Homebrew is a free and open-source package management system that makes it easier to install software on Apple MacOS and Linux. It is easy to use and integrates well into the Command-Line. It was written by Max Howell in 2009. Likewise, it is one of the most popular projects on GitHub. Furthermore, it is written in the Ruby programming language. This blog post will list out some important Homebrew commands for installing and maintaining packages using the command line.
Installing Homebrew
According to the instructions on its official webpage, paste the below command in the macOS terminal. It is recommended to run this command from /usr/local location.
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install.sh)"
Once you type this command, it will install the Homebrew on your machine.
local % /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install.sh)"
==> This script will install:
/usr/local/bin/brew
/usr/local/share/doc/homebrew
/usr/local/share/man/man1/brew.1
/usr/local/share/zsh/site-functions/_brew
/usr/local/etc/bash_completion.d/brew
/usr/local/Homebrew
Once it is installed, you can verify by using brew command.
brew
Example usage:
brew search [TEXT|/REGEX/]
brew info [FORMULA...]
brew install FORMULA...
Important Homebrew commands
Let’s see some important Homebrew commands that can be used for installing packages. Please check the official brew website for a list of available packages.
brew is the core command for the Homebrew project and deals with command-line software.
- Global commands
| Commands | Function |
brew update | Updates the brew package and cask package |
brew list | Lists all the installed package using brew |
- General Commands
| Commands | Function |
brew install spark | Installs a Package Spark |
brew upgrade spark | Upgrades the Package to the latest version available |
brew uninstall spark | Uninstalls the package |
brew list --versions spark | Lists down the version that you have |
brew switch spark 2.4.0 | Switches to certain versions |
brew info spark | Lists the package versions and other details |
brew cleanup spark | Cleans up older versions of Spark |
- Cask Commands
brew cask is an extension to brew that allows the management of graphical applications through the cask project.
| Commands | Function |
brew cask install jupyterlab | Installs the Jupyter Lab notebook application |
brew cask list | Lists all the applications installed using cask |