About This Project
Brew Scripts is an open-source collection of shell scripts designed to automate Homebrew package management on macOS. Built with an educational focus, every script is extensively documented with comments explaining shell scripting concepts, patterns, and best practices. Whether you're setting up a new Mac, learning shell scripting, or automating your development environment, these scripts are designed to be your starting point.
The toolkit covers the full lifecycle of Homebrew management: from initial installation and architecture detection, through interactive app selection and batch installation, to scheduled automatic updates with notification support and disk cleanup. Each script is built to be run independently or as part of a larger workflow, and every one of them supports a --dry-run mode so you can preview exactly what will happen before any changes are made to your system.
Beyond just getting the job done, Brew Scripts is designed to teach. Every function, every conditional, and every loop is accompanied by comments that explain not just what the code does, but why it does it that way. If you've ever wanted to understand how professional shell scripts handle error checking, logging, configuration parsing, or cross-architecture compatibility, this codebase is a hands-on learning resource.
Why We Built This
Setting up a new Mac involves hours of downloading apps, configuring tools, and tweaking settings. Developers often find themselves repeating this process every time they get a new machine, restore from scratch, or set up a work laptop alongside a personal one. The typical approach is to follow a scattered collection of blog posts, bookmarked Stack Overflow answers, and half-remembered terminal commands. It works, but it's slow, error-prone, and teaches you nothing you'll remember next time.
Brew Scripts automates this process while teaching you how automation works under the hood. Instead of copy-pasting commands from scattered sources, you get a cohesive, tested, and documented toolkit that handles architecture differences between Apple Silicon and Intel, manages shell configuration across zsh and bash, and provides meaningful feedback at every step. The scripts are designed to be read and understood, not just executed blindly.
We also wanted to demonstrate that shell scripting doesn't have to be cryptic or fragile. With proper structure, error handling, and documentation, shell scripts can be just as maintainable and reliable as code written in any other language. Brew Scripts serves as a reference implementation for these best practices.
Open Source
Brew Scripts is licensed under the MIT License. You're free to use, modify, and distribute the code for any purpose — personal, educational, or commercial. There are no restrictions beyond preserving the license notice.
We welcome contributions of all kinds. Whether it's fixing a bug, improving documentation, suggesting a new feature, or adding support for additional tools and applications, your input makes the project better for everyone. Visit the GitHub repository to browse the source code, open an issue, or submit a pull request. Every contribution is reviewed and appreciated.
Part of CodeCraftedApps
Brew Scripts is maintained by CodeCraftedApps, an independent developer building apps, tools, and open-source projects for the Apple ecosystem and beyond. CodeCraftedApps is focused on creating software that is practical, well-documented, and built with care.
See all projects and get in touch at codecraftedapps.com, or reach out directly through the Contact page.