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What is the meaning of subsections in `Dependencies` section when using `brew info package`?

I want to know what are dependencies of some package in brew. That's why I used brew info package. Section Dependencies contains two subsections Build and Required. What do these sections mean?

P.S. Is there a way to install package with all its dependencies in brew?

Solution

  • There are two ways to install packages using Homebrew:

    1. Using pre-built binaries (if they are available for your macOS version)
    2. Building from source

    Required dependencies are always needed regardless of how the package is installed. Build dependencies are only needed if you are installing the package from source.

    By default, Homebrew installs pre-built binaries. (See FAQ ¶ Why do you compile everything? and ¶ Why should I install Homebrew in the default location?)

    Is there a way to install package with all its dependencies in brew?

    brew install package will automatically install dependencies (in addition to installing the package itself).