Level manages Homebrew on macOS using a dedicated "homebrew" user account. This follows the Homebrew recommendation.
How the "homebrew" user works
The "homebrew" user is created automatically when you run either:
Install Homebrew action
Install Homebrew Package action
This account is configured for passwordless sudo and its configuration file is stored at "/etc/sudoers.d/homebrew".
If you already had Homebrew installed, Level will reconfigure it so that it is owned and managed by the "homebrew" user.
Running Homebrew Commands
Since Homebrew is managed by the "homebrew" user, commands need to be run as that user.
The full command looks like this:
sudo -E -H -u homebrew brew [COMMAND]
Example:
sudo -E -H -u homebrew brew --version
Simplified Usage with Level
To make this easier, Level installs a wrapper script at "/usr/local/bin/brew". This script automatically runs brew commands as the "homebrew" user. With it, the previous example shortens to:
brew --version
Notification Banner
When using the Level-managed brew script, you'll see a note similar to the following:
NOTE: Homebrew is managed by Level on this device: https://docs.level.io/...
This banner is just an informational reminder that your Homebrew install is managed through Level.