How to name a platform-specific cask to 'un-deprecate' an existing tool

[Touchstone64]

Output of brew config

HOMEBREW_VERSION: 5.1.9
ORIGIN: https://github.com/Homebrew/brew
HEAD: c94270e54e7c1ab761c3287893a1381fee60533a
Last commit: 28 hours ago
Branch: stable
Core tap JSON: 05 May 10:50 UTC
Core cask tap JSON: 05 May 10:50 UTC
HOMEBREW_PREFIX: /opt/homebrew
HOMEBREW_CASK_OPTS: ["--no-quarantine"]
HOMEBREW_DOWNLOAD_CONCURRENCY: 28
HOMEBREW_EDITOR: vi
HOMEBREW_FORBID_PACKAGES_FROM_PATHS: set
HOMEBREW_MAKE_JOBS: 14
Homebrew Ruby: 4.0.3 => /opt/homebrew/Library/Homebrew/vendor/portable-ruby/4.0.3/bin/ruby
CPU: 14-core 64-bit arm_brava
Clang: 21.0.0 build 2100
Git: 2.53.0 => /opt/homebrew/bin/git
Curl: 8.7.1 => /usr/bin/curl
macOS: 26.4.1-arm64
CLT: 26.4.1.0.1775747724
Xcode: 26.4.1
Metal Toolchain: N/A
Rosetta 2: false

Output of brew doctor

Please note that these warnings are just used to help the Homebrew maintainers
with debugging if you file an issue. If everything you use Homebrew for is
working fine: please don't worry or file an issue; just ignore this. Thanks!

Warning: Some directories in the Caskroom do not have valid metadata.
  /opt/homebrew/Caskroom/qlvideo
The following cask cannot be upgraded as-is.
To fix this, run:
  brew reinstall --cask --force qlvideo

Warning: Some installed casks are deprecated or disabled.
You should find replacements for the following casks:
  makemkv
  mkvtoolnix-app
  rar

Warning: Some installed formulae are deprecated or disabled.
You should find replacements for the following formulae:
  icu4c@76
  icu4c@77
  postgresql@14
  python@3.9

Warning: Unbrewed dylibs were found in /usr/local/lib.
If you didn't put them there on purpose they could cause problems when
building Homebrew formulae and may need to be deleted.

Unexpected dylibs:
  /usr/local/lib/libASAF.dylib
  /usr/local/lib/libcpsrt.dylib

Warning: You have unlinked kegs in your Cellar.
Leaving kegs unlinked can lead to build-trouble and cause formulae that depend on
those kegs to fail to run properly once built. Run `brew link` on these:
  mkvtoolnix

Description of issue

The cross-platform tool MVKToolNix by Moritz Bunkus currently exists in Homebrew in two forms:

• mkvtoolnix, a formula that supports command-line versions of the MKV-manipulating tools, and
• mkvtoolnix-app, a cask including a macOS installer package (.dmg) for the GUI and command-line tools, built for Intel, currently built from source by Moritz

The MKVToolNix repo includes macOS packaging to compile, from source, the .dmg above. Moritz has no Apple hardware and is stepping back from the production of this .dmg. Also, as it not signed or notarized, mkvtoolnix-app will be deprecated in September as it fails to pass Apple's GateKeeper. In the mean time, though, more Intel builds could be released.

Having worked with Moritz I am now building, signing and notarizing the .dmg for the MKVToolNix GUI, for Apple Silicon only, maintaining the macOS packaging source in his repo along with other contributors. In effect, we have taken over the role of packaging of Moritz's tools for macOS distribution. The tool's functionality is unaffected by the packaging.

So, I'd like to add a cask for this installer of a tool that exists in Homebrew, but not in the form I'm building. Intel and Apple Silicon releases of the tool could co-exist before September.

Having read through the token reference I really need some help naming the cask/token!

Something like mkvtoolnix-gui works but I think needs a target platform reference, but mkvtoolnix-gui-arm64 flies in the face of naming recommendations.

Any help or advice would be very gratefully received!

Relevant casks

mkvtoolnix, mkvtoolnix-app

[SMillerDev]

Why not just contribute the building upstream and just have us pick it up as an update to the existing -app cask?

[p-linnane]

Yes, open a PR on Homebrew/cask to update the file and we will review/help.

[Touchstone64]

PR 264504 raised, everything tests well but this is my first Homebrew pull request. Thanks again for your help :)

[Touchstone64]

Hey folks, thank you for all your help getting the newly structured mkvtoolnix-app cask up and running 👍 The brew upgrade mkvtoolnix-app workflow is, of course, seamless.

My next question ... how can I influence the output of formulae.brew.sh? Right now, curl https://formulae.brew.sh/api/cask/mkvtoolnix-app.json produces an object with a variations property that only includes the Intel, well, variations. The real drive behind the repackaging is to make Intel and Apple Silicon versions available. Heck, we even have Universal binaries if, for some reason, a user wants both in a single package.

So, is there anything I can create or amend to help formulae.brew.sh show these other, probably more useful, variations?

[SMillerDev]

The variations are variations from the default, which is ARM. So unless the cask doesn't install on ARM (which would be a bug) there is nothing to worry about there

[Touchstone64]

BIG thanks for all your time and help over the last couple of weeks folks ... from here I guess we just wait for new releases of MKVToolNix, then I'll create the new packages 👍

[SMillerDev]

Please stop dragging up old threads and rehashing the answers that are already provided. It doesn't help anyone.