NAME

brew - The missing package manager for OS X

SYNOPSIS

brew --version
brew command [--verbose|-v] [options] [formula] ...

DESCRIPTION

Homebrew is the easiest and most flexible way to install the UNIX tools Apple didn't include with OS X.

ESSENTIAL COMMANDS

For the full command list, see the COMMANDS section.

With --verbose or -v, many commands print extra debugging information. Note that these flags should only appear after a command.

install formula

Install formula.

remove formula

Uninstall formula.

update

Fetch the newest version of Homebrew from GitHub using git(1).

list

List all installed formulae.

search text | /text/

Perform a substring search of formula names for text. If text is surrounded with slashes, then it is interpreted as a regular expression. The search for text is extended online to some popular taps. If no search term is given, all locally available formulae are listed.

COMMANDS

• audit [--strict] [--online] [formulae]: Check formulae for Homebrew coding style violations. This should be run before submitting a new formula.

  If no formulae are provided, all of them are checked.

  If --strict is passed, additional checks are run. This should be used when creating for new formulae.

  If --online is passed, additional slower checks that require a network connection are run. This should be used when creating for new formulae.

  audit exits with a non-zero status if any errors are found. This is useful, for instance, for implementing pre-commit hooks.

• cat formula: Display the source to formula.

• cleanup [--force] [--prune=days] [-n] [-s] [formulae]: For all installed or specific formulae, remove any older versions from the cellar. By default, does not remove out-of-date keg-only brews, as other software may link directly to specific versions. In addition, old downloads from the Homebrew download-cache are deleted.

  If --force is passed, remove out-of-date keg-only brews as well.

  If --prune=days is specified, remove all cache files older than days.

  If -n is passed, show what would be removed, but do not actually remove anything.

  If -s is passed, scrubs the cache, removing downloads for even the latest versions of formulae. Note downloads for any installed formulae will still not be deleted. If you want to delete those too: rm -rf $(brew --cache)

• command cmd: Display the path to the file which is used when invoking brew cmd.

• commands [--quiet [--include-aliases]]: Show a list of built-in and external commands.

  If --quiet is passed, list only the names of commands without the header. With --include-aliases, the aliases of internal commands will be included.

• config: Show Homebrew and system configuration useful for debugging. If you file a bug report, you will likely be asked for this information if you do not provide it.

• create URL [--autotools|--cmake] [--no-fetch] [--set-name name] [--set-version version]: Generate a formula for the downloadable file at URL and open it in the editor. Homebrew will attempt to automatically derive the formula name and version, but if it fails, you'll have to make your own template. The wget formula serves as a simple example. For the complete API have a look at

  http://www.rubydoc.info/github/Homebrew/homebrew/master/Formula

  If --autotools is passed, create a basic template for an Autotools-style build. If --cmake is passed, create a basic template for a CMake-style build.

  If --no-fetch is passed, Homebrew will not download URL to the cache and will thus not add the SHA256 to the formula for you.

  The options --set-name and --set-version each take an argument and allow you to explicitly set the name and version of the package you are creating.

• deps [--1] [-n] [--union] [--tree] [--all] [--installed] [--skip-build] [--skip-optional] formulae: Show dependencies for formulae. When given multiple formula arguments, show the intersection of dependencies for formulae, except when passed --tree, --all, or --installed.

  If --1 is passed, only show dependencies one level down, instead of recursing.

  If -n is passed, show dependencies in topological order.

  If --union is passed, show the union of dependencies for formulae, instead of the intersection.

  If --tree is passed, show dependencies as a tree.

  If --all is passed, show dependencies for all formulae.

  If --installed is passed, show dependencies for all installed formulae.

  By default, deps shows dependencies for formulae. To skip the :build type dependencies, pass --skip-build. Similarly, pass --skip-optional to skip :optional dependencies.

• desc formula: Display formula's name and one-line description.

• desc [-s|-n|-d] pattern: Search both name and description (-s), just the names (-n), or just the descriptions (-d) for <pattern>. <pattern> is by default interpreted as a literal string; if flanked by slashes, it is instead interpreted as a regular expression. Formula descriptions are cached; the cache is created on the first search, making that search slower than subsequent ones.

• diy [--name=name] [--version=version]: Automatically determine the installation prefix for non-Homebrew software.

  Using the output from this command, you can install your own software into the Cellar and then link it into Homebrew's prefix with brew link.

  The options --name=name and --version=version each take an argument and allow you to explicitly set the name and version of the package you are installing.

• doctor: Check your system for potential problems. Doctor exits with a non-zero status if any problems are found.

• edit: Open all of Homebrew for editing.

• edit formula: Open formula in the editor.

• fetch [--force] [-v] [--devel|--HEAD] [--deps] [--build-from-source|--force-bottle] formulae: Download the source packages for the given formulae. For tarballs, also print SHA-1 and SHA-256 checksums.

  If --HEAD or --devel is passed, fetch that version instead of the stable version.

  If -v is passed, do a verbose VCS checkout, if the URL represents a CVS. This is useful for seeing if an existing VCS cache has been updated.

  If --force is passed, remove a previously cached version and re-fetch.

  If --deps is passed, also download dependencies for any listed formulae.

  If --build-from-source is passed, download the source rather than a bottle.

  If --force-bottle is passed, download a bottle if it exists for the current version of OS X, even if it would not be used during installation.

• home: Open Homebrew's own homepage in a browser.

• home formula: Open formula's homepage in a browser.

• info formula: Display information about formula.

• info --github formula: Open a browser to the GitHub History page for formula formula.

  To view formula history locally: brew log -p <formula>.

• info --json=version(--all|--installed|formulae): Print a JSON representation of formulae. Currently the only accepted value for version is v1.

  Pass --all to get information on all formulae, or --installed to get information on all installed formulae.

  See the docs for examples of using the JSON: https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew/blob/master/share/doc/homebrew/Querying-Brew.md

• install [--debug] [--env=std|super] [--ignore-dependencies] [--only-dependencies] [--cc=compiler] [--build-from-source|--force-bottle] [--devel|--HEAD] formula: Install formula.

  formula is usually the name of the formula to install, but it can be specified several different ways. See SPECIFYING FORMULAE.

  If --debug is passed and brewing fails, open an interactive debugging session with access to IRB or a shell inside the temporary build directory.

  If --env=std is passed, use the standard build environment instead of superenv.

  If --env=super is passed, use superenv even if the formula specifies the standard build environment.

  If --ignore-dependencies is passed, skip installing any dependencies of any kind. If they are not already present, the formula will probably fail to install.

  If --only-dependencies is passed, install the dependencies with specified options but do not install the specified formula.

  If --cc=compiler is passed, attempt to compile using compiler. compiler should be the name of the compiler's executable, for instance gcc-4.2 for Apple's GCC 4.2, or gcc-4.9 for a Homebrew-provided GCC 4.9.

  If --build-from-source is passed, compile from source even if a bottle is provided for formula.

  If --force-bottle is passed, install from a bottle if it exists for the current version of OS X, even if custom options are given.

  If --devel is passed, and formula defines it, install the development version.

  If --HEAD is passed, and formula defines it, install the HEAD version, aka master, trunk, unstable.

  To install a newer version of HEAD use brew rm <foo> && brew install --HEAD <foo>.

• install --interactive [--git] formula: Download and patch formula, then open a shell. This allows the user to run ./configure --help and otherwise determine how to turn the software package into a Homebrew formula.

  If --git is passed, Homebrew will create a Git repository, useful for creating patches to the software.

• irb [--examples]: Enter the interactive Homebrew Ruby shell.

  If --examples is passed, several examples will be shown.

• leaves: Show installed formulae that are not dependencies of another installed formula.

• ln, link [--overwrite] [--dry-run] [--force] formula: Symlink all of formula's installed files into the Homebrew prefix. This is done automatically when you install formulae but can be useful for DIY installations.

  If --overwrite is passed, Homebrew will delete files which already exist in the prefix while linking.

  If --dry-run or -n is passed, Homebrew will list all files which would be linked or which would be deleted by brew link --overwrite, but will not actually link or delete any files.

  If --force is passed, Homebrew will allow keg-only formulae to be linked.

• linkapps [--local] [formulae]: Find installed formulae that have compiled .app-style "application" packages for OS X, and symlink those apps into /Applications, allowing for easier access.

  If no formulae are provided, all of them will have their .apps symlinked.

  If provided, --local will move them into the user's ~/Applications directory instead of the system directory. It may need to be created, first.

• ls, list [--full-name] List all installed formulae. If --full-name is passed, print formulae with full-qualified names.

• ls, list --unbrewed List all files in the Homebrew prefix not installed by Homebrew.

• ls, list [--versions [--multiple]] [--pinned] [formulae]: List the installed files for formulae. Combined with --verbose, recursively list the contents of all subdirectories in each formula's keg.

