zerobrew
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zerobrew brings uv-style architecture to Homebrew packages on macOS and Linux.
Install
curl -fsSL https://zerobrew.rs/install | bashThe installer updates your shell config. After it finishes, restart your terminal
or run the source command it prints.
Or via Homebrew:
brew install lucasgelfond/zerobrew/zerobrewUpdate zerobrew
If you used the standalone installer, rerun it:
curl -fsSL https://zerobrew.rs/install | bash
zb --versionIf you installed with Homebrew:
brew update && brew upgrade zerobrewQuick start
zb install jq # install one package
zb install wget git # install multiple
zb bundle # install from Brewfile
zb bundle install -f myfile # install from custom file
zb bundle dump # export installed packages to Brewfile
zb bundle dump -f out --force # dump to custom file (overwrite)
zb uninstall jq # uninstall one package
zb outdated # list packages with newer versions
zb upgrade # upgrade all outdated packages
zb upgrade jq wget # upgrade specific packages
zb reset # uninstall everything
zb gc # garbage collect unused store entries
zbx jq --version # run without linkingPerformance snapshot
| Package | Homebrew | ZB (cold) | ZB (warm) | Cold Speedup | Warm Speedup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall (top 100) | 452s | 226s | 59s | 2.0x | 7.6x |
| ffmpeg | 3034ms | 3481ms | 688ms | 0.9x | 4.4x |
| libsodium | 2353ms | 392ms | 130ms | 6.0x | 18.1x |
| sqlite | 2876ms | 625ms | 159ms | 4.6x | 18.1x |
| tesseract | 18950ms | 5536ms | 643ms | 3.4x | 29.5x |
Relationship with Homebrew
zerobrew is more of a performance-optimized client for the Homebrew ecosystem. We rely on:
- Homebrew's formula definitions (homebrew-core)
- Homebrew's pre-built bottles when available
- Homebrew's package metadata and infrastructure
Our innovations focus on:
- Content-addressable storage for deduplication
- APFS clonefiles for zero-overhead copying
- Source build fallback using Homebrew's Ruby DSL
zerobrew is experimental. We recommend running it alongside Homebrew rather than as a replacement, and do not recommend purging homebrew and replacing it with zerobrew unless you are absolutely sure about the implications of doing so.
Project status
- Status: Experimental, but already useful for many common Homebrew formulas.
- Feedback: If you hit incompatibilities, please open an issue or PR.
- License: Dual-licensed under Apache 2.0 OR MIT, at your choice.
