Homebrew (brew) In-Depth Reference

Comprehensive reference for Homebrew — the missing package manager for macOS (and Linux). Covers the full CLI surface, the formula and cask DSLs, the installation pipeline, taps and bottles, services, bundle, environment variables, and developer tooling.

Data Flow

brew install <formula>
  → Formulary loads formula (API JSON or tap .rb file)
    → FormulaInstaller
      → Fetch phase (bottle download or source download)
        → Install phase (pour bottle OR build from source via superenv)
          → Clean phase (remove build-only files)
            → Finish phase (link keg into prefix, run post-install)
              → Tab written (INSTALL_RECEIPT.json)