Witr is a powerful CLI tool for process diagnosis & troubleshooting. Trace processes, understand dependencies & identify root causes. Supports Linux, macOS, Windows & more.
witr is a command-line tool designed for in-depth process diagnostics. It provides detailed information about why a process or service is running, not just its existence. Users can initiate investigations by specifying a process name, PID, or listening port, and witr then constructs a causal ancestry chain revealing the origin and dependencies of the target process. The output includes sections like “why it exists,” identifying the primary source (e.g., systemd, Docker, cron), along with contextual details such as working directory, Git repository, container information, and bind scope. Furthermore, witr offers optional warnings for potential risks and health issues, alongside options for JSON output, tree or short ancestry views, environment variable display, and color control. The tool supports Linux, macOS, Windows, and FreeBSD, leveraging platform-specific tools for process and network inspection. It is an open-source project with an Apache 2.0 license.
