After 15 years, the maintainer of Homebrew plans to make a living

After 15 years of maintaining Homebrew, Mike McQuaid plans to transition to making a living from the project. Homebrew, created in 2009, has become a vital tool for developers on macOS, allowing for the installation and management of applications and dependencies. Despite its success, McQuaid has managed the project largely in his spare time while working at GitHub. Homebrew has evolved to include features like casks for graphical applications and has integrated with Linux through Linuxbrew.

McQuaid acknowledges the challenges of managing a large open-source project, including dealing with user feedback and criticism. He emphasizes the importance of respecting all contributors and maintaining a positive environment. To address the needs of enterprise users, McQuaid co-founded Workbrew, which aims to bridge the gap between Homebrew and corporate IT requirements. Workbrew will provide tools for IT administrators to manage software installations while allowing developers the freedom they desire.

McQuaid is committed to keeping Homebrew aligned with traditional open-source principles, ensuring that the project remains community-driven. He balances his roles as CTO of Workbrew and project leader of Homebrew, maintaining clear boundaries between the two. The company is currently in private beta, with plans for a public announcement soon. The future of Homebrew will continue to be shaped by its community, reflecting the open-source ethos that has defined its success.