# witr **Repository Path**: kikt/witr ## Basic Information - **Project Name**: witr - **Description**: No description available - **Primary Language**: Unknown - **License**: Apache-2.0 - **Default Branch**: main - **Homepage**: None - **GVP Project**: No ## Statistics - **Stars**: 0 - **Forks**: 0 - **Created**: 2026-05-05 - **Last Updated**: 2026-05-05 ## Categories & Tags **Categories**: Uncategorized **Tags**: None ## README

# witr ### Why is this running? *with* [**Interactive TUI Mode**](#3-interactive-mode-tui) ✨ [![Go Version](https://img.shields.io/github/go-mod/go-version/pranshuparmar/witr?style=flat-square)](https://github.com/pranshuparmar/witr/blob/main/go.mod) [![Go Report Card](https://goreportcard.com/badge/github.com/pranshuparmar/witr?style=flat-square)](https://goreportcard.com/report/github.com/pranshuparmar/witr) [![Release](https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/pranshuparmar/witr/release.yml?style=flat-square)](https://github.com/pranshuparmar/witr/actions/workflows/release.yml) [![Platforms](https://img.shields.io/badge/platforms-linux%20%7C%20macos%20%7C%20windows%20%7C%20freebsd-blue?style=flat-square)](#6-platform-support)
[![Latest Release](https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/pranshuparmar/witr?label=Latest%20Release&style=flat-square)](https://github.com/pranshuparmar/witr/releases/latest) [![Package Managers](https://img.shields.io/badge/Package%20Managers-brew%20|%20conda%20|%20aur%20|%20winget%20|%20npm%20|%20ports%20|%20...%20-blue?style=flat-square)](https://repology.org/project/witr/versions) 📖 Read the [story](https://medium.com/@pranshu.parmar/witr-why-is-this-running-a9a97cbedd18) behind witr witr_banner

witr_banner

---

[**Purpose**](#1-purpose) • [**Installation**](#2-installation) • ✨ [**TUI**](#3-interactive-mode-tui) • [**Flags**](#4-flags--options) • [**Examples**](#5-example-outputs) • [**Platforms**](#6-platform-support)
[**Goals**](#7-goals) • [**Core Concept**](#8-core-concept) • [**Output Behavior**](#9-output-behavior) • [**Success Criteria**](#10-success-criteria) • [**Sponsors**](#11-sponsors)

--- ## 1. Purpose **witr** exists to answer a single question: > **Why is this running?** When something is running on a system, whether it is a process, a service, or something bound to a port, there is always a cause. That cause is often indirect, non-obvious, or spread across multiple layers such as supervisors, containers, services, or shells. Existing tools (`ps`, `top`, `lsof`, `ss`, `systemctl`, `docker ps`) expose state and metadata. They show _what_ is running, but leave the user to infer _why_ by manually correlating outputs across tools. **witr** makes that causality explicit. It explains **where a running thing came from**, **how it was started**, and **what chain of systems is responsible for it existing right now**, in a single, human-readable output or an **interactive TUI dashboard**. --- ## 2. Installation witr is distributed as a single static binary for Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, and Windows. witr is also independently packaged and maintained across multiple operating systems and ecosystems. An up-to-date overview of packaging status is available on [Repology](https://repology.org/project/witr/versions). Please note that community packages may lag GitHub releases due to independent review and validation. > [!TIP] > If you use a package manager (Homebrew, Conda, Winget, etc.), we recommend installing via that for easier updates. Otherwise, the install script is the quickest way to get started. --- ### 2.1 Quick Install #### Unix (Linux, macOS & FreeBSD) ```bash curl -fsSL https://gitee.com/kikt/witr/raw/main/install.sh | bash ```

Script Details

The script will: - Detect your operating system (`linux`, `darwin` or `freebsd`) - Detect your CPU architecture (`amd64` or `arm64`) - Download the latest released binary and man page - Install it to `/usr/local/bin/witr` - Install the man page to `/usr/local/share/man/man1/witr.1` - Pass INSTALL_PREFIX to override default install path

#### Windows (PowerShell) ```powershell irm https://gitee.com/kikt/witr/raw/main/install.ps1 | iex ```

Script Details

The script will: - Download the latest release (zip) and verify checksum. - Extract `witr.exe` to `%LocalAppData%\witr\bin`. - Add the bin directory to your User `PATH`.

