Before you begin
Depending on how you obtained the CDT, you might have also received a toolchain with a built-in CDT integration. However, if you downloaded the CDT from the Eclipse web site, then you will require a toolchain before you can build and debug any projects.
The standard CDT supports integration with the GNU toolchain. This includes GNU’s make, gcc compiler, and gdb debugger utilities. If you require a toolchain to build software for your development host, this is the best choice to get started.
Each platform that runs the CDT requires different steps to acquire this toolchain.
Windows
For windows, MinGW and Cygwin are the two main platform choices for acquiring the GNU toolchain. It is important to understand the difference between them. Cygwin produces executables that use the Cygwin POSIX runtime. Note that this runtime is GPL licensed. MinGW produces native Windows executables that do not require a separate runtime.
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For MinGW, it is recommended to use the MSYS2 software distribution. The CDT will automatically detect tools that are installed using the MSYS2 package manager. Download and run the latest MSYS2 installer by following instructions on the MSYS2 Getting Started page. When you reach the UCRT64 environment prompt, use the following commands to install individual tools:
Tool Installation command Notes clang
pacman -S mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-clangProvides the LLVM with Clang toolchain
clangd
pacman -S mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-clang-tools-extraRequired by the C/C++ Editor (LSP)
cmake
pacman -S mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-cmakeRequired for building CMake projects
gcc
pacman -S mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-gccProvides the MinGW GCC toolchain
gdb
pacman -S mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-gdbRequired for local C/C++ Application debugging using GDB (recommended)
lldb-mi
pacman -S mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-lldb-miRequired for local C/C++ Application debugging using LLDB (experimental)
make
pacman -S makeRequired for building Managed Build projects
ninja
pacman -S mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-ninjaRequired for building CMake projects
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Cygwin can be installed from the Cygwin site at https://www.cygwin.com. You need to manually select the gcc, gdb, and make packages to install the toolchain. Note that there is a known issue with running recent versions of Cygwin gdb under the CDT.
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The Windows SDK provides the Visual C++ compiler and header files and libraries required to create Windows applications. The CDT Visual C++ build integration will find these files based on where you installed the SDK. No other setup is required.
Note: For this release, the integration should be considered beta quality. It is not recommended for production use.
Linux
All Linux distributions include the GNU toolchain. They may not, however, be installed by default. For instructions about installing the GNU toolchain for Linux, see the instructions for your particular distribution.
macOS
The CDT supports the Clang toolchain provided by the Xcode Command Line Tools. It is recommended to use the Homebrew software distribution for any additional tools. The CDT will automatically detect tools that are installed using the Homebrew package manager. Install Homebrew by following instructions on the Homebrew home page. Then use the following commands at a Terminal prompt to install individual tools:
| Tool | Installation command | Notes |
|---|---|---|
cmake |
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Required for building CMake projects |
lldb-mi |
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Required for local C/C++ Application debugging on Apple silicon (you must also install the CDT C/C++ LLDB Debugger Integration feature) |
ninja |
|
Required for building CMake projects |
Other Platforms
The GNU toolchain is supported on all platforms that the CDT supports. For instructions about installing the GNU toolchain on your platform, see your platform vendor.