  If --versions is passed, show the version number for installed formulae, or only the specified formulae if formulae are given. With --multiple, only show formulae with multiple versions installed.

  If --pinned is passed, show the versions of pinned formulae, or only the specified (pinned) formulae if formulae are given. See also pin, unpin.

• log [git-log-options] formula ...: Show the git log for the given formulae. Options that git-log(1) recognizes can be passed before the formula list.

• missing [formulae]: Check the given formulae for missing dependencies.

  If no formulae are given, check all installed brews.

• migrate [--force] formulae: Migrate renamed packages to new name, where formulae are old names of packages.

  If --force is passed, then treat installed formulae and passed formulae like if they are from same taps and migrate them anyway.

• options [--compact] [--all] [--installed] formula: Display install options specific to formula.

  If --compact is passed, show all options on a single line separated by spaces.

  If --all is passed, show options for all formulae.

  If --installed is passed, show options for all installed formulae.

• outdated [--quiet | --verbose | --json=v1 ]: Show formulae that have an updated version available.

  By default, version information is displayed in interactive shells, and suppressed otherwise.

  If --quiet is passed, list only the names of outdated brews (takes precedence over --verbose).

  If --verbose is passed, display detailed version information.

  If --json=version is passed, the output will be in JSON format. The only valid version is v1.

• pin formulae: Pin the specified formulae, preventing them from being upgraded when issuing the brew upgrade command. See also unpin.

• prune: Remove dead symlinks from the Homebrew prefix. This is generally not needed, but can be useful when doing DIY installations.

• reinstall formula: Uninstall then install formula

• rm, remove, uninstall [--force] formula: Uninstall formula.

  If --force is passed, and there are multiple versions of formula installed, delete all installed versions.

• search, -S: Display all locally available formulae for brewing (including tapped ones). No online search is performed if called without arguments.

• search, -S text|/text/: Perform a substring search of formula names for text. If text is surrounded with slashes, then it is interpreted as a regular expression. The search for text is extended online to some popular taps.

• search --debian|--fedora|--fink|--macports|--opensuse|--ubuntu text: Search for text in the given package manager's list.

• sh [--env=std]: Instantiate a Homebrew build environment. Uses our years-battle-hardened Homebrew build logic to help your ./configure && make && make install or even your gem install succeed. Especially handy if you run Homebrew in an Xcode-only configuration since it adds tools like make to your PATH which otherwise build-systems would not find.

• switch name version: Symlink all of the specific version of name's install to Homebrew prefix.

• tap [--full] user/repo [URL]: Tap a formula repository or list existing taps. This command can be invoked in three ways.

  • tap without arguments displays existing taps.

  • tap user/repotaps a formula repository from GitHub using HTTPS. Since so many taps are hosted on GitHub, this command is a shortcut for tap user/repo https://github.com/user/homebrew-repo`.

  • tap user/repo URL taps a formula repository from anywhere, using any transport protocol that git handles. The one-argument form of tap simplifies but also limits. This two-argument command makes no assumptions, so taps can be cloned from places other than GitHub and using protocols other than HTTPS, e.g., SSH, GIT, HTTP, FTP(S), RSYNC.

  By default, the repository is cloned as a shallow copy (--depth=1), but if --full is passed, a full clone will be used.

• tap --repair: Migrate tapped formulae from symlink-based to directory-based structure.

• tap --list-official: List all official taps.

• tap --list-pinned: List all pinned taps.

• tap-info tap: Display information about tap.

• tap-info --json=version (--installed|taps): Print a JSON representation of taps. Currently the only accepted value for version is v1.

  Pass --installed to get information on installed taps.

  See the docs for examples of using the JSON: https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew/blob/master/share/doc/homebrew/Querying-Brew.md

• tap-pin tap: Pin tap, prioritizing its formulae over core when formula names are supplied by the user. See also tap-unpin.

• tap-unpin tap: Unpin tap so its formulae are no longer prioritized. See also tap-pin.

• test [--devel|--HEAD] [--debug] formula: A few formulae provide a test method. brew test formula runs this test method. There is no standard output or return code, but it should generally indicate to the user if something is wrong with the installed formula.

  To test the development or head version of a formula, use --devel or --HEAD.

  If --debug is passed and the test fails, an interactive debugger will be launched with access to IRB or a shell inside the temporary test directory.

  Example: brew install jruby && brew test jruby

• unlink [--dry-run] formula: Remove symlinks for formula from the Homebrew prefix. This can be useful for temporarily disabling a formula: brew unlink foo && commands && brew link foo.

