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`brew outdated`	List outdated packages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

Regular Updates: Keep Homebrew and packages updated
Trusted Taps: Only add trusted third-party taps
Review Formulas: Check formulas before installation
Backup: Maintain Brewfile for easy restoration
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

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

Development Environment

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

Performance

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