MacBook : How to install and use Homebrew

Homebrew is an application that lets you install and uninstall applications with a single line of command. It is a must-have application for MacBook users. In this article, we will learn how to install homebrew.

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Homebrew

Homebrew is a package management application for the Mac that was developed in Ruby.

You can install applications by typing commands in the Terminal rather than downloading and running an installation file. This convenience has made it a must-have for MacOS users. It has become the standard package management application for MacOS.

Homebrew Web Site

How to install homebrew

To install Homebrew, launch Terminal and run the Homebrew installation script by typing the following command in the Terminal:

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

When the window to enter the administrator password appears as shown below, enter the password and proceed with the installation.

Password input screen for homebrew installation

Press ENTER to proceed with installation.

Wait until installation is complete.

Add the Homebrew path to your PATH environment variable and use the brew --version command to verify that it is installed properly.

# add the homebrew path in zshrc file
$ echo 'export PATH=/opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.zshrc
# reload zshrc
$ source ~/.zshrc

$ brew --version
Homebrew 4.2.15

How to use Homebrew

Install Package

To install a package using Homebrew, use the Brew install command. For example, to install wget, use the following command:

# search wget 
$ brew search wget

==> Formulae
wget                       wget2                      wgetpaste

# install wget
$ brew install wget

Package List and Information

To check the installed packages, use the brew list command, and to get information about a specific package, use the brew info command. For example, to see information about wget, use the following command :

$ brew list

==> Formulae
wget

$ brew info wget

==> wget: stable 1.24.5 (bottled), HEAD
Internet file retriever
https://www.gnu.org/software/wget/
/opt/homebrew/Cellar/wget/1.24.5 (91 files, 4.5MB) *
  Poured from bottle using the formulae.brew.sh API on 2024-04-02 at 01:01:40
From: https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-core/blob/HEAD/Formula/w/wget.rb
License: GPL-3.0-or-later
==> Dependencies
Build: pkg-config ✔
Required: libidn2 ✔, openssl@3 ✔
==> Options
--HEAD
	Install HEAD version
==> Analytics
install: 149,534 (30 days), 260,316 (90 days), 994,516 (365 days)
install-on-request: 149,239 (30 days), 259,801 (90 days), 992,595 (365 days)
build-error: 12 (30 days)

Update Packages

To update Homebrew and all installed packages to the latest version, first run brew update to update Homebrew, then run brew upgrade to update all packages.

$ brew upgrade wget

Remove Packages

To remove installed packages, use the Brew uninstall command. For example, to remove wget, use the following command :

$ brew uninstall wget

Homebrew Commands

# brew usage
$ brew

Example usage:
  brew search TEXT|/REGEX/
  brew info [FORMULA|CASK...]
  brew install FORMULA|CASK...
  brew update
  brew upgrade [FORMULA|CASK...]
  brew uninstall FORMULA|CASK...
  brew list [FORMULA|CASK...]

Troubleshooting:
  brew config
  brew doctor
  brew install --verbose --debug FORMULA|CASK

Contributing:
  brew create URL [--no-fetch]
  brew edit [FORMULA|CASK...]

Further help:
  brew commands
  brew help [COMMAND]
  man brew
  https://docs.brew.sh

brew update : Update brew to the lastest version.
brew search <PackageName> :Search for installable programs
brew install <PackageName>[@version] : Install specific version
brew upgrade <PackageName> : Upgrade Package
brew upgrade : Upgrade all packages

Package Information

brew list : List of installed programs
brew info <PackageName> : View package information
brew outdated : Find programs that need upgrading

Remove

brew cleanup <PackageName> : Remove non-lastest version
brew uninstall <PackageName> : Remove program

Remove Homebrew

To install Homebrew, launch Terminal and run the Homebrew removal script by pasting the following command into the terminal :

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

Remove the /opt/homebrew folder. Please note that if you remove the folder, the programs installed through Homebrew may also be removed.