brew bundle: Usage, Options & Common CI Errors

brew bundle installs all formulae, casks, and taps declared in a Brewfile.

brew bundle is the declarative way to provision a macOS runner: list dependencies in a Brewfile and install them all at once, which is far more reproducible than a pile of brew install lines.

What it does

brew bundle reads a Brewfile (brew/cask/tap/mas entries) and installs everything in it. brew bundle check reports whether all dependencies are already satisfied - useful as a fast cache-hit gate in CI. The Brewfile is the single source of truth for the runner's toolchain.

Common usage

brew bundle                                   # install from ./Brewfile
brew bundle --file=ci/Brewfile
brew bundle check || brew bundle               # install only if needed
brew bundle --no-lock                           # do not write Brewfile.lock.json
brew bundle dump --force                         # generate a Brewfile

Common errors in CI

"No Brewfile found" / "Error: No such file or directory" means brew bundle ran from the wrong directory or the path needs --file=. A single failed entry fails the whole run; pin or remove the broken formula. brew bundle writes Brewfile.lock.json by default, which can dirty the git tree in CI - pass --no-lock to suppress it. As with brew install, set HOMEBREW_NO_AUTO_UPDATE=1 to avoid the slow self-update before bundling.

Options

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