Homebrew¶

Homebrew is a package manager for macOS (and Linux). It installs system-level software, including Python itself.

What is Homebrew?¶

Homebrew installs system packages that aren't managed by pip or conda: - Python interpreter - Git, curl, wget - Databases (PostgreSQL, Redis) - Command-line tools - Libraries (OpenSSL, libffi)

Website: https://brew.sh

Installation¶

macOS¶

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

Linux¶

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

Verify¶

brew --version

Basic Commands¶

Install Package¶

brew install python
brew install git
brew install postgresql

Upgrade Package¶

brew upgrade python
brew upgrade                    # Upgrade all

Uninstall Package¶

brew uninstall python

Search Packages¶

brew search python

List Installed¶

brew list
brew list --versions

Package Info¶

brew info python

Installing Python with Homebrew¶

Install Latest Python¶

brew install python

This installs: - python3 command - pip3 command - Latest stable Python version

Check Installation¶

which python3
# /opt/homebrew/bin/python3 (Apple Silicon)
# /usr/local/bin/python3 (Intel Mac)

python3 --version
pip3 --version

Multiple Python Versions¶

brew install python@3.10
brew install python@3.11
brew install python@3.12

# Use specific version
python3.10 --version
python3.11 --version

Homebrew vs pip vs conda¶

Tool	Installs	Use For
Homebrew	System packages	Python interpreter, git, databases
pip	Python packages	numpy, pandas, requests
conda	Python + system packages	Data science environments

Typical Workflow¶

# 1. Install Python with Homebrew
brew install python

# 2. Create virtual environment
python3 -m venv myenv
source myenv/bin/activate

# 3. Install Python packages with pip
pip install numpy pandas

Useful Packages for Python Development¶

# Python interpreters
brew install python
brew install python@3.10
brew install pypy3

# Development tools
brew install git
brew install gh                  # GitHub CLI
brew install pre-commit

# Databases
brew install postgresql
brew install mysql
brew install redis
brew install sqlite

# Data tools
brew install jq                  # JSON processor
brew install csvkit              # CSV tools

# System libraries (sometimes needed by pip)
brew install openssl
brew install libffi
brew install zlib

Casks: GUI Applications¶

Homebrew Cask installs GUI applications:

# IDEs and editors
brew install --cask visual-studio-code
brew install --cask pycharm-ce

# Terminals
brew install --cask iterm2

# Database tools
brew install --cask dbeaver-community
brew install --cask tableplus

# General
brew install --cask docker
brew install --cask slack

Services¶

Homebrew can manage background services:

# Start PostgreSQL
brew services start postgresql

# Stop PostgreSQL
brew services stop postgresql

# Restart
brew services restart postgresql

# List running services
brew services list

Maintenance¶

Update Homebrew¶

brew update                     # Update formula definitions

Upgrade All Packages¶

brew upgrade

Clean Up¶

brew cleanup                    # Remove old versions
brew autoremove                 # Remove unused dependencies

Doctor (Troubleshooting)¶

brew doctor                     # Check for issues

Common Issues¶

Permission Errors¶

# Fix permissions
sudo chown -R $(whoami) /opt/homebrew  # Apple Silicon
sudo chown -R $(whoami) /usr/local     # Intel Mac

Conflicting Python Versions¶

# See which Python is being used
which python3
python3 --version

# Link specific version
brew link python@3.11

PATH Issues¶

Add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc:

# Apple Silicon Mac
eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"

# Intel Mac
eval "$(/usr/local/bin/brew shellenv)"

Homebrew on Linux (Linuxbrew)¶

Homebrew also works on Linux:

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

# Add to PATH
echo 'eval "$(/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Useful for: - Installing newer software than system packages - Consistent tooling across macOS and Linux - Avoiding sudo apt install permission issues

Summary¶

Command	Description
`brew install pkg`	Install package
`brew upgrade pkg`	Upgrade package
`brew uninstall pkg`	Remove package
`brew search name`	Search packages
`brew list`	List installed
`brew info pkg`	Package details
`brew update`	Update Homebrew
`brew upgrade`	Upgrade all packages
`brew cleanup`	Remove old versions
`brew services start pkg`	Start service
`brew install --cask app`	Install GUI app

Key Takeaways¶

Homebrew installs system packages (Python, Git, databases)
Use Homebrew for Python interpreter, pip/conda for Python packages
brew install --cask for GUI applications
brew services manages background services
Works on both macOS and Linux
Run brew doctor to troubleshoot issues