Homebrew Package Manager

Comprehensive Homebrew commands and workflows for macOS and Linux package management.

Installation & Setup

Install Homebrew

# Install Homebrew (macOS/Linux)
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

# Add to PATH (follow installer instructions)
echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.zprofile
eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"

Basic Package Operations

Command	Description
brew install package_name	Install package
brew uninstall package_name	Uninstall package
brew upgrade	Upgrade all packages
brew upgrade package_name	Upgrade specific package
brew list	List installed packages
brew outdated	List outdated packages

Package Information

Search and Information

Command	Description
brew search keyword	Search for packages
brew info package_name	Show package information
brew list --versions	List installed packages with versions
brew deps package_name	Show package dependencies
brew uses package_name	Show packages that depend on this
brew home package_name	Open package homepage

Package Details

Command	Description
brew desc package_name	Show package description
brew cat package_name	Show package formula
brew edit package_name	Edit package formula
brew log package_name	Show package commit history

Cask Management (GUI Applications)

Cask Operations

Command	Description
brew install --cask app_name	Install GUI application
brew uninstall --cask app_name	Uninstall GUI application
brew list --cask	List installed casks
brew search --cask keyword	Search for casks
brew info --cask app_name	Show cask information
brew upgrade --cask	Upgrade all casks

Popular Casks

Cask	Description
visual-studio-code	VS Code editor
google-chrome	Chrome browser
docker	Docker Desktop
slack	Slack messaging
zoom	Zoom video conferencing
spotify	Spotify music

Services Management

Service Operations

Command	Description
brew services list	List all services
brew services start service_name	Start service
brew services stop service_name	Stop service
brew services restart service_name	Restart service
brew services run service_name	Run service once

Common Services

Service	Description
postgresql	PostgreSQL database
mysql	MySQL database
redis	Redis cache
nginx	Nginx web server
mongodb-community	MongoDB database

Tap Management (Third-party Repositories)

Tap Operations

Command	Description
brew tap	List tapped repositories
brew tap user/repo	Add tap
brew untap user/repo	Remove tap
brew tap-info user/repo	Show tap information

Popular Taps

Tap	Description
homebrew/cask-fonts	Fonts collection
homebrew/cask-versions	Alternative app versions
homebrew/services	Service management
mongodb/brew	MongoDB packages

System Maintenance

Cleanup Operations

Command	Description
brew cleanup	Remove old versions
brew cleanup package_name	Clean specific package
brew cleanup --prune=all	Remove all old downloads
brew autoremove	Remove unused dependencies

Health and Diagnostics

Command	Description
brew doctor	Check system for issues
brew missing	Check for missing dependencies
brew config	Show Homebrew configuration
brew --version	Show Homebrew version

Advanced Usage

Formula Development

Command	Description
brew create URL	Create new formula
brew edit package_name	Edit formula
brew install --build-from-source package	Build from source
brew test package_name	Test formula

Version Management

Command	Description
brew pin package_name	Pin package version
brew unpin package_name	Unpin package version
brew switch package_name version	Switch to specific version
brew list --versions package_name	Show available versions

Bundle Management

# Brewfile example
tap "homebrew/bundle"
tap "homebrew/cask"
tap "homebrew/core"

brew "git"
brew "node"
brew "python"
brew "docker"

cask "visual-studio-code"
cask "google-chrome"
cask "slack"

mas "Xcode", id: 497799835

Command	Description
brew bundle	Install from Brewfile
brew bundle dump	Create Brewfile
brew bundle cleanup	Uninstall unlisted packages
brew bundle check	Check Brewfile status

Configuration

Environment Variables

Variable	Description
HOMEBREW_PREFIX	Installation prefix
HOMEBREW_CELLAR	Package installation directory
HOMEBREW_REPOSITORY	Homebrew repository location
HOMEBREW_CACHE	Download cache directory

Configuration Files

File	Description
~/.homebrew/	User configuration
/opt/homebrew/	Installation directory (Apple Silicon)
/usr/local/	Installation directory (Intel)
Brewfile	Package bundle file

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Problem	Solution
Permission errors	sudo chown -R $(whoami) /opt/homebrew
Outdated Xcode tools	xcode-select --install
Broken symlinks	brew doctor && brew cleanup
Formula conflicts	brew unlink package && brew link package

Reset and Reinstall

Command	Description
brew uninstall --force package_name	Force uninstall
brew reinstall package_name	Reinstall package
brew link --overwrite package_name	Force link
brew prune	Remove dead symlinks

Debugging

Command	Description
brew --debug install package	Debug installation
brew --verbose install package	Verbose installation
brew gist-logs package_name	Create gist of logs

Performance Optimization

Parallel Operations

# Enable parallel downloads
export HOMEBREW_PARALLEL=4

# Disable analytics
export HOMEBREW_NO_ANALYTICS=1

# Use faster GitHub API
export HOMEBREW_GITHUB_API_TOKEN=your_token

Cache Management

Command	Description
brew cleanup --prune=7	Keep 7 days of downloads
du -sh $(brew --cache)	Check cache size
rm -rf $(brew --cache)	Clear all cache

Security

Package Verification

Command	Description
brew audit package_name	Audit package formula
brew style package_name	Check formula style
brew install --verbose package	Show detailed install process

Safe Practices

1. Regular Updates: Keep Homebrew and packages updated
2. Trusted Taps: Only add trusted third-party taps
3. Review Formulas: Check formulas before installation
4. Backup: Maintain Brewfile for easy restoration
5. Permissions: Avoid running with sudo

Integration

Shell Integration

# Bash completion
if type brew &>/dev/null; then
  HOMEBREW_PREFIX="$(brew --prefix)"
  if [[ -r "${HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/etc/profile.d/bash_completion.sh" ]]; then
    source "${HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/etc/profile.d/bash_completion.sh"
  fi
fi

# Zsh completion
if type brew &>/dev/null; then
  FPATH="$(brew --prefix)/share/zsh/site-functions:${FPATH}"
  autoload -Uz compinit
  compinit
fi

Development Workflow

# Install development environment
brew install git node python ruby go rust
brew install --cask visual-studio-code docker

# Database setup
brew install postgresql redis
brew services start postgresql
brew services start redis

# Create project
mkdir myproject && cd myproject
npm init -y

Best Practices

Package Management

1. Regular Maintenance: Run brew update && brew upgrade weekly
2. Cleanup: Regular cleanup of old versions and cache
3. Bundle Files: Use Brewfile for team consistency
4. Pin Critical: Pin packages that need specific versions
5. Documentation: Document custom taps and configurations

Development Environment

1. Version Managers: Use version managers for languages (nvm, pyenv, rbenv)
2. Virtual Environments: Isolate project dependencies
3. Service Management: Use brew services for development databases
4. Path Management: Keep PATH clean and organized
5. Backup Strategy: Regular Brewfile dumps and dotfile backups

Performance

1. Parallel Downloads: Enable parallel operations
2. Cache Management: Regular cache cleanup
3. Analytics: Disable analytics for faster operations
4. GitHub Token: Use GitHub token for API rate limits
5. SSD Optimization: Store cache on fastest storage