brew desc <formula> should just work, and not require --eval-all

[vassudanagunta]

Verification

• This issue's title and/or description do not reference a single formula e.g. brew install wget. If they do, open an issue at https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-core/issues/new/choose instead.

Provide a detailed description of the proposed feature

brew desc is such a basic command. The current situation is like bash requiring users to type ls --eval-all just to get a directory listing.

What is the motivation for the feature?

I understand the --eval-all has been required for a while for a security reason. I don't know more, as I haven't looked under the covers. But it's hard for me to believe that this is not solvable, that there is something about Homebrew that makes it impossible to look up a description without disabling security.

How will the feature be relevant to at least 90% of Homebrew users?

I have to believe that querying basic info about a formula is a very basic operation that everyone does.

What alternatives to the feature have been considered?

1. Use brew info
2. Do an internet search.

Requiring users do option 2 is bad. Option 1 works, but the fact that the first line is the same output of brew desc --eval-all makes me question even more why brew desc can't just work.

[vassudanagunta]

Similarly, there should be a simple way to get a list of all the things one installed intentionally (as opposed to auto installed as a dependency). See the discussion under my answer re brew desc. If the maintainers agree with my point about brew desc, I will submit another Issue for a feature request for a simple command to do this rather than people having to remember or create an alias for brew bundle dump --file -.

[MikeMcQuaid]

Similarly, there should be a simple way to get a list of all the things one installed intentionally (as opposed to auto installed as a dependency).

brew leaves --install-on-request.

Please don't bring up other issues in the same one or create another feature request for this one, thanks. If you're not happy with how brew leaves --install-on-request works: please open a discussion.

[MikeMcQuaid]

Weird I posted this first but it didn't show up 🤷🏻

But it's hard for me to believe that this is not solvable, that there is something about Homebrew that makes it impossible to look up a description without disabling security.

Definitely solvable and agreed we should have an issue open to track this.

[vassudanagunta]

Please don't bring up other issues in the same one or create another feature request for this one, thanks. If you're not happy with how brew leaves --install-on-request works: please open a discussion.

Sure, no problem! But as I wrote in that comment:

If the maintainers agree with my point about brew desc, I will submit another Issue for a feature request for a simple command to do this

I wanted to see the receptiveness about my request for brew desc before I created another issue for a similar request.

[apainintheneck]

I'll reopen #16237 which seems to be relevant here. The discussion stalled out a bit though but it should give you some good background into why things are the way they are.