Install GNU programs on OS X https://www.topbug.net/blog/2013/04/14/install-and-use-gnu-command-line-tools-in-mac-os-x/

homebrew-install-gnu.sh

# see https://www.topbug.net/blog/2013/04/14/install-and-use-gnu-command-line-tools-in-mac-os-x/

# core
brew install coreutils

# key commands
brew install binutils
brew install diffutils
brew install ed --default-names
brew install findutils --with-default-names
brew install gawk
brew install gnu-indent --with-default-names
brew install gnu-sed --with-default-names
brew install gnu-tar --with-default-names
brew install gnu-which --with-default-names
brew install gnutls
brew install grep --with-default-names
brew install gzip
brew install screen
brew install watch
brew install wdiff --with-gettext
brew install wget

# OS X ships a GNU version, but too old
brew install bash
brew install emacs
brew install gdb  # gdb requires further actions to make it work. See `brew info gdb`.
brew install gpatch
brew install m4
brew install make
brew install nano

# Other commands (non-GNU)
brew install file-formula
brew install git
brew install less
brew install openssh
brew install perl518   # must run "brew tap homebrew/versions" first!
brew install python
brew install rsync
brew install svn
brew install unzip
brew install vim --override-system-vi
brew install macvim --override-system-vim --custom-system-icons
brew install zsh

What's the difference between --default-names that you used on line 9 and --with-default-names on lines 10 and beyond? Is it a typo?

@bitaxis that's typo. You could check any available options with brew info. For example brew info ed, it will shows --with-default-names option.

thanks a lot for making this list. a lot of forumulas installed are keg-only. i presume you'd need to symlink them into /usr/local manually?

for example:

==> Downloading https://homebrew.bintray.com/bottles/unzip-6.0_2.sierra.bottle.tar.gz
######################################################################## 100.0%
==> Pouring unzip-6.0_2.sierra.bottle.tar.gz
==> Caveats
This formula is keg-only, which means it was not symlinked into /usr/local.

macOS already provides this software and installing another version in
parallel can cause all kinds of trouble.

If you need to have this software first in your PATH run:
  echo 'export PATH="/usr/local/opt/unzip/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bash_profile

==> Summary
/usr/local/Cellar/unzip/6.0_2: 15 files, 360.4KB

I got this on mavericks:

$ brew install vim --override-system-vi
Updating Homebrew...
Warning: vim: --override-system-vi was deprecated; using --with-override-system-vi instead!

Same on Siera:

Warning: vim: --override-system-vi was deprecated; using --with-override-system-vi instead!

@rickypai I read that message as a whole, meaning that, no, you don't want to create those symlinks for the same reason homebrew doesn't. The last part of the message is therefore telling you that you can have them resolve first for you interactively by instead putting them first in your PATH.

When I ran "brew tap homebrew/versions" I got this message:
Error: homebrew/versions was deprecated. This tap is now empty as all its formulae were migrated.