--- ### 2.2 Package Managers

Homebrew (macOS & Linux)

Homebrew

You can install **witr** using [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/) on macOS or Linux: ```bash brew install witr ```

Conda (macOS, Linux & Windows)

Conda

You can install **witr** using [conda](https://docs.conda.io/en/latest/), [mamba](https://mamba.readthedocs.io/en/latest/), or [pixi](https://pixi.prefix.dev/latest/) on macOS, Linux, and Windows: ```bash conda install -c conda-forge witr # alternatively using mamba mamba install -c conda-forge witr # alternatively using pixi pixi global install witr ```

Arch Linux (AUR)

AUR

On Arch Linux and derivatives, install from the [AUR package](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/witr-bin): ```bash yay -S witr-bin # alternatively using paru paru -S witr-bin # or use your preferred AUR helper ```

Winget (Windows)

Winget

You can install **witr** via [winget](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/package-manager/winget/): ```powershell winget install -e --id PranshuParmar.witr ```

NPM (Cross-platform)

NPM

You can install **witr** using [npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@pranshuparmar/witr): ```bash npm install -g @pranshuparmar/witr ```

FreeBSD Ports

You can install **witr** on FreeBSD from the [FreshPorts port](https://www.freshports.org/sysutils/witr/): ```bash pkg install witr # or pkg install sysutils/witr ``` Or build from Ports: ```bash cd /usr/ports/sysutils/witr/ make install clean ```

Chocolatey (Windows)

Chocolatey

You can install **witr** using [Chocolatey](https://community.chocolatey.org): ```powershell choco install witr ```

Scoop (Windows)

Scoop

You can install **witr** using [Scoop](https://scoop.sh): ```powershell scoop install main/witr ```

AOSC OS

You can install **witr** from the [AOSC OS repository](https://packages.aosc.io/packages/witr): ```bash oma install witr ```

GNU Guix

You can install **witr** from the [GNU Guix repository](https://packages.guix.gnu.org/packages/witr/): ```bash guix install witr ```

Uniget (Linux)

You can install **witr** using [uniget](https://uniget.dev/): ```bash uniget install witr ```

Aqua (macOS, Linux & Windows)

You can install **witr** using [aqua](https://aquaproj.github.io/): ```bash # Add package aqua g -i pranshuparmar/witr # Install package aqua i pranshuparmar/witr ```

Brioche (Linux)

Brioche

You can install **witr** using [brioche](https://brioche.dev/): ```bash brioche install -r witr ```

Prebuilt Packages (deb, rpm, apk)

**witr** provides native packages for major Linux distributions. You can download the latest `.deb`, `.rpm`, or `.apk` package from the [GitHub releases page](https://github.com/pranshuparmar/witr/releases/latest). - Generic download command using `curl`: ```bash # Replace curl -LO https://github.com/pranshuparmar/witr/releases/latest/download/ ``` - **Debian/Ubuntu (.deb):** ```bash sudo dpkg -i ./witr-*.deb # Or, using apt for dependency resolution: sudo apt install ./witr-*.deb ``` - **Fedora/RHEL/CentOS (.rpm):** ```bash sudo rpm -i ./witr-*.rpm ``` - **Alpine Linux (.apk):** ```bash sudo apk add --allow-untrusted ./witr-*.apk ```

--- ### 2.3 Source & Manual Installation

Go (cross-platform)

You can install the latest version directly from source: ```bash go install github.com/pranshuparmar/witr/cmd/witr@latest ``` This will place the `witr` binary in your `$GOPATH/bin` or `$HOME/go/bin` directory. Make sure this directory is in your `PATH`.

