How to modify a homebrew formula?

Question

I installed imagemagick via homebrew.

However, due to a bug I have with my current configuration, I need to adjust the compile flags for the formula and reinstall it.

How can I accomplish this?

Answer 1

Remove the existing version.

$ brew rm imagemagick

Then to edit the formula, just edit it:

$ brew edit imagemagick

This will bring it up in an editor; make sure your $EDITOR variable is set to your preference (for me: TextMate)

Change it, save it, try installing it.

If you're comfortable with git, you may want to make a branch first, and do your edits in a branch.