xcrun

TLDR

Find the path to a developer tool

$ xcrun --find [clang]

Run a tool from the active developer directory

$ xcrun [clang] [arguments]

List available SDKs

$ xcrun --show-sdk-path --sdk [iphoneos]

Run with a specific SDK

$ xcrun --sdk [macosx] [tool] [arguments]

Show the current developer directory path

$ xcrun --show-sdk-platform-path

Switch toolchain and run a command

$ xcrun --toolchain [XcodeDefault] [swift] --version

Run simulator with a specific device

$ xcrun simctl boot "[iPhone 15]"

Notarize an app for distribution

$ xcrun notarytool submit [app.zip] --apple-id [email] --team-id [TEAM_ID] --password [password]

SYNOPSIS

xcrun [--sdk sdkname] [--toolchain name] [--find tool] [--run tool] [--show-sdk-path] [--log] [--verbose] [--kill-cache] [tool arguments ...]

xcrun is macOS's command-line utility for locating and invoking developer tools from the Xcode toolchain. It serves as an intelligent wrapper that finds the correct version of tools like clang, swift, ld, and others based on the active Xcode installation and selected SDK.
The tool resolves the complexity of having multiple Xcode versions or SDKs installed by automatically selecting the appropriate tool version. It respects the DEVELOPER_DIR environment variable and the setting from xcode-select, making it essential for build scripts and CI/CD pipelines that need consistent tool resolution.
Beyond simple tool invocation, xcrun provides access to powerful subcommands through tools like simctl for iOS Simulator management, notarytool for app notarization, altool for App Store uploads, and stapler for attaching notarization tickets.

PARAMETERS

--sdk sdkname

Use the specified SDK (e.g., macosx, iphoneos, iphonesimulator).

--toolchain name

Use the specified toolchain.

--find tool

Print the full path to the specified tool.

--run tool

Run the specified tool (default behavior when tool name given).

--show-sdk-path

Print the path to the selected SDK.

--show-sdk-version

Print the version of the selected SDK.

--show-sdk-platform-path

Print the platform path for the selected SDK.

--show-sdk-platform-version

Print the platform version for the selected SDK.

--log

Print the executed command to stderr.

--verbose

Show verbose output.

--no-cache

Do not use cached values for tool paths.

--kill-cache

Clear the tool path cache.

-h, --help

Display help information.

CAVEATS

Only available on macOS with Xcode or Command Line Tools installed. Tool resolution fails if no valid developer directory is configured (use xcode-select --install to fix). Cached paths may become stale after Xcode updates; use --kill-cache to refresh. Some tools require a full Xcode installation rather than just Command Line Tools.

HISTORY

xcrun was introduced by Apple alongside the separation of developer tools into the Xcode application bundle. It became the standard way to invoke command-line developer tools starting with Xcode 4 around 2011, replacing direct paths to tools that were previously in /usr/bin. This architecture allows multiple Xcode versions to coexist and enables tools to be versioned with their parent Xcode release.