How to use the command 'brew' (with examples)
Homebrew is a package manager for macOS and Linux, which allows users to easily install, manage, and update software packages. This command, ‘brew’, provides a variety of subcommands to perform different tasks such as installing, upgrading, and searching for packages. In this article, we will explore several use cases of the ‘brew’ command along with their code, motivation, explanation, and example outputs.
Use case 1: Installing a formula or cask
Code:
brew install formula
Motivation:
This use case is helpful when you need to install a specific software package or application using Homebrew. By using the brew install command followed by the formula or cask name, you can easily install the latest stable version of the specified package.
Explanation:
brew install: The main command to install a formula or cask using Homebrew.formula: The name of the formula or cask that you want to install.
Example output:
==> Installing formula
==> Downloading https://example.com/formula-1.0.tar.gz
######################################################################### 100.0%
==> Pouring formula-1.0.tar.gz
🍺 formula (1.0) installed successfully
Use case 2: Listing all installed formulae and casks
Code:
brew list
Motivation: This use case is useful when you need to view a list of all the formulae and casks that you have installed using Homebrew. It provides a convenient way to check what software packages are currently installed on your system.
Explanation:
brew list: The command to list all installed formulae and casks.
Example output:
formula
cask
another-formula
Use case 3: Upgrading an installed formula or cask
Code:
brew upgrade formula
Motivation:
This use case is beneficial when you want to upgrade a specific formula or cask to the latest version available. By using the brew upgrade command followed by the formula or cask name, you can easily update the installed package to its latest stable version.
Explanation:
brew upgrade: The command to upgrade an installed formula or cask.formula: The name of the formula or cask that you want to upgrade.
Example output:
==> Upgrading formula
==> Downloading https://example.com/formula-2.0.tar.gz
######################################################################### 100.0%
==> Pouring formula-2.0.tar.gz
🍺 formula (2.0) upgraded successfully
Use case 4: Fetching the newest version of Homebrew and all formulae and casks
Code:
brew update
Motivation:
This use case is handy when you want to update Homebrew itself along with all the installed formulae and casks. By executing the brew update command, you can fetch the newest versions of Homebrew and all the packages from the Homebrew source repository.
Explanation:
brew update: The command to fetch the newest version of Homebrew and all formulae and casks.
Example output:
Updated 1 tap (homebrew/core).
==> New Formulae
formula1
formula2
another-formula
...
==> Updated Formulae
updated-formula1
updated-formula2
...
==> Updated Casks
updated-cask1
updated-cask2
...
Use case 5: Showing outdated formulae and casks
Code:
brew outdated
Motivation:
This use case is useful to check whether there are any newer versions of formulae or casks available. By running the brew outdated command, you can view a list of formulae and casks that have more recent versions than the ones currently installed.
Explanation:
brew outdated: The command to show formulae and casks that have a more recent version available.
Example output:
formula (1.0) < 2.0
cask (1.2) < 2.0
another-formula (3.1) < 3.5
Use case 6: Searching for available formulae and casks
Code:
brew search text
Motivation:
This use case is beneficial when you want to search for available formulae or casks based on specific keywords or text. By using the brew search command followed by the text you want to search, you can find relevant formulae or casks.
Explanation:
brew search: The command to search for available formulae and casks.text: The keywords or text to search for.
Example output:
Searching formulae for "text"...
==> Formulae
formula1
formula2
formula3
...
Searching casks for "text"...
==> Casks
cask1
cask2
cask3
...
Use case 7: Displaying information about a formula or a cask
Code:
brew info formula
Motivation:
This use case is helpful when you want to view detailed information about a specific formula or cask, including its version, installation path, dependencies, and other details. By using the brew info command followed by the formula or cask name, you can get comprehensive information about the package.
Explanation:
brew info: The command to display information about a formula or cask.formula: The name of the formula or cask that you want to get information about.
Example output:
formula: stable 1.0 (bottled), HEAD
Formula description
https://example.com/formula
/usr/local/Cellar/formula/1.0 (26 files, 100KB) *
Built from source on 2022-04-01 at 10:00:00
From: https://example.com/formula.git
License: MIT
Dependencies: dependency1, dependency2
...
Use case 8: Checking the local Homebrew installation for potential problems
Code:
brew doctor
Motivation:
This use case is essential to ensure that your local Homebrew installation is functioning correctly and does not have any potential problems. By running the brew doctor command, you can check for issues related to dependencies, configuration, and other aspects of Homebrew.
Explanation:
brew doctor: The command to check the local Homebrew installation for potential problems.
Example output:
Your system is ready to brew.
Conclusion:
The ‘brew’ command provides a powerful set of subcommands to manage software packages on macOS and Linux systems. By following the examples provided in this article, you can easily install, upgrade, search for, and manage software packages using Homebrew. Whether you want to install the latest version of your favorite software or check for updates, Homebrew and the ‘brew’ command have got you covered.
