macOS SecureNetwork Suite › Homebrew on Intel Macs

Homebrew no longer supports Intel Macs. Here is how to move to MacPorts

If brew upgrade on your Intel Mac has started compiling for hours, or failing, this is why. Homebrew stopped building packages for Intel in September 2026, and will stop running on Intel altogether in September 2027. Homebrew's own advice is to move to MacPorts. This page covers what changed and how to move without breaking anything.

What changed

Homebrew gives its reasons: Apple dropped Intel from macOS 27, and GitHub Actions is retiring its Intel macOS runners. Neither is something Homebrew's volunteers can replace. Apple Silicon Macs are not affected.

What it looks like on your Mac

Why MacPorts

Moving an Intel Mac to MacPorts, step by step

  1. Install MacPorts

    Download the signed installer for your macOS version from macports.org, then update the ports tree:

    sudo port selfupdate

  2. Install the MacPorts version of each formula you use, prebuilt only

    sudo port -b install <name>    # -b: binary archives only, fail rather than compile

    Names mostly match. The common differences:

    Homebrew formulaMacPorts port
    gnu-sedgsed
    wiresharkwireshark4
    sambasamba4
    imagemagickImageMagick7
    sevenzip7zip
    bindbind9
    python@3.13python313
    qtqt6

    MacPorts installs GNU tools with a g prefix (gsed, gtimeout). The unprefixed names live in /opt/local/libexec/gnubin if you want them on your PATH.

  3. Find what still depends on Homebrew

    brew uses only knows about formulae. Before removing anything, look for the dependencies it can't see:

    • Programs you built that link into /usr/local/opt/* or /usr/local/Cellar/*. Check them with otool -L.
    • Python virtualenvs built on Homebrew's Python. Their pyvenv.cfg names it.
    • Scripts with a #!/usr/local/bin/bash shebang.
    • LaunchAgents and sudoers rules that name /usr/local/bin tools.

  4. Uninstall Homebrew, dry run first

    Use Homebrew's official uninstaller from Homebrew/install. Its --dry-run lists what it would remove:

    /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/uninstall.sh)" -- --dry-run

    Then fix the ownership Homebrew left behind. Homebrew made /usr/local owned by your user. Return it to root:wheel. While a user owns it, any root daemon or passwordless sudo rule that runs code from there is a privilege escalation waiting to happen.

  5. Put MacPorts first on your PATH

    Put /opt/local/bin (and /opt/local/sbin) ahead of /usr/local/bin. The MacPorts installer adds this to your shell profile. Check that it is there and that it comes first.

Intel Macs on OpenCore Legacy Patcher

MacPorts is the more practical choice here too. Homebrew doesn't run on older macOS releases, while MacPorts still ships binaries for them. Bear in mind what OCLP itself costs: it gets a newer macOS onto unsupported hardware by switching off protections Apple relies on, such as SIP, the sealed system volume and AMFI code-signing enforcement. No package manager puts those back.

Automated: macOS-SecureNetwork-Suite is a network-security suite for macOS (encrypted DNS, a Cloudflare WARP kill-switch, ARP-spoofing detection). From version 3.0.0 its installer uses MacPorts on Intel Macs automatically, installing the signed release for your macOS if it's missing, and keeps Homebrew on Apple Silicon. If an Intel Mac already has Homebrew and not MacPorts, it keeps using Homebrew. SECURENET_PKG=macports|homebrew forces the choice. Its netcheck report also lists an Intel or OCLP Mac's real security posture: SIP, sealed volume, AMFI, Secure Boot and patch status.

FAQ

Does Homebrew still work on Intel Macs?

Yes, for now. Since September 2026 Intel macOS is Tier 3: existing bottles remain, but no new ones are built, so updated formulae may compile from source. Homebrew says it will stop running on Intel in September 2027.

Do I have to uninstall Homebrew to use MacPorts?

No. MacPorts installs into its own root-owned prefix, /opt/local, and coexists with Homebrew in /usr/local. Put /opt/local/bin first on your PATH and move tools across at your own pace.

Are Apple Silicon Macs affected?

No. Homebrew on Apple Silicon is unchanged and keeps building bottles. The change applies to Intel x86_64 Macs only.

Why does brew upgrade take hours on my Intel Mac?

Because no new Intel bottles are being built, so any formula updated since the change compiles from source on your machine. Large dependencies such as LLVM can take over an hour on their own.

Can I pin formulae to avoid the source builds?

Only briefly. brew upgrade then refuses to update anything that depends on a pinned formula, so pinning spreads until little updates at all.

Sources