About Xcode Command Line Tools

What is Xcode Command Line Tools. You don't need to install the full Xcode package. You'll need Xcode Command Line Tools for developing software on a Mac.

Here is a video that introduces and explains Xcode Command Line Tools.

What are Xcode Command Line Tools

Q: What is Xcode Command Line Tools latest version?

As of September 2023, the Xcode latest version is 15.0.0. The Wikipedia page for Xcode shows the version number of the latest Xcode release. If you've installed Xcode Command Line Tools with Homebrew, you can run `brew config` to check. It will display 'CLT' and a version number. Alternatively, you check directly with pkgutil. Check the version of Xcode Command Line Tools by running `pkgutil --pkg-info=com.apple.pkg.CLTools_Executables` in the terminal application.

Xcode Command Line Tools are tools for software developers that run on the command line, that is, in the Mac Terminal (also called the console). These tools have been used for programming on Unix operating systems since computing's beginnings. They are the foundation of almost all software development.

Out of the box, a Mac doesn't contain all of the software and tools needed for programming. Instead, Apple provides a separate development environment for programmers named Xcode. The full Xcode package is huge, requiring over 40GB of disk space, and supports development for all Apple operating systems. Many software developers, particularly web application developers, use Macs but don't develop software just for Apple devices. They still need the Unix-like tools and utilities installed with the Xcode package. Fortunately, Apple provides a separate and much smaller download, Xcode Command Line Tools, that installs the most-needed utilities for software development. You can install this smaller package from the Terminal application or as part of installing Homebrew, the popular Mac package manager.

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.

Software included in Xcode Command Line Tools

Xcode Command Line Tools include git for save-as-you-go version control, which is essential for almost all software projects. Depending on your project, you may need other Unix utilities for developing software. See a List of Xcode Command Line Tools.

Options to install Xcode Command Line Tools

Before you start:

Check macOS and update macOS if necessary.
Are Xcode Command Line Tools Already Installed?.

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

For details about how to choose, see Install Xcode Command Line Tools.

Uninstall and Reinstall

After a macOS upgrade, you may need to Reinstall Xcode Command Line Tools from the command line. Finally, if you have problems or want to free disk space, this guide will show you how to completely remove and Uninstall Xcode Command Line Tools.

What's next

After installing Xcode Command Line Tools, you can set up a development environment with a software version manager and programming languages. You may want to Install Homebrew.

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.