How to update Xcode from command line - xcode

Question

I am trying to update Xcode from the command line. Initially I tried running:
xcode-select --install
which resulted in this message:
xcode-select: error: command line tools are already installed, use "Software Update" to install updates
So the question remains, is there a way to update Xcode from the command line?

Answer 1

What you are actually using is the command to install the Xcode command line tools - xcode-select --install. Hence the error message you got - the tools are already installed.
The command you need to update Xcode is softwareupdate command [args ...]. You can use softwareupdate --list to see what's available and then softwareupdate --install -a to install all updates or softwareupdate --install <product name> to install just the Xcode update (if available). You can get the name from the list command.
As it was mentioned in the comments here is the man page for the softwareupdate tool.
2019 Update
A lot of users are experiencing problems where softwareupdate --install -a will in fact not update to the newest version of Xcode. The cause for this is more than likely a pending macOS update (as #brianlmerritt pointed out below). In most cases updating macOS first will solve the problem and allow Xcode to be updated as well.
Updating the Xcode Command Line Tools
A large portion of users are landing on this answer in an attempt to update the Xcode Command Line Tools. The easiest way to achieve this is by removing the old version of the tools, and installing the new one.
sudo rm -rf /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools
xcode-select --install
A popup will appear and guide you through the rest of the process.

Answer 2

I had the same issue and I solved by doing the following:
removing the old tools ($ sudo rm -rf /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools)
install xcode command line tools again ($ xcode-select --install).
After these steps you will see a pop to install the new version of the tools.

Answer 3

I encountered the same issue when I uninstalled the complete version of Xcode to reinstall the CLI version. My fix was:
sudo xcode-select -s /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools

Answer 4

After installing Command Line Tools (with xcode-select --install), type:
sudo xcode-select --switch /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/
You should be able to run git now:
10:29 $ git --version
git version 2.17.2 (Apple Git-113)

Answer 5

I got this error after deleting Xcode. I fixed it by resetting the command line tools path with sudo xcode-select -r.
Before:
navin#Radiant ~$ /usr/bin/clang
xcrun: error: active developer path ("/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer") does not exist
Use `sudo xcode-select --switch path/to/Xcode.app` to specify the Xcode that you wish to use for command line developer tools, or use `xcode-select --install` to install the standalone command line developer tools.
See `man xcode-select` for more details.
navin#Radiant ~$ xcode-select --install
xcode-select: error: command line tools are already installed, use "Software Update" to install updates
After:
navin#Radiant ~$ /usr/bin/clang
clang: error: no input files

Answer 6

Just type the commands
cd /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/Packages/;
open macOS_SDK_headers_for_macOS_10.14.pkg
Reference: https://forums.developer.apple.com/thread/104296

Answer 7

$ sudo rm -rf /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools
$ xcode-select --install

Answer 8

I was facing the same problem, resolved it by using the following command.
sudo xcode-select -s /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools
After running the above command then xcode-select -p command showed the following.
/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools

Answer 9

#Vel Genov's answer is correct, except when the version of Xcode can't be updated because it is the latest version for your current version of Mac OS. If you know there is a newer Xcode (for example, it won't load an app onto a device with a recent version of iOS) then it's necessary to first upgrade Mac OS.
Further note for those like me with old Mac Pro 5.1. Upgrading to Mojave required installing the metal gpu (Sapphire AMD Radeon RX 560 in my case) but make sure only HDMI monitor is installed (not 4K! 1080 only). Only then did install Mojave say firmware update required and shut computer down. Long 2 minute power button hold and it all upgraded fine after that!
Catalina update - softwareupdate --install -a won't upgrade xcode from command line if there is a pending update (say you selected update xcode overnight)

Answer 10

I am not sure why this was so tricky for me.
sudo xcode-select --install
Did nothing for me.
softwareupdate --all --install --force
Did nothing for me.
I had to do things in the following order
sudo rm -rf /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools
sudo xcode-select --install
This installed a newer xcode, but not latest.
Then I did
softwareupdate --all --install --force
and they updated completely.

Answer 11

Xcode::Install is a simple cli software that allow you to install/select a specific Xcode version.
You can install it using gem install xcode-install
Then you will be able to install a specific version with xcversion install 9.4.1
And if you have more than one version installed, you can switch version with xcversion select 9.4
You can find more information at https://github.com/KrauseFx/xcode-install

Answer 12

I am now running OS Big Sur. xcode-select --install, and sudo xcode-select --reset did not resolve my issue, neither did the recommended subsequent softwareupdate --install -a command. For good measure, I tried the recommended download from Apple Downloads, but the Command Line Tools downloads available there are not compatible with my OS.
I upvoted the fix that resolved for me, sudo xcode-select --switch /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/ and added this post for environment context.

