Homebrew - The Mac Package Manager

Homebrew is a package manager for Mac. It lets you install and manage development tools and command-line apps easily from the terminal.

Think of it as an “App Store for developers.” Just as the App Store manages apps, Homebrew manages development tools with a single command.

Why Engineers Use Homebrew

On Mac, many development tools such as the latest Git, Python, and Node.js are not installed by default, so you would otherwise have to download and install them manually from official websites. Homebrew gives you several advantages:

Installation finishes with one command - You do not have to open a browser, download files, and run .dmg installers
Updates are centralized - brew upgrade can update all installed tools at once
You can see what is installed - brew list shows installed tools, which makes migration to a new Mac easier

Installation Method

Open the terminal and run the following command exactly as shown:

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

The installer will show the steps it needs and may ask for your password. Enter your Mac login password. Nothing will appear while you type, which is normal.

Installation takes a few minutes. Do not close the terminal until it finishes.

Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) vs Intel

The Homebrew install location depends on the Mac chip.

Mac type	Chip	Install location
Macs from 2020 onward (often)	Apple Silicon (M1-M4)	`/opt/homebrew/`
Macs from before 2020	Intel	`/usr/local/`

To check your chip, click the Apple logo in the top-left corner and choose “About This Mac.”

Path Setup for Apple Silicon Macs

On Apple Silicon Macs with M1 / M2 / M3 / M4 chips, you need to add a path configuration after installation. When the installer finishes, it will show something like this:

# Example instructions shown by the installer (Apple Silicon)
echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.zprofile
eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"

Run those commands exactly as shown. After that, open a new terminal window and Homebrew will be available.

Verifying the Installation

Run the following command in the terminal. If a version number appears, the installation succeeded.

brew --version

Homebrew 4.x.x

Homebrew vs Downloading from the Official Website

Many development tools can also be downloaded from their official websites. Use this table to decide which option makes sense.

Comparison	Homebrew	Official site (.dmg / .pkg)
Installation method	One command	Download in browser + manual install
Updates	Update everything with `brew upgrade`	Update each app manually, or through the app’s auto-update feature
Uninstall	`brew uninstall`	Remove manually; settings files may remain
Ease of management	Centralized management	Scattered across apps
GUI app support	Possible with `--cask`	Standard method
Best for	CLI tools and development libraries	Commercial apps and tools that require special installers

Recommended Use Cases

Recommended to install with Homebrew (development tools and CLI tools):

git - version control
gh - GitHub CLI
node or nvm - Node.js and version management
pyenv - Python version management
wget, curl - file downloads
jq - JSON processing
tree - directory tree display

Better downloaded from the official website:

Adobe Creative Cloud (requires a dedicated installer)
1Password (official installer with up-to-date security support)
Special drivers or system-level tools

Fine either way (also available through Homebrew Cask):

VS Code - brew install --cask visual-studio-code
Google Chrome - brew install --cask google-chrome
Slack - brew install --cask slack
Zoom - brew install --cask zoom

Installing these through Homebrew Cask lets you update them in bulk with brew upgrade --cask.

Common Commands

brew install <package>          # Install a package
brew install --cask <app>       # Install a GUI app
brew uninstall <package>        # Uninstall a package
brew update                     # Update Homebrew itself
brew upgrade                    # Update all packages
brew upgrade <package>          # Update only one package
brew list                       # Show installed packages
brew list --cask                # Show installed Cask apps
brew search <keyword>           # Search for a package
brew info <package>             # Show package information
brew doctor                     # Diagnose problems
brew cleanup                    # Remove old cached versions

Example Usage

# Install git
brew install git

# Install VS Code as a Cask
brew install --cask visual-studio-code

# Check installed packages
brew list

# Update Homebrew and all packages at once
brew update && brew upgrade

# Run diagnostics to check for problems
brew doctor

Essential Packages for Engineering Setups

Here are useful packages to install early when building a development environment.

Package	Install command	Purpose
git	`brew install git`	Version control (when you want the latest version)
gh	`brew install gh`	GitHub CLI (manage pull requests and issues from the terminal)
nvm	`brew install nvm`	Node.js version management
pyenv	`brew install pyenv`	Python version management
wget	`brew install wget`	Download files from URLs
jq	`brew install jq`	Format and manipulate JSON data
tree	`brew install tree`	Show folder structures as a tree
VS Code	`brew install --cask visual-studio-code`	Code editor

# Example of installing several development tools at once
brew install git gh nvm pyenv wget jq tree
brew install --cask visual-studio-code

GUI App Installation (Cask)

Homebrew can install GUI apps as well as terminal tools. Use the --cask option.

# Install VS Code
brew install --cask visual-studio-code

# Install Google Chrome
brew install --cask google-chrome

# Install Rectangle (window management app)
brew install --cask rectangle

Apps installed with --cask are placed in the Applications folder like normal apps and can be launched from Launchpad or Spotlight.

Common Troubleshooting

`brew: command not found`

Homebrew is not installed or your PATH is not set.

First check whether Homebrew is installed: ls /opt/homebrew/bin/brew (for Apple Silicon)
If it is installed but the command is not found, you need to set the path

# For Apple Silicon Macs
echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.zprofile
source ~/.zprofile

`brew` Not Found on Apple Silicon

/opt/homebrew/bin may not be on your PATH.

# Check whether the path is set
echo $PATH

# Add the path (append to ~/.zprofile)
echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.zprofile
eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"

Handling `brew doctor` Warnings

brew doctor diagnoses configuration problems.

brew doctor

If it prints Your system is ready to brew., everything is fine. If warnings appear, follow the instructions shown. Some warnings are harmless, so read the message carefully before deciding what to change.

Package Installation Errors

# First update Homebrew itself and try again
brew update
brew install <package>

# If that does not help, run diagnostics
brew doctor

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need to reinstall apps I already have with Homebrew?

A: No. However, managing apps with Homebrew makes it convenient to update them all with brew upgrade, so many developers migrate. CLI tools such as git and wget especially benefit from Homebrew management.

Q: What should I do if brew install fails?

A: Run brew doctor first. Following the instructions it gives will fix many problems. If that still does not solve it, search the error message directly or check the Homebrew GitHub Issues.

Q: Can Homebrew be uninstalled?

A: Yes. The Homebrew official site has uninstall instructions.

Q: What is the difference between brew update and brew upgrade?

A: brew update refreshes Homebrew’s database of available packages. brew upgrade actually updates installed packages to newer versions. Usually you run both in order: brew update && brew upgrade.

Q: How do I check what is installed?

A: brew list shows CLI tools, and brew list --cask shows GUI apps.