Homebrew
Homebrew is the package manager for macOS — it installs and updates free developer tools with one line each, so you don't hunt the web for installers.
Install Homebrew (once)
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"Paste it in the terminal, press Enter, follow the prompts. When it finishes it may print one or two extra lines to run — do that, then close and reopen the terminal.
Everyday commands
| Do this | Command |
|---|---|
| Install a tool | brew install git |
| Install an app (GUI) | brew install --cask github |
| Update Homebrew's catalog | brew update |
| Upgrade everything installed | brew upgrade |
| See what you've installed | brew list |
| Remove a tool | brew uninstall git |
| Health check | brew doctor |
install vs install --cask: plain install is for command-line tools (git, node); --cask is for full apps with a window (GitHub Desktop, browsers).
Don't remember the exact name? Ask your AI agent "what's the brew command to install X" — paste, run. That's the normal way.
Windows / Linux
Homebrew is macOS-first. On Windows use winget (built in) or the Microsoft Store; on Linux use your distro's manager (apt, dnf…). The idea is identical: one command installs a tool.
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