Homebrew Package Manager

Complete Homebrew command reference and usage guide for installing, managing, and troubleshooting macOS packages.

When to Use

• Installing packages or applications (brew install X)
• Searching for available packages (brew search X)
• Updating and upgrading existing packages
• Checking package information and dependencies
• Troubleshooting installation issues
• Managing installed packages

Command Reference

Package Search & Information

brew search TEXT|/REGEX/

Usage: Find packages by name or regex pattern

When to use: When user asks to find or search for a package

Examples:

brew search python
brew search /^node/

brew info [FORMULA|CASK...]

Usage: Display detailed information about one or more packages

When to use: Before installing to see dependencies, options, and details

Examples:

brew info python
brew info chrome google-chrome

Installation & Upgrades

brew install FORMULA|CASK...

Usage: Install one or more packages or applications

When to use: When user says "install X" or "use brew to install X"

Notes:

• FORMULA = command-line tools (installed to /usr/local/bin)
• CASK = GUI applications (installed to /Applications)
• Can install multiple at once: brew install git python nodejs

Examples:

brew install python
brew install google-chrome  # installs as cask
brew install git python nodejs

brew update

Usage: Fetch the newest version of Homebrew and all formulae

When to use: When brew seems outdated or before major operations

Notes: Doesn't upgrade packages, just updates the package list

Examples:

brew update

brew upgrade [FORMULA|CASK...]

Usage: Upgrade installed packages or specific packages

When to use: When user wants to update to newer versions

Notes:

• Without args: upgrades all outdated packages
• With args: upgrades only specified packages

Examples:

brew upgrade              # upgrade all outdated packages
brew upgrade python       # upgrade just python
brew upgrade python git   # upgrade multiple

Package Management

brew uninstall FORMULA|CASK...

Usage: Remove installed packages

When to use: When user wants to remove/delete a package

Notes: Can uninstall multiple at once

Examples:

brew uninstall python
brew uninstall google-chrome

brew list [FORMULA|CASK...]

Usage: List installed packages or files from specific packages

When to use: When user wants to see what's installed or what files a package contains

Examples:

brew list                 # show all installed packages
brew list python          # show files installed by python

Configuration & Troubleshooting

brew config

Usage: Display Homebrew configuration and environment info

When to use: Debugging installation issues or checking system setup

Shows:

• Installation path
• Xcode location
• Git version
• CPU architecture

Examples:

brew config

brew doctor

Usage: Check for potential problems with Homebrew installation

When to use: When experiencing installation issues or errors

Returns: Warnings and suggestions for fixing issues

Examples:

brew doctor

brew install --verbose --debug FORMULA|CASK

Usage: Install with verbose output and debug information

When to use: When standard install fails and you need detailed error messages

Examples:

brew install --verbose --debug python

Advanced Usage

brew create URL [--no-fetch]

Usage: Create a new formula from source code

When to use: Creating custom packages (advanced users)

Options:

• --no-fetch = don't download source immediately

Examples:

brew create https://example.com/package.tar.gz

brew edit [FORMULA|CASK...]

Usage: Edit formula or cask definition

When to use: Customizing package installation (advanced users)

Examples:

brew edit python

brew commands

Usage: Show all available brew commands

When to use: Learning about additional brew features

Examples:

brew commands

brew help [COMMAND]

Usage: Get help for specific command

When to use: Need detailed help for a specific command

Examples:

brew help install
brew help upgrade

Quick Reference

Common Workflows

Installing a New Package

1. Search: brew search python
2. Get info: brew info python@3.11
3. Install: brew install python@3.11

Troubleshooting Installation

1. Check config: brew config
2. Run doctor: brew doctor
3. Retry with debug: brew install --verbose --debug FORMULA

Maintaining Homebrew

1. Update: brew update
2. Check what's outdated: brew upgrade (shows what would upgrade)
3. Upgrade all: brew upgrade

Key Concepts

FORMULA: Command-line tools and libraries (e.g., python, git, node)

CASK: GUI applications (e.g., google-chrome, vscode, slack)

TAP: Third-party formula repositories (e.g., brew tap homebrew/cask-versions)

Notes

• All brew commands require Homebrew to be installed
• Xcode Command Line Tools are required for building from source
• Some packages may prompt for sudo password
• Different packages have different installation times
• Package names are case-insensitive but shown lowercase by convention

Resources

• Official docs: https://docs.brew.sh
• Formula documentation: https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-core
• Cask documentation: https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-cask