brew-info
Display Homebrew package details
TLDR
Display statistics for Homebrew installation
Display more information about a formula or cask
Display verbose information about a formula or cask
Display information about a formula or cask in JSON format
Print JSON of currently installed formulae
Display help
SYNOPSIS
brew info [options] [formula|cask]
PARAMETERS
--json=v1,v2
Output formula/cask data as JSON (v1 legacy, v2 structured)
--github
Open formula's GitHub source in browser
--cask
Treat arguments as casks (macOS apps)
--installed
Show info only for installed formulae/casks
--all
Include all aliases for the formula
-d, --debug
Enable debug output for troubleshooting
DESCRIPTION
brew info is a command from Homebrew, the package manager for macOS and Linux (via Linuxbrew/Homebrew). It displays comprehensive details about a specific formula (software package) or cask (GUI app). Output includes the package's description, version, dependencies, build requirements, installation status, and analytics data like install counts.
When invoked with a formula name, it shows if it's installed, the current vs. latest version, and options used during install. Without arguments, it prompts for usage. JSON output via --json enables scripting and automation, with v1 for legacy and v2 for structured data.
Ideal for checking package states before installing/upgrading, troubleshooting conflicts, or querying metadata. On Linux, it manages CLI tools similarly to macOS, supporting thousands of packages from source or bottles (pre-built binaries). Use it to verify compatibility, review changelogs, or open source repos directly.
CAVEATS
Requires Homebrew installation; on Linux, needs prerequisites like git, curl. JSON v1 deprecated in future versions. No output without formula argument.
EXAMPLES
brew info wget — Basic info on wget.
brew info --cask firefox — Cask details.
brew info --json=v2 nginx — Structured JSON.
OUTPUT FIELDS
Typically includes: name, desc, homepage, versions (installed/latest), deps, conflicts, analytics installs.
HISTORY
Homebrew created in 2009 by Max Howell for macOS; brew info added early for package inspection. Linux support via Linuxbrew (2014, merged 2020). JSON v2 introduced 2022 for better tooling.
SEE ALSO
brew(1), brew-cat(1), brew-search(1), apt show(8)
