Bear generates a compilation database for Clang tooling.

The JSON compilation database describes how each translation unit is compiled. Clang-based tools use it to understand compiler flags, include paths, and other build settings.

Some build systems can generate a JSON compilation database directly. For build systems that cannot, Bear captures compiler invocations during the build and writes the database for you.

Bear is packaged for many distributions. Check your distribution's package manager first. Alternatively, you can build it from source.

After installation, run:

bear -- <your-build-command>

Bear writes compile_commands.json to the current working directory.

For more options, see the man page or run bear --help. Pass Bear’s own options before --; everything after that is treated as part of the build command.

Please be aware that some package managers still ship the 2.4.x release. In that case, please omit the extra -- or consult your local documentation.

For more information, read the man pages or the project wiki, which talks about limitations, known issues, and platform-specific usage.

Use Bear when your build system does not natively support generating a JSON compilation database. If your project already uses CMake, Meson, or Bazel, prefer the built-in compilation database export those tools provide; it is usually faster and more reliable.

Bear works on Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, DragonFly BSD, and Windows.

Bear works by intercepting compiler calls during a build. This means certain environments may need extra configuration — for example, macOS System Integrity Protection (SIP) or sandboxed builds (Nix, Flatpak). See the wiki for details and workarounds.

Before opening a new problem report, please check the wiki to see if your problem is a known issue with a documented workaround. It's also helpful to look at older (possibly closed) issues before opening a new one.

If you decide to report a problem, please provide as much context as possible to help reproduce the error. If you just have a question about usage, please don't be shy; ask your question in an issue or in our chat.

If you've found a bug and have a fix for it, please share it by opening a pull request.

Please follow the contribution guide when you do.