How to Install bc Command on macOS

If you’ve encountered the “bc command not found” error on your macOS system, don’t worry! bc is a command-line calculator that allows for arbitrary precision numeric processing. It might not be pre-installed on all macOS systems, but you can easily install it following these steps.

1. Check if bc is Installed

To check if bc is already installed on your macOS system, open Terminal and type:

bc

If you see the output of the bc command, then it is already installed. If not, proceed with the installation steps below.

2. Install bc Using Homebrew

If bc is not installed, you can use Homebrew, a popular package manager for macOS, to install it. If you don’t have Homebrew installed, you can do so by running the following command in Terminal:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install.sh)"

Once Homebrew is installed, you can install bc by running:

brew install bc

3. Verify Installation

After the installation is complete, you can verify that bc is now available on your macOS system by running:

bc

You should see the bc calculator prompt, indicating that the installation was successful.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the bc command is a powerful tool for numeric processing on the command line. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you can easily install bc on your macOS system and start using it for various calculations and scripting tasks. Enjoy the flexibility and precision that bc brings to your command line experience.