DEV Community

Leon Wong 282
Leon Wong 282

Posted on • Originally published at leonwong282.com

How I Stopped Manually Installing Software on Mac (And You Should Too)

#homebrew #productivity #beginners #tutorial

Last month, I spent three hours setting up my new MacBook. Download Chrome. Wait. Drag to Applications. Open the DMG. Delete the installer. Download VSCode. Repeat. Download Git. Wait, where's the installer? Google "install git mac." Find a sketchy website. Download. Run installer. Click through 12 screens. Repeat this 15 more times.

By hour three, I was exhausted, my Downloads folder was a mess, and I wasn't even sure which versions I'd installed. Then my developer friend saw what I was doing and laughed. "You're doing it the hard way," he said. "Let me show you something."

That something was Homebrew — and it changed everything about how I manage software on my Mac.

In this guide, I'll show you how to install and use Homebrew to install any software with a single command, keep everything updated automatically, and never manually download another .dmg file again. If you spend more than 5 minutes installing software, this is for you.

The Problem: Why Manual Installation is Broken

Before Homebrew, my software installation workflow looked like this:

For every single application:

  1. Google "[app name] download mac"
  2. Hope the first result is the official website (not an ad or malware)
  3. Navigate to the downloads page
  4. Choose the right version (Intel? Apple Silicon? What's the difference?)
  5. Wait for the download
  6. Open the .dmg or .pkg file
  7. Drag the app to Applications (or click through an installer)
  8. Eject the disk image
  9. Delete the installer from Downloads
  10. Remember to check for updates manually later

The real problems:

  • Time-consuming: 5-10 minutes per application, 15 applications = over an hour
  • Error-prone: Wrong versions, outdated downloads, missing dependencies
  • Cluttered: Downloads folder filled with installers I'd forget to delete
  • Update nightmare: No way to update everything at once; have to check each app individually
  • No consistency: Every app has a different installation process
  • Dependency hell: Some tools require other tools first (Python needs Xcode, Node needs specific libraries)

The breaking point came when I tried to install ffmpeg (a video processing tool). The instructions said "install these 12 dependencies first." Each dependency had its own installation process. After an hour of troubleshooting, I still couldn't get it working.

There had to be a better way.

The Solution: Meet Homebrew

What is Homebrew?

Homebrew is a free, open-source package manager for macOS (think of it as an app store for developers, but way more powerful). Instead of hunting down software on websites, you install everything through simple terminal commands.

One command replaces the entire 10-step process above:

brew install visual-studio-code
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

That's it. Homebrew:

  • Downloads the software from the official source
  • Installs it to the right location
  • Handles all dependencies automatically
  • Creates shortcuts so it "just works"
  • Tracks versions for easy updates

The transformation:

Before Homebrew: 15 apps × 7 minutes = 1 hour 45 minutes

After Homebrew: 15 apps × 10 seconds = 2 minutes 30 seconds

That's not an exaggeration — I timed it.

"But I'm not a developer. Isn't the terminal scary?"

I thought so too. But you don't need to be technical to use Homebrew. If you can copy and paste, you can use Homebrew. I'll show you exactly what to do.

Getting Started: Install Homebrew in 5 Minutes

Step 1: Open Terminal

Press Command + Space, type "Terminal", and press Enter. A window with a black background will open. Don't panic — this is where the magic happens.

Step 2: Install Homebrew

Copy this entire command and paste it into Terminal (Command + V), then press Enter:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

What will happen:

  • You'll be prompted to enter your Mac password (the one you use to log in)
  • The installation will download and set up Homebrew (takes 2-5 minutes)
  • You'll see text scrolling by — that's normal!

Important: If you have an Apple Silicon Mac (M1, M2, M3, M4), you'll need to run one more command when installation finishes. Terminal will show you exactly what to paste — it looks like this:

echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.zprofile
eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Step 3: Verify It Works

Type this command and press Enter:

brew --version
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

If you see something like "Homebrew 4.x.x", congratulations! You're ready to go.

Step 4: Run a Health Check

Homebrew includes a built-in diagnostic tool. Run:

brew doctor
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

If it says "Your system is ready to brew," you're all set. If it shows warnings, don't worry — it usually suggests how to fix them.

⚠️ Troubleshooting: If you see "brew: command not found," close Terminal completely (Command + Q) and open it again. If it still doesn't work, run the Apple Silicon command from Step 2 again.

Your First Apps: Install Software in Seconds

Now for the fun part. Let's install some popular applications using Homebrew.

