diff --git a/.github/workflows/CI.yml b/.github/workflows/CI.yml
index a4255b53d84..8ae67395ac7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/CI.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/CI.yml
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@ jobs:
           tag: ${{ needs.setup_release.outputs.release_tag }}
           token: ${{ secrets.GH_BOT_TOKEN }}
 
-  build_mac_brew:
+  build_homebrew:
     needs: [setup_release]
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false  # false to test all, true to fail entire job if any fail
@@ -491,21 +491,21 @@ jobs:
           # https://docs.github.com/en/actions/using-github-hosted-runners/about-github-hosted-runners/about-github-hosted-runners#standard-github-hosted-runners-for-public-repositories
           # while GitHub has larger macOS runners, they are not available for our repos :(
           - os_version: "12"
-            release: true
+            os_name: "macos"
           - os_version: "13"
+            os_name: "macos"
           - os_version: "14"
-    name: Homebrew (macOS-${{ matrix.os_version }})
-    runs-on: macos-${{ matrix.os_version }}
+            os_name: "macos"
+          - os_version: "latest"
+            os_name: "ubuntu"
+            release: true
+    name: Homebrew (${{ matrix.os_name }}-${{ matrix.os_version }})
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os_name }}-${{ matrix.os_version }}
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-      - name: Setup Dependencies Homebrew
-        run: |
-          # install dependencies using homebrew
-          brew install cmake
-
       - name: Configure formula
         run: |
           # variables for formula
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ jobs:
           path: homebrew/
 
       - name: Validate Homebrew Formula
-        uses: LizardByte/homebrew-release-action@v2024.609.4731
+        uses: LizardByte/homebrew-release-action@fix(action)-print-output-in-realtime
         with:
           formula_file: ${{ github.workspace }}/homebrew/sunshine.rb
           git_email: ${{ secrets.GH_BOT_EMAIL }}
diff --git a/cmake/compile_definitions/linux.cmake b/cmake/compile_definitions/linux.cmake
index b323eb82e84..d2fcf3a9e88 100644
--- a/cmake/compile_definitions/linux.cmake
+++ b/cmake/compile_definitions/linux.cmake
@@ -117,14 +117,42 @@ elseif(NOT LIBDRM_FOUND)
 endif()
 
 # evdev
-pkg_check_modules(PC_EVDEV libevdev REQUIRED)
-find_path(EVDEV_INCLUDE_DIR libevdev/libevdev.h
-        HINTS ${PC_EVDEV_INCLUDE_DIRS} ${PC_EVDEV_INCLUDEDIR})
-find_library(EVDEV_LIBRARY
-        NAMES evdev libevdev)
+pkg_check_modules(PC_EVDEV libevdev)
+if(PC_EVDEV_FOUND)
+    find_path(EVDEV_INCLUDE_DIR libevdev/libevdev.h
+            HINTS ${PC_EVDEV_INCLUDE_DIRS} ${PC_EVDEV_INCLUDEDIR})
+    find_library(EVDEV_LIBRARY
+            NAMES evdev libevdev)
+else()
+    include(ExternalProject)
+
+    set(libevdev_version libevdev-1.13.2)
+
+    ExternalProject_Add(libevdev
+            URL http://www.freedesktop.org/software/libevdev/${libevdev_version}.tar.xz
+            PREFIX ${libevdev_version}
+            CONFIGURE_COMMAND <SOURCE_DIR>/configure --prefix=<INSTALL_DIR>
+            BUILD_COMMAND "make"
+            INSTALL_COMMAND ""
+    )
+
+    ExternalProject_Get_Property(libevdev SOURCE_DIR)
+    message(STATUS "libevdev source dir: ${SOURCE_DIR}")
+    set(EVDEV_INCLUDE_DIR "${SOURCE_DIR}")
+
+    ExternalProject_Get_Property(libevdev BINARY_DIR)
+    message(STATUS "libevdev binary dir: ${BINARY_DIR}")
+    set(EVDEV_LIBRARY "${BINARY_DIR}/libevdev/.libs/libevdev.a")
+
+    # compile libevdev before sunshine
+    set(SUNSHINE_TARGET_DEPENDENCIES ${SUNSHINE_TARGET_DEPENDENCIES} libevdev)
+endif()
+
 if(EVDEV_INCLUDE_DIR AND EVDEV_LIBRARY)
     include_directories(SYSTEM ${EVDEV_INCLUDE_DIR})
     list(APPEND PLATFORM_LIBRARIES ${EVDEV_LIBRARY})
+else()
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "Couldn't find or fetch libevdev")
 endif()
 