Manual Installation

If you prefer manual installation, follow these simple steps for your platform: **Unix (Linux, macOS, FreeBSD)** ```bash # 1. Determine OS and Architecture OS=$(uname -s | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]') ARCH=$(uname -m) [ "$ARCH" = "x86_64" ] && ARCH="amd64" [ "$ARCH" = "aarch64" ] && ARCH="arm64" # 2. Download the binary curl -fsSL "https://github.com/pranshuparmar/witr/releases/latest/download/witr-${OS}-${ARCH}" -o witr # 3. Verify checksum (Optional) curl -fsSL "https://github.com/pranshuparmar/witr/releases/latest/download/SHA256SUMS" -o SHA256SUMS grep "witr-${OS}-${ARCH}" SHA256SUMS | (sha256sum -c - 2>/dev/null || shasum -a 256 -c - 2>/dev/null) rm SHA256SUMS # 4. Rename and install chmod +x witr sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/bin sudo mv witr /usr/local/bin/witr # 5. Install man page (Optional) sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/share/man/man1 sudo curl -fsSL https://github.com/pranshuparmar/witr/releases/latest/download/witr.1 -o /usr/local/share/man/man1/witr.1 ``` **Windows (PowerShell)** ```powershell # 1. Determine Architecture if ($env:PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE -eq "AMD64") { $ZipName = "witr-windows-amd64.zip" } elseif ($env:PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE -eq "ARM64") { $ZipName = "witr-windows-arm64.zip" } else { Write-Error "Unsupported architecture: $($env:PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE)" exit 1 } # 2. Download the zip Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://github.com/pranshuparmar/witr/releases/latest/download/$ZipName" -OutFile "witr.zip" # 3. Extract the binary Expand-Archive -Path "witr.zip" -DestinationPath "." -Force # 4. Verify checksum (Optional) Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://github.com/pranshuparmar/witr/releases/latest/download/SHA256SUMS" -OutFile "SHA256SUMS" $hash = Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA256 .\witr.zip $expected = Select-String -Path .\SHA256SUMS -Pattern $ZipName if ($expected -and $hash.Hash.ToLower() -eq $expected.Line.Split(' ')[0]) { Write-Host "Checksum OK" } else { Write-Host "Checksum Mismatch" } # 5. Install to local bin directory $InstallDir = "$env:LocalAppData\witr\bin" New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $InstallDir -Force | Out-Null Move-Item .\witr.exe $InstallDir\witr.exe -Force # 6. Add to User Path (Persistent) $UserPath = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "User") if ($UserPath -notlike "*$InstallDir*") { [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "$UserPath;$InstallDir", "User") $env:Path += ";$InstallDir" Write-Host "Added to Path. You may need to restart PowerShell." } # 7. Cleanup Remove-Item witr.zip Remove-Item SHA256SUMS ```

--- ### 2.4 Run Without Installation

Nix Flake

If you use Nix, you can build **witr** from source and run without installation: ```bash nix run github:pranshuparmar/witr -- --help ```

Pixi

If you use [pixi](https://pixi.prefix.dev/latest/), you can run without installation on Linux or macOS: ```bash pixi exec witr --help ```

