xcode 13.4 upgrade stuck

xcode 13.4.2 upgrade stuck on a process for days. None of the previous fixes worked. This is what worked for me. Mac air 2017, OS 12.5.1 , zsh. The app store upgrader hung up on the same process (activity monitor) for days, I could not get app store to stop this (corrupted looping) process.

1. delete xcode off the mac

-in GUI, drag and drop xcode from applications into trash, empty trash

then per https://dzone.com/articles/how-to-completely-uninstall-xcode-from-mac

do the following in your home dir:

• > sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Developer/
• > sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.dt.Xcode

this gets rid of xcode on your mac.

2- get rid of the app store corrupted process

This finally worked, from https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/245406/how-to-fix-reset-app-store-app-on-mac-osx-el-capitan

-sign OUT of the app store on your mac

-then delete the following file from your home directory:

~ /library /caches / com.apple.appstore

(have to do sudo rm -rf <directory> )

-then restart your mac

-then sign back IN to app store (gotta use your appleID and password)

wait a while

then check xcode in the deleted-restored app store : the icon next to "xcode" should be the download icon, not the spinny icon. This means you finally clobbered the messed up looping appstore process.

3- finally reinstall xcode

I installed it as a download from the apple developer site.

(you have to finally move it to the application folder to get paths correct)

It takes longer but it bypass the (obviously buggy) app store download-update process for xcode.

that's it.