Problems with MacOS when installing clang tools (from static binaries)

Hit an error in MacOS runners during field tests:

Error: {clang_installer::version:153}: Failed to download clang-tidy from static distribution: The static binaries are only built for x86_64 (amd64) architecture

This happens when homebrew fails to install a deprecated formuae:

Error: {clang_installer::downloader::native_packages:120}: Failed to install clang-tidy v11.0.0 using Homebrew package manager: brew failed to install llvm@11 package: ::warning::No available formula with the name "llvm@11". Did you mean llvm, llvm@21, llvm@19, llvm@18, llvm@17, llvm@16, llvm@15, llvm@14, llvm@12 or llvm@20?

Fortunately clang-installer is falling back to static binary download. Unfortunately, the static binaries only build for x86_64.

Good news! I think the latest static binaries' release, master-63858060, now includes aarch64 builds for MacOS. We just have to update clang-installer to use that release (from master-6e612956) here:

cpp-linter-rs/clang-installer/src/downloader/static_dist.rs

Line 49 in 8e2fcad

const CLANG_TOOLS_TAG: &str = "master-6e612956";

I don't often get to brag about something I did: The new error messages are very helpful and insightful. Trouble shooting seems to be rather easy because the error messages are so well designed! 🥇

Good news! I think the latest static binaries' release, master-63858060, now includes aarch64 builds for MacOS.

Now the latest static binaries release is https://github.com/cpp-linter/clang-tools-static-binaries/releases/tag/2026.06.05-5a535621

From this release I started to use release date + commit hash as tag, since master in the tag cannot bring much more information. (And also include others like https://github.com/cpp-linter/clang-tools-static-binaries/releases/download/2026.06.05-5a535621/versions.json)

Interesting. I can use that versions.json during compile time to set the max and min versions of supported clang versions. As it is right now, I have them hard-coded in multiple places:

in CI test workflow:

cpp-linter-rs/.github/workflows/run-dev-tests.yml

Lines 99 to 117 in 8e2fcad

    
                 - name: Run test suite 
        
                   env: 
        
                     MIN_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION: "11" 
        
                     MAX_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION: "22" 
        
                   shell: nu {0} 
        
                   run: |- 
        
                     let max_ver = $env.MAX_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION | into int 
        
                     let min_ver = $env.MIN_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION | into int 
        
                     for $ver in ($min_ver..$max_ver) { 
        
                       print $"::group::Testing with clang v($ver)" 
        
                       with-env { CLANG_VERSION: $"($ver)" } { 
        
                         nur test --profile warmup 
        
                         let test_profile = ( 
        
                           if ($ver == $min_ver) { "all" } else { "ci" } 
        
                         ) 
        
                         nur test --profile $test_profile 
        
                       } 
        
                       print "::endgroup::" 
        
                     }

the rust src looks at env vars then falls back to hard coded defaults.

cpp-linter-rs/clang-installer/src/downloader/static_dist.rs

Lines 46 to 49 in 8e2fcad

    
           const MIN_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION: u8 = 11; 
        
           pub(crate) const MAX_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION: u8 = 22; 
        
           const CLANG_TOOLS_REPO: &str = "https://github.com/cpp-linter/clang-tools-static-binaries"; 
        
           const CLANG_TOOLS_TAG: &str = "master-6e612956";

cpp-linter-rs/clang-installer/src/downloader/static_dist.rs

Lines 58 to 78 in 8e2fcad

    
           pub fn get_major_version_range() -> RangeInclusive<u8> { 
        
               let min_clang_tools_version: u8 = option_env!("MIN_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION") 
        
                   .and_then(|v| match v.parse::<u8>() { 
        
                       Ok(parsed) => Some(parsed), 
        
                       Err(e) => { 
        
                           log::error!("Invalid MIN_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION env var value: {v}. Error: {e}"); 
        
                           None 
        
                       } 
        
                   }) 
        
                   .unwrap_or(MIN_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION); 
        
               let max_clang_tools_version: u8 = option_env!("MAX_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION") 
        
                   .and_then(|v| match v.parse::<u8>() { 
        
                       Ok(parsed) => Some(parsed), 
        
                       Err(e) => { 
        
                           log::error!("Invalid MAX_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION env var value: {v}. Error: {e}"); 
        
                           None 
        
                       } 
        
                   }) 
        
                   .unwrap_or(MAX_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION); 
        
               min_clang_tools_version..=max_clang_tools_version 
        
           }

I could make a build script that downloads that json and parses the max and min versions, then sets a compile-time-only env vars. The test CI will have to do something similar.
While I'm at it, I find a way to get the latest static binaries release and set that to a compile-time-only env var also.

