# Install stern with Homebrew, apk, chocolatey, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper, scoop, winget Tail multiple Kubernetes pods & their containers. Version 1.34.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-26. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#stern. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:stern ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install stern ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install stern ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/stern/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add stern ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: stern from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#stern ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/st/stern/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S stern ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: stern from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install stern ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: stern from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst ### Windows - Chocolatey (92%): ```sh choco install stern ``` Evidence: Chocolatey community package catalog: stern from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='6.5836','capture' - Scoop (92%): ```sh scoop install main/stern ``` Evidence: Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/stern.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - winget (92%): ```sh winget install --id stern.stern -e ``` Evidence: Windows Package Manager source index: stern.stern from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:stern - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 1.34.0 - **Source summary:** Tail multiple Kubernetes pods & their containers - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-26T04:03:46+02:00 - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00 ## Executables - stern (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 1.34.0 ## Project history and usage stern is a Kubernetes log-tailing CLI for following multiple pods and containers at once. In package-manager culture it is the small, sharp alternative to repeating kubectl logs commands while debugging workloads. ### Project history The current stern project identifies itself as a friendly fork of the discontinued wercker/stern project. Its GitHub repository was created in 2020, and the README keeps the original purpose visible: tail matching Kubernetes pods, colorize output, and automatically follow pods as they appear or disappear. ### Adoption history stern is distributed through direct GitHub releases, Go install, asdf, Homebrew, Krew, and WinGet according to its README, while the input package metadata also lists Linux and Windows package managers. That spread reflects its role as a routine Kubernetes operator tool rather than a single-platform utility. ### How it is used Typical use is interactive cluster debugging: users pass a pod regex or resource name such as deployment/nginx, optionally select namespaces or containers, and stream logs with colored pod/container labels. Its config file lets users set default flag values such as tail count, concurrency, timestamps, and colors. ### Why package nerds care Package maintainers care about stern because it is a classic CLI that wraps a noisy platform workflow into one executable, has shell-completion and config-file behavior, and is also a kubectl-plugin ecosystem citizen through Krew. ### Timeline - 2020: The current stern/stern GitHub repository was created as a fork of discontinued wercker/stern. - 2020s: The README documents installation through GitHub releases, Go install, asdf, Homebrew, Krew, and WinGet. - 2020s: stern standardizes on ~/.config/stern/config.yaml as the default config file path. ### Related projects - wercker/stern is the discontinued upstream named by the current fork. - kubectl and Kubernetes client-go are the surrounding command-line ecosystem. - Krew packages stern as a kubectl plugin. ### Sources - - - source_facts.package-manager ## Security Notes infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal. - **Geiger risk:** orange / medium - infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal ## Configuration and credential file locations These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval. ## Configuration files - Unix: ~/.config/stern/config.yaml ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - stern: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/st/stern/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - apk - stern - 1.33.0-r7: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: stern from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Multi pod and container log tailing for Kubernetes | https://github.com/stern/stern - apk - stern-bash-completion - 1.33.0-r7: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: stern-bash-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Bash completions for stern | https://github.com/stern/stern - apk - stern-fish-completion - 1.33.0-r7: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: stern-fish-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Fish completions for stern | https://github.com/stern/stern - apk - stern-zsh-completion - 1.33.0-r7: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: stern-zsh-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Zsh completions for stern | https://github.com/stern/stern - pacman - stern - 1.34.0-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: stern from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Multi pod and container log tailing for Kubernetes | https://github.com/stern/stern - zypper - stern - 1.34.0-1.4: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: stern from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Multi pod and container log tailing for Kubernetes | https://github.com/stern/stern - MacPorts - stern: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/stern/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Chocolatey - stern: normalized package name match | Chocolatey community package catalog: stern from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='6.5836','capture' - Scoop - main/stern: normalized package name match | Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/stern.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - winget - stern.stern: normalized package name match | Windows Package Manager source index: stern.stern from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/stern.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/stern.yml) ## Sources - pkg.so package database - Geiger risk classifier - curated configuration and credential file locations - curated package history - pkgdb category and tag curation - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph