How to Install Clang on Ubuntu 22.04 & 20.04

Installing Clang on Ubuntu, a popular Linux distribution, is a straightforward process. Clang is a compiler front end for the C, C++, and Objective-C programming languages. It’s part of the LLVM project and is known for its excellent diagnostics, among other features. Below, we provide a comprehensive guide on how to install Clang on Ubuntu versions 22.04 and 20.04.

Introduction to Clang

• Clang: A compiler for the C language family, offering advantages like faster compile times and lower memory usage.
• LLVM: A collection of modular and reusable compiler and toolchain technologies that Clang is part of.
• Benefits: Provides enhanced error messages and supports various standards of C, C++, and Objective-C.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure you have administrative access (root or a user with sudo privileges) to your Ubuntu system. It’s also a good idea to update your package list to ensure you get the latest version of Clang available in the Ubuntu repositories.

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Step-by-Step Installation Guide

Step 1: Update Your System

• Open a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T).
• Run the command to update package lists and upgrade the system:

  sudo apt update 
  

Step 2: Install Clang

• Ubuntu’s official package repositories include Clang. To install the latest version of Clang available in your Ubuntu version’s repositories, run:

  sudo apt install clang 
  

• This command installs Clang along with its default dependencies. If you need a specific version of Clang, you can search for available versions using:

  sudo apt search clang 
  

• And then install a specific version with:

  sudo apt install clang-<version> 
  

  Replace <version> with the desired version number, for example, sudo apt install clang-15 for Clang version 15.

Step 3: Verify the Installation

After the installation is complete, you can verify that Clang has been successfully installed by checking its version:

clang --version 

This command displays the installed version of Clang, confirming successful installation.

Step 4: Using Clang

• To compile a C file (example.c), use:

  clang example.c -o example 
  

• For a C++ file (example.cpp):

  clang++ example.cpp -o example 
  

These commands compile the code to an executable named example.

Step 5: Additional Tools (Optional)

For advanced features, consider installing additional LLVM tools:

sudo apt install llvm 

Step 6: Setting Clang as Default Compiler (Optional)

If you want to make Clang your default compiler. Update your .bashrc or .zshrc file with:

export CC=clang
export CXX=clang++

Reload the terminal configuration:

source ~/.bashrc 
or
source ~/.zshrc 

Conclusion

Clang is a powerful compiler for the C family of languages, offering various advantages over traditional compilers. By following the steps above, you can easily install and start using Clang on your Ubuntu system for development purposes. Remember to periodically update your system and Clang to access the latest features and security updates.