xcode-select: note: install requested for command line developer tools
'xcode-select: note: install requested for command line developer tools' means macOS is installing Xcode Command Line Tools. What it means, how to finish it, or fix it if it stalls.
The Xcode Command Line Tools are Apple's package of developer tools for the terminal. The Homebrew package manager and most programming languages need them.
Installing the Command Line Tools is one step in setting up your Mac for development. See the complete Mac setup checklist.
Before you get started
I recommend using our free app to install the Xcode Command Line Tools, so you don't have complications like 'install requested'. It is a FREE Mac app that installs the Command Line Tools, configures your shell, installs Homebrew and Git, and verifies everything works. It does everything this guide covers, but easier and faster. Here are all the details about the app before you download. Then:
If you're installing the tools yourself, here is a guide.
What the message means
The message is a note, not an error. It means xcode-select found no Command Line Tools on your Mac and asked macOS to open the installer:
$ xcode-select --install
xcode-select: note: install requested for command line developer tools
You can see it after you run xcode-select --install yourself, as described in Install Xcode Command Line Tools Directly. You can also see it while installing Homebrew: when Homebrew's installer can't install the tools on its own, it runs xcode-select --install, then shows "Press any key when the installation has completed."
First steps to finish the install
First, check the macOS version. If you're running an older version, update macOS to the latest macOS version.
The command only starts the install. A separate installer window asks whether you want to install the command line developer tools. It can open behind your terminal application, so look for it if nothing seems to happen.
Click Install and agree to the license. The installer downloads the tools from Apple and installs them. The time depends on your connection.
When the installer says it is done, check that the tools are there:
$ xcode-select -p
/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools
You'll see the folder where the tools are installed. See Check if Xcode Command Line Tools Are Installed for more ways to check.
If the install never starts
No one is logged in to the Mac's desktop
The installer needs a window on the Mac's screen. If you run the command in a remote session, such as over SSH, with no one logged in to the desktop, you'll see an error instead of the note:
$ xcode-select --install
xcode-select: error: no developer tools were found, and no install could be requested (perhaps no UI is present), please install manually from 'developer.apple.com'.
Log in at the Mac itself and run the command again, or install from the terminal with softwareupdate, as shown below.
The installer says the software isn't available
Sometimes the installer window opens but says the software isn't available from the Software Update server. Apple may not yet offer Command Line Tools for your macOS version through Software Update, which can happen with a brand-new macOS release or a beta. Download the tools from Apple's developer site instead, as shown in Download Xcode Command Line Tools.
Install from the terminal with softwareupdate
You can install the tools without the installer window, using the same method Homebrew's installer uses. First, create a placeholder file. It tells the softwareupdate command to list the Command Line Tools:
$ sudo touch /tmp/.com.apple.dt.CommandLineTools.installondemand.in-progress
Enter your Mac password when asked. Then list the available updates:
$ softwareupdate --list
Look for a line that starts with Label: Command Line Tools for Xcode, followed by a version number. Install that item, using the label exactly as it appears in your list:
$ sudo softwareupdate --install "Command Line Tools for Xcode-<version>"
Replace <version> with the version from your list. When the install finishes, set the tools as the active developer folder and remove the placeholder file:
$ sudo xcode-select --switch /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools
$ sudo rm /tmp/.com.apple.dt.CommandLineTools.installondemand.in-progress
If the tools are already installed
If the Command Line Tools are already on your Mac, xcode-select --install doesn't start an install. On macOS 27, you'll see:
$ xcode-select --install
xcode-select: note: Command line tools are already installed. Use "Software Update" in System Settings or the softwareupdate command line interface to install updates
To see which version you have, check the Xcode Command Line Tools version. If the tools are installed but commands such as git fail, see Reinstall Xcode Command Line Tools.
Related messages
If you run a developer command such as git before the tools are installed, you'll see a different message. See Error xcode-select no developer tools were found.
If a command fails with xcrun: error: invalid active developer path, the tools are missing or damaged. See Fix xcrun: error: invalid active developer path.
Continue setting up your Mac
Don't miss the full visual roadmap and checklist that shows how to set up a Mac for software development, with all the essential tools and settings you might not yet know about.