetra CLI installation docs provide binary downloads for Linux, macOS, and Windows, plus Homebrew installation. They also show tetra connecting to a TLS or mTLS-protected Tetragon gRPC API and running getevents.

In practice, tetra is used by operators who need to inspect Tetragon events, connect to agents, and troubleshoot runtime-security telemetry from a workstation or automation environment.

Why package nerds care

tetra is significant in package catalogs because it packages the user-facing control plane for an eBPF runtime-security system. It sits at the intersection of local CLI ergonomics, Kubernetes operations, and kernel-level observability.

The package is especially relevant on macOS and Linux admin machines: the heavy lifting happens in Linux or Kubernetes, while the packaged CLI gives maintainers a portable way to query and manage it.

Timeline

2022: cilium/tetragon repository created.
2022: Official release list includes Tetragon CLI and v0.8.0 releases.
2023: v1.0.0 released.
2026: Repository metadata shows active development and the docs describe current tetra installation methods.

Related projects

Cilium, eBPF, Kubernetes, Hubble-style observability, Linux runtime security, TracingPolicy, process/file/network event monitoring, and gRPC TLS or mTLS administration.

Sources

https://github.com/cilium/tetragon README and repository metadata
https://github.com/cilium/tetragon/blob/main/USERS.md
https://tetragon.io/docs/installation/tetra-cli/
https://tetragon.io/docs/overview/
official GitHub release list for cilium/tetragon

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.
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
`tetra`	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 generated2026-08-04

manager version1.7.0

manager updated2026-07-26

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv1.7.0

https://github.com/cilium/tetragon

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:tetra
Version	1.7.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/tetra
Homepage	https://tetragon.io/
Repository	https://github.com/cilium/tetragon
Upstream docs	https://tetragon.io/
License	Apache-2.0
Source archive	https://github.com/cilium/tetragon/archive/refs/tags/v1.7.0.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-07-26T00:50:38+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	tetra
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

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/tetra.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated package history
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment
pkg.so package database
pkgdb category and tag curation

Install tetra with Homebrew