nanobrew

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# nanobrew

A fast package manager for macOS and Linux. Written in Zig. Native install pipeline for the top 100 Homebrew formulae and top 100 casks (no `brew`, no Ruby), with verified Homebrew fallback for everything else and native `.deb` support for Linux/Docker.

## Why nanobrew?

- **Fast warm installs** — already-installed no-ops return in milliseconds (5.8ms on the v0.1.192 sandboxed `yt-dlp` benchmark)
- **Parallel downloads** — all dependencies download and extract at the same time
- **No Ruby runtime** — single static binary, instant startup
- **No auto-update** — `nb install` just installs; self-update is explicit via `nb update`
- **No quarantine** — cask installs skip `com.apple.quarantine`, so apps open without Gatekeeper prompts
- **Native installs** — top 100 formulae and top 100 casks install without Homebrew, Ruby, or `brew` subprocess (v0.1.192)
- **Third-party taps** — `nb install user/tap/formula` just works. The only fast Homebrew client with tap support
- **Drop-in Homebrew replacement** — same formulas, same bottles, same casks
- **Linux + Docker** — native .deb support, **up to 13x faster** than apt-get on warm installs

## nanobrew vs Homebrew

Homebrew is great software and powers millions of dev machines. nanobrew makes different tradeoffs:

| | Homebrew | nanobrew |
|---|---------|----------|
| **Auto-update** | `brew install` runs `brew update` first (can take minutes) | `nb install` just installs. Self-update is explicit via `nb update`. |
| **Gatekeeper quarantine** | Casks get `com.apple.quarantine` — triggers "Are you sure?" dialog | No quarantine flag — apps open immediately |
| **Parallel downloads** | Concurrent by default since November 2025 (`HOMEBREW_DOWNLOAD_CONCURRENCY`) | All dependencies download simultaneously |
| **Runtime** | Ruby (~57 MB) | Single 1.2 MB static binary. Instant startup, no bootstrapping. |
| **Brewfile no-ops** | `brew bundle` rechecks everything (~10s even when satisfied) | `nb bundle install` returns instantly when nothing to do |

nanobrew does not run Homebrew's Ruby `post_install` hooks, so formulae that depend on them can be left incomplete. If you rely on `post_install` hooks, build-from-source options, or Mac App Store integration, use Homebrew. nanobrew covers the fast path: bottles, casks, and bundles.

| Package | Homebrew | zerobrew (cold) | zerobrew (warm) | nanobrew (cold) | nanobrew (warm) |
|---------|----------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
| **tree** (0 deps) | 4.070s | 1.254s | 0.242s | **0.507s** | **0.009s** |
| **ffmpeg** (11 deps) | 14.252s | 3.986s | 2.147s | **1.624s** | **0.2