snitch — a handy TUI for analyzing network connections in Linux | Serverspace

Introduction

Diagnosing network connections on Linux often comes down to two classic tools — ss and netstat. They are powerful, but not very convenient: long lines of output, overloaded information, and it’s hard to quickly understand what is actually happening on the network right now. snitch solves this problem by offering a clearer and more user-friendly way to analyze network connections through a TUI interface or structured tables.
Official repository: https://github.com/karol-broda/snitch

What is snitch and how does it work

snitch is a CLI tool for Linux that uses data from ss and system sources, but presents it in a convenient format: an interactive TUI (Text User Interface) or neatly formatted tables.
The tool is designed for quick analysis of current network connections without the need to parse “raw” output from system commands.

• what it shows — active TCP/UDP connections, listening ports, processes, and PIDs;
• how it shows — via TUI or table-based output;
• who it’s for — system administrators, DevOps engineers, SREs, and developers.

The idea is simple: snitch takes complex network output and turns it into a clear picture of the system’s current state.

Table: comparison of snitch with ss and netstat

Practical usage examples

Example 1. Quick overview of all network connections

When you need to understand what is happening with the server’s network right now — which ports are open and which connections are active:

You get an interactive interface with a list of connections, states, addresses, and related processes.

Example 2. Analyzing listening ports

Useful for security audits or checking which services are actually exposed:

Unlike ss -lntup, the output is immediately structured and easy to read.

Example 3. Finding suspicious connections

If a server behaves oddly (load spikes, unusual traffic, unknown connections), snitch allows you to quickly filter connections by IP, port, or process directly in the interface, without chains of grep/awk commands.

Example 4. Using snitch in scripts and reports

In addition to the TUI, snitch can output data in table format, which is convenient for logging and automated analysis:

This output is easier to read and attach to reports or tickets.

Installing snitch

snitch is distributed as a standalone binary and does not require complex installation.

Step 1. Download the binary

Go to the Releases section of the repository and download the binary for your architecture.
Example for Linux x86_64:

Step 2. Make the file executable

Step 3. Move the binary to PATH

Step 4. Run snitch

Usage recommendations

• Run as root if you need the full list of processes and PIDs.
• Use snitch for diagnostics, not as continuous monitoring — it’s a quick analysis tool.
• Combine it with classic utilities: snitch gives a clear overview, while ss/netstat remain useful for automation.
• Great for incident response: when time matters, a visual interface saves valuable minutes.

In practice: where snitch is especially useful

snitch works particularly well on VPS and cloud servers, where you need to quickly investigate network issues: unexpected connections, stuck sessions, or services listening on unnecessary ports.
In cloud environments, where servers are frequently created and removed, tools like this become especially valuable. By deploying a VPS on Serverspace, you can get a working server in minutes and use snitch for initial network diagnostics, service configuration checks, and fast incident response — without unnecessary complexity or heavy tooling.

Conclusion

snitch is a practical layer on top of ss and netstat that makes network connection analysis faster and more visual. It doesn’t fully replace system utilities, but it significantly simplifies day-to-day work: less time deciphering output, more time solving real problems.

FAQ

Is snitch a replacement for ss and netstat?

No. snitch uses the same underlying data but focuses on convenience and visualization. For automation and scripting, ss/netstat remain relevant.

Is root access required?

Yes, if you want to see all processes and PIDs. Without root, some information may be unavailable.

Is snitch suitable for production servers?

Yes, as a diagnostic tool. It does not run in the background and does not affect system performance.

Does snitch support different protocols?

snitch displays TCP and UDP connections, including listening and established states.

Where can I find the latest versions and documentation?

In the official project repository: GitHub karol-broda/snitch