# Install fprobe with Homebrew, apk, apt, MacPorts Libpcap-based NetFlow probe. Version 1.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install fprobe. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:fprobe ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install fprobe ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install fprobe ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: net/fprobe/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add fprobe ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: fprobe from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install fprobe ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: fprobe from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:fprobe - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 1.1 - **Source summary:** Libpcap-based NetFlow probe - **Homepage:** - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00 ## Executables - fprobe (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 1.1 ## Project history and usage fprobe is a libpcap-based NetFlow probe. Its official homepage and README describe a tool that collects network traffic data and emits it as NetFlow records to a configured collector. ### Project history The SourceForge project was registered on 2002-09-27. The ChangeLog in the official 1.1 source archive records fprobe 0.8 on 2002-10-25 as the first public release, with partial NetFlow 1, 5, and 7 support and builds tested on Linux, FreeBSD, and Solaris on x86. The 2002 and 2003 releases moved quickly toward production daemon behavior: performance-oriented rewrites, larger hash tables, memory controls, realtime scheduling, SNMP interface index workarounds, TCP flags, daemonization, syslog logging, pidfiles, tcpdump file input, multiple collectors, and manpage updates. Version 1.1 in 2005 included bug fixes, feature enhancement, and a default hash change related to algorithmic-complexity DoS hardening. ### Adoption history The official SourceForge project remains the download and file-release surface, with release archives from 2002 through 2005 and a project page listing ongoing downloads. Its homepage pairs fprobe with fprobe-ulog, a Linux-only libipulog fork for iptables ULOG packet capture. ### How it is used fprobe runs as a system-oriented command that captures from a libpcap interface or from tcpdump -w data on stdin, applies an optional tcpdump-style filter, tracks flows, and sends NetFlow to one or more remote collectors. Its man page documents interface selection, filters, timers, NetFlow version selection, source address, queue and memory limits, realtime priority, chroot/user options, and collector syntax. ### Why package nerds care fprobe is a compact example of early-2000s Unix network-monitoring packaging: a small C daemon, libpcap dependency, man page, init-script contribution, and SourceForge tarball releases. It matters historically as a bridge between packet capture tools and NetFlow collectors before flow export was routine in commodity monitoring stacks. ### Timeline - 2002: SourceForge project registered. - 2002: fprobe 0.8 first public release. - 2002: fprobe 0.90 focused on performance improvements. - 2003: fprobe 1.0 was released with changed filter behavior, option -K, and manpage updates. - 2004: fprobe 1.0.5 changed the default tool location to /usr/sbin and moved the man page to section 8. - 2005: fprobe 1.1 was released with bug fixes, feature enhancement, and default hash hardening. ### Related projects - The homepage describes fprobe-ulog as a libipulog-based fork for Linux netfilter ULOG capture. The README also points to nProbe, a namesake fprobe project by Bogdan Surdu, Softflowd, Cisco NetFlow resources, and network-monitoring link collections. ### 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 - fprobe - 1.1-8+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: fprobe from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | export captured traffic to remote NetFlow Collector | http://fprobe.sourceforge.net - Ubuntu apt - fprobe - 1.1-8build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: fprobe from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | export captured traffic to remote NetFlow Collector | http://fprobe.sourceforge.net - apk - fprobe - 1.1-r13: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: fprobe from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | libpcap-based tool that collect network traffic | https://fprobe.sourceforge.net/ - apk - fprobe-doc - 1.1-r13: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: fprobe-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | libpcap-based tool that collect network traffic (documentation) | https://fprobe.sourceforge.net/ - apk - fprobe-openrc - 1.1-r13: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: fprobe-openrc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | libpcap-based tool that collect network traffic (OpenRC init scripts) | https://fprobe.sourceforge.net/ - MacPorts - fprobe: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: net/fprobe/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/fprobe.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/fprobe.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