Is Homebrew Installed?
Homebrew is a package manager that helps you install software programs for the command line.
You can use Homebrew to install Ruby directly or you can install Ruby with a software version manager. If you want to use a software version manager, you'll need Homebrew to install the software version manager. You can work around the need for Homebrew by using an alternative to Homebrew but it's not worth the trouble for most people.
Check for Homebrew
Check if Homebrew is installed:
$ brew doctor
Your system is ready to brew.
If Homebrew is not installed, you will see:
zsh: command not found: brew
If Homebrew is not installed, there will be no Homebrew files in /usr/local (for macOS Intel) or /opt/homebrew (for Mac M1 M2 M3). If files are present, see Zsh: command not found: brew for troubleshooting.
If you need Homebrew
If Homebrew is not installed, see the instructions to Install Homebrew.
What's next
The Mac Install Guide website contains all the instructions you need to set up your Mac as a development environment.
To continue installing Ruby:
You can install Ruby directly with Homebrew:
Or install Ruby with a software version manager: