brew-info

Display statistics for Homebrew installation

$ brew info

$ brew info [formula|cask]

$ brew info [[-v|--verbose]] [formula|cask]

$ brew info --json [formula|cask]

$ brew info --json --installed

$ brew info [[-h|--help]]

brew info [options] [formula|cask ...]

[formula|cask ...]
    Specify one or more names of formulae or casks for which to display information. If no arguments are given, it may show information about Homebrew itself or a general summary depending on the version.

--json
    Print the output in JSON format. This is highly useful for scripting and programmatic access to package data.

--installed
    Show information for installed formulae and casks only. This filters the output to only show details for packages currently present on your system.

--cask
    Treat all named arguments as casks. This explicitly tells Homebrew to look for graphical applications rather than command-line tools.

--formula
    Treat all named arguments as formulae. This explicitly tells Homebrew to look for command-line tools or libraries.

--eval-all
    Evaluate all available formulae and casks, even if they are not installed or tapped. This can be time-consuming but ensures comprehensive information retrieval.

--verbose, -v
    Show more verbose output. This often includes additional paths, symlinks, and other detailed diagnostic information.

--github
    Open the GitHub repository page for the specified formula or cask in your default web browser.

The brew info command is a fundamental utility within the Homebrew package manager, designed to provide comprehensive details about specific formulae (command-line tools and libraries) or casks (graphical applications) installed or available for installation. It serves as a powerful diagnostic and informational tool for users managing software on macOS and Linux (via Linuxbrew).

When invoked with one or more package names, brew info displays a wealth of data including the installed version, available versions, installation path, declared dependencies, required build options, homepage URL, license information, and source repository links. It can also indicate whether a package is currently installed, outdated, or has linked files in the system's PATH. This command is invaluable for understanding the landscape of your installed software, debugging issues related to package versions or dependencies, and quickly accessing upstream project information without leaving the terminal. The output can be formatted for human readability or, crucially, as machine-parsable JSON for scripting purposes.

The brew info command is part of the Homebrew package manager, which primarily targets macOS but is also available on Linux via Linuxbrew. It will not function as a standalone Linux command unless Homebrew is installed and configured on your system.

The exact output and available options can vary slightly between Homebrew versions.

The --json option is particularly useful for scripting and programmatic access to package information. It outputs a structured JSON object containing all details, allowing easy parsing and integration with other tools for automated system management or reporting.

Homebrew distinguishes between formulae (source-based packages like command-line utilities, libraries, and frameworks) and casks (binary packages for graphical macOS applications). brew info can display information for both, often requiring explicit flags like --cask or --formula when there's ambiguity or to filter results.

The brew info command has been a core component of Homebrew since its early days, shortly after the project's inception by Max Howell in 2009. As Homebrew evolved to manage not only command-line tools (formulae) but also graphical applications (casks), brew info adapted to provide comprehensive details for both package types. The addition of the --json output option significantly enhanced its utility for scripting and automation, reflecting Homebrew's continuous development focus on flexibility and user experience.

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