Homebrew Formula Authoring

Author and maintain Homebrew formulae (open-source software built from source for homebrew/core) with correct stanzas, a meaningful test, audit/style compliance, and local build testing.

Formula vs Cask — route first. Formulae are open-source software built from source (CLI tools and libraries), cross-platform (macOS + Linux). Casks are prebuilt macOS GUI binaries. If the software is a closed-source/binary .app, it belongs in a cask — use homebrew-cask-authoring. If it is open-source and builds from source (or ships cross-platform bytecode like Java/Mono), it's a formula.

Operating rules

• Prefer the official Homebrew docs (Formula Cookbook, Acceptable Formulae) when uncertain. Don't author from memory — the DSL and policy change.
• Keep formulae minimal: only stanzas required for a correct build, runtime, and test.
• Never hand-write a bottle do block for a homebrew-core formula. BrewTestBot builds bottles on CI; a maintainer commits the block on merge via brew pr-pull. Authors only write bottle blocks in their own third-party taps.
• Build from source must be reproducible on the latest 3 macOS versions (Apple Silicon + Intel) and x86_64 Linux, with the latest stable Xcode Clang.
• When testing locally, force Homebrew to read your working copy (HOMEBREW_NO_INSTALL_FROM_API=1), not the JSON API.
• Treat local tap overrides and any formula dropped into the core tap as temporary. Restore standard Homebrew state (uninstall, untap, remove stray files) when done unless the user asks to keep it.

Quick intake (ask these first)

Collect: