mas @5.0.2: Fails to install in macOS 14 and earlier due to Xcode 26 requirement

[briankendall (Brian Kendall)]

Just attempted to install mas in macOS 13, and it failed with the following error:

Error: mas @5.0.2 requires Xcode 26 or later but you have Xcode 14.3.1.
Error: See https://guide.macports.org/chunked/installing.xcode.html for download links.
Error: Failed to fetch mas: incompatible Xcode version
Error: See /opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_macports_release_tarballs_ports_sysutils_mas/mas/main.log for details.
Error: Follow https://guide.macports.org/#project.tickets if you believe there is a bug.
Error: Processing of port mas failed

mas supports earlier versions of macOS than 15.6, which is required for Xcode 26. As a workaround I downloaded and installed the release from its GitHub page. It would be preferable though to be able to install it using MacPorts, and the port should support all the releases of macOS that mas supports.

[sierkb (Sierk Bornemann)]

FYI:

mas v5.1.0 released since Jan 30, 2026:
​https://github.com/mas-cli/mas/releases/tag/v5.1.0
​https://github.com/mas-cli/mas/releases

What's Changed:
…
Build with Xcode 26.2 on macos-15 & macos-15-intel GHA runners & more #1195
​https://github.com/mas-cli/mas/pull/1195
…

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

Replying to briankendall:

mas supports earlier versions of macOS than 15.6, which is required for Xcode 26.

It may well be that mas supports running on earlier macOS versions when built by Xcode 26. But if we cannot build on earlier macOS versions, then MacPorts cannot offer the port on those earlier macOS versions.

[rgoldberg (Ross Goldberg)]

I'm the developer of mas.

mas can be built without Xcode 26 or later by installing a new enough Swift toolchain. That can be done via [Swiftly](​https://github.com/swiftlang/swiftly/) or via a manual toolchain installation.

For macOS versions that do not support Xcode versions with a new enough Swift, the Homebrew Core mas formula depends on the Homebrew Core swift formula to install the latest Swift toolchain.

I don't know if MacPorts has a swift or a swiftly port upon which the mas port build can depend for older macOS versions.