# Install vmtouch with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, zypper
Portable file system cache diagnostics and control. Version 1.3.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-10. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install vmtouch.
## Install
```sh
sudo av install brew:vmtouch
```
Additional install commands:
### macOS
- Homebrew (100%):
```sh
brew install vmtouch
```
Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata
- MacPorts (94%):
```sh
sudo port install vmtouch
```
Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/vmtouch/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
### Linux
- apk (92%):
```sh
sudo apk add vmtouch
```
Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: vmtouch from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
- Debian apt (92%):
```sh
sudo apt install vmtouch
```
Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: vmtouch from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
- dnf (92%):
```sh
sudo dnf install vmtouch
```
Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: vmtouch 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#vmtouch
```
Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/vm/vmtouch/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- zypper (92%):
```sh
sudo zypper install vmtouch
```
Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: vmtouch from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst
## Package facts
- **Package key:** brew:vmtouch
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 1.3.1
- **Source summary:** Portable file system cache diagnostics and control
- **Homepage:**
- **Repository:**
- **Last updated:** 2026-07-10T10:08:02-04:00
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00
## Executables
- vmtouch (alias)
## Install behavior
- Bottle: not available
## Freshness
- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 1.3.1
## Project history and usage
vmtouch, the Virtual Memory Toucher, is a portable Unix tool for seeing and influencing which file pages are resident in the filesystem cache. It exposes low-level virtual-memory primitives such as `mmap`, `mincore`, `mlock`, `msync`, and `posix_fadvise` through a compact command-line interface.
### Project history
The upstream README identifies vmtouch as Doug Hoyte's project, with copyright years 2009-2017 and contributors tracked in the CHANGES file. The changelog records 0.7.1 as the first public release, followed by portability work for Solaris, OS X, and HP-UX by the 0.8.0 release in December 2012.
The 2015-2018 releases show the tool maturing from a cache-inspection utility into a more scriptable systems tool. Version 1.0.1 added page-range support, version 1.1.0 improved large-value checking and Linux block-device handling, version 1.2.0 added include/exclude filename patterns, version 1.3.0 added batch input mode, and version 1.3.1 added PID-file support for daemonized memory locking.
### Adoption history
vmtouch's adoption story is mostly that of a niche tool spreading across Unix-like operating systems because it maps directly to common performance investigations. The manual lists confirmed support for Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, OS X, and HP-UX, while noting that eviction support varies by kernel API.
### How it is used
With no options, vmtouch reports cache residency by mapping files read-only and querying resident pages with `mincore`. Operators use `-t` to fault pages into cache, `-e` to ask the OS to evict pages, and `-l` or `-L` to lock pages in physical memory for as long as the process runs. Directory recursion, page ranges, ignore/include patterns, and batch lists make it usable against large trees.
### Why package nerds care
vmtouch is significant in package-manager culture because it gives administrators a repeatable way to demonstrate and manipulate the otherwise invisible filesystem cache. It is especially handy for benchmarking, warming hot datasets, testing cold-cache behavior, and explaining why a second run of a workload is faster than the first.
### Timeline
- 2009: Doug Hoyte begins vmtouch, according to the upstream copyright range.
- 0.7.1: First public release, per the CHANGES file.
- 2012-12-04: Version 0.8.0 adds full OS X support and HP-UX support.
- 2015-10-16: Version 1.0.1 adds page-range mode.
- 2017-03-16: Version 1.3.0 adds batch mode and filesystem-boundary traversal control.
- 2018-11-16: Version 1.3.1 adds PID-file support for daemon mode.
### Related projects
- vmtouch is conceptually adjacent to `vmstat`, `touch`, and OS primitives such as `mincore`, `mlock`, `msync`, `madvise`, and `posix_fadvise`; the upstream manual lists those interfaces as related references.
### Sources
- vmtouch CHANGES: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/hoytech/vmtouch/master/CHANGES
- vmtouch README: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/hoytech/vmtouch/master/README.md
- vmtouch manual: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/hoytech/vmtouch/master/vmtouch.pod
## 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 - vmtouch - 1.3.1-3: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: vmtouch from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Portable file system cache diagnostics and control | https://hoytech.com/vmtouch/
- Nix - vmtouch: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/vm/vmtouch/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Ubuntu apt - vmtouch - 1.3.1-2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: vmtouch from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Portable file system cache diagnostics and control | https://hoytech.com/vmtouch/
- apk - vmtouch - 1.3.1-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: vmtouch from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Portable file system cache diagnostics and control | https://hoytech.com/vmtouch/
- apk - vmtouch-doc - 1.3.1-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: vmtouch-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Portable file system cache diagnostics and control (documentation) | https://hoytech.com/vmtouch/
- dnf - vmtouch - 1.3.1-13.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: vmtouch from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Portable file system cache diagnostics and control | http://hoytech.com/vmtouch/
- zypper - vmtouch - 1.3.1-1.23: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: vmtouch from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Portable file system cache diagnostics and control | http://hoytech.com/vmtouch/
- MacPorts - vmtouch: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/vmtouch/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/vmtouch.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/vmtouch.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