Homebrew

Mac Homebrew

Homebrew is a package manager that helps you install software programs for the command line. Here is all about Homebrew, what to use it for, covering alternatives, amount of time needed for installation, and Homebrew terminology. This article offers explanations that are missing from the official Homebrew site (brew.sh).

See Install Homebrew for installation instructions. You'll need to use the Mac Terminal to install Homebrew.

Before you get started

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Steps

Here are steps to install Homebrew:

1. Check macOS and update macOS.
2. Check for Xcode CLT.
3. Install Homebrew.
4. Update the shell configuration (Mac M1 M2 M3).
5. Install packages for software tools or languages you need.

What is Homebrew

Homebrew is a package manager for macOS (and Linux, too). It is one of the first tools you'll need to set up a local development environment for programming on a Mac. Use it to install (and remove) software programs for the terminal, or command line. It is like an app store for programming tools (but everything is free). MacOS includes some pre-installed programming languages and command line utilities but most work requires newer versions of languages and tools not provided by Apple. Get what you need with Homebrew. Almost every useful open source program (or "package") is available through Homebrew, with a single tool to install and manage each one. Homebrew's biggest drawback? A cute terminology of kegs, casks, bottles, and other beer-themed terms, explained here.

Mac M1, M2, M3 (Apple silicon)

Homebrew added support for Apple silicon (the Mac M1, M2, M3 chips) beginning with the release of Homebrew 3.0.0 in February 2021. On Apple silicon, Homebrew installs files into the /opt/homebrew/ folder, which is not part of the default shell $PATH. You'll need to configure your shell environment so Homebrew packages are found and take priority over pre-installed tools.

If you have an older Intel Mac, Homebrew installs files into the /usr/local/ folder, which is already configured for access by the shell with the macOS default $PATH environment variable. Mac Intel installation is easier because there's no need to configure your shell environment. Homebrew packages are found automatically. However, the Homebrew team was criticized for using the /usr/local/ folder because other programs might install software into the folder, overwriting Homebrew packages. With the release of version 3.0.0 for Apple silicon, the Homebrew team responded and changed the default folder, adding an installation step that requires a change to the shell environment. Experts argue that configuring the shell environment is basic knowledge, even though it will be inconvenient for beginners.

Homebrew and version managers

Understand the difference between Homebrew and software version managers. Homebrew is a package manager that adds a single version of a language such as Python or Ruby to the Mac. It can install one (and only one!) version of a language (the latest version). Installing a language with Homebrew is fine for a student or casual user. However, most professional developers will use Homebrew to install a software version manager that can install and switch between multiple versions of a language. Most developers develop and maintain several applications and each may depend on a different language version. If you are working with multiple languages and multiple versions (for example, Ruby and Node), consider using Homebrew to install Asdf on Mac. If you’re on a team with a complex project environment (for example, Ruby, Node, Redis, and PostgreSQL all in one project), you might be asked to use Docker, which is a container system that sets up multiple development environments (like having multiple computers with different configurations).

Alternatives to Homebrew

MacPorts, Fink, pkgin, and Nix are alternatives to Homebrew on macOS. On Linux, developers use apt-get or Homebrew. On Windows, developers use Chocolatey to install programs from the NuGet package library (they also use apt-get under WSL, the Windows Subsystem for Linux).

On the Mac, MacPorts requires more technical skill and requires sudo or root access (Homebrew aims to be friendlier and more secure for non-expert users). MacPorts is more independent of macOS, ignoring many of the system libraries and software that are already available in macOS, avoiding dependence on Apple's update schedule (Homebrew relies on macOS system libraries for faster set up). MacPorts is a better choice for a multi-user Mac, should more than one developer be using the same Mac. Fink is the oldest of the Mac package managers and modifies the Linux apt-get package library. Fink is often not up to date with the latest macOS version. Pkgin installs binaries from the NetBSD (Unix) pkgsrc repository and requires sudo or root access, making it more suitable to a skilled Unix user. Some developers on large teams use the Nix package manager. Nix is very complex but creates fully isolated, reproducible development environments.

Homebrew is the most popular package manager because it is easiest to use and frequently updated.

How long does Homebrew take to install

First time users will ask, how long does it take to install Homebrew? On a 2021 Mac M1 Mini, with a 100Mbps Internet connection:

• Homebrew installation takes 2 to 15 minutes.

It's significantly slower on Mac Intel over a slow Internet connection. Installing packages can take a few minutes, especially if a pre-built binary is not available and the software package must be compiled during the installation process.

Homebrew terminology

You'll either love or hate Homebrew's cute beer-brewing theme. Part of using Homebrew is understanding its beer-themed terminology. Here are terms; click for meanings.

What's next

My mac.install.guide is a trusted source of installation guides for professional developers. Take a look at the Mac Install Guide home page for tips and trends and see what to install next.