  If --dry-run or -n is passed, Homebrew will list all files which would be unlinked, but will not actually unlink or delete any files.

• unlinkapps [--local] [formulae]: Removes links created by brew linkapps.

  If no formulae are provided, all linked app will be removed.

• unpack [--git|--patch] [--destdir=path] formulae: Unpack the source files for formulae into subdirectories of the current working directory. If --destdir=path is given, the subdirectories will be created in the directory named by <path> instead.

  If --patch is passed, patches for formulae will be applied to the unpacked source.

  If --git is passed, a Git repository will be initalized in the unpacked source. This is useful for creating patches for the software.

• unpin formulae: Unpin formulae, allowing them to be upgraded by brew upgrade. See also pin.

• untap tap: Remove a tapped repository.

• update [--rebase]: Fetch the newest version of Homebrew and all formulae from GitHub using git(1).

  If --rebase is specified then git pull --rebase is used.

• upgrade [install-options] [--cleanup] [formulae]: Upgrade outdated, unpinned brews.

  Options for the install command are also valid here.

  If --cleanup is specified then remove previously installed formula version(s).

  If formulae are given, upgrade only the specified brews (but do so even if they are pinned; see pin, unpin).

• uses [--installed] [--recursive] [--skip-build] [--skip-optional] [--devel|--HEAD] formulae: Show the formulae that specify formulae as a dependency. When given multiple formula arguments, show the intersection of formulae that use formulae.

  Use --recursive to resolve more than one level of dependencies.

  If --installed is passed, only list installed formulae.

  By default, uses shows all formulae that specify formulae as a dependency. To skip the :build type dependencies, pass --skip-build. Similarly, pass --skip-optional to skip :optional dependencies.

  By default, uses shows usages of formula by stable builds. To find cases where formula is used by development or HEAD build, pass --devel or --HEAD.

• --cache: Display Homebrew's download cache. See also HOMEBREW_CACHE.

• --cache formula: Display the file or directory used to cache formula.

• --cellar: Display Homebrew's Cellar path. Default: $(brew --prefix)/Cellar, or if that directory doesn't exist, $(brew --repository)/Cellar.

• --cellar formula: Display the location in the cellar where formula would be installed, without any sort of versioned directory as the last path.

• --env: Show a summary of the Homebrew build environment.

• --prefix: Display Homebrew's install path. Default: /usr/local

• --prefix formula: Display the location in the cellar where formula is or would be installed.

• --repository: Display where Homebrew's .git directory is located. For standard installs, the prefix and repository are the same directory.

• --version: Print the version number of brew to standard error and exit.

EXTERNAL COMMANDS

Homebrew, like git(1), supports external commands. These are executable scripts that reside somewhere in the PATH, named brew-cmdname or brew-cmdname.rb, which can be invoked like brew cmdname. This allows you to create your own commands without modifying Homebrew's internals.

Instructions for creating your own commands can be found in the docs: https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew/blob/master/share/doc/homebrew/External-Commands.md

SPECIFYING FORMULAE

Many Homebrew commands accept one or more formula arguments. These arguments can take several different forms:

The name of a formula

e.g. git, node, wget.

The fully-qualified name of a tapped formula

Sometimes a formula from a tapped repository may conflict with one in Homebrew/homebrew. You can still access these formulae by using a special syntax, e.g. homebrew/dupes/vim or homebrew/versions/node4.

An arbitrary URL

Homebrew can install formulae via URL, e.g. https://raw.github.com/Homebrew/homebrew/master/Library/Formula/git.rb. The formula file will be cached for later use.

ENVIRONMENT

AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID, AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY

When using the S3 download strategy, Homebrew will look in these variables for access credentials (see https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/userguide/cli-chap-getting-started.html#cli-environment to retrieve these access credentials from AWS). If they are not set, the S3 download strategy will download with a public (unsigned) URL.

BROWSER

If set, and HOMEBREW_BROWSER is not, use BROWSER as the web browser when opening project homepages.

EDITOR

If set, and HOMEBREW_EDITOR and VISUAL are not, use EDITOR as the text editor.

GIT

When using Git, Homebrew will use GIT if set, a Homebrew-built Git if installed, or the system-provided binary.

Set this to force Homebrew to use a particular git binary.

HOMEBREW_BOTTLE_DOMAIN

If set, instructs Homebrew to use the given URL as a download mirror for bottles.

HOMEBREW_BROWSER

If set, uses this setting as the browser when opening project homepages, instead of the OS default browser.

