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I have been reading a lot of the tutorials around the web and answers on the site about using Homebrew. When it comes to Python though, the advice leaves me with more questions than answers.
I understand the how, but none of the answers I have seen so far have really explained the why behind using Homebrew to install Python and what the benefits are to installing Python with Homebrew as opposed to using OS-X installers provided by the Python Foundation?
The newest versions of the installers from Python and the current implementation of PIP seem to be working pretty well, so I would really appreciate any input on my question. I have worked with Python for a while but from more of a tactical, one off problem solving perspective and I am brand new to tools like Brew and version control software such as Git. I am trying to get up the learning curve. Finding an answer to why I would choose to go with a Homebrew install over just heading over to python.org and downloading from them and then using pip to install packages might help me to understand the benefits of a tool like Homebrew.
So I guess, what does Homebrew give me that going through the installation put in place by TPF does not?
Are there advantages/disadvantages to where Homebrew installs Python and Python packages over the /Library/Frameworks/ and the site-packages folder within that framework?
Though this last question is too broad and likely out of scope, if anyone would also address or provide a link to a good answer on what the benefits are of using Homebrew in general, I'd appreciate it?
Thank you,
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Don't use Homebrew Python. It's not meant for you. At some point Homebrew made changes that adversely affect Python development.
“Homebrew installs the stuff you need that Apple didn't” — this is how Homebrew creators describe it, and we agree. If you want a more informative definition, Homebrew is a free and open-source package manager for macOS, helping you install, update, uninstall, and manage developer tools like Python, Ruby, and Node.
Introducing: Homebrew Just like cargo build && cargo run creates a binary, stores it in a predictable location, and executes it, Homebrew creates executables and installs them into a predictable location for your computer to execute later.
Homebrew, when applied to video games, refers to games produced by hobbyists for proprietary video game consoles which are not intended to be user-programmable.
A few reasons not to use system python on OS X from this post,
- Apple doesn’t always do a good job on keeping the Python runtime environment up to date,
- it can be cumbersome to play with permissions just to install third-party Python libraries,
- finally, Apple has a tendency to wipe-out your site-packages with every major OS upgrade.
The use of an independent package manager for Python modules, such as Homebrew, conda, Macports, ets. is thus preferred.
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