Learn-skills.dev brew-apt

Package manager commands for macOS (Homebrew) and Linux (apt, yum/dnf). Use when user mentions "brew", "homebrew", "apt", "apt-get", "yum", "dnf", "install package", "update packages", "package manager", "brew cask", "PPA", "system dependencies", "upgrade all", or managing system packages.

install

source · Clone the upstream repo

git clone https://github.com/NeverSight/learn-skills.dev

Claude Code · Install into ~/.claude/skills/

T=$(mktemp -d) && git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/NeverSight/learn-skills.dev "$T" && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r "$T/data/skills-md/1mangesh1/dev-skills-collection/brew-apt" ~/.claude/skills/neversight-learn-skills-dev-brew-apt && rm -rf "$T"

manifest: data/skills-md/1mangesh1/dev-skills-collection/brew-apt/SKILL.md

source content

Package Manager Reference: Homebrew, APT, DNF/YUM

Homebrew (macOS)

Install, Remove, Upgrade

brew install <package>              # Install a formula
brew install <package>@<version>    # Install specific version
brew uninstall <package>            # Remove a package
brew reinstall <package>            # Reinstall (useful after macOS upgrades)
brew update                         # Update Homebrew itself and tap metadata
brew upgrade                        # Upgrade all outdated packages
brew upgrade <package>              # Upgrade one package
brew outdated                       # List outdated packages

Search and Inspect

brew search <term>                  # Search by name or partial match
brew info <package>                 # Version, dependencies, install path
brew list                           # All installed formulae
brew list --versions                # Installed formulae with versions
brew deps --tree <package>          # Dependency tree

Casks (GUI Applications)

Casks manage macOS GUI applications (.app bundles, installers, fonts).

brew install --cask <app>           # Install a GUI app
brew list --cask                    # List installed casks
brew upgrade --cask                 # Upgrade all casks
brew uninstall --cask <app>         # Remove a cask
brew search --cask <term>           # Search casks

Taps (Third-Party Repositories)

brew tap <user/repo>                # Add a third-party repository
brew tap                            # List all taps
brew untap <user/repo>              # Remove a tap
brew install <user/repo>/<formula>  # Install from a specific tap

Brewfile (Reproducible Setups)

brew bundle dump --file=~/Brewfile          # Export current packages
brew bundle dump --force --file=~/Brewfile  # Overwrite existing Brewfile
brew bundle install --file=~/Brewfile       # Install from Brewfile
brew bundle check --file=~/Brewfile         # Check what is missing
brew bundle cleanup --file=~/Brewfile       # Remove unlisted packages

Example Brewfile:

tap "homebrew/bundle"
tap "hashicorp/tap"
brew "git"
brew "node@20"
brew "python@3.12"
cask "visual-studio-code"
cask "docker"
mas "Xcode", id: 497799835   # Mac App Store (requires mas)

Services

brew services start <service>       # Start (e.g., postgresql, redis)
brew services stop <service>        # Stop
brew services restart <service>     # Restart
brew services list                  # List all managed services
brew services run <service>         # Run once, no startup registration

Cleanup

brew cleanup                        # Remove old versions and stale downloads
brew cleanup -n                     # Dry run
brew cleanup -s                     # Remove all cache files
du -sh "$(brew --cache)"            # Show cache size

Pin Packages

Pinning prevents a package from being upgraded by

brew upgrade

brew pin <package>
brew unpin <package>
brew list --pinned

Troubleshooting

brew doctor                         # Run diagnostic checks
brew update-reset                   # Reset to clean state (re-fetches taps)
brew --prefix <package>             # Show install path
brew install -v <package>           # Verbose install for debugging

APT (Debian / Ubuntu)

Install and Remove

sudo apt install <package>                # Install
sudo apt install -y <package>             # Install without prompting
sudo apt install <package>=<version>      # Specific version
sudo apt remove <package>                 # Remove (keeps config files)
sudo apt purge <package>                  # Remove including config files
sudo dpkg -i <file.deb>                   # Install local .deb file

Update vs Upgrade vs Full-Upgrade

sudo apt update                    # Refresh package index (installs nothing)
sudo apt upgrade                   # Upgrade installed packages (never removes)
sudo apt full-upgrade              # Upgrade, removing obsolete packages if needed

Always run

apt update

before

apt upgrade

Search and Inspect

apt search <term>                  # Search by name or description
apt show <package>                 # Package details
apt list --installed               # List installed packages
apt list --upgradable              # List upgradable packages
apt-cache policy <package>         # Version and repository info

PPAs (Personal Package Archives)

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:<user>/<ppa-name>
sudo apt update
sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:<user>/<ppa-name>   # Remove a PPA
# List configured repos
grep -r --include='*.list' '^deb ' /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/

On newer Ubuntu, repos use DEB822

.sources

files in

/etc/apt/sources.list.d/

Hold Packages

sudo apt-mark hold <package>       # Prevent upgrades
sudo apt-mark unhold <package>     # Allow upgrades again
apt-mark showhold                  # List held packages

Cleanup

sudo apt autoremove                # Remove orphaned dependencies
sudo apt clean                     # Clear local package cache
sudo apt autoclean                 # Remove only outdated cached packages

DNF / YUM (RHEL / Fedora / CentOS)

DNF replaced YUM starting with Fedora 22 and RHEL 8. Command syntax is nearly identical.

Install and Remove

sudo dnf install <package>         # Install
sudo dnf install -y <package>      # Install without prompting
sudo dnf remove <package>          # Remove
sudo dnf reinstall <package>       # Reinstall

Upgrade

sudo dnf upgrade                   # Upgrade all packages
sudo dnf check-update              # Check for updates without installing
sudo dnf upgrade <package>         # Upgrade one package

dnf update

is an alias for

dnf upgrade

Search and Inspect

dnf search <term>                  # Search
dnf info <package>                 # Package details
dnf list installed                 # List installed
dnf list updates                   # List available updates
dnf provides <file-or-command>     # Find which package provides a file

Repositories

dnf repolist                                    # List enabled repos
dnf repolist all                                # List all repos
sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo <url>        # Add a repo
sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled <repo-id> # Enable a repo
sudo dnf config-manager --set-disabled <repo-id># Disable a repo

Version Lock

sudo dnf install dnf-plugin-versionlock    # Install the plugin
sudo dnf versionlock add <package>         # Lock a package
sudo dnf versionlock delete <package>      # Unlock
dnf versionlock list                       # List locked packages

Cleanup

sudo dnf autoremove                # Remove unneeded dependencies
sudo dnf clean all                 # Clean cached metadata and packages
sudo dnf clean packages            # Clean cached packages only

Cross-Platform Comparison

Task	Homebrew (macOS)	APT (Debian/Ubuntu)	DNF (RHEL/Fedora)
Refresh package index	`brew update`	`sudo apt update`	`sudo dnf check-update`
Install	`brew install pkg`	`sudo apt install pkg`	`sudo dnf install pkg`
Remove	`brew uninstall pkg`	`sudo apt remove pkg`	`sudo dnf remove pkg`
Upgrade all	`brew upgrade`	`sudo apt upgrade`	`sudo dnf upgrade`
Upgrade one	`brew upgrade pkg`	`sudo apt install --only-upgrade pkg`	`sudo dnf upgrade pkg`
Search	`brew search term`	`apt search term`	`dnf search term`
Package info	`brew info pkg`	`apt show pkg`	`dnf info pkg`
List installed	`brew list`	`apt list --installed`	`dnf list installed`
List outdated	`brew outdated`	`apt list --upgradable`	`dnf list updates`
Hold / pin version	`brew pin pkg`	`sudo apt-mark hold pkg`	`sudo dnf versionlock add pkg`
Remove unused deps	`brew autoremove`	`sudo apt autoremove`	`sudo dnf autoremove`
Clean cache	`brew cleanup`	`sudo apt clean`	`sudo dnf clean all`
Diagnose issues	`brew doctor`	`sudo apt --fix-broken install`	`sudo dnf distro-sync`
Add third-party repo	`brew tap user/repo`	`add-apt-repository ppa:u/repo`	`dnf config-manager --add-repo`