PS - Seems to me that Windows ARM builds are the only ARM platform that is missing.

Yes, the venison json file will be shipped with the future releases 🤞

https://github.com/actions/runner-images/blob/main/images/windows/Windows11-Arm64-Readme.md it seems like also support to support windows arm builds as well

I think I need to have to rename the crate from clang-installer to clang-downloader. Apparently, Windows has a legacy protection feature that prevents running any executable with the word "install" in the name. I don't know why it works in CI, but it is super annoying.

Running any tests on Windows results in an error like this:

error: test failed, to rerun pass `-p clang-installer --lib`

Caused by:
  could not execute process `path/to\cpp-linter-rs\target\debug\deps\clang_installer-bfa2c0e32f7d9e3e.exe downloader::static_dist::tests::find_none --exact --nocapture --include-ignored` (never executed)

Caused by:
  The requested operation requires elevation. (os error 740)

Hmm, really? interesting. hopefully that would be the root cause then starting rename. btw installer better than downloader for user understanding.

I haven't been able to run any tests on windows since adding that crate named clang-installer. I've been depending on CI to see test results for windows (which takes A LOT longer than running tests locally).

I've been researching workarounds. I can disable the Windows feature globally, but that feels risky. I might be able to embed custom XML info using embed-resource at build time, but the test harness is not using the default cargo test (because our tests need to manipulate env vars in parallel). A lib rename seems to be the easiest, and that's considering I've already published v0.1.x releases under the clang-installer name.

@shenxianpeng

@shenxianpeng what about clang-tools-manager instead?

@shenxianpeng what about clang-tools-manager instead?

this is a good one. I also asked AI to suggest the new name. it suggest clang-tools-setup or clang-get for refenrecne

I think "setup" was another word for exe names that windows won't run without elevated permission. I liked that one too

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Problems with MacOS when installing clang tools (from static binaries) #331

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	- name: Run test suite
	env:
	MIN_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION: "11"
	MAX_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION: "22"
	shell: nu {0}
	run: \|-
	let max_ver = $env.MAX_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION \| into int
	let min_ver = $env.MIN_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION \| into int
	for $ver in ($min_ver..$max_ver) {
	print $"::group::Testing with clang v($ver)"
	with-env { CLANG_VERSION: $"($ver)" } {
	nur test --profile warmup
	let test_profile = (
	if ($ver == $min_ver) { "all" } else { "ci" }
	)
	nur test --profile $test_profile
	}
	print "::endgroup::"
	}

	const MIN_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION: u8 = 11;
	pub(crate) const MAX_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION: u8 = 22;
	const CLANG_TOOLS_REPO: &str = "https://github.com/cpp-linter/clang-tools-static-binaries";
	const CLANG_TOOLS_TAG: &str = "master-6e612956";

	pub fn get_major_version_range() -> RangeInclusive<u8> {
	let min_clang_tools_version: u8 = option_env!("MIN_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION")
	.and_then(\|v\| match v.parse::<u8>() {
	Ok(parsed) => Some(parsed),
	Err(e) => {
	log::error!("Invalid MIN_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION env var value: {v}. Error: {e}");
	None
	}
	})
	.unwrap_or(MIN_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION);
	let max_clang_tools_version: u8 = option_env!("MAX_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION")
	.and_then(\|v\| match v.parse::<u8>() {
	Ok(parsed) => Some(parsed),
	Err(e) => {
	log::error!("Invalid MAX_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION env var value: {v}. Error: {e}");
	None
	}
	})
	.unwrap_or(MAX_CLANG_TOOLS_VERSION);
	min_clang_tools_version..=max_clang_tools_version
	}

Problems with MacOS when installing clang tools (from static binaries) #331

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2bndy5 commented on Jun 6, 2026

shenxianpeng commented on Jun 6, 2026

2bndy5 commented on Jun 6, 2026

shenxianpeng commented on Jun 6, 2026

2bndy5 commented on Jun 6, 2026

shenxianpeng commented on Jun 6, 2026

2bndy5 commented on Jun 6, 2026

2bndy5 commented on Jun 6, 2026

shenxianpeng commented on Jun 6, 2026

2bndy5 commented on Jun 6, 2026

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