Mac Homebrew Backup & Restore

Quick reference for backing up and restoring your Mac setup.

Files Included

• brewfile_backup.sh - Simple script to generate Brewfile (RECOMMENDED)
• mac_inventory.sh - Detailed inventory of all applications
• MAC_SETUP_GUIDE.md - Complete documentation and best practices

Quick Start

Backup (Run on your current Mac):

./brewfile_backup.sh

This creates:

• ~/Documents/Mac_Backups/Brewfile - Your package list
• ~/Documents/Mac_Backups/Brewfile_TIMESTAMP - Timestamped backup

Restore (Run on a new Mac):

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

# 2. Copy your Brewfile to the new Mac, then:
cd ~/Documents/Mac_Backups
brew bundle install

What Gets Backed Up?

✅ Homebrew formulae (CLI tools like git, node, python) ✅ Homebrew casks (GUI apps like Chrome, VS Code, Slack) ✅ Homebrew taps (third-party repositories) ✅ Mac App Store apps (if you have mas installed)

❌ Apps installed outside Homebrew ❌ System preferences and configurations ❌ User data and documents

Next Steps

1. Run ./brewfile_backup.sh to create your backup
2. Store the Brewfile in a safe place (cloud storage, Git repo)
3. Read MAC_SETUP_GUIDE.md for advanced tips

Need Help?

See MAC_SETUP_GUIDE.md for:

• Detailed instructions
• Best practices
• Troubleshooting
• Advanced automation
• Git integration