Encountering the “macOS: xcrun: error: invalid active developer path, missing xcrun” error can be frustrating, especially when you need to get development tasks done swiftly. This error commonly occurs when the Xcode Command Line Tools are not properly installed or when their path is corrupted. Before diving into the solutions, it’s important to understand what this error message signifies. The xcrun command is part of the Xcode Command Line Tools, which are essential for many development tasks on macOS. If the path to these tools is invalid or if they are missing, you will encounter this error.

Common Causes

• Incomplete Xcode Installation: If Xcode or its Command Line Tools were not installed correctly.
• OS Update: Sometimes, after updating macOS, the Command Line Tools path might be broken.
• Command Line Tools Path Corruption: The path to the tools might get corrupted or become invalid.

There are several solutions to fix macOS xcrun errors which are as follows:

Install or Update Xcode Command Line Tools

The simplest and most common fix is to install or update the Xcode Command Line Tools.

Step 1: Open Terminal: You can find Terminal in the Applications > Utilities folder or by searching with Spotlight (Cmd + Space).

Step 2: Run the Installation Command:

xcode-select --install

Step 3: Follow the Prompts: A dialogue box will appear asking if you want to install the tools. Click “Install” to proceed.

This command will download and install the latest version of the Xcode Command Line Tools. Once the installation is complete, the error should be resolved.

Reset the Xcode Command Line Tools Path

If the tools are already installed, resetting their path can often fix the issue.

Step 1: Open Terminal.

Step 2: Reset the Path

sudo xcode-select --reset

This command resets the path to the Command Line Tools, ensuring that xcrun and other tools can be found correctly.

Reinstall Xcode

If the above solutions don’t work, you might need to reinstall Xcode.

Uninstall Xcode: Move Xcode to the Trash from the Applications folder.

Download and Install Xcode: Go to the Mac App Store and download the latest version of Xcode.

After reinstalling, you may need to install the Command Line Tools again using the first solution.

xcode-select --install