Homebrew
Homebrew is a free and open-source package manager for macOS and Linux that simplifies the installation, update, and management of software packages and command-line tools. It automates the process of downloading, compiling, and installing software from source or pre-built binaries, making it easier for developers to set up their development environments. It is widely used in the macOS ecosystem as a primary tool for managing developer tools and libraries.
Developers should learn and use Homebrew when working on macOS or Linux systems to efficiently install and manage software dependencies, development tools, and libraries without manual compilation or complex configuration. It is particularly valuable for setting up development environments quickly, such as installing programming languages (e.g., Python, Node.js), databases (e.g., PostgreSQL), or utilities (e.g., Git, wget), and for keeping these tools updated with simple commands. Homebrew reduces system clutter and dependency conflicts by installing packages in isolated directories.