Installing Homebrew on Apple Silicon M1 Mac: Step-by-Step Guide

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Introduction: Homebrew is a popular package manager for macOS that allows you to easily install and manage various software packages and utilities. If you’re using an Apple Silicon M1 Mac and want to install Homebrew, this step-by-step guide will walk you through the process. Let’s get started!

Step 1: Open Terminal Go to your Applications folder, then open the Utilities folder, and launch the Terminal application. You can also use Spotlight Search (Cmd + Space) to find and open Terminal.

Step 2: Install Rosetta 2 (Optional) If you haven’t installed Rosetta 2 on your M1 Mac, you may need it to run certain Intel-based applications. To install Rosetta 2, enter the following command in Terminal and press Enter:

softwareupdate --install-rosetta

Step 3: Install Homebrew In Terminal, copy and paste the following command and press Enter

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Step 4: Wait for the Installation The installation script will prompt you for your password. Enter your macOS user password (it won’t be visible as you type) and press Enter. The installation process may take a few minutes, so be patient and let it complete.

Step 5: Update System Paths Once Homebrew is installed, you need to update your system paths to ensure that Homebrew’s executables take precedence over the system defaults. Add the following line to your shell configuration file (e.g., ~/.zshrc if you use the Zsh shell):

export PATH="/opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH"

Step 6: Verify Homebrew Installation Close and reopen Terminal to ensure the changes to your shell configuration take effect. Then, type the following command and press Enter:

brew --version

If Homebrew is installed correctly, you will see the version number displayed.

Conclusion: Congratulations! You have successfully installed Homebrew on your Apple Silicon M1 Mac. With Homebrew, you can now easily install and manage various software packages and utilities. Enjoy the flexibility and convenience that Homebrew brings to your macOS environment.