MacOS Tahoe M5 Install Erlang 27+

• Install on MacOS Tahoe 26.1
• Install Erlang 27.3.4.6 with JIT compilation enabled for best performance
• Also install related tools like wxwidgets

Basic Software Installation

• brew - Software package management tool for Mac
• kerl - Tool to manage multiple Erlang installations

Install Xcode

• Search for Xcode in the App Store and install it

• Install xcode-select

xcode-select --install  # Click "Install" when the popup appears
sudo xcodebuild -license accept  # Accept the license agreement

• Check macOS system information and SDK path

xcrun --sdk macosx --show-sdk-path
sw_vers  # Check macOS version

Install brew

• Installation command

/usr/bin/ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"

• Update operations

brew doctor # Check Homebrew status
brew update # Update formulas

Install Dependencies

brew install openssl
brew install libpng jpeg-turbo libtiff zlib  # Image processing dependencies
brew install pkg-config  # Help wxWidgets identify system library paths
brew install giflib pcre2 webp

Install wxwidgets

After multiple tests and resolving compilation issues with AGL, compat30, stc, opengl, webview, etc., choose to install wxWidgets-3.2.8.1 to enable Erlang WX functionality.

• wxWidgets - Install from source

curl -L https://github.com/wxWidgets/wxWidgets/releases/download/v3.2.8.1/wxWidgets-3.2.8.1.tar.bz2 -o wxWidgets-3.2.8.1.tar.bz2
tar -jxf wxWidgets-3.2.8.1.tar.bz2 
cd wxWidgets-3.2.8.1

• Fix AGL issue by editing the configure file

vi configure

# Change OPENGL_LIBS="-framework OpenGL -framework AGL" to OPENGL_LIBS="-framework OpenGL"
# Save and exit

• Configure wxWidgets compilation options

./configure \
  --prefix=/usr/local/lib/wxwidgets \
  --with-cocoa \
  --with-opengl \
  --enable-unicode \
  --enable-shared \
  --enable-compat30 \
  --enable-stc \
  --with-libtiff=builtin \
  --with-libjpeg \
  --with-libpng=builtin \
  --disable-debug

• Compile wxWidgets

make -j$(sysctl -n hw.ncpu)

• Install

sudo make install

• Installation directory

ls /usr/local/lib/wxwidgets

• Add the installed wx-config to PATH

echo 'export PATH="/opt/homebrew/opt/wxwidgets/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
echo 'export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="/opt/homebrew/opt/wxwidgets/lib/pkgconfig:$PKG_CONFIG_PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Install Erlang

KERL_CONFIGURE_OPTIONS="--enable-jit --disable-hipe --enable-smp-support --enable-threads --enable-kernel-poll --enable-dynamic-ssl-lib --with-ssl=/opt/homebrew/opt/openssl@3 --without-odbc --enable-wx --with-wx-config=/usr/local/lib/wxwidgets/bin/wx-config" && kerl build 27.3.4.6 r27.3.4.6

Extracting source code for normal build...
Building (normal) Erlang/OTP 27.3.4.6 (r27.3.4.6); please wait...
Initializing (build) log file at /Users/caocc/.kerl/builds/r27.3.4.6/otp_build_27.3.4.6.log.
Attempting to use Homebrew OpenSSL from /opt/homebrew/opt/openssl@3.0...
WARNING: ... you may have to brew the expected version or otherwise use --with-ssl
APPLICATIONS DISABLED (See: /Users/caocc/.kerl/builds/r27.3.4.6/otp_build_27.3.4.6.log)
 * jinterface     : No Java compiler found
 * odbc           : ODBC library - link check failed

Erlang/OTP 27.3.4.6 (r27.3.4.6) has been successfully built.

Activate the installed Erlang using kerl.

• Test wx

erl
Erlang/OTP 27 [erts-15.2.7.4] [source] [64-bit] [smp:10:10] [ds:10:10:10] [async-threads:1] [jit]

Eshell V15.2.7.4 (press Ctrl+G to abort, type help(). for help)
1> observer:start().
ok
2>
BREAK: (a)bort (A)bort with dump (c)ontinue (p)roc info (i)nfo
       (l)oaded (v)ersion (k)ill (D)b-tables (d)istribution

Troubleshooting

• Erlang wx functionality cannot be compiled and used normally

APPLICATIONS INFORMATION (See: /Users/caocc/.kerl/builds/r27.3.4.6/otp_build_27.3.4.6.log)
 * wx             : wxWidgets was not compiled with --enable-compat30, wx will NOT be useable

inlines-hidden   ./src/common/modalhook.cpp
./src/common/imagtiff.cpp:37:14: fatal error: 'tiff.h' file not found
   37 |     #include "tiff.h"
      |              ^~~~~~~~ 1 error generated.

ld: framework 'AGL' not found

clang++: error: linker command failed with exit code 1 (use -v to see invocation)

make: *** [/Users/caocc/work/tmp/wxwidgets/wxWidgets-3.3.1/lib/libwx_osx_cocoau_gl-3.3.1.0.0.dylib] Error 1

Final Results

• Erlang 27.3.4.6 installed successfully

• wx functionality included