Screaming in the Cloud
Screaming in the Cloud
Corey Quinn
How Homebrew Became Mac's Package Manager with Mike McQuaid
40 minutes Posted Jan 27, 2026 at 11:00 am.
Mike McQuaid, Project Leader of Homebrew, joins Corey Quinn to share how a package manager conceived in a London pub became essential for 10 million Mac users. Homebrew lets you install software with one command instead of downloading files and clicking through installers, maintained by just 30 people who each get $300 a month.Mike shares the origin story from a drunken conversation about package management, explains how Homebrew Bundle can set up a new Mac with one command, and why Homebrew refuses to package software with fake open source licenses like Terraform's new versions.Show Highlights:
Why Homebrew Works on Linux
The Curl Bash Security Problem
Homebrew Was Conceived in a London Pub
Apps That Auto-Update Four Times a Day
Brew Bundle
Why Homebrew Auto-Updates Itself
Homebrew Maintainers Get $300 a Month
The Brew Doctor Command
Why Homebrew Doesn't Package Fake Open Source
Open Source Is Not a Career
When Someone Blamed Homebrew for Breaking Their Business
Auto-Update Options for Homebrew
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Mike McQuaid, Project Leader of Homebrew, joins Corey Quinn to share how a package manager conceived in a London pub became essential for 10 million Mac users. Homebrew lets you install software with one command instead of downloading files and clicking through installers, maintained by just 30 people who each get $300 a month.Mike shares the origin story from a drunken conversation about package management, explains how Homebrew Bundle can set up a new Mac with one command, and why Homebrew refuses to package software with fake open source licenses like Terraform's new versions.Show Highlights:(01:44) Why Homebrew Works on Linux(04:02) The Curl Bash Security Problem(05:02) Homebrew Was Conceived in a London Pub(06:42) Apps That Auto-Update Four Times a Day(08:43) Brew Bundle(14:00) Why Homebrew Auto-Updates Itself(18:18) Homebrew Maintainers Get $300 a Month(22:19) The Brew Doctor Command(29:10) Why Homebrew Doesn't Package Fake Open Source(32:05) Open Source Is Not a Career(35:27) When Someone Blamed Homebrew for Breaking Their Business(37:39) Auto-Update Options for Homebrew(39:40) Where to Find MikeLinks:Website: https://mikemcquaid.comHomebrew: https://brew.shGitHub: https://github.com/homebrewSponsored by: duckbillhq.com