brew install macvim doesn't work with "xcode-lite", i.e., command line tools for xcode?

Question

Upon the advice of Kenneth Reitz, I've installed "xcode-lite" (i.e., Command Line Tools (CLT) for xcode on my MAC OS X 10.7.4).

However, brew install macvim gives me this error:

xcode-select: Error: No Xcode is selected. Use xcode-select -switch /Applications/Xcode.app to select /Applications/Xcode.app, or see the xcode-select manpage (man xcode-select) for further information.

I don't have xcodebuild under /Applications. Neither do I have a /Developer directory. I have it at /usr/bin/xcodebuild, but

xcode-select -switch /usr/bin
brew install macvim

gives me this error:

Error: Can't run /usr/bin/usr/bin/xcodebuild (no such file).

Moreover, trying to force it to look for xcodebuild in /usr/bin makes brew hang indefinitely. So I am stuck.

I read in a few places that CLT for xcode is not good enough and that I need to download the full version of xcode (1.5GB). Some others claim that brew will indeed work with CLT for xcode, but several hours of trying to brew install macvim (together with plenty of googling) hasn't yielded any results. I must be missing something fundamental about brew and CLT for xcode. Do I really need the full-blown xcode or is my CLT for xcode not installed in the right directory ?

ps: The reason I want to brew it rather than install the binary directory is because I want to build it with python development features. If there's an easier way to get macvim with python-dev integration, I'm happy to go with that.

Answer 1

I downloaded the full version of xcode (almost 2GB) and then brew install macvim worked. It's unfortunate the brew doesn't work with CLT for xcode.

I ran into a few minor issues subsequently. One issue was that macvim was picking up the system version of python (2.7.1) while I needed it to work with the version I had downloaded (2.7.3). I had to brew remove macvim, brew edit macvim, make macvim reference the correct python version and rebuild with brew install python.

I must say this has been a difficult exercise ! But now I have macvim working well for python development

Answer 2

Like @LloydDewolf mentioned, a full installation of Xcode is required. Unless you need something specific from the brew version of macvim (like python development features), you can just install from the .dmg or the source.

user@mac:~$ brew install macvim
Warning: A newer Command Line Tools for Xcode release is available
You should install the latest version from: http://connect.apple.com
A full installation of Xcode.app is required to compile this software.
Installing just the Command Line Tools is not sufficent.
Error: An unsatisfied requirement failed this build.

This is related to the following open github issue: https://github.com/mxcl/homebrew/issues/15111