netwatch
Real-time network diagnostics in your terminal. One command, zero config, instant visibility.
Runssource: GitHubRustMITcommit ee7d217438f4
Rust, MIT licensed. The project labels itself: cli, diagnostics, network analysis, network monitoring, packet capture, ratatui, rust and terminal.
netwatch runs. An Argusic agent installed it in 18 minutes and hit 5 errors on a clean machine with no GPU, and the whole session was recorded.
After installing Rust and pointing the build at extracted libpcap/ibverbs/libnl libraries, netwatch 0.40.0 builds in debug and release, its version/help/doctor/diagnose/uptime commands exit 0, the TUI runs and renders live data on a PTY, and the test suite passes except 2 tests that fail only because this container has IPv6 disabled.
What the agent ended up with on a clean machine, in its own words. How this is measured
Measured by Argusic on a fresh machine every time. Every number links to its evidence. Argusic Score 96 of 100 (the mean of this project's run scores).
At a glance
Subject data from GitHub, linked at the top of this page. Test data by Argusic (CC BY 4.0); every number links to a run page with the full log, the recording, and their sha256 hashes.
What was measured
From the run that decided this verdict. Every line is a recorded value, not an estimate.
What went wrong, in the agent's own words
The agent's own words, worst first, never rewritten into advice.
- runtime/loader error: libpcap.so.0.8 missing; then libibverbs.so.1 and libnl missing (static lib had RDMA symbols)6 minutes
- link failed: rust-lld unable to find library -lpcap (no libpcap / no root)4 minutes
- 2 conn_view_tests failed asserting selection_bg; container sets NO_COLOR=1 so monochrome::strip resets backgrounds4 minutes
- cargo/rustc not found in container2 minutes
- 2 collector tests panicked binding ::1: Cannot assign requested address (code 99)2 minutes
- Install time
- 18 minutes
- Cold machine to finish
- 23 minutes
- Errors hit and fixed
- 5 hit, 4 fixed with no human help
- How the result was proved
- cargo test: lib 2069 passed/2 failed/10 ignored (2 fails env-only); 15 integration targets all ok (config 12, doctor 23, release 23, schemas 21, tui_signals 11, capture_authority 11, recovery 11, stability 5); cargo build --release exited 0; ./target/release/netwatch --version printed 'netwatch 0.40.0'; doctor --json exited 0 with 18 capabilities; TUI ran on a 40x120 PTY rendering tabs/RTT tiles/connections and stayed live
- Model tokens used
- 288,923
- Exact commit tested
- ee7d217438f4
- Container image
- sha256:cdd920bce783
What was not measured
The other half, so you can see exactly how far this evidence goes. A gap is printed as a gap and never filled in.
- Peak GPU memory
- this ran on a CPU machine, so there was no GPU to sample
- Behaviour over a long run
- each attempt uses the smallest documented settings and a fixed time budget, so this measures whether it runs, not how it holds up under load
The end of the recording
The last lines of the terminal session that decided this verdict, exactly as they were recorded.
- Build failed: `unable to find library -lpcap`. No root, so I extracted Ubuntu's `libpcap0.8-dev`/… **Verified working behavior (not just "built")** - `netwatch --version` → `netwatch 0.40.0`; `--help` prints full usage. - The TUI launched under a PTY (rows 40×120) and rendered real content: header tabs, RTT tiles (gat… - `netwatch doctor --json` → exit 0, 18 capabilities, `capture_library: ready (linked_library)`. - `netwatch diagnose run --budget 5s --format json` → exit 0 with real rule coverage. - `netwatch uptime` → exit 0. **Tests:** lib suite 2069 passed / 2 failed / 10 ignored; all 15 integration targets passed (e.g. c… **Two categories of failures diagnosed (no code changes needed — both environmental):** 1. Two `conn_view_tests` failed only because this container sets `NO_COLOR=1`; `monochrome::strip` … 2. Two collector tests fail binding `::1` because IPv6 is disabled here (`disable_ipv6=1`, `[Errno … I did not modify any repository source; all workarounds are env vars pointing at `/tmp` libraries.
Replay the whole session, every command from a clean machine to this point.
How it was tested
One agent, one container, no human help. It installs the project the way its own documentation says to, runs it, and fixes what breaks. Everything below is recorded as it happened: the terminal session, the log and the exact commit. The full method.
Strengths and limits
Measured facts, not opinions. How this is written.
What went well
- Reached a running state on a clean machine, with the session recorded.
- Ran without a GPU, so it does not need one to start.
- Licensed MIT, as reported by its host.
What did not, or is not known
- Took 18 minutes to install, slower than the median of the 122 comparable projects Argusic has measured.
- Hit 5 errors during setup, 1 of which were not solved.
- Measured once so far. A single attempt shows it can run, not that it runs reliably.
Of the 123 cli projects Argusic has installed and timed, netwatch was the 109th fastest to reach a running state, and 110 of 123 reached one at all.
What it is a reasonable choice for
- Trying it on a laptop or a small server: it reached a running state without a GPU.
Also tested, in the same area
Every one of these was installed and run by Argusic on a clean machine. Nothing appears here that was not tested.
Run history
Topics (from GitHub)
clidiagnosticsnetwork-analysisnetwork-monitoringpacket-captureratatuirustterminaltui
Embed the badge
Markdown for the project README. It links back here; terms on the terms page.
[](https://argusic.com/subject/netwatch)Questions
- Does netwatch run?
- Yes. netwatch runs. Argusic installed and launched it on a clean machine in 18 minutes, hitting 5 errors on the way, and recorded the session.
- How did Argusic test netwatch?
- On a fresh, disposable machine, with every command recorded and the repository pinned at commit ee7d217438f4. One attempt is recorded, and the full method is on the methodology page.
- What did it cost to test netwatch?
- The run that produced this verdict cost $0.19: real compute and model cost, not a list price per million tokens. It is recorded on that run's page.
- How long does netwatch take to install?
- 18 minutes in the run that decided this verdict, from a clean machine to a running state. That is one measured attempt, not an average.
- Does netwatch need a GPU?
- Not to start. Argusic reached a running state on a machine with no GPU.
- What goes wrong when installing netwatch?
- 5 things broke in the recorded run, and 4 were fixed without human help. Each one, and the time it cost, is listed on this page.
- How does netwatch compare with the alternatives?
- Of the 123 cli projects Argusic has installed and timed, netwatch was the 109th fastest to reach a running state, and 110 of 123 reached one at all.
- Where is the evidence for netwatch?
- The recorded run is on this page, each linking to its full log and terminal recording, stored with a sha256 fingerprint so it cannot be quietly altered.