explaingit

petere/homebrew-debian

Analysis updated 2026-07-18 · repo last pushed 2015-07-30

RubyAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5DormantSetup · easy

TLDR

A collection of Homebrew formulae that let Mac users install software normally packaged for Debian Linux, bridging tooling between the two operating systems.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((homebrew-debian))
    What it does
      Provides Homebrew formulae
      Installs Debian packages
      Bridges macOS and Debian
    Tech stack
      Ruby
      Homebrew
    Use cases
      Install Debian-only tools
      Unify cross-OS tooling
      Avoid manual compiling
    Audience
      Developers on macOS
      Cross-platform power users
    Notes
      Third-party project
      Minimal README

Code map

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Install a command-line tool that's packaged for Debian but not yet in Homebrew's main repository.

USE CASE 2

Keep consistent tooling between a Mac and a Debian-based Linux system like Ubuntu.

USE CASE 3

Add this tap to Homebrew to access Debian-specific formulae without compiling from source.

USE CASE 4

Avoid manually replicating a Debian package's install steps on macOS.

What is it built with?

RubyHomebrew

How does it compare?

petere/homebrew-debian100rabhg/masterdetailapp100rabhg/pizzafactroy
LanguageRubyRubyRuby
Last pushed2015-07-302024-02-202025-01-26
MaintenanceDormantDormantStale
Setup difficultyeasymoderatemoderate
Complexity2/52/53/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperpm founder

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Third-party, community-maintained tap, not officially supported by Homebrew or Debian.

In plain English

This is a collection of recipes that let Homebrew (a popular package manager for macOS) install some software that's commonly found on Debian Linux systems. Think of it as a bridge: if you're on a Mac and want to use a tool that's traditionally packaged for Debian/Linux, these recipes make it easier to get it running without having to compile everything from scratch yourself. Homebrew works by storing "formulae", which are essentially installation instructions written in a scripting language. When you ask Homebrew to install something, it reads the formula for that package, downloads the right version, and handles all the setup. This repository provides those formulae specifically for Debian packages, so Homebrew knows how to fetch and install them on your Mac the same way it would handle any other package. You'd use this if you're a developer or power user who works across both macOS and Debian-based Linux systems (like Ubuntu) and wants consistency in your tooling. Rather than learning different installation steps on each OS, you could use Homebrew on both. For example, if there's a command-line utility that's officially packaged for Debian but not yet in Homebrew's main repository, this collection might have a formula for it. It's worth noting that this is a third-party project, it's not officially maintained by the Homebrew team or the Debian project, so it's maintained by volunteers filling a gap for specific packages they care about. The README is quite minimal, so if you're interested in using it, you'd likely want to check what packages are actually available in the repository and how to add it to your Homebrew setup.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Show me how to add this homebrew-debian tap to my Homebrew setup and install a package from it.
Prompt 2
Explain how a Homebrew formula in this repo maps a Debian package to a macOS install.
Prompt 3
Help me check what packages are currently available in this homebrew-debian collection.
Prompt 4
Walk me through writing a new Homebrew formula for a Debian package not yet covered here.

Frequently asked questions

What is homebrew-debian?

A collection of Homebrew formulae that let Mac users install software normally packaged for Debian Linux, bridging tooling between the two operating systems.

What language is homebrew-debian written in?

Mainly Ruby. The stack also includes Ruby, Homebrew.

Is homebrew-debian actively maintained?

Dormant — no commits in 2+ years (last push 2015-07-30).

How hard is homebrew-debian to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is homebrew-debian for?

Mainly developer.

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