 # vaapi
@@ -226,7 +254,7 @@ else()
     message(STATUS "Tray icon disabled")
 endif()
 
-if (${SUNSHINE_TRAY} EQUAL 0 AND SUNSHINE_REQUIRE_TRAY)
+if(${SUNSHINE_ENABLE_TRAY} AND ${SUNSHINE_TRAY} EQUAL 0 AND SUNSHINE_REQUIRE_TRAY)
     message(FATAL_ERROR "Tray icon is required")
 endif()
 
@@ -253,5 +281,4 @@ list(APPEND PLATFORM_LIBRARIES
 
 include_directories(
         SYSTEM
-        "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/third-party/nv-codec-headers/include"
         "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/third-party/glad/include")
diff --git a/cmake/prep/options.cmake b/cmake/prep/options.cmake
index 1555036eeb0..b6780deca00 100644
--- a/cmake/prep/options.cmake
+++ b/cmake/prep/options.cmake
@@ -20,14 +20,13 @@ option(CUDA_INHERIT_COMPILE_OPTIONS
         your IDE throws errors about unknown flags after running cmake." ON)
 
 if(UNIX)
-    # technically, the homebrew build could be on linux as well... no idea if it would actually work
     option(SUNSHINE_BUILD_HOMEBREW
             "Enable a Homebrew build." OFF)
+    option(SUNSHINE_CONFIGURE_HOMEBREW
+            "Configure macOS Homebrew formula. Recommended to use with SUNSHINE_CONFIGURE_ONLY" OFF)
 endif ()
 
 if(APPLE)
-    option(SUNSHINE_CONFIGURE_HOMEBREW
-            "Configure macOS Homebrew formula. Recommended to use with SUNSHINE_CONFIGURE_ONLY" OFF)
     option(SUNSHINE_CONFIGURE_PORTFILE
             "Configure macOS Portfile. Recommended to use with SUNSHINE_CONFIGURE_ONLY" OFF)
     option(SUNSHINE_PACKAGE_MACOS
diff --git a/cmake/prep/special_package_configuration.cmake b/cmake/prep/special_package_configuration.cmake
index 17e724c90d0..e69b720a29c 100644
--- a/cmake/prep/special_package_configuration.cmake
+++ b/cmake/prep/special_package_configuration.cmake
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
-if (APPLE)
+if(UNIX)
+    if(${SUNSHINE_CONFIGURE_HOMEBREW})
+        configure_file(packaging/sunshine.rb sunshine.rb @ONLY)
+    endif()
+endif()
+
+if(APPLE)
     if(${SUNSHINE_CONFIGURE_PORTFILE})
         configure_file(packaging/macos/Portfile Portfile @ONLY)
     endif()
-    if(${SUNSHINE_CONFIGURE_HOMEBREW})
-        configure_file(packaging/macos/sunshine.rb sunshine.rb @ONLY)
-    endif()
-elseif (UNIX)
+elseif(UNIX)
     # configure the .desktop file
     if(${SUNSHINE_BUILD_APPIMAGE})
         configure_file(packaging/linux/AppImage/sunshine.desktop sunshine.desktop @ONLY)
diff --git a/cmake/targets/common.cmake b/cmake/targets/common.cmake
index 941ef0b7330..baa1bce1c03 100644
--- a/cmake/targets/common.cmake
+++ b/cmake/targets/common.cmake
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 # this file will also load platform specific macros
 
 add_executable(sunshine ${SUNSHINE_TARGET_FILES})
+foreach(dep ${SUNSHINE_TARGET_DEPENDENCIES})
+    add_dependencies(sunshine ${dep})  # compile these before sunshine
+endforeach()
 
