Nico Wickersheim

Posted on Jul 13

I Solved Every Mac Developer's Homebrew Frustration with This Open Source Tool

#go #react #homebrew #programming

I Built a Modern GUI for Homebrew in Go + React - Here's What I Learned

"brew list | grep something... brew info package... brew doctor... brew update..."

Sound familiar? If you're a Mac developer, you've probably typed these commands thousands of times. While I love the terminal, managing 50+ Homebrew packages through CLI got tedious. So I built WailBrew - a modern desktop GUI that makes Homebrew management actually enjoyable.

The result? A sleek desktop app that's already helping developers worldwide manage their packages with zero command-line friction.

The Problem Every Mac Developer Faces

Let's be honest - Homebrew's CLI is powerful but not always convenient:

Forgetting commands: Was it brew list or brew ls?
Package discovery: No easy way to browse what's installed
Update management: Checking outdated packages is a multi-step process
Information overload: brew info dumps everything in terminal format
No visual feedback: Is that update still running?

Enter WailBrew: Modern Desktop App Architecture

I chose an interesting tech stack that's perfect for desktop apps in 2024:

Backend: Go 🐹

Wails v2 framework for desktop app development
Direct system calls to Homebrew CLI
Efficient package management and system diagnostics

Frontend: React + TypeScript ⚛️

Modern React 19 with hooks
Vite for lightning-fast development
Clean, responsive UI that feels native

Why Wails? Unlike Electron, Wails uses the system's native webview, resulting in:

Smaller bundle size (5MB vs 150MB+ for Electron)
Better performance (no Chrome overhead)
Native OS integration (menus, dialogs, etc.)

Building Challenges & Solutions

Challenge 1: Real-time Package Updates

Problem: Homebrew operations can take minutes. Users need feedback.
Solution: Implemented streaming command output with Go channels and WebSocket-like communication.

func (a *App) UpdateBrewPackage(packageName string) string {
    cmd := exec.Command(a.brewPath, "upgrade", packageName)

    // Stream output in real-time
    stdout, _ := cmd.StdoutPipe()
    cmd.Start()

    scanner := bufio.NewScanner(stdout)
    for scanner.Scan() {
        // Send progress to frontend
        rt.EventsEmit(a.ctx, "update-progress", scanner.Text())
    }

    return "Update completed"
}

Challenge 2: Cross-platform Homebrew Detection

Problem: Homebrew installs in different locations (Intel vs Apple Silicon).
Solution: Dynamic path detection with fallbacks.

Challenge 3: Package Information Parsing

Problem: Homebrew outputs aren't always JSON-friendly.
Solution: Built robust parsers that handle edge cases and malformed data.

Design Philosophy: Familiar Yet Modern

I studied popular Mac apps like Finder, System Preferences, and even Cakebrew (the inspiration) to create something that feels native:

Key Design Decisions:

Sidebar navigation: Familiar pattern for Mac users
Table-based package listing: Sortable, searchable, scannable
Confirmation dialogs: Prevent accidental deletions
Real-time status updates: Progress bars and live logs

The entire UI is built with React - no heavy UI frameworks needed.

Code Architecture & Patterns

Frontend State Management

const [packages, setPackages] = useState<PackageEntry[]>([]);
const [selectedPackage, setSelectedPackage] = useState<PackageEntry | null>(null);
const [currentView, setCurrentView] = useState<string>("packages");

// Real-time updates from Go backend
useEffect(() => {
    EventsOn("package-updated", (data) => {
        setPackages(prev => prev.map(pkg => 
            pkg.name === data.name ? { ...pkg, ...data } : pkg
        ));
    });
}, []);

Backend API Design

// Clean, typed interfaces for frontend communication
type PackageEntry struct {
    Name             string   `json:"name"`
    InstalledVersion string   `json:"installedVersion"`
    LatestVersion    string   `json:"latestVersion,omitempty"`
    Description      string   `json:"desc,omitempty"`
    Homepage         string   `json:"homepage,omitempty"`
    Dependencies     []string `json:"dependencies,omitempty"`
}

func (a *App) GetBrewPackages() [][]string {
    // Efficient package listing with caching
    // Returns structured data for frontend consumption
}

The Results

Development Stats:

Lines of code: ~2,000 Go, ~1,500 TypeScript
Bundle size: 5.2MB (vs 150MB+ typical Electron app)
Startup time: <1 second

Performance Improvements for Users:

🎯 Zero command memorization needed
📊 Visual progress tracking for long operations
🔍 Instant search through installed packages

What I Learned Building WailBrew

1. Wails is Underrated

Perfect sweet spot between Electron and native development
Go's concurrency model is ideal for system operations
Native OS integration without the bloat

2. Desktop App UX is Different

Users expect native behavior (keyboard shortcuts, drag-drop)
System integration matters (menu bars, notifications)
Performance expectations are higher than web apps

3. Open Source Community Power

Early feedback shaped crucial features
Contributors helped with edge cases I missed
Documentation is as important as code

4. Cross-platform Considerations

Even "Mac-only" apps need to handle system variations
Apple Silicon vs Intel differences matter
Homebrew installation paths vary more than expected

What's Next for WailBrew

Immediate Roadmap:

🍺 Homebrew Cask support (GUI app management)
🔄 Auto-update mechanism (currently manual)
📊 Package analytics (usage tracking, recommendations)
🎨 Themes and customization

Community Requests:

🔗 Package dependency visualization
📱 Menu bar widget for quick access
🤖 Automated maintenance tasks

Technical Improvements:

⚡ Better caching strategies
📈 Performance monitoring
🧪 Automated testing suite

Try WailBrew Today!

⬇️ Download WailBrew v0.6.0

For Developers:

🌟 Star the repo: github.com/wickenico/WailBrew
🐛 Report issues: Help improve the app
🔧 Contribute: PRs welcome!
💬 Share feedback: What features do you need?

Tech Stack Curious?

📖 Full source code available on GitHub
🏗️ Wails framework: wails.io
🎯 Build your own: Use this as a starting point

What's your biggest Homebrew pain point? Let me know in the comments - it might become the next WailBrew feature!

Tags: #go #react #typescript #wails #homebrew #macos #desktop #opensource #gui #packagemanager

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