--- ### 2.5 Other Operations

Verify Installation

```bash witr --version man witr ```

Shell Completions

`witr` supports tab completion for all flags. To enable it, add the appropriate line to your shell configuration: **Bash** ```bash echo 'eval "$(witr completion bash)"' >> ~/.bashrc source ~/.bashrc ``` **Zsh** ```zsh echo 'eval "$(witr completion zsh)"' >> ~/.zshrc source ~/.zshrc ``` **Fish** ```fish witr completion fish | source # To make it permanent: witr completion fish > ~/.config/fish/completions/witr.fish ``` **PowerShell** ```powershell witr completion powershell | Out-String | Invoke-Expression # To make it permanent, add the above line to your $PROFILE ```

Uninstallation

If you installed via a package manager (Homebrew, Conda, etc.), please use the respective uninstall command (e.g., `brew uninstall witr`). To completely remove script/manual installation of **witr**: **Unix (Linux, macOS, FreeBSD)** ```bash sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/witr sudo rm -f /usr/local/share/man/man1/witr.1 ``` **Windows** ```powershell Remove-Item -Recurse -Force "$env:LocalAppData\witr" ```

--- ## 3. Interactive Mode (TUI) Running `witr` without any arguments or with the `-i` flag launches the **Interactive Mode (TUI)**. This provides a real-time, terminal-based dashboard for exploring processes and ports. ### Key Features: - **Live Process List**: Real-time view of all running processes with sorting and filtering. - **Port View**: Explore open ports and immediately see which processes are holding them. - **Process Details**: Deep-dive into a specific process to see its full ancestry tree, child processes, environment variables, working directory, and more. - **Process Actions**: Send signals (Kill, Terminate, Pause, Resume) or Renice processes directly from the UI. - **Mouse Support**: Navigate, sort columns, and click rows using your mouse. --- ## 4. Flags & Options ``` --env show environment variables for the process -x, --exact use exact name matching (no substring search) -f, --file strings file path(s) to find process for (repeatable) -h, --help help for witr -i, --interactive interactive mode (TUI) --json show result as JSON --no-color disable colorized output -p, --pid strings pid(s) to look up (repeatable) -o, --port strings port(s) to look up (repeatable) -s, --short show only ancestry -t, --tree show only ancestry as a tree --verbose show extended process information -v, --version version for witr --warnings show only warnings ``` Positional arguments (without flags) are treated as process or service names. Multiple names can be passed. By default, name matching uses substring matching (fuzzy search). Use `--exact` to match only processes with the exact name. All target flags (`--pid`, `--port`, `--file`) are repeatable and can be mixed with each other and with positional name arguments. When multiple targets are provided, results are shown sequentially with labeled dividers. All output modes (standard, short, tree, JSON, env, warnings, verbose) work with multiple inputs. The TUI is launched if no arguments or relevant flags (`--pid`, `--port`, `--file`) are provided, or if the `--interactive` flag is explicitly used. --- ## 5. Example Outputs ### 5.1 Name Based Query ```bash witr node ``` ``` Target : node Process : node (pid 14233) User : pm2 Command : node index.js Started : 2 days ago (Mon 2025-02-02 11:42:10 +05:30) Restarts : 1 Why It Exists : systemd (pid 1) → pm2 (pid 5034) → node (pid 14233) Source : pm2 Working Dir : /opt/apps/expense-manager Git Repo : expense-manager (main) Listening : 127.0.0.1:5001 ``` --- ### 5.2 Short Output ```bash witr --port 5000 --short ``` ``` systemd (pid 1) → PM2 v5.3.1: God (pid 1481580) → python (pid 1482060) ``` --- ### 5.3 Tree Output ```bash witr --pid 143895 --tree ``` ``` systemd (pid 1) └─ init-systemd(Ub (pid 2) └─ SessionLeader (pid 143858) └─ Relay(143860) (pid 143859) └─ bash (pid 143860) └─ sh (pid 143886) └─ node (pid 143895) ├─ node (pid 143930) ├─ node (pid 144189) └─ node (pid 144234) ``` Note: _Tree view includes child processes (up to 10) and highlights the target process._ --- ### 5.4 Multiple Matches ```bash witr ng ``` ``` Multiple matching processes found: [1] nginx (pid 2311) nginx -g daemon off; [2] nginx (pid 24891) nginx -g daemon off; [3] ngrok (pid 14233) ngrok http 5000 Re-run with: witr --pid ``` To avoid substring matching and only find processes with an exact name, use the `--exact` flag: ```bash witr nginx -x ``` --- ### 5.5 File Based Query ```bash witr --file /var/lib/dpkg/lock ``` Explains the process holding a file open. --- ### 5.6 Multiple Inputs ```bash witr nginx --port 5432 --pid 1234 ``` ``` ----- [name: nginx] ----- Target : nginx Process : nginx (pid 2311) ... ----- [port: 5432] ----- Target : postgres Process : postgres (pid 891) ... ----- [pid: 1234] ----- Target : node Process : node (pid 1234) ... ``` All target flags are repeatable and can be mixed. Results appear in the order you typed them. All output modes (`--short`, `--tree`, `--json`, `--env`, `--warnings`, `--verbose`) work with multiple inputs. --- ## 6. Platform Support - **Linux** (x86_64, arm64) - Full feature support (`/proc`). - **macOS** (x86_64, arm64) - Uses `ps`, `lsof`, `sysctl`, `pgrep`. - **Windows** (x86_64, arm64) - Uses `Get-CimInstance`, `tasklist`, `netstat`. - **FreeBSD** (x86_64, arm64) - Uses `procstat`, `ps`, `lsof`. --- ### 5.1 Feature Compatibility Matrix | Feature | Linux | macOS | Windows | FreeBSD | Notes | |---------|:-----:|:-----:|:-------:|:-------:|-------| | **Process Selection** | | By Name | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | | By PID | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | | By Port | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | | By File | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | | | Multiple/mixed inputs | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Repeatable flags, mixed types. | | Exact Match | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | | Full command line | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | | Process start time | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | | Working directory | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | | Environment variables | ✅ | ⚠️ | ❌ | ✅ | macOS: Partial support due to SIP restrictions. | | **Network** | | Listening ports | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | | Bind addresses | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | | Port → PID resolution | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | | **Service Detection** | | Service Manager | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Linux: systemd, macOS: launchd, Windows: Services, FreeBSD: rc.d | | Service Description | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Linux: `Description`, macOS: `Comment`, Windows: `Display Name`, FreeBSD: `rc` header | | Configuration Source | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Linux: Unit File, macOS: Plist, Windows: Registry Key, FreeBSD: Rc Script | | Supervisor | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | | Containers | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Docker (plus Compose mappings), Podman, K8s (Kubepods), Containerd. Colima on macOS/Linux. Jails on FreeBSD. | | SSH session detection | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Detects remote IP and terminal. | | tmux/screen detection | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | Shows session name in source. | | Schedule detection | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | Linux: systemd timers, macOS: launchd intervals/calendar. | | Snap/Flatpak detection | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | | **Health & Diagnostics** | | CPU usage detection | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | | Memory usage detection | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | | Health status detection | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | | Open Files / Handles | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠️ | ✅ | Windows: count only. | | Deleted binary detection | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Warns if executable is missing. | | Capability warnings | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | Warns about dangerous capabilities on non-root processes. | | **Context** | | Git repo/branch detection | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | | **Interactive Mode (TUI)** | | Process Dashboard | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | | Port Dashboard | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | | Process Details | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | | Process Actions | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | | **Legend:** ✅ Full support | ⚠️ Partial/limited support | ❌ Not available --- ### 5.2 Permissions Note #### Linux/FreeBSD witr inspects system directories which may require elevated permissions. If you are not seeing the expected information, try running witr with sudo: ```bash sudo witr [your arguments] ``` #### macOS On macOS, witr uses `ps`, `lsof`, and `launchctl` to gather process information. Some operations may require elevated permissions: ```bash sudo witr [your arguments] ``` Note: Due to macOS System Integrity Protection (SIP), some system process details may not be accessible even with sudo. #### Windows On Windows, witr uses `Get-CimInstance`, `tasklist`, and `netstat`. To see details for processes owned by other users or system services, you must run the terminal as **Administrator**. ```powershell # Run in Administrator PowerShell .\witr.exe [your arguments] ``` --- ## 7. Goals ### Primary goals - Explain **why a process exists**, not just that it exists - Reduce time‑to‑understanding during debugging and outages - Work with zero configuration - Be safe, read‑only, and non‑destructive - Prefer clarity over completeness ### Non‑goals - Not a monitoring tool - Not a performance profiler - Not a replacement for systemd/docker tooling - Not a remediation or auto‑fix tool --- ## 8. Core Concept witr treats **everything as a process question**. Ports, services, containers, and commands all eventually map to **PIDs**. Once a PID is identified, witr builds a causal chain explaining _why that PID exists_. At its core, witr answers: 1. What is running? 2. How did it start? 3. What is keeping it running? 4. What context does it belong to? --- ## 9. Output Behavior ### 9.1 Output Principles - Single screen by default (best effort) - Deterministic ordering - Narrative-style explanation - Best-effort detection with explicit uncertainty --- ### 9.2 Exit Codes witr returns meaningful exit codes for use in scripts, CI pipelines, and monitoring: | Code | Meaning | |------|---------| | 0 | Clean: process found, no warnings | | 1 | Warnings: process found but has one or more warnings | | 2 | Not found: no matching process or service | | 3 | Permission denied: insufficient privileges | | 4 | Invalid input: bad arguments or ambiguous match | #### Example Usage: ```bash witr nginx --short case $? in 0) echo "All clear" ;; 1) echo "Warnings detected" ;; 2) echo "Process not running" ;; 3) echo "Need elevated privileges" ;; 4) echo "Invalid input or ambiguous match" ;; esac ``` --- ### 9.3 Standard Output Sections #### Target What the user asked about. #### Process Executable, PID, user, command, start time and restart count. #### Why It Exists A causal ancestry chain showing how the process came to exist. This is the core value of witr. #### Source The primary system responsible for starting or supervising the process (best effort). Examples: - systemd unit with schedule info for timer-triggered services (Linux) - launchd service with schedule/trigger details (macOS) - SSH session (with remote IP and terminal) - docker container - pm2 - cron - interactive shell (detects tmux/screen sessions) - Snap/Flatpak sandbox (Linux) Only **one primary source** is selected. #### Context (best effort) - Working directory - Git repository name and branch - Container name / image (docker, podman, kubernetes, colima, containerd) - Public vs private bind #### Warnings Non‑blocking observations such as: - Process is running as root - Dangerous Linux capabilities on non-root processes (CAP_SYS_ADMIN, etc.) - Process is listening on a public interface (0.0.0.0 / ::) - Restarted multiple times (warning only if above threshold) - Process is using high memory (>1GB RSS) - Process has been running for over 90 days - Deleted binary, library injection indicators (LD_PRELOAD, DYLD_*) --- ## 10. Success Criteria witr is successful if: - A user can answer "why is this running?" within seconds - It reduces reliance on multiple tools - Output is understandable under stress - Users trust it during incidents --- ## 11. Sponsors Special thanks to the people supporting **witr** ❤️