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are there any drawbacks to installing regular applications like chrome with brew

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Installing stuff: brew vs. official installer - which one should be used? - Ask Different
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stackexchange

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Homebrew pros and cons on macOS - Super User
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superuser

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What is the advantage of using Homebrew against pre-packaged software (for Ungoogled Chromium or other browsers)? : r/MacOS - Reddit
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reddit

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https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-cask/issues/69898 favicon
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/homebrew-cask-vs-regular-install.2340472/ favicon
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/why-is-homebrew-cask-not-the-preferred-method-to-install-gui-apps.2025887/ favicon
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Answer

There are a few potential drawbacks to installing regular applications like Chrome with Homebrew:
  1. Update conflicts: Some applications have built-in update mechanisms that may conflict with Homebrew's update process. However, Homebrew can be configured to leave the update responsibility to the app itself using the auto_updates true option, which should avoid conflicts
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  2. Installation location: Homebrew installs applications in a different location than the official installer. For example, Homebrew installs Node.js in /usr/local/Cellar, while the official installer puts it in /usr/local/bin
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    .     This may cause confusion if you have multiple installations of the same application.
  3. Slower download speeds: Some users have reported slower download speeds when installing applications with Homebrew compared to the official installer
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  4. Limited application support: Homebrew may not support all applications, and some applications may not be available as casks. In such cases, you would need to use the official installer or another method to install the application.
Despite these drawbacks, Homebrew offers several advantages, such as easier uninstallation, better package management, and the convenience of installing and managing applications from the command line
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. Ultimately, the choice between using Homebrew or the official installer depends on your personal preferences and requirements.

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