CMake Not Found Yet Installed: Troubleshooting Guide

The issue of ‘CMake not found yet it is installed’ is a common headache for developers. Despite having CMake installed, the system often fails to recognize it, leading to the frustrating “command not found” error. This problem typically arises due to misconfigured environment variables or incorrect installation paths, causing significant delays and annoyance in the development process.

Possible Causes

Here are the potential reasons for encountering the ‘cmake not found yet it is installed’ error:

1. Incorrect Installation Paths:

   • CMake might be installed in a directory that is not included in the system’s PATH environment variable.

2. Missing Environment Variables:

   • The PATH environment variable might not include the directory where CMake is installed.
   • The CMake binary might not be correctly linked to the PATH.

3. System Path Issues:

   • The system PATH might not be updated after installing CMake.
   • There could be a typo or incorrect path specified in the PATH environment variable.

4. Permission Issues:

   • Insufficient permissions to access the CMake binary.

5. Corrupted Installation:

   • The CMake installation might be corrupted or incomplete.

6. Conflicting Versions:

   • Multiple versions of CMake installed, causing conflicts.

Verifying Installation

1. Check Installation Directory:

   • Ensure CMake is installed in a directory included in your system’s PATH environment variable.
   • Common directories include /usr/local/bin on Unix-like systems or C:\Program Files\CMake\bin on Windows.

2. Run Version Check:

   • Open a terminal or command prompt.
   • Execute cmake --version. This command should display the installed version of CMake.

3. Verify PATH Configuration:

   • On Unix-like systems, add CMake to PATH by editing ~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, or equivalent:

     export PATH="/path/to/cmake/bin:$PATH"
     

   • On Windows, add the CMake bin directory to the PATH environment variable through System Properties.

4. Reinstall or Update CMake:

   • If the above steps fail, consider reinstalling or updating CMake to ensure all components are correctly installed.

These steps should help resolve the ‘cmake not found’ error despite having it installed.

Fixing Environment Variables

1. Check CMake Installation:

   cmake --version
   

   If not installed, install it:

   sudo apt install cmake  # Ubuntu/Debian
   sudo yum install cmake  # CentOS/RHEL
   sudo dnf install cmake  # Fedora
   

2. Find CMake Binary Location:

   which cmake
   

   Note the path (e.g., /usr/bin/cmake).

3. Add CMake to PATH:

   sudo nano ~/.bashrc
   

   Add the following line at the end:

   export PATH="/usr/bin:$PATH"  # Replace /usr/bin with your CMake path
   

4. Reload .bashrc:

   source ~/.bashrc
   

5. Verify:

   cmake --version
   

This should resolve the ‘cmake not found’ error.

Reinstalling CMake

Here’s a step-by-step guide to reinstall CMake and resolve the ‘cmake not found yet it is installed’ issue:

1. Remove Existing CMake Installation:

   • Linux:

     sudo apt remove --purge cmake
     sudo apt autoremove
     

   • macOS:

     brew uninstall cmake
     

   • Windows:
     • Use the Control Panel to uninstall CMake.

2. Delete Residual Files:

   • Linux:

     sudo rm -rf /usr/local/bin/cmake /usr/local/share/cmake*
     

   • macOS:

     sudo rm -rf /usr/local/bin/cmake /usr/local/share/cmake*
     

   • Windows:
     • Manually delete any remaining CMake files from C:\Program Files\CMake.

3. Reinstall CMake:

   • Linux:

     sudo apt update
     sudo apt install cmake
     

   • macOS:

     brew install cmake
     

   • Windows:
     • Download the installer from the official CMake website and run it.

4. Verify Installation:

   cmake --version
   

5. Add CMake to PATH (if necessary):

   • Linux/macOS:

     echo 'export PATH=/usr/local/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.bashrc
     source ~/.bashrc
     

   • Windows:
     • Add the CMake bin directory to the system PATH via Environment Variables settings.

This should resolve the issue and ensure CMake is properly installed and recognized by your system.

To Troubleshoot and Resolve the ‘cmake not found yet it is installed’ Error

Follow these steps:

1. Remove existing CMake installation: Use apt remove for Linux, brew uninstall for macOS, or Control Panel for Windows.
2. Delete residual files: Remove the /usr/local/bin/cmake and /usr/local/share/cmake* directories on Linux and macOS, or manually delete remaining files from C:\ extbackslash{}Program Files\ extbackslash{}CMake on Windows.
3. Reinstall CMake: Use apt install for Linux, brew install for macOS, or download the installer from the official website for Windows.
4. Verify installation: Run cmake --version.
5. Add CMake to PATH (if necessary): Add export PATH=/usr/local/bin:$PATH to ~/.bashrc and source it on Linux and macOS, or add the CMake bin directory to system PATH via Environment Variables settings on Windows.

This should resolve the issue and ensure CMake is properly installed and recognized by your system.