mtr is a network diagnostic tool that combines the functionality of traceroute and ping in a single utility.
mtr solves the problem of understanding network paths and connection quality by sending probes with successively larger time-to-live values to a destination host and collecting statistics from the responses of intervening routers. It displays running statistics for each hop along the path, allowing users to identify where latency or packet loss occurs. The tool accounts for the reality that intermediate routers may be configured not to send ICMP responses or may rate-limit them, so apparent loss at a hop does not necessarily indicate actual traffic loss at that point.
The tool suits anyone performing network troubleshooting or diagnostics who needs to understand both the path to a destination and the quality of each link along that path. It works on Unix-like systems including Linux, macOS, and Solaris, and can run on Windows through Windows Subsystem for Linux or Cygwin. The primary build process uses standard autotools: bootstrap.sh, configure, and make. The mtr-packet component requires setuid-root privileges to access raw IP sockets, which is documented in the project's security information.
The project maintains active development with regular attention to build compatibility across platforms. The codebase addresses historical issues such as bitrot in legacy Makefile approaches and outdated GTK path requirements during compilation. Platform-specific concerns receive documented solutions, including Solaris-specific build instructions using GNU make and macOS compatibility without special requirements. The project accepts contributions that improve cross-platform support and resolve build issues on less common systems.
