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🍺 Using Homebrew on TunaOS

Homebrew is baked into every TunaOS image — no installation needed. Just open a terminal and run brew. This guide covers day-to-day Homebrew usage on TunaOS, from installing CLI tools to managing graphical apps with Tavern.

Quick Start​

# Update the package index
brew update

# Install a CLI tool
brew install htop neovim jq ripgrep

# Install a graphical app (cask)
brew install --cask visual-studio-code

# See what's installed
brew list

# Clean up old versions
brew cleanup

What's Pre-Installed​

TunaOS images ship with Homebrew and a curated set of CLI tools already available:

ToolPurposeCommand
ezaModern ls replacementeza --icons --long
batcat with syntax highlightingbat file.rs
ripgrepUltra-fast greprg pattern
fdFast findfd '.md'
zoxideSmarter cdz tunaos
atuinSynced shell historyatuin search
starshipCross-shell promptstarship preset nerd-font-symbols

Installing Developer Tools​

Languages and Runtimes​

# Python version management
brew install pyenv
pyenv install 3.12

# Node.js
brew install node

# Go
brew install go

# Rust
brew install rustup-init
rustup default stable

# JDK
brew install openjdk

Containers​

# Podman is pre-installed, but you can also install Docker CLI
brew install docker docker-compose

Database Clients​

brew install postgresql-client mysql-client redis

Managing with Tavern (GUI)​

For a graphical experience, use Tavern — TunaOS's native GTK4 Homebrew client:

# Install Tavern via Flatpak
flatpak remote-add --user --if-not-exists tuna-os oci+https://tuna-os.github.io/Tavern
flatpak install --user tuna-os dev.hanthor.Tavern

Tavern provides:

  • Browse — discover popular formulae and casks
  • Search — instant search across 6,000+ packages
  • Install/Remove — one-click package management
  • Brewfile support — bulk-install entire environments
  • Dark mode — native Libadwaita theme

Using Brewfiles​

Brewfiles let you declare your entire dev environment in a file:

# ~/Brewfile
tap "homebrew/bundle"
tap "homebrew/cask"

# CLI tools
brew "htop"
brew "neovim"
brew "jq"
brew "ripgrep"

# Apps
cask "visual-studio-code"
cask "docker"

# Fonts
cask "font-fira-code-nerd-font"

Install everything at once:

brew bundle install --file ~/Brewfile

Fonts​

Install Nerd Fonts for terminal icons and programming ligatures:

# Search available fonts
brew search font

# Install Fira Code Nerd Font
brew install --cask font-fira-code-nerd-font

# Install multiple at once
brew install --cask font-jetbrains-mono-nerd-font font-noto-sans-nerd-font

Updating Everything​

# Update Homebrew itself and formulae list
brew update

# Upgrade all installed packages
brew upgrade

# Upgrade a specific package
brew upgrade neovim

# Clean up
brew cleanup --prune=all

Troubleshooting​

ProblemFix
brew: command not foundHomebrew should be pre-installed. Run brew help. If missing, run the installer: /bin/bash -c \"\$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)\"
Permission deniedHomebrew is installed in your home directory and doesn't need sudo. Ensure brew doctor passes.
Formula not foundRun brew update first to refresh the package index
Cask won't installSome casks are macOS-only. Tavern filters these automatically on Linux
Slow brew updateThis is normal on first run. Subsequent updates use incremental fetching

See Also​