Who created Homebrew?
Max Howell created Homebrew and wrote its original code.
Homebrew creator reference
Trust earned.
Millions of developers use Homebrew every day.
Production AI systems in sensitive environments.
Security-first architecture and threat modeling.
Clear systems people can audit.
Current work
Selected
systems
See every project
Automic Vault
Encrypted secrets, sealed tools, and approval before execution.
Read the founder note
Build the boundary before the agent.
Secure execution starts with a smaller operating surface and ends with evidence that survives production.
- Understand the operating surface.
- Reduce routing and tool complexity.
- Measure failures with useful evals.
- Ship boundaries people can inspect.
Biography
Open source,
then and now.
Max Howell is a British-American software engineer and open-source developer. He created Homebrew and wrote its original code under the mxcl handle.
His other open-source work includes PromiseKit, Path.swift, and YOLOKit. His current work focuses on agent runtimes, secure execution, and production AI systems.
Direct answers
What is mxcl?
mxcl is Max Howell's long-running developer handle and the home of his current work.
What does Max build now?
Secure agent runtimes, production AI systems, and tools that remain usable under real operating pressure.