MacPorts to Homebrew : New Packaging system for Mac OS X

by Abhinay on January 2, 2010 · 23 Comments

I just wanted to post a blog on Homebrew because, I started loving it already. Homebrew is the new modern package management system for Mac OS X wich beats MacPorts. Yah! Homebrew is faster.

Homebrew is a Packaging system for Mac OS X 10.5 and above; heavy optimisations, no redundant packages and a bonus beer theme.

Here how you can install Homebrew on your Mac:

I prefer installing homebrew in /usr/local directory.
sudo curl -L http://github.com/mxcl/homebrew/tarball/master | sudo tar xz --strip 1 -C /usr/local

to avoid using sudo when installing packages, change the owner recursively on /usr/local directory
sudo chown -R `whoami` /usr/local
That’s it. Homebrew installed.

Now, Let’s install wget using homebrew
MacBook:~ abhinay$ brew install wget
==> Downloading http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/wget/wget-1.12.tar.bz2
File already downloaded and cached to /Users/abhinay/Library/Caches/Homebrew
==> ./configure --disable-debug --prefix=/usr/local/Cellar/wget/1.12
==> make install
/usr/local/Cellar/wget/1.12: 9 files, 784K, built in 37 seconds

Really easy! isn’t it?

Have fun!

Note:
If you are facing problem because of MacPorts, try to uninstall it – Uninstall Instructions

and Do check out homebrew homepage on github: http://github.com/mxcl/homebrew

And one more thing, You should have xcode installed on your Mac – if already don’t have xcode, you can download from here – http://developer.apple.com/technology/xcode.html (Or you can install xcode from your second installation CD of Mac OS X)

 
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  • Abhinay

    You are too good man! Totally stole my thunder with the username :P haha. carry on.

    I stumbled on this blog, and I’m glad a fellow by my name is a linux buff. kudos.

  • http://abhinay.wordpress.com Abhinay

    @Abhinay :P

    Thanks.

  • http://wpveda.com/ Rahul Rajeshkumar Bansal

    Is there any place where I can see list of packages homebrew can install?
    Something like – http://www.macports.org/ports.php?by=all

  • http://abhinay.wordpress.com/ Abhinay

    Hi Rahul, You can just type ‘brew search’ command or you can check all package formulas online here – http://github.com/mxcl/homebrew/tree/master/Library/Formula/

    Cheers,
    Abhinay

  • http://wpveda.com/ Rahul

    Thanks Abhinay. :-)

  • http://abhinay.wordpress.com/2010/01/02/macports-to-homebrew-new-packaging-system-for-mac-os-x/ MacPorts to Homebrew : New Packaging system for Mac OS X | Abhinay's Blog

    [...] MacPorts to Homebrew : New Packaging system for Mac OS X Posted on January 2, 2010 by Abhinay EDIT: This blog and blog post is moved to blog.abhiomkar.in [...]

  • http://www.charlietanksley.net/philtex/homebrew-the-mac-package-manager/ Homebrew, the Mac package manager « PhilTeX

    [...] want to throw my hat in the ring with those who have already endorsed Home­brew for the Mac. Home­brew is a fan­tas­tic way to install lots of the [...]

  • http://nikehalftruth.blogspot.com/ chimcharu

    I would like to exchange links with your site blog.abhiomkar.in
    Is this possible?

  • admin

    exchange links? Sorry, I didn’t get you.
    What you are trying to do?

  • Lastobelus

    what are the advantages of homebrew over macports?

  • Anonymous

    how is this better than using macports “port install wget”

  • http://abhiomkar.in Abhinay Omkar

    Hi there, I believe that, Homebrew is much faster than MacPorts and Its community is very active.

  • Potto007

    Because port install wget will have to build and install all the dependencies, all of which are already installed in OS X.

  • http://docwhat.org The Doctor What

    I notice there aren’t any descriptions for the packages/formulas. (BTW: The list of formulas should totally be called a formulary).

    Also, it’s confusing when packages have multiple names. Examples: bzr and bazaar. A short description would be handy for understanding that these are the same packages. Though I do like that a search for the name and the search for the binary name both work.

    Ciao!

  • http://docwhat.org The Doctor What

    I’m sort of torn on that. Some of the versions of libraries, etc. in OS-X are out of date. But some of them automatically get security fixes, which is nice…so that you don’t have to stay up-to-date with homebrew and things will be safer than under MacPorts.

    On the other hand, some of the OS-X libraries languish in obscurity and don’t get updated nearly enough, having versions so old that they are near useless or security bugs. *cough*libssl*cough*.

  • http://www.gohost.in Web Hosting India

    Its to good above Mac OS X. I installed above widgets its working perfectly.

  • http://www.gohost.in Domain Name Registration India

    how can i install macports “port install wget”. please give me some idea for me

  • http://twitter.com/abhiomkar Abhinay Omkar
  • http://www.best-hostings.in Best hosting service

    I also want to install this application. Can you please tell me how to install?

  • http://www.claimid.com/koolinus kOoLiNuS

    Thanks for posting this man!

  • http://abhiomkar.in abhiomkar

    You are welcome! :)

  • Jamescarigmtts

     I started loving it already. Homebrew is the new modern package management system for Mac OS X wich beats MacPorts

  • http://www.basthi.com virusena

    Wow It’s great. I’m glad this blog. Really it’s gona be rocking. Thnx for sharing this information. :-)