
Homebrew releases version 4.1 with enhanced security, reliability, performance, and usability
Homebrew, the free and open source package manager for macOS, has released version 4.1.0. Similar to package managers found in Linux distributions, Homebrew's latest update introduces improvements in security, reliability, performance, and usability.
One of the key updates in version 4.1.0 is the use of a signed API endpoint with client signature verification for brew downloads of formula/cask APIs. This enhancement is expected to bolster the security of the package manager.
The 4.1.0 release also optimizes the new feature introduced in version 4.0.0, which employs JSON files downloaded from formulae.brew.sh for package installation instead of local homebrew/core and homebrew/cask taps. In terms of data privacy, Homebrew has removed all Google Analytics code. The package manager's analytics are now exclusively sent to an InfluxDB instance hosted in the European Union.
The Homebrew team has also begun preparations for future support of macOS Sonoma (14). In addition to these enhancements, version 4.1.0 includes numerous other improvements and bug fixes, further refining the user experience and functionality of the package manager.