HOMEBREW_BUILD_FROM_SOURCE

If set, instructs Homebrew to compile from source even when a formula provides a bottle.

HOMEBREW_CACHE

If set, instructs Homebrew to use the given directory as the download cache.

Default: ~/Library/Caches/Homebrew if it exists; otherwise, /Library/Caches/Homebrew.

HOMEBREW_CURL_VERBOSE

If set, Homebrew will pass --verbose when invoking curl(1).

HOMEBREW_DEBUG

If set, any commands that can emit debugging information will do so.

HOMEBREW_DEBUG_INSTALL

When brew install -d or brew install -i drops into a shell, HOMEBREW_DEBUG_INSTALL will be set to the name of the formula being brewed.

HOMEBREW_DEBUG_PREFIX

When brew install -d or brew install -i drops into a shell, HOMEBREW_DEBUG_PREFIX will be set to the target prefix in the Cellar of the formula being brewed.

HOMEBREW_DEVELOPER

If set, Homebrew will print warnings that are only relevant to Homebrew developers (active or budding).

HOMEBREW_EDITOR

If set, Homebrew will use this editor when editing a single formula, or several formulae in the same directory.

NOTE: brew edit will open all of Homebrew as discontinuous files and directories. TextMate can handle this correctly in project mode, but many editors will do strange things in this case.

HOMEBREW_GITHUB_API_TOKEN

A personal access token for the GitHub API, which you can create at https://github.com/settings/tokens. If set, GitHub will allow you a greater number of API requests. See https://developer.github.com/v3/#rate-limiting for more information. Homebrew uses the GitHub API for features such as brew search.

NOTE: Homebrew doesn't require permissions for any of the scopes.

HOMEBREW_LOGS

If set, Homebrew will use the given directory to store log files.

HOMEBREW_MAKE_JOBS

If set, instructs Homebrew to use the value of HOMEBREW_MAKE_JOBS as the number of parallel jobs to run when building with make(1).

Default: the number of available CPU cores.

HOMEBREW_NO_EMOJI

If set, Homebrew will not print the HOMEBREW_INSTALL_BADGE on a successful build.

Note: Homebrew will only try to print emoji on Lion or newer.

HOMEBREW_NO_INSECURE_REDIRECT

If set, Homebrew will not permit redirects from secure HTTPS to insecure HTTP.

While ensuring your downloads are fully secure, this is likely to cause from-source Sourceforge & GNOME based formulae to fail to download.

Apache formulae are currently unaffected by this variable and can redirect to plaintext.

HOMEBREW_NO_GITHUB_API

If set, Homebrew will not use the GitHub API for e.g searches or fetching relevant issues on a failed install.

HOMEBREW_INSTALL_BADGE

Text printed before the installation summary of each successful build. Defaults to the beer emoji.

HOMEBREW_SVN

When exporting from Subversion, Homebrew will use HOMEBREW_SVN if set, a Homebrew-built Subversion if installed, or the system-provided binary.

Set this to force Homebrew to use a particular svn binary.

HOMEBREW_TEMP

If set, instructs Homebrew to use HOMEBREW_TEMP as the temporary directory for building packages. This may be needed if your system temp directory and Homebrew Prefix are on different volumes, as OS X has trouble moving symlinks across volumes when the target does not yet exist.

This issue typically occurs when using FileVault or custom SSD configurations.

HOMEBREW_VERBOSE

If set, Homebrew always assumes --verbose when running commands.

VISUAL

If set, and HOMEBREW_EDITOR is not, use VISUAL as the text editor.

USING HOMEBREW BEHIND A PROXY

Homebrew uses several commands for downloading files (e.g. curl, git, svn). Many of these tools can download via a proxy. It's common for these tools to read proxy parameters from environment variables.

For the majority of cases setting http_proxy is enough. You can set this in your shell profile, or you can use it before a brew command:

http_proxy=http://<host>:<port> brew install foo

If your proxy requires authentication:

http_proxy=http://<user>:<password>@<host>:<port> brew install foo

SEE ALSO

Homebrew Documentation: https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew/blob/master/share/doc/homebrew/

git(1), git-log(1)

AUTHORS

Homebrew's current maintainers are Misty De Meo, Andrew Janke, Xu Cheng, Mike McQuaid, Baptiste Fontaine, Brett Koonce, Dominyk Tiller, Tim Smith and Alex Dunn.

Homebrew was originally created by Max Howell.

BUGS

See Issues on GitHub: https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew/issues