How to install gcc compiler on Mac OS X
Often times, you need c or gcc compiler to compile open source projects in Mac OS X. The problem is Mac OS X doesn’t install the gcc compiler by default.
If you try to install or compile some projects that required c/gcc compiler, following errors message will be logged :
configure: error: C compiler cannot create executables
configure: error: no acceptable C compiler found in $PATH
In terminal, type “gcc
“, you will get message “command not found”.
$ gcc
-bash: gcc: command not found
Solution
To install gcc compiler on Mac OS X, you need to download and install “Command Line Tools for Xcode”, which is available in Apple’s developer page. See following steps :
1. Register Apple Developer Account
Access Apple’s developer page, to process on the download, you need to register an Apple account, it’s free, but need to spend few minutes to fill in the survey.
2. Command Line Tools for Xcode
In Apple developer page, “Developer Tools” category, find “Command Line Tools for Xcode“, choose your version and click on the xx.dmg file (file size is 100mb ++) to start the download.
3. Installation
After .dmg file is downloaded, a small dialog will be prompted and show you this file – “Command Line Tools.mpkg“, just double click on it, follow the wizard guide to complete the installation.
4. Verification
After installation is completed, run “gcc -v
” in terminal again. If everything fine, following output will be displayed.
mkyong$ gcc -v
Using built-in specs.
Target: i686-apple-darwin11
Configured with: {ignore long text…}
Thread model: posix
gcc version 4.2.1 (Based on Apple Inc. build 5658) (LLVM build 2336.9.00)
Done, the gcc version 4.2.1 is installed on Mac OS X successfully.
Oh for * sake. I wanted to install GCC, not xcode! FYI, xcode is not gcc. Also, xcode doesn’t contain gcc, but LLVM. There is slight, but definite difference.
One good approach to work with GCC in mac is to install docker and run a container with GCC and mount a directory with the container. That’s it
I love how sometimes people give the simplest answers that do not really answer the ACTUAL question people are asking. This is how to install the clang/llvm gcc front end which is NOT gcc.
Configured with: –prefix=/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/usr –with-gxx-include-dir=/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.14.sdk/usr/include/c++/4.2.1
Apple LLVM version 10.0.0 (clang-1000.11.45.5)
Target: x86_64-apple-darwin18.0.0
Thread model: posix
InstalledDir: /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin
Found CUDA installation: /usr/local/cuda, version 8.0
this is what i got after gcc -v , can u please tell me whats went wrong
it helps. thanks
Thanks a lot!. It was a great help. 🙂
I just tried the gcc installer (without xcode), works well:
https://github.com/kennethreitz/osx-gcc-installer
tnx nd is important!
G
thanks so much, this got me out of a jam!
Hi mkyong,
I am having a problem with command tools, i am using mac 10.8, downloaded the command tool, install it.The installation goes step by step as described. But when installation finish, it treats the software as an external drive, or doesn’t install it in “machintosh HD” as it is supposed to. As a result you can’t find command tool if you run “gcc-v”.I checked if there is any similar problem, but i don’t see anywhere. Any idea why?
Thank you so much sir , i really feel very bad when my first program of hello world doesn’t run.But after following ur steps i am able to do coding now.
Thanks
Muchas muchas gracias!
This installs LLVM, not GCC. Type gcc –help and check the first lines.
thanks!
Thanks! 🙂
I did this, gcc gives me its version info, but I still get the message “C Compiler cannot create executables”
Do I need to do anything else to get rid of that message?
my lap is 10.9 version and it says this is only downloadable for 10.7 or before
Thank you for this very clear explanation
Thank you so much! I am a student. They asked us to write a C program without explaining how to set up the environment=) This was very helpful=)
Great help, I was getting stuck and this was amazing!
Helped!
Thanks a lot….i was successful in downloading the gcc on my mac.
thanks for sharing the thoughts, it was very helpful 🙂 🙂 .
Thanks a bunch, yet again.
valeu irmão! funcionou pra mim muito bem! thanks a lot! works great!
“Ayn:~ R$ gcc -v
Configured with: –prefix=/Developer/usr –with-gxx-include-dir=/usr/include/c++/4.2.1
xcrun: Error: failed to exec real xcrun. (No such file or directory)”
Thanks!
Hi, thanks for writing this post. I followed your instructions but command line tools won’t install properly.
I got this message instead when the installer told me installation had failed: “The installer can’t locate the data it needs to install the software. Check your install media or Internet connection and try again, or contact the software manufacturer for assistance.”
Do you have any idea what the problem might be?
Sincerely
Jia En
I am getting this msg at the “Apple Developers Page”We appreciate your patience as we work to bring our developer services back online. Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles, software downloads, and other developer services are now available. What is the alternative. Is there one??
I am getting this msg at the “Apple Developers Page”We appreciate your patience as we work to bring our developer services back online. Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles, software downloads, and other developer services are now available. What is the alternative, is there one??
Actually, you’re explaining the process of installing llvm-gcc which is actually not the actual gcc. Its a modified version made by Apple to compile C/Obj-C programs.
Although this is fine for most purposes, some other tools (I think its Ruby, not sure) require the original gcc package. Not the llvm one.
Thanks!