# Install cpulimit with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, Nix, zypper CPU usage limiter. Version 0.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-08-02. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install cpulimit. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:cpulimit ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install cpulimit ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add cpulimit ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: cpulimit from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install cpulimit ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: cpulimit from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install cpulimit ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: cpulimit from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#cpulimit ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/cp/cpulimit/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install cpulimit ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: cpulimit from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:cpulimit - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 0.2 - **Source summary:** CPU usage limiter - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Last updated:** 2026-08-02T01:55:35+09:00 - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00 ## Executables - cpulimit (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 0.2 ## Project history and usage cpulimit is a small process-control utility that limits a process's observed CPU usage percentage without changing its nice value or scheduler priority. ### Project history The README credits Angelo Marletta as the developer and describes the tool's goal: prevent a process from running for more than a specified CPU time ratio. The official GitHub repository was created in 2012. ### Adoption history cpulimit has remained packaged as a straightforward Unix-style utility for administrators and users who need to tame batch jobs. The input package metadata shows distribution through Homebrew and several Linux package managers. ### How it is used cpulimit controls CPU consumption by sending SIGSTOP and SIGCONT POSIX signals. The README notes that child processes and threads of the selected process share the configured CPU percentage, and documents simple make-based builds for Linux, OS X, and FreeBSD. ### Why package nerds care The package is significant because it solves a familiar operational problem with a tiny C tool and no service manager dependency: package it once, expose a single executable, and users can apply soft CPU throttling to existing processes. ### Timeline - 2012: The opsengine/cpulimit repository was created. - Repository era: v0.1 and v0.2 tags exist in the official GitHub repository. - 2024: The official repository was still receiving updates. ### Related projects - cpulimit is related by purpose to Unix process-management tools such as nice and schedulers, but the README distinguishes it by controlling real CPU usage through stop/continue signals rather than priority. ### Sources - - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - cpulimit - 3.1-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: cpulimit from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | tool for limiting the CPU usage of a process | https://limitcpu.sourceforge.net/ - Nix - cpulimit: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/cp/cpulimit/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - cpulimit - 3.0-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: cpulimit from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | tool for limiting the CPU usage of a process | https://limitcpu.sourceforge.net/ - apk - cpulimit - 0.2-r4: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: cpulimit from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | CPU usage limiter for Linux | https://github.com/opsengine/cpulimit - dnf - cpulimit - 0.2^20151118gitf4d2682-5.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: cpulimit from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | CPU Usage Limiter for Linux | https://github.com/opsengine/cpulimit - zypper - cpulimit - 3.2-1.5: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: cpulimit from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Limit the CPU Usage of a Process | https://limitcpu.sourceforge.net ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/cpulimit.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/cpulimit.yml) ## Sources - pkg.so package database - Geiger risk classifier - curated package history - pkgdb category and tag curation - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph