Homebrew is the most popular package manager for macOS. Homebrew 7.0.0 (released 13 September 2026) fully supports macOS Golden Gate 27 on Apple silicon with prebuilt packages (bottles). It also moved Intel Macs to its lowest support tier, which matters only if you still have an Intel Mac running an older macOS.
1Install Homebrew
Run the official installer from brew.sh, or use the .pkg installer linked there (for Apple silicon and macOS Sequoia 15 or later). Read the script's output: it explains what it will do and asks for your password. On Apple silicon, Homebrew installs into /opt/homebrew.
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"At the end, follow the "Next steps" it prints to add brew to your PATH. Typically:
echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.zprofile
eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"2Install tools and apps
Formulae are command-line tools; casks are Mac apps. Casks no longer need the Xcode Command Line Tools in Homebrew 7.
brew search wget
brew install wget jq
brew install --cask firefox
brew info jq
brew list3Keep it updated
brew update # update Homebrew and package lists
brew outdated
brew upgrade # upgrade everything
brew cleanup # remove old versions and caches
brew doctor # check for problemsHomebrew 7 also adds built-in vulnerability checks against a security advisory database. See the release notes linked from brew.sh for how to use them.
4Save and restore your setup
A Brewfile lists everything you installed, so you can rebuild a new Mac quickly.
brew bundle dump --file=~/Brewfile
# on the new Mac, after installing Homebrew:
brew bundle --file=~/Brewfile5The Homebrew app (homebrew-app cask)
Homebrew 7 made BrewUI, Homebrew’s official graphical interface, fully released. It’s distributed as the homebrew-app cask and installs as Homebrew.app in your Applications folder. It needs macOS Tahoe 26 or later, so it runs fine on Golden Gate.
brew install --cask homebrew-appIt brings package browsing, search and installed-version details into one window, which makes it easier to explore what’s available and review what you already have. For every package operation it shows the underlying brew command, so you can see exactly what it’s doing and learn the Terminal equivalent.
Use it when you’d rather browse than type, want a quick overview of what’s installed and which versions you have, or are helping someone who isn’t comfortable in Terminal. It sits on top of the normal brew tool and doesn’t replace it, so you still need Homebrew itself installed. Scripts, Brewfiles and automation still belong in Terminal.
Check it’s installed with brew info --cask homebrew-app. To remove it later, run brew uninstall --cask homebrew-app; that removes only the app, not Homebrew or your packages. Source and releases are on GitHub (Homebrew/BrewUI).
6Intel Macs and Homebrew 7
From September 2026, Intel Macs are Tier 3: existing bottles remain, but updated packages may need building from source, and Homebrew plans to stop running on Intel in September 2027. If you still look after an Intel Mac, Homebrew recommends moving it to MacPorts. Golden Gate itself only runs on Apple silicon, so a Golden Gate Mac isn't affected.