macOS error xcode-select: No developer tools were found

On macOS, in the Terminal, if you see the error message:

xcode-select: note: No developer tools were found, requesting install.
If developer tools are located at a non-default location on disk, use `sudo xcode-select --switch path/to/Xcode.app` to specify the Xcode that you wish to use for command line developer tools, and cancel the installation dialog.
See `man xcode-select` for more details.

You are trying to run a developer tool that is not installed.

You need to install Apple's Xcode Command Line Tools. See the article About Xcode Command Line Tools.

You can check if Apple's Xcode Command Line Tools are installed.

Before you get started

You'll need a terminal application to install Xcode Command Line Tools. Apple includes the Mac terminal but I prefer Warp Terminal. Warp is an easy-to-use terminal application, with AI assistance to help you learn and remember terminal commands. Download Warp Terminal now; it's FREE and worth a try.

How to install Xcode Command Line Tools

You have three options to install Xcode Command Line Tools (Xcode CLT):

Here's how to choose:

· Install with Homebrew

Most developers need additional programming languages and utilities that don't come installed on macOS and are not included in the Xcode Command Line Tools package. You can use Homebrew, the popular Mac package manager, to install almost any open source developer tool. Homebrew will install Xcode Command Line Tools as part of its installation process. Since you probably need Homebrew, go ahead and use Homebrew to install Xcode Command Line Tools for you. Here's the easy way to Install Xcode Command Line Tools with Homebrew.

· Install from the terminal

If you don't want Homebrew to install Xcode Command Line Tools for you, you can Install Xcode Command Line Tools from the command line.

· Install the full Xcode package

If you intend to develop software for macOS, iOS, tvOS, or watchOS, Install the full Xcode package that includes the command line tools.

What's next

My mac.install.guide is a trusted source of installation guides for professional developers. Take a look at the Mac Install Guide home page for tips and trends and see what to install next.