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Homebrew/homebrew-cask

Homebrew's default collection of cask definitions for installing prebuilt GUI apps, CLI tools and fonts from upstream vendors via the brew CLI.

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What is it?

Homebrew Cask extends Homebrew to install and manage prebuilt software artifacts distributed by upstream vendors, including GUI applications, command-line tools, fonts and plugins. Each cask is a Ruby definition describing where to download a package and how to install it, so users can skip manually downloading a disk image and dragging an app into the Applications folder.

The project provides a command-line workflow on macOS and Linux. A typical install is a single command such as brew install alfred, which fetches the download, verifies it and moves the app into place. This repository holds the default set of casks that ships with Homebrew; third-party casks live in separate taps.

Contributions are made through pull requests that add or update cask files, and the project's documentation covers usage and contribution guidelines.

Key features

  • 01Installs GUI applications, CLI tools, fonts and plugins with a single brew command.
  • 02Each cask is a Ruby file specifying the download source and install steps.
  • 03Works on macOS and Linux.
  • 04Verifies downloads against checksums defined in each cask.
  • 05Integrates with Homebrew's upgrade and uninstall commands.

Use cases

  • Installing desktop apps on a Mac from the terminal instead of downloading DMG files by hand.
  • Scripting reproducible developer machine setups with a list of brew install commands.
  • Keeping installed GUI applications updated through the Homebrew CLI.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install Homebrew first (Homebrew Cask is built into it)

  2. 2

    Install an app with a cask, using the example from the README

    brew install alfred

Things to know

  • Casks install prebuilt software from upstream vendors, so you rely on each vendor's binaries.
  • Focused on macOS and Linux; it is a Homebrew extension rather than a standalone tool.

In collections

CLI & terminal toolsOpen-source Mac apps

Topics

#homebrew#macos#package-manager#cli#devtools#installer#cask#hacktoberfest

FAQ

What is homebrew-cask?
Homebrew's default collection of cask definitions for installing prebuilt GUI apps, CLI tools and fonts from upstream vendors via the brew CLI. Homebrew Cask extends Homebrew to install and manage prebuilt software artifacts distributed by upstream vendors, including GUI applications, command-line tools, fonts and plugins. Each cask is a Ruby definition describing where to download a package and how to install it, so users can skip manually downloading a disk image and dragging an app into the Applications folder.
Is homebrew-cask free to use? What license does it have?
homebrew-cask is open source under the BSD-2-Clause license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is homebrew-cask still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to homebrew-cask was on Nov 6, 2026.
What can I use homebrew-cask for?
Installing desktop apps on a Mac from the terminal instead of downloading DMG files by hand. Scripting reproducible developer machine setups with a list of brew install commands. Keeping installed GUI applications updated through the Homebrew CLI.
How do I install homebrew-cask?
Install Homebrew first (Homebrew Cask is built into it) Install an app with a cask, using the example from the README: brew install alfred
Where can I get homebrew-cask?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-cask

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

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