pcap-ct 1.3.0b3

Python wrapper for the pcap library.

pcap-ct

Python wrapper for the pcap library.

Overview

Python pcap-ct package is a simplified object-oriented Python wrapper for libpcap C library - the current tcpdump.org version, and the WinPcap port for Windows..

pcap-ct is a pure Python package, based on the low-level libcap package.

It is fully compliant implementation of the original PyPCAP 1.2.3 API (with some minor improvements and bug fixes) by implementing whole its functionality in a clean Python instead of Cython and C.

PyPI record.

Documentation.

About original PyPCAP:

Borrowed from the original website:

PyPCAP

This is a simplified object-oriented Python wrapper for libpcap - the current tcpdump.org version, and the WinPcap port for Windows.

Example use #1:

>>> import pcap
>>> sniffer = pcap.pcap(name=None, promisc=True, immediate=True, timeout_ms=50)
>>> addr = lambda pkt, offset: '.'.join(str(ord(pkt[i])) for i in range(offset, offset + 4))
>>> for ts, pkt in sniffer:
...     print('%d\tSRC %-16s\tDST %-16s' % (ts, addr(pkt, sniffer.dloff + 12), addr(pkt, sniffer.dloff + 16)))
...

Example use #2:

Listing Interfaces

>>> import pcap
>>> print ("Interfaces:\n" + '\n'.join(pcap.findalldevs()))

Windows notes

WinPcap has compatibility issues with Windows 10, therefore it’s recommended to use Npcap (Nmap’s packet sniffing library for Windows, based on the WinPcap/Libpcap libraries, but with improved speed, portability, security, and efficiency). Please enable WinPcap API-compatible mode during the library installation.

Installation

Prerequisites:

• Python 3.9 or higher

  • https://www.python.org/

  • with C libpcap 1.8.1 is a primary test environment.

  • ATTENTION: currently tested only for Windows.

• pip and setuptools

  • https://pypi.org/project/pip/

  • https://pypi.org/project/setuptools/

To install run:

python -m pip install --upgrade pcap-ct

Development

Prerequisites:

• Development is strictly based on tox. To install it run:

  python -m pip install --upgrade tox

Visit Development page.

Installation from sources:

clone the sources:

git clone https://github.com/karpierz/pcap-ct.git pcap-ct

and run:

python -m pip install ./pcap-ct

or on development mode:

python -m pip install --editable ./pcap-ct

License

Copyright (c) 2016-2025 Adam Karpierz

Licensed under the BSD license

https://opensource.org/license/bsd-3-clause

Please refer to the accompanying LICENSE file.

Authors

• Adam Karpierz <[e-mail]>

Changelog

1.3.0b3 (2025-02-14)

• Drop support for Python 3.8

• 100% code linting.

• Copyright year update.

• Setup (dependencies) update.

1.3.0b2 (2024-08-13)

• Add support for Python 3.12 and 3.13

• Drop support for Python 3.7

• Add support for PyPy 3.9 and 3.10

• Drop support for PyPy 3.7 and 3.8

• Setup (dependencies) update.

1.3.0b1 (2022-09-10)

• Support for libpcap.set_buffer_size() via ‘buffer_size’

  (optional) pcap constructor’s parameter.
• Added ‘datalink’ optional parameter to pcap constructor

  (thank you very much easy-easy@Github for the patch!).

• Tox configuration has been moved to pyproject.toml

1.2.3b14 (2022-08-30)

• Update for libpcap>=1.11.0b6

• Add support for Python 3.10 and 3.11

• Add preliminary support for PyPy 3.7, 3.8 and 3.9

• Setup update (currently based mainly on pyproject.toml).

1.2.3b12 (2022-01-19)

• Fixed a bug in pcap.sendpacket()

  (thank you very much EvanSonnemans@Github

  for report and bugfix!).

1.2.3b11 (2022-01-10)

• Update for libpcap>=1.11.0b3

• Drop support for Python 3.6.

• Copyright year update.

• Setup update.

1.2.3b9 (2021-11-10)

• Update for libpcap>=1.11.0b2

• Copyright year update.

• Fixes for Linux.

• Setup update.

1.2.3b5 (2020-10-18)

• Add support for Python 3.9.

• Drop support for Python 3.5.

• Fixed a critical setup of ‘libpcap’ package

  (thank you very much msrst@Github!).

• General update and cleanup.

• Fixed docs setup.

1.2.3b1 (2019-11-14)

• Update for PyPCAP 1.2.3.

• Add support for Python 3.8.

• Drop support for Python 2.

• Drop support for Python 3.4.

• Update required setuptools version.

• Setup improvements and cleanup.

1.2.0b5 (2018-11-08)

• Update required setuptools version.

• Minor setup and tests improvements.

1.2.0b4 (2018-02-26)

• Improve and simplify setup and packaging.

1.2.0b3 (2018-02-01)

• Update for PyPCAP 1.2.0.

1.2.0b2 (2017-10-10)

• Minor changes.

1.2.0b1 (2017-10-05)

• Next beta release.

• Update for PyPCAP 1.2.0rc.

1.1.6b4 (2017-10-04)

• Fourth beta release.

1.1.6b3 (2017-08-28)

• Third beta release.

1.1.6b2 (2017-08-28)

• Second beta release.

1.1.6b1 (2017-08-27)

• First beta release.

1.1.6a15 (2017-08-25)

• Next alpha release.

1.1.6a0 (2017-06-10)

• First alpha release.

0.0.1 (2016-09-23)

• Initial release.