Brew Packages

A list of recommendations for Homebrew packages on macOS I find useful.

Essential

• neovim (Text Editor)
• git (Version Control)
• tmux (Terminal Multiplexer)
• htop (Process Manager)
• python3 (Scripting Language)

CLI Tools

• trash (Trash helper)
• tree (Recursive directory lister)
• rename (Batch rename tool)
• fzf (Fuzzy finder)
• jq (JSON processor)
• rlwrap (Readline wrapper)

Development

• coreutils (GNU utils)
• visual-studio-code (Editor/IDE)
• cmake (Cask) (Build tool)
• ninja (Lightweight build system)
• cocoapods (Cocoa dependency manager)
• openjdk (Java)
• zulu8 (Cask) (Java 8 with ARM64 support)
• node (Node.js)
• gradle (JVM build tool)
• haskell-stack (Haskell build tool)
• rustup-init (Rust toolchain installer)
• swi-prolog (Prolog environment)
• flutter (Cask) (UI toolkit)
• processing (Cask) (Software sketchbook)
• dotnet-sdk (Cask) (.NET SDK)
• llvm (Compiler infrastructure, alternatively install via Xcode)
• ghidra (Reverse engineering tools)
• sf-symbols (Cask) (Symbols browser)
• gh (GitHub CLI)
• gcenx/wine/wine-crossover (Cask) (Compatibility layer for Windows applications)
  • Note that wine-stable also works, but does not support 32-bit applications
  • See this gist for details
• winetricks (Helper scripts for Windows libraries in Wine)

Security

• little-snitch (Cask) (Personal firewall)

Server

• postgresql (Database)
  • Note that you can use brew services as described here to start and stop PostgreSQL as needed

Emulation/Virtualization

• qemu (Emulator)
• utm (Cask) (Virtual machines UI on top of QEMU)

Containers

• docker (Cask) (Docker Desktop, container builder and runner)
• kubernetes-cli (Kubernetes API client)
• k9s (Kubernetes TUI)
• helm (Kubernetes package manager)

Utilities

• appcleaner (Cask) (App removal utility)
• the-unarchiver (Cask) (Unarchival tool)
• coconutbattery (Cask) (Battery info utility)
• barrier (Cask) (KVM)
• raspberry-pi-imager (Cask) (Image flashing utility)
• burn (Cask) (CD/DVD burning tool)

Cloud

• nextcloud (Cask) (Nextcloud desktop sync client)

Internet

• firefox (Cask) (Web Browser)
• discord (Cask) (Voice and Text Chat)
• mattermost (Cask) (Text Chat)
• signal (Cask) (Messenger)
• zulip (Cask) (Text Chat)
• slack (Cask) (Text Chat)
• zoom (Cask) (Video Conferencing)

Productivity

• mactex (Cask) (LaTeX)
• pdfpc (PDF presenter console)
• libreoffice (Cask) (Office suite)
• zotero (Cask) (Bibliography manager)

Fonts

• font-jetbrains-mono (Cask) (Typeface for developers)

Audio/Video

• ffmpeg (Audio/video converter)
• vlc (Cask) (Multimedia player)
• spotify (Cask) (Music streaming)
• mixxx (Cask) (DJing)
  • For an unofficial native arm64/Apple Silicon build, try fwcd/mixxx/m1xxx (Cask)
• blender (Cask) (3D modeling)
• obs (Cask) (Broadcasting and screencasting)
• blackhole-2ch (Cask) (Virtual Audio Driver, useful for routing desktop audio)

Graphics

• gimp (Cask) (Image editor)
• inkscape (Cask) (Vector graphics editor)

CAD

• prusaslicer (Cask) (3D slicer)
• openscad (Cask) (Programmable CAD modeler)

Gaming

• epic-games (Cask) (Epic Games Launcher)
• steam (Cask) (Game Distribution Platform)
• prismlauncher (Cask) (Minecraft Launcher)