How to specify a compiler in CMake?

To select a specific compiler, you have several solutions, as exaplained in CMake wiki:

Method 1: use environment variables

For C and C++, set the CC and CXX environment variables. This method is not guaranteed to work for all generators. (Specifically, if you are trying to set Xcode's GCC_VERSION, this method confuses Xcode.) For example:

CC=gcc-4.2 CXX=/usr/bin/g++-4.2 cmake -G "Your Generator" path/to/your/source

Method 2: use cmake -D

Set the appropriate CMAKE_FOO_COMPILER variable(s) to a valid compiler name or full path on the command-line using cmake -D. For example:

cmake -G "Your Generator" -D CMAKE_C_COMPILER=gcc-4.2 -D CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=g++-4.2 path/to/your/source

Method 3 (avoid): use set()

Set the appropriate CMAKE_FOO_COMPILER variable(s) to a valid compiler name or full path in a list file using set(). This must be done before any language is set (ie: before any project() or enable_language() command). For example:

set(CMAKE_C_COMPILER "gcc-4.2")
set(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER "/usr/bin/g++-4.2")

project("YourProjectName")

The wiki doesn't provide reason why 3rd method should be avoided...

I see more and more people who set CMAKE_C_COMPILER and other compiler-related variables in the CMakeLists.txt after the project call and wonder why this approach breaks sometimes.

What happens actually

When CMake executes the project() call, it looks for a default compiler executable and determines the way for use it: default compiler flags, default linker flags, compile features, etc.

And CMake stores path to that default compiler executable in the CMAKE_C_COMPILER variable.

When one sets CMAKE_C_COMPILER variable after the project() call, this only changes the compiler executable: default flags, features all remains set for the default compiler.

AS RESULT: When the project is built, a build system calls the project-specified compiler executable but with parameters suitable for the default compiler.

As one could guess, this approach would work only when one replaces a default compiler with a highly compatible one. E.g. replacement of gcc with clang could work sometimes.

This approach will never work for replacement of cl compiler (used in Visual Studio) with gcc one. Nor this will work when replacing a native compiler with a cross-compiler.

What to do

Never set a compiler in CMakeLists.txt.

If you want, e.g., to use clang instead of defaulted gcc, then either:

1. Pass -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=<compiler> to cmake when configure the project. That way CMake will use this compiler instead of default one and on the project() call it will adjust all flags for the specified compiler.

2. Set CC environment variable (CXX for C++ compiler). CMake checks this variable when selects a default compiler.

3. (Only in rare cases) Set CMAKE_C_COMPILER variable before the project() call. This approach is similar to the first one, but makes the project less flexible.

If the ways above do not work

If on setting CMAKE_C_COMPILER in the command line CMake errors that a compiler cannot "compile a simple project", then something wrong in your environment.. or you specify a compiler incompatible for chosen generator or platform.

Examples:

• Visual Studio generators work with cl compiler but cannot work with gcc.
• A MinGW compiler usually requires MinGW Makefiles generator.

Incompatible generator cannot be fixed in CMakeLists.txt. One need to pass the proper -G option to the cmake executable (or select the proper generator in CMake GUI).

Cross-compiling

Cross-compiling usually requires setting CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME variable, and this setting should normally be done in the toolchain file. That toolchain file is also responsible for set a compiler.

Setting CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME in the CMakeLists.txt is almost always an error.