macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install tcpinglocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install tcpingMacPorts ports tree · net/tcping/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew / rank 2555
Install tcping with Homebrew, chocolatey, MacPorts, zypper, scoop, winget
TCP connect to the given IP/port combo. Version 2.1.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with zypper: sudo zypper install tcping.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install tcpingopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · tcping · source: download.opensuse.org
Windows
Chocolateyverified · 92%
choco install tcpingChocolatey community package catalog · tcping · source: community.chocolatey.org
Scoopverified · 92%
scoop install main/tcpingScoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/tcping.json · source: api.github.com
Windows Package Managerverified · 92%
winget install --id EliFulkerson.tcping -eWindows Package Manager source index · EliFulkerson.tcping · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com
overview
Package summary
TCP connect to the given IP/port combo
Project links
Commands and aliases
- tcping
history
Project history and usage
tcping is a small command-line utility that checks whether a host:port pair is reachable by attempting a TCP connection instead of sending ICMP echo packets.
Project history
The upstream manual page says tcping came to be in 2002 as a basic TCP connection checker and as a way to fail fast before running network commands with long timeouts on Solaris, AIX, and Linux.
The GitHub repository for Marc Kirchner's tcping was created in 2016. The manual notes that IPv6 support was added for version 2.0.0 in 2023, while AIX and Solaris support was dropped.
Adoption history
tcping's adoption is modest but package-manager-friendly: it is a single-purpose diagnostic CLI, available through Homebrew and several other package ecosystems in the input facts, for cases where ICMP ping is blocked or irrelevant.
How it is used
Users run tcping with a host and port, optionally selecting IPv4 or IPv6 and setting second or microsecond timeouts. Exit codes distinguish success, failure, timeout, and error, making it useful in scripts.
Why package nerds care
Package nerds care because tcping is the minimal network probe people reach for when netcat is too general and ping tests the wrong protocol. Its behavior is small enough to document in a manpage and stable enough to script.
Timeline
- 2002: tcping created for basic TCP connection checks and fast failure before long-timeout commands.
- 2016: mkirchner/tcping GitHub repository created.
- 2023: Version 2.0.0 added IPv6 support and dropped AIX and Solaris support.
Related projects
- ping, nc/netcat, fping, and hping are related network reachability tools; tcping focuses specifically on TCP connect checks.
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 bottle metadata was recorded.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
tcping | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
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 generated2026-08-03
manager version2.1.0
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:tcping |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.1.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://github.com/mkirchner/tcping |
| Repository | https://github.com/mkirchner/tcping |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
zypper95%
tcping 2.8.0-1.4
A ping program for TCP ports
https://github.com/pouriyajamshidi/tcping
sudo zypper install tcping- License: MIT
- Category: Productivity/Networking/Diagnostic
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: tcping
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Tcping
MacPorts95%
tcping
sudo port install tcping- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Tcping
Chocolatey95%
tcping
choco install tcping- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Tcping
Scoop95%
main/tcping
scoop install main/tcping- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Tcping
winget95%
EliFulkerson.tcping
winget install --id EliFulkerson.tcping -e- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Tcping
winget95%
pj.tcping
winget install --id pj.tcping -e- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Tcping
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.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- pkg.so package database
- pkgdb category and tag curation