MacBrew Documentation & User Guide

MacBrew is the ultimate tool for automating initial setup and onboarding on any new Mac using Homebrew.

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Why use MacBrew?

Avoid manually downloading dozens of .dmg or .pkg files from individual websites. With MacBrew, visually select what you need and get a single terminal command or executable script that installs everything automatically.

2. What is Homebrew, Cask, and Formula?

MacBrew generates standardized commands fully compatible with Homebrew, the package manager for macOS.

Cask

GUI Applications

Traditional macOS desktop applications with a graphical user interface (e.g., Google Chrome, Visual Studio Code, Slack, Spotify, Docker Desktop).

brew install --cask google-chrome

Formula

CLI Tools & Runtimes

Command-line utilities, development runtimes, and libraries (e.g., Git, Node.js, Python, Go, ripgrep, jq).

brew install git node python

3. Step-by-Step Usage Guide

1

Select your applications

Browse categories or use search to check the apps you want to install. Or choose a Quick Select Preset (e.g., Full-Stack Dev, DevOps, Designer).

2

Review your selection

Check the sticky bottom floating bar to see your total selected app count, then click "Get Installer".

3

Choose export format

Select a quick Terminal command, download an official Brewfile, or download a self-contained install.sh bash script.

4

Execute in macOS Terminal

Open Terminal.app (Cmd + Space > type "Terminal") and paste the command or run your downloaded script.

4. Export Formats Explained

1. Terminal One-Liner

Best if you already have Homebrew installed and want immediate execution:

brew install --cask google-chrome visual-studio-code slack && brew install git node

2. Brewfile (Homebrew Bundle)

Official infrastructure-as-code format. Ideal for tracking dotfiles in your Git repositories:

tap "homebrew/cask"

# Formulas
brew "git"
brew "node"

# Casks
cask "google-chrome"
cask "visual-studio-code"
cask "slack"

To execute a Brewfile, navigate to its directory and run:

brew bundle

3. Executable `install.sh` Script

Automated bash script designed for fresh Macs. Checks and automatically installs Homebrew if not yet present.

chmod +x install.sh
./install.sh

5. Advanced Script Options

When generating your install.sh script, you can toggle the following execution flags:

Option	Flag / Command	Description
Auto-install Homebrew	`curl -fsSL .../install.sh`	Checks if `brew` exists. If missing, downloads and configures Homebrew and PATH for Apple Silicon (`arm64`) or Intel (`x86_64`).
Bypass Gatekeeper	`--no-quarantine`	Bypasses macOS Gatekeeper quarantine prompt when launching safe installed apps.
Cleanup Temp Files	`brew cleanup`	Removes downloaded `.dmg` and `.tar.gz` installer cache files to free up disk space.
Upgrade Packages	`brew upgrade`	Upgrades pre-existing packages to their latest version before installing new ones.

6. Sharing Team Configurations

MacBrew allows saving and sharing app selections via URL without creating accounts or databases.

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Dynamic URL Link

Click "Share" in the top navigation bar to copy an encoded link:

https://macbrew.app/?apps=visual-studio-code,docker,slack,git,node

7. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is MacBrew free and open source?

Yes, MacBrew is 100% free and open-source. No registration or subscription required.

Does it work on Apple Silicon Macs (M1/M2/M3/M4)?

Yes, 100%. Homebrew automatically installs native ARM64 binaries for Apple Silicon and x86_64 for Intel processors.

What happens if an app is already installed?

Homebrew detects existing packages, logs a warning, and seamlessly continues installing the remaining list.

How do I uninstall an app installed via Homebrew?

Simply open Terminal and run brew uninstall --cask app-name (or brew uninstall formula-name).