Homebrew
The missing package manager for macOS
A package manager is a tool that installs, updates, and manages software for you automatically.
Homebrew is the most popular package manager for macOS — think of it a command-line App Store for developers and power users. This is where we’ll be installing packages for CLI tools like Git, Node, or Python (aka "formula"). We can also install packages for apps like Figma, ChatGPT or Cursor. (Aka "cask")
Why do you need this? While you can use it to to install/manage software easily, Homebrew isn’t about installing apps — it’s about controlling your environment.
Installation
To install Homebrew, paste the following command into your Terminal, press Enter, and follow the on-screen instructions:
You will also need to add Homebrew to your PATH. Follow the instructions on screen:
What is PATH?
PATH is a system variable that tells your Mac:
“Where should I look for commands when you type something in Terminal?”
To start using Homebrew, you’ll need to open a new Terminal session. Do this by opening a new Terminal tab with cmd + t (be sure to close the old one). Then run the following command to ensure everything is working correctly:
After that, let's customize your terminal in the next section!
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