How to install and configure an MPLAB XC Compiler

The MPLAB^® XC Compilers are a family of related compilers that support the full range of PIC^® microcontrollers from 8-bit up to 32-bit.

• MPLAB XC8 C compiler for all 8-bit PIC microcontrollers (PIC10, PIC12, PIC16, PIC18)
• MPLAB XC16 C compiler for all 16-bit PIC microcontrollers and Digital Signal Controllers (PIC24, dsPIC30, dsPIC33)
• MPLAB XC32 C compiler for all 32-bit PIC microcontrollers (PIC32)
• MPLAB XC32++ C++ compiler for all 32-bit PIC microcontrollers (PIC32)

The installation processes for all of the compilers are identical on a given computer platform (Windows, Linux, Mac). Just replace the compiler name used here with the one you are installing.

Obtain a compiler. A FREE version is available, and is only limited by the optimization levels that it supports.

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Run the installer for your chosen platform.

Windows

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Run the installer (e.g. xc8-v1.00-windows.exe) by double clicking on its icon in Windows Explorer.

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Follow the directions presented by the install wizard. If you have purchased a license for your MPLAB XC compiler, have your key ready.

Linux

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64-bit versions of Ubuntu and its derivatives do not include the 32-bit libraries required to run the installer. This may be true of other 64-bit distributions. Before the installer will run, you need to install the ia32-libs.

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Open a terminal window and navigate to the directory where you downloaded the installer. Make the installer file executable by issuing the following command (change filename to match the one you downloaded):

chmod +x xc8-v1.00-linux.run

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Run the installer by issuing the following command (change filename to match the one you downloaded) as root or by using sudo. Then follow the directions presented by the install wizard. If you have purchased a license for your MPLAB XC compiler, have your key ready.

sudo ./xc8-v1.00-linux.run

The "./" means that the shell should look for the command in the current directory, since the directory you downloaded to may not be in your command path.

Mac

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Run the installer.

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Follow the directions presented by the install wizard. If you have purchased a license for your MPLAB XC compiler, have your key ready.

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Once the compiler has finished installing, open MPLAB X IDE.

1. From the main menu select Tools ▸ Options (Windows and Linux) or mplab_ide ▸ Preferences (Mac).
2. Select the Embedded category.
3. Select the Build Tools tab.

It may take a minute before anything is displayed. MPLAB X will automatically scan your system and look in all of the default compiler install paths for any available compilers.

If you are using MPLAB X 1.10 or earlier, you must install a compiler specific plugin (e.g. toolchainXC8) from the Tools ▸ Plugins window before the compiler will be detected in the Options window.

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Once MPLAB X finishes with its scan, it will list all the compilers it found and populate all of the paths on the right side of the window.

If the compiler you installed appears in the list, you are done and the compiler is ready to be used in a project. If your new compiler doesn't appear, try one of the following:

• Click on the Scan for Build Tools button.
• Add the compiler manually by clicking on the Add button and pointing the IDE to the compiler's bin directory.

Backlinks

These pages link back to this one. You may find them helpful.

• C Compilers and Programming
• How to convert an MPLAB 8 project to MPLAB X
• MPLAB 8 Project Menu
• MPLAB X Integrated Development Environment (IDE)

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