1423235 - [macOS] ./mach bootstrap should not require xcode for artifact builds

Status: NEW

(Firefox Build System :: Bootstrap Configuration, enhancement)

Description

[:Gijs (he/him)]

For artifact builds, xcode shouldn't really be necessary. The only thing we should really need that's not already there would be `make`, and we could install that (and/or anything else we might need that I've forgotten about) via homebrew instead. That would save people downloading the several-gb gigantic gargoyle that is xcode + commandline tools.

Xref bug 1379426, which AIUI would maybe install less stuff but still end up installing xcode. This isn't a strict dupe, though it's possible that just fixing bug 1379426 may be a better way to resolve this if "install stuff via homebrew" turns out to be a wild goose chase.

Comment 1

[Gregory Szorc [:gps]]

I ran into this during the Build&Go onboarding session today :/

Off the top of my head, `make` is what I know we need from the Xcode Commandline tools. There may be other lingering tools though. Nuking the dependency on Xcode completely would be *really* nice if we can get replacement binaries from Homebrew/MacPorts. We already require one of these package managers. So no big deal leaning on it more.

Comment 2

[Mike Hommey [:glandium]]

Haven't we had problems with homebrew or macports clang in the past?

Comment 3

[:Gijs (he/him)]

(In reply to Mike Hommey [:glandium] from comment #2)
> Haven't we had problems with homebrew or macports clang in the past?

Well, this report was originally specifically about artifact builds, for which we should not need clang, I think? Do we use clang even for artifact builds? That would surprise me, though I guess I've been here long enough that I ought not to be surprised anymore...