 # platform specific target definitions
 if(WIN32)
diff --git a/packaging/macos/sunshine.rb b/packaging/sunshine.rb
similarity index 59%
rename from packaging/macos/sunshine.rb
rename to packaging/sunshine.rb
index e119d1df1a7..bf55098135b 100644
--- a/packaging/macos/sunshine.rb
+++ b/packaging/sunshine.rb
@@ -9,6 +9,18 @@ class @PROJECT_NAME@ < Formula
   license all_of: ["GPL-3.0-only"]
   head "@GITHUB_CLONE_URL@", branch: "@GITHUB_DEFAULT_BRANCH@"
 
+  # https://docs.brew.sh/Brew-Livecheck#githublatest-strategy-block
+  livecheck do
+    url :stable
+    regex(/^v?(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)$/i)
+    strategy :github_latest do |json, regex|
+      match = json["tag_name"]&.match(regex)
+      next if match.blank?
+
+      match[1]
+    end
+  end
+
   depends_on "boost" => :build
   depends_on "cmake" => :build
   depends_on "node" => :build
@@ -18,6 +30,27 @@ class @PROJECT_NAME@ < Formula
   depends_on "openssl"
   depends_on "opus"
 
+  on_linux do
+    depends_on "libcap"
+    depends_on "libdrm"
+    depends_on "libnotify"
+    depends_on "libva"
+    depends_on "libvdpau"
+    depends_on "libx11"
+    depends_on "libxcb"
+    depends_on "libxcursor"
+    depends_on "libxfixes"
+    depends_on "libxi"
+    depends_on "libxinerama"
+    depends_on "libxrandr"
+    depends_on "libxtst"
+    depends_on "mesa"
+    depends_on "numactl"
+    depends_on "pulseaudio"
+    depends_on "systemd"
+    depends_on "wayland"
+  end
+
   def install
     ENV["BRANCH"] = "@GITHUB_BRANCH@"
     ENV["BUILD_VERSION"] = "@BUILD_VERSION@"
@@ -26,9 +59,11 @@ def install
     args = %W[
       -DBUILD_WERROR=ON
       -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=#{prefix}
+      -DHOMEBREW_ALLOW_FETCHCONTENT=ON
       -DOPENSSL_ROOT_DIR=#{Formula["openssl"].opt_prefix}
       -DSUNSHINE_ASSETS_DIR=sunshine/assets
       -DSUNSHINE_BUILD_HOMEBREW=ON
+      -DSUNSHINE_ENABLE_TRAY=OFF
       -DTESTS_ENABLE_PYTHON_TESTS=OFF
     ]
     system "cmake", "-S", ".", "-B", "build", *std_cmake_args, *args
@@ -36,6 +71,7 @@ def install
     cd "build" do
       system "make", "-j"
       system "make", "install"
+
       bin.install "tests/test_sunshine"
     end
   end
@@ -45,17 +81,23 @@ def install
   end
 
   def caveats
-    <<~EOS
+    caveats_message = <<~EOS
       Thanks for installing @PROJECT_NAME@!
 
       To get started, review the documentation at:
         https://docs.lizardbyte.dev/projects/sunshine/en/latest/
+    EOS
 
-      Sunshine can only access microphones on macOS due to system limitations.
-      To stream system audio use "Soundflower" or "BlackHole".
+    if OS.mac?
+      caveats_message += <<~EOS
+        Sunshine can only access microphones on macOS due to system limitations.
+        To stream system audio use "Soundflower" or "BlackHole".
 
-      Gamepads are not currently supported on macOS.
-    EOS
+        Gamepads are not currently supported on macOS.
+      EOS
+    end
+
+    caveats_message
   end
 
   test do
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index eeb6a810596..a4e981b6d05 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -107,6 +107,11 @@ list(REMOVE_ITEM SUNSHINE_SOURCES ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/main.cpp)
 add_executable(${PROJECT_NAME}
         ${TEST_SOURCES}
         ${SUNSHINE_SOURCES})
+
+foreach(dep ${SUNSHINE_TARGET_DEPENDENCIES})
+    add_dependencies(${PROJECT_NAME} ${dep})  # compile these before sunshine
+endforeach()
+
 set_target_properties(${PROJECT_NAME} PROPERTIES CXX_STANDARD 20)
 target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME}
         ${SUNSHINE_EXTERNAL_LIBRARIES}