Installing Command-Line Tools

These are utilities you run in Terminal:

# Install Git (version control)
brew install git

# Install wget (download files from the internet)
brew install wget

# Install tree (visualize folder structures)
brew install tree
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Each installation takes 5-30 seconds. No clicking, no dragging, no mess.

Installing Regular Applications

Homebrew can also install the GUI apps you're used to (browsers, editors, etc.) using something called "casks":

# Install Google Chrome
brew install --cask google-chrome

# Install Visual Studio Code
brew install --cask visual-studio-code

# Install Slack
brew install --cask slack

# Install Firefox
brew install --cask firefox
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

The --cask flag tells Homebrew you want a graphical application, not a command-line tool.

Install Multiple Apps at Once

Want to set up everything in one shot? Just list them all:

brew install --cask google-chrome firefox visual-studio-code slack rectangle iterm2
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

What just happened?

In 60 seconds, you installed 6 applications that would've taken 30-45 minutes manually. They're all in your Applications folder, ready to use.

Last week, my friend got a new MacBook. Using a list of Homebrew commands I gave them, they installed everything they needed in under 10 minutes. Compare that to the 2-3 hours it used to take.

The Game-Changer: Updates in One Command

Here's where Homebrew truly shines: keeping software updated.

The old way:

  • Open Chrome → "Update available" → Download → Install → Restart
  • Open VSCode → "Update available" → Download → Install → Restart
  • Repeat for every single application
  • Total time: 20-30 minutes every few weeks

The Homebrew way:

# Update all software at once
brew upgrade
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

One command. Every app. Updated simultaneously.

My weekly routine (takes 2 minutes):

# See what's outdated
brew outdated

# Update everything
brew upgrade

# Clean up old versions (free disk space)
brew cleanup
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Real results:

  • Last week, I had 12 outdated apps
  • brew upgrade updated all of them in 90 seconds
  • brew cleanup freed 3.2GB of disk space from old installers

Before Homebrew: 30 minutes of manual updates monthly

After Homebrew: 2 minutes, once a week

Essential Commands You'll Actually Use

You don't need to memorize dozens of commands. These five cover 90% of daily use:

1. Search for software

brew search chrome
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Not sure if an app is available? Search for it.

2. Install software

brew install git                    # Command-line tool
brew install --cask firefox         # GUI application
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

3. See what's installed

brew list
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

4. Update everything

brew update    # Update Homebrew itself
brew upgrade   # Upgrade all apps
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

5. Remove software

brew uninstall git
brew uninstall --cask firefox
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

💡 Pro tip: Create a text file with all your favorite apps. When you get a new Mac, run all the install commands at once:

brew install --cask google-chrome firefox visual-studio-code slack zoom rectangle
brew install git wget curl tree htop
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Bookmark that file. You'll thank me later.

Common Beginner Questions

"Is Homebrew safe?"

Yes. It's open-source, maintained by thousands of developers, and has been the standard Mac package manager since 2009. It only downloads from official sources.

"Will this break my Mac?"

No. Homebrew installs to its own folder (/opt/homebrew or /usr/local) and doesn't touch system files. You can uninstall it completely anytime.

"Do I need to use Terminal for everything now?"

No! You can still install apps the traditional way. Homebrew is just a faster option. I use both — Homebrew for developer tools and quick installs, Mac App Store for Apple-specific apps.

"What if something goes wrong?"

Run brew doctor. It diagnoses issues and tells you how to fix them. The Homebrew community is also incredibly helpful.

Conclusion

Three months ago, setting up my Mac took hours of downloading, clicking, dragging, and deleting. I dreaded getting a new machine or doing a fresh install. Updates were a monthly chore I'd procrastinate.

Today? I install 20+ applications in under 5 minutes. I update everything with one command every week. My system is cleaner, faster, and I actually know what software I have installed.

Key Takeaways:

  • Manual installation wastes time: 5-10 minutes per app adds up fast
  • Homebrew installs anything with one command: brew install [name]
  • Updates become effortless: brew upgrade handles everything at once
  • Setup takes 5 minutes: Even if you've never used Terminal before
  • It's beginner-friendly: Copy, paste, press Enter. That's it.

Next Steps:

  1. Install Homebrew right now (seriously, it takes 5 minutes)
  2. Run brew doctor to make sure it's working
  3. Install your first app: brew install --cask google-chrome
  4. Explore available apps at formulae.brew.sh

The best time to start using Homebrew was when you got your Mac. The second best time is now.

What's the first app you'll install with Homebrew? Drop a comment below — I'd love to hear what tools you're excited to try. And if you found this helpful, consider following me for more Mac productivity tips that'll save you hours every week.

Related Resources

Top comments (0)