Mac OS X: Install GCC Compiler with Xcode

Posted on in Categories , , last updated January 15, 2014

I have Mac OS X Mountain Lion. I need to compile a few apps and Perl modules. I already installed Xcode from app store but I’m unable to find gcc compiler or make command. How do I install gcc on Mac OS X 10.8.x?

Xcode includes command line development tools such as gcc and friends.

Step #1: Install Xcode on a Apple Mac OS X

First, make sure Xcode is installed. If it is not installed on OS X, visit app store and install Xcode.

Fig.01: Make sure Xcode developer tools are install OS X
Fig.01: Make sure Xcode developer tools are install OS X

Step #2: Install gcc/LLVM compiler on OS X

Once installed, open Xcode and visit:

Xcode menu > Preferences > Downloads > choose "Command line tools" > Click "Install" button:

Fig.02: Installing gcc compiler on Mac OS X
Fig.02: Installing gcc compiler on Mac OS X

Xcode will download package and install copies of the core command line tools and system headers into system folders, including the LLVM compiler, linker, and build tools.

Step #3: Verification

Open a terminal app and type the following commands:
$ gcc --version
$ whereis gcc
$ whereis make
Sample outputs:

Fig.03: Verify gcc compiler installation on Mountain Lion OS X

Testing sample “Hello world” C program

Create a text file called a.c as follows using a text editor such as vi or cat command:

/* a.c - demo for os x */
#include<stdio.h>
int main(void){
 printf("Hello world\n");
 return 0;
}

To compile, enter:
$ make a
Run it as follows:
$ ./a
Sample outputs:

Fig.04: Compiling and running sample
Fig.04: Compiling and running sample “Hello world” C program on Mountain Lion 10.8.4

See also

And, there you have it, the gcc version 4.2.1 installed and working correctly on the latest version of Mac OS X 10.8.4. In Apple’s version of GCC, both cc and gcc are actually symbolic links to the llvm-gcc compiler. Similarly, c++ and g++ are links to llvm-g++. For more information and examples see the following man pages:

$ gcc(1)
$ make(1)

Posted by: Vivek Gite

The author is the creator of nixCraft and a seasoned sysadmin and a trainer for the Linux operating system/Unix shell scripting. He has worked with global clients and in various industries, including IT, education, defense and space research, and the nonprofit sector. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+.

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28 comment

  1. There is no need to install huge xcode consumes gigabytes of disk space (if you are not a apple developer), just go to the apple’s developer page and download the “command line tool for xcode” package and install it, that would be just sufficient.

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  6. I installed the Xcode Command Line Tools, and when I try to find gcc in the terminal
    tell me this:

    new-host:~ asaffeldman$ $gcc –version
    -bash: –version: command not found

    ?? help

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  9. I have GCC 4.8.1 with x86, x86_64 and PPC on Lion with ObjC, C/C++11, Fortan, Ada Go support.
    And now I can compile PHP, WxWidgets, QT and many other source without problems like on Apple Clang vesion. In xcode too.
    Gcc builded with llvm-gcc-4.2.

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  12. Hi , I installed xcode and command line tools just as you said but when I try the command gcc –version I get this error
    Error: could not stat active Xcode path ‘/Volumes/Xcode/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer’. (No such file or directory)

    Is my xCode in the wrong place? It’s installed and under Applications, please help

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  13. Ld /Users/shubhamjain/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Production_rates-eqoyfionzpuxskflgywwzthhilri/Build/Products/Debug/Production\ rates normal x86_64
    cd "/Users/shubhamjain/Documents/Xcode/Production rates"
    export MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET=10.9
    /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/clang++ -arch x86_64 -isysroot /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.9.sdk -L/Users/shubhamjain/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Production_rates-eqoyfionzpuxskflgywwzthhilri/Build/Products/Debug -F/Users/shubhamjain/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Production_rates-eqoyfionzpuxskflgywwzthhilri/Build/Products/Debug -filelist /Users/shubhamjain/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Production_rates-eqoyfionzpuxskflgywwzthhilri/Build/Intermediates/Production\ rates.build/Debug/Production\ rates.build/Objects-normal/x86_64/Production\ rates.LinkFileList -mmacosx-version-min=10.9 -stdlib=libc++ -Xlinker -dependency_info -Xlinker /Users/shubhamjain/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Production_rates-eqoyfionzpuxskflgywwzthhilri/Build/Intermediates/Production\ rates.build/Debug/Production\ rates.build/Objects-normal/x86_64/Production\ rates_dependency_info.dat -o /Users/shubhamjain/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Production_rates-eqoyfionzpuxskflgywwzthhilri/Build/Products/Debug/Production\ rates

Undefined symbols for architecture x86_64:
  "_main", referenced from:
     implicit entry/start for main executable
ld: symbol(s) not found for architecture x86_64
clang: error: linker command failed with exit code 1 (use -v to see invocation)

    I AM GETTING THIS ERROR IN XCODE WHILE I AM BUILDING A PROGRAM IN C++

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  15. Configured with: --prefix=/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/usr --with-gxx-include-dir=/usr/include/c++/4.2.1
Apple LLVM version 6.0 (clang-600.0.51) (based on LLVM 3.5svn)
Target: x86_64-apple-darwin13.4.0
Thread model: posix
    Reply Report comment

  16. I have xcode. I see gcc on my mac: Macintosh/Developer/usr/bin/gcc-4.0
    But as soon as I type gcc whatever in the terminal because I want to compile a file called hpgl2eagle1.c to be able to use it, it outputs an error: gcc command not found.

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  20. Please help

    i have the x-code and when i typed gcc –version it gave
    ‘Configured with: –prefix=/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/usr –with-gxx-include-dir=/usr/include/c++/4.2.1
    Apple LLVM version 7.0.0 (clang-700.1.76)
    Target: x86_64-apple-darwin14.5.0
    Thread model: posix’
    and when i type ls -l /usr/bin/gcc
    ‘-rwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 14160 Sep 28 2014 /usr/bin/gcc’
    so i cant go beyond this. Can someone please help?

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  22. After you type:
    /*
    $ where is make
    /usr/bin/make
    Manny -MBP:~ Manny$ []
    */
    the 3rd line comes out again….I would like to know what do you type next to start creating your source code?

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