Answer 13

I was able to update via CLI using:
softwareupdate --list --verbose
and then
softwareupdate -i Command\ Line\ Tools\ for\ Xcode-13.2

Answer 14

I was trying to use the React-Native Expo app with create-react-native-app but for some reason it would launch my simulator and just hang without loading the app. The above answer by ipinak above reset the Xcode CLI tools because attempting to update to most recent Xcode CLI was not working. the two commands are:
rm -rf /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools
xcode-select --install
This process take time because of the download.
I am leaving this here for any other would be searches for this specific React-Native Expo fix.

Answer 15

I was faced with this today after an update from Xcode (App Store on Mac) updated my Xcode.
My SourceTree wouldn't allow me to do a merge conflict.
In Xcode I found that Command Tools was NOT selected.
I selected it, however still no dice as I was getting the same message of:
I performed the command:
softwareupdate --list
which gave me a list of products, including THREE (3) versions of CommandLine Tools
Software Update Tool
Finding available software
Software Update found the following new or updated software:
Label: Command Line Tools for Xcode-13.2
Title: Command Line Tools for Xcode, Version: 13.2, Size: 577329K, Recommended: YES,
Label: SFSymbolsAuto-3.3
Title: SF Symbols, Version: 3.3, Size: 169368K, Recommended: YES,
Label: Command Line Tools for Xcode-13.3
Title: Command Line Tools for Xcode, Version: 13.3, Size: 718145K, Recommended: YES,
Label: Command Line Tools for Xcode-13.4
Title: Command Line Tools for Xcode, Version: 13.4, Size: 705462K, Recommended: YES,
my version of Xcode is 13.4, so I preceded to try to update just the one.
I used the Label, with escaped spaces (which also works with just quoted label btw "Command Line Tools for Xcode-13.4"
softwareupdate -i Command\ Line\ Tools\ for\ Xcode-13.4
In doing so, ALL 3 updates of Command Line Tools disappeared and I was able to continue.
Hope this helps someone else out there.

Answer 16

Hello I solved it like this:
Install Application> Xcode.app> Contents> Resources> Packages> XcodeSystemResources.pkg.

Answer 17

I arrived here trying to install Appium. Adding my answer in case other folks land here for the same issue.
appium-doctor --ios
... bunch of stuff...
WARN AppiumDoctor ✖ Error running xcrun simctl
... bunch of stuff...
info AppiumDoctor ### Manual Fixes Needed ###
info AppiumDoctor The configuration cannot be automatically fixed, please do the
following first:
WARN AppiumDoctor ➜ Manually install Xcode, and make sure 'xcode-select -p' command shows proper path like '/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer'
In my case
xcode-select -p
/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools
which appeared wrong...but I knew I had recently updated Xcode and the command line tools
so...
sudo xcode-select -r (sudo required)
then...
xcode-select -p
/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer
After this, no warning. Appium-doctor returned clean.

Answer 18

xCode version 11.2.1 is necessary for building app in iPad 13.2.3, When I directly try to upgrade from xcode 11.1 to 11.2.1 through App Store it get struck, So after some research , I found a solution to upgrade by removing the existing xcode from the system
So here I am adding the steps to upgrade after uninstalling existing xcode.
Go to Applications and identify Xcode and drag it to trash.
Empty trash to permenently delete Xcode.
Now go to ~/Library/Developer/ folder and remove the contents completely Use sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Developer/ to avoid any
permission issue while deleting
Lastly remove any cache directory associated with xcode in the path ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.dt.Xcode sudo rm -rf
~/Library/Caches/com.apple.dt.Xcode/*
After completing the above steps you can easly install xcode from App Store, which will install the current latest version of xcode
Note: Please take a backup of your existing projects before making the above changes

Answer 19

Update with this one-liner.
softwareupdate --install -a

Answer 20

This reminds me why I hate MacOS. Every time I tried one of these errors I would get the incomprehensible error: No install could be requested (perhaps no UI is present)
Turns out this "CLI" actually needs a graphical session to run. WTF! Very useful when you're actually only ever connecting to the remote mac server over SSH to queue iOS builds.
So the answer for me was:
Physically travel to the Mac, attach screen, mouse and keyboard, and run the command there.

Answer 21

To those having this issue after update to Catalina, just execute this command on your terminal
sudo rm -rf /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools; xcode-select --install;