Analysis updated 2026-07-05 · repo last pushed 2017-03-09
Browse the list to discover new Mac apps and utilities.
Use the list as inspiration when setting up a new Mac.
Compare your own tool setup against another developer's preferences.
Look up unfamiliar tool names to find utilities that might improve your workflow.
| krausefx/brewfile | mitchellh/minitest-speed | 100rabhg/railswatch | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars | 9 | 8 | 11 |
| Language | Ruby | Ruby | Ruby |
| Last pushed | 2017-03-09 | 2011-09-15 | — |
| Maintenance | Dormant | Dormant | — |
| Setup difficulty | easy | easy | easy |
| Complexity | 1/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 |
| Audience | developer | developer | developer |
Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.
Requires Homebrew installed on macOS to actually use the Brewfile to install tools.
This repository is a personal list of software tools its author uses on a Mac. The project, called brewfile, serves as a public reference for anyone curious about the apps and utilities one developer finds valuable enough to keep installed. At a high level, it works by keeping track of programs installed through Homebrew, which is a popular package manager for macOS. A package manager is simply a tool that lets you install, update, and manage software from the command line instead of hunting down individual download links. The repository contains a list of standard command-line tools, as well as a separate list for full Mac applications. Someone might look at this repository if they are setting up a new Mac and want ideas for useful software. It acts like a colleague recommending their favorite tools. For example, a developer might browse the list to discover a utility that makes navigating files faster or an application for taking screenshots. However, the README does not go into detail about what each tool does, so a visitor would need to look up the individual names to learn about them. The project is notable simply because it is a personal preference list rather than a functional application. It does not run or build anything, it just stores text. While there are only a few stars on GitHub, the concept of sharing a setup like this is common among developers who want to compare workflows. You would treat it as a starting point for finding new tools rather than an authoritative guide.
A personal list of Mac apps and command-line tools used by the author, shared as a reference for anyone setting up a new Mac.
Mainly Ruby. The stack also includes Ruby, Homebrew.
Dormant — no commits in 2+ years (last push 2017-03-09).
No license information is provided, so copyright defaults to the author with no guaranteed permissions.
Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.
Mainly developer.
This repo across BitVibe Labs
Verify against the repo before relying on details.