homebrew-bundle VS FinderFix

I maintain a Brewfile (https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-bundle) which contains the majority of the non-project specific applications that I like to install on any new Mac:

https://github.com/jonahgeorge/dotfiles/tree/main

What's really nice is the `cask` & `mas` keywords allow you to install .dmg files & directly from the App Store.

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While its not included in there yet, I've been experimenting with maintaining a private Homebrew tap which contains my ~/bin directory as opposed to shell aliases.

> It's strange that people are so against declarative systems, or even file-based OS configuration. When I get my new Macbook I was up-and-running within a few minutes. I can't imagine maintaining a list of brews I need to re-install just to set up everything + my configs + everything else.

I haven’t had time to try Nix yet, but HomeBrew does have a declarative-ish workflow that I’ve been using for years:

[Brew Bundle](https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-bundle) let’s you have a plaintext file listing all packages you want installed on your system. Add a line for stuff you want installed, delete a line for stuff you want removed, invoke it the right way and it will install/remove packages until your system matches the list. The initial list can be generated by “brew bundle dump” or something like that.

For configuration, I find that a normal dotfile repo cloned into my ~/.config (with a script that maintains symlinks to config files in e.g. ~/Library) works well enough for my use.

Brew supports dumping installed things into a brewfile: https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-bundle

I was using text files before as well to manage it.

Assuming everyone's on a Mac, I'm actually surprised there isn't that much use of something like homebrew-bundle[1]. It's definitely nicer to have your tooling run natively rather than, say, trying to wrap everything in Docker, or trying to get everybody on board with nix or guix.

I think the only real issue here is that you can't really pin to specific versions unless a formula exists, and there is no guarantee that a formula with a pinned version will stick around because homebrew likes to stay lean.

[1]https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-bundle/

You should checkout Homebrew bundle and create a Brewfile instead. That will let you install both stuff from brew, casks and Mac AppStore apps in one go.

If you use brew bundle and create your own Brewfile, you can store this with your personal dot files and automate bootstrapping (auto-installing all your system tools) a new or recently reformatted Mac by including auto-trader-pro in your Brewfile.

And if you're already loving Homebrew, definitely check out Homebrew Bundle!

If you like homebrew, definitely give homebrew bundle a whirl if you haven't already

there are some apps to do this, I just remember (FinderFix)[https://synappser.github.io/apps/finderfix/] or Stay. Finally look here

And some window management utilities like Rectangle and my current favorites, FinderFix and AutoRaise.

I am hesitant on whether to classify your feature request under AutoRaise or FinderFix as it seems to belong halfway between the two apps. Do you mind submitting it meanwhile to the main synappser repo until I decide where it belongs? Thank you.

On May 24th, I opened FinderFix to public beta. A couple of days later, I noticed a sudden surge in the number of downloads. I am a regular reader of HN and Reddit where I have seen software thrust overnight into the limelight, so my first guess was that someone had posted about it. Seeing nothing unusual on HN, I headed to the other usual suspect and there it was on Reddit!

I was caught completely off guard by FinderFix (https://synappser.github.io/apps/finderfix/), the first application I'm opening to public beta, making the top row on Reddit a couple of weeks ago. This sudden limelight is both an opportunity and a challenge.

HN has been my morning coffee favourite read for years now but it's my very first post. I'm an old man, so please bare with me.

I am a seasoned systems architect and developer, now retired. While I was tempted in the first few weeks of my retirement to just turn the page and let it go, I remembered how much I used to enjoy writing small utilities for my own daily workflows. A year ago, I asked my fellow forum members (a Mac-dedicated one) if they would like to beta test some of my applications (and oh, they did). I got high quality feedback I would not have gotten elsewhere. I kept striving to answer their feature requests and today many of my first beta testers are insisting that my applications have outgrown the private beta.

I was caught completely off guard by FinderFix (https://synappser.github.io/apps/finderfix/), the first application I'm opening to public beta, making the top row on Reddit a couple of weeks ago. This sudden limelight is both an opportunity and a challenge.

I am not complaining. Any publicity is good publicity and I got this kind of genuine enthusiastic feedback: "OH MY GOD! Bro you’re a god sent. Thanks man I love this app. Also that Cmd + X for cut/paste. Oof so good!".

I however cherish anonymity and I laud the Internet for allowing me to enforce it. I am thus publishing my software under a pseudonym (a pen name, if you prefer) with a free Apple Developer Certificate. How long will I be able, with Apple's current Gatekeeper policy, to preserve my anonymity if I were to turn this hobby into a real business, albeit a small one?

For more context, please refer to a couple posts of mine (a manifesto of my core ethos):

http://synappser.github.io/blog/

I guess this is a tough question to answer, unless you're an Apple insider, but I'd really appreciate any guidance you could give me.

Thank you

I just learned of it this morning and haven't had the opportunity to try it, but FinderFix might be what you are looking for