Clone down the Zed repository.
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Install rustup
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Install Xcode from the macOS App Store, or from the Apple Developer website. Note this requires a developer account.
Ensure you launch Xcode after installing, and install the macOS components, which is the default option.
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Install Xcode command line tools
xcode-select --install
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Ensure that the Xcode command line tools are using your newly installed copy of Xcode:
sudo xcode-select --switch /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer sudo xcodebuild -license accept
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Install
cmake(required by a dependency)brew install cmake
If you are developing collaborative features of Zed, you'll need to install the dependencies of zed's collab server:
Alternatively, if you have Docker installed you can bring up all the collab dependencies using Docker Compose:
docker compose up -dOnce you have the dependencies installed, you can build Zed using Cargo.
For a debug build:
cargo runFor a release build:
cargo run --releaseAnd to run the tests:
cargo test --workspaceerror: failed to run custom build command for gpui v0.1.0 (/Users/path/to/zed)`**
xcrun: error: unable to find utility "metal", not a developer tool or in PATHTry sudo xcode-select --switch /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer
Try cargo clean and cargo build.
If you encounter an error similar to:
src/platform/mac/dispatch.h:1:10: fatal error: 'dispatch/dispatch.h' file not found
Caused by:
process didn't exit successfully
--- stdout
cargo:rustc-link-lib=framework=System
cargo:rerun-if-changed=src/platform/mac/dispatch.h
cargo:rerun-if-env-changed=TARGET
cargo:rerun-if-env-changed=BINDGEN_EXTRA_CLANG_ARGS_aarch64-apple-darwin
cargo:rerun-if-env-changed=BINDGEN_EXTRA_CLANG_ARGS_aarch64_apple_darwin
cargo:rerun-if-env-changed=BINDGEN_EXTRA_CLANG_ARGSThis file is part of Xcode. Ensure you have installed the Xcode command line tools and set the correct path:
xcode-select --install
sudo xcode-select --switch /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/DeveloperAdditionally, set the BINDGEN_EXTRA_CLANG_ARGS environment variable:
export BINDGEN_EXTRA_CLANG_ARGS="--sysroot=$(xcrun --show-sdk-path)"Then clean and rebuild the project:
cargo clean
cargo runIf you are building Zed a lot, you may find that macOS continually verifies new builds which can add a few seconds to your iteration cycles.
To fix this, you can:
- Run
sudo spctl developer-mode enable-terminalto enable the Developer Tools panel in System Settings. - In System Settings, search for "Developer Tools" and add your terminal (e.g. iTerm or Ghostty) to the list under "Allow applications to use developer tools"
- Restart your terminal.
Thanks to the nextest developers for publishing this.