brew-remove

View documentation for the original command

$ tldr brew uninstall

brew remove [options] <formula>...

-f, --force
    Uninstall all versions of the formula, even if a dependency.

-i, --ignore-dependencies
    Ignore if formula is needed by another installed formula.

--ignore-missing
    Don't fail if formula isn't installed.

--force-bottle
    Allow bottle usage for keg-only formulae.

-s, --dry-run
    Simulate uninstall without changes.

-v, --verbose
    Enable detailed output.

-d, --debug
    Show debug information.

--quiet
    Suppress non-essential output.

The brew remove command is an alias for brew uninstall in Homebrew, a popular package manager originally for macOS but fully functional on Linux via Linuxbrew or Homebrew-on-Linux. It safely removes specified formulae (packages) and their kegs from the system, cleaning up files, symlinks, and dependencies where possible.

By default, it uninstalls only the most recent version of a formula if multiple are installed. Homebrew tracks installations in "kegs" and handles dependencies intelligently, avoiding removal if the formula is required by others unless forced. It preserves linked files unless explicitly cleaned and supports verbose logging for troubleshooting.

On Linux, install Homebrew via the official script, then use brew remove like native tools but with formula names from Homebrew's repository. It's essential for managing non-system packages without root privileges, keeping your environment tidy.

Only removes Homebrew-managed files; manual cleanup may be needed for custom installs. Requires brew installed first. Not a native Linux command—use /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)" to setup.

brew remove wget
brew remove --force htop
brew remove --ignore-dependencies $(brew leaves) removes leaf formulae.

Run brew deps --installed --tree first to visualize; use brew autoremove post-removal for orphans.

Homebrew created by Max Howell in 2009 for macOS; brew remove alias added early as user-friendly synonym for uninstall. Linux support via Linuxbrew (2014, merged 2020) expanded usage on distributions like Ubuntu, Fedora.

brew uninstall(1), brew list(1), apt remove(8), dnf remove(8)