5 ms·

Build an iOS app on Linux or Windows

168 points by todsacerdoti 1y ago

sherdil2022 1y ago
Looks promising. But I am getting the following error when I run 'xtool dev': > status: "409", code: "ENTITY_ERROR", title: "There is a problem with the request entity", detail: "You already have a current Development certificate or a pending certificate request." I have even manually copied the development certificate and installed on the iPhone - but keep getting the same error when I do 'xtool dev' I have searched but none of the solutions worked so far. Will keep trying. Did anyone get this error and get past it? Please let me know how you got past this error.
- sherdil2022 1y ago
  Also, it looks like using tools like xtool will violate Apple Developer license. Not a lawyer - but do your due diligence.
TheDong 1y ago
You have to accept Apple's licensing agreement as part of downloading XCode to run this tool (which relies on XCode's SDKs etc). Quoting from the license agreement: > You may not use the Apple Software, Apple Certificates, or any Services provided hereunder for any purpose not expressly permitted by this Agreement, including any applicable Attachments and Schedules. You agree not to install, use or run the Apple SDKs on any non-Apple-branded computer, and not to install, use or run iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, watchOS, and Provisioning Profiles on or in connection with devices other than Apple-branded products, or to enable others to do so. Both xtool itself, and anyone who uses it, is violating this license agreement, and apple has shown itself in the past to be a real ass about this sort of thing. I think this can fly under the radar as long as no one uses it, but as soon as people actually start using this tool in any significant amount, I wouldn't be surprised if apple comes for it.
- sockbot 1y ago
  So running on Asahi is ok?
  - Jotalea 1y ago
    Asahi isn't Apple-branded but it runs on Apple hardware so.. I think it's ok. Though I'm not a lawyer, so I can't say for sure.
- paxcoder 1y ago
  Touched upon here: https://forums.swift.org/t/xtool-cross-platform-xcode-replacement-build-ios-apps-on-linux-and-more/79803 https://forums.swift.org/t/xtool-cross-platform-xcode-replac... We need to get EU on this case.
  - bornfreddy 1y ago
    This! There is no reason Apple should be able to dictate how their software and devices can be used just so they can exclude other companies from their ecosystem. This measure is a clear example of anti-competitive practices. Free market sometimes needs regulation to be kept free.
- CharlesW 1y ago
  > Both xtool itself, and anyone who uses it, is violating this license agreement, and apple has shown itself in the past to be a real ass about this sort of thing. Only with people dumb enough to build businesses on the back of Apple's IP (see: Corellium). Hobbyist/enthusiast use of Apple technologies (see: the Hackintosh community) has a long history of being tolerated.
- scripturial 1y ago
  I’m curious, would Apple know if you are building on Linux on a Mac, or building on Linux on PC?
  - bornfreddy 1y ago
iJohnDoe 1y ago
Can someone explain what this?
- yellow_lead 1y ago
  A tutorial showing how to use xtool to develop for iOS on Linux/Windows. Normally, it's limited to Mac OS only.
- scripturial 1y ago
  It allows automated builds of an Xcode project on a CI machine, VPS, or docker instance.
- v5v3 1y ago
  To make and release an android app you can do it on any windows, Linux or apple laptop or desktop. To make and release an iOS app, apple insist you can only do it on an apple machine. This is a cross platform solution challenging Apple's arrogance and greed.
malloc-0x90 1y ago
Never built on Apple, last time I tried: it asked me to update Xcode; Xcode asked me to update the OS first; and the OS asked me to buy a new 1300$€ MacBook hardware (with similar specs, the one I was using wasn't even that old/slow). So to quote Rick and Morty i though: "That's just subscription with extra steps!" - and made a windows program and an Android app.
- zombot 1y ago
  Exactly. Apparently Apple still finds enough idiots who perform that dance, but they've lost me. I can only hope others will follow and xtool looks like it can help.
  - lynx97 1y ago
    Do you call anyone who isn't of your opinion an idiot?
    - zombot 1y ago
      I'd argue it's not about my opinion. What my parent comment describes is a recognizable pattern that Apple has been pulling for over a decade now. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me ad nauseam again and again — well...
  - can16358p 1y ago
    Don't worry, those "idiots" are doing perfectly fine with great salaries and a nice developer experience who apparently figured out using archaic hardware for developing newer devices is practically pointless even if there were software support.
    - touwer 1y ago
      I wouldn't call XCode a nice developer experience. Hell comes closer
      - 1y ago
zombot 1y ago
More info about xtool: https://xtool.sh/documentation/xtool/ https://xtool.sh/documentation/xtool/ This looks damn cool.
lynx97 1y ago
[flagged]
Abishek_Muthian 1y ago
I was one of the early mobile app developers and after nearly a decade of wrangling with the tools & environment of the duopoly I got fed up and quit mobile app development. Recently I picked up Flutter and I really liked it. Apart from the declarative programming, not having to touch Android Studio and Xcode for building the app in Linux was the main contributor for the pleasant experience. I plan to release the app soon so I’ve already paid the Apple Tax for dev license and hardware but I still dread having to use Xcode; hopefully tools like xtool will help in that regard.
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
sureglymop 1y ago
Can I sideload the app to test/debug it on device without having to log into any online account? Can I sign the app bundle with my own debug keys? If no, it's still not interesting to me.
zoobab 1y ago
I use the language of my choice, not those programming languages imposed on us by the GAFAMs.
surrTurr 1y ago
has anyone actually published an app using this?
zer0zzz 1y ago
Are they using ldprime/ld64 or lld?
techlatest_net 1y ago
[dead]
kapildev 1y ago
Now, all that's remaining is an iOS simulator and developers can build for iOS without paying Apple anything except the $100 developer fee.

168 points by todsacerdoti 1y ago

sherdil2022 1y ago

Looks promising. But I am getting the following error when I run 'xtool dev': > status: "409", code: "ENTITY_ERROR", title: "There is a problem with the request entity", detail: "You already have a current Development certificate or a pending certificate request." I have even manually copied the development certificate and installed on the iPhone - but keep getting the same error when I do 'xtool dev' I have searched but none of the solutions worked so far. Will keep trying. Did anyone get this error and get past it? Please let me know how you got past this error.

sherdil2022 1y ago
Also, it looks like using tools like xtool will violate Apple Developer license. Not a lawyer - but do your due diligence.

TheDong 1y ago

You have to accept Apple's licensing agreement as part of downloading XCode to run this tool (which relies on XCode's SDKs etc). Quoting from the license agreement: > You may not use the Apple Software, Apple Certificates, or any Services provided hereunder for any purpose not expressly permitted by this Agreement, including any applicable Attachments and Schedules. You agree not to install, use or run the Apple SDKs on any non-Apple-branded computer, and not to install, use or run iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, watchOS, and Provisioning Profiles on or in connection with devices other than Apple-branded products, or to enable others to do so. Both xtool itself, and anyone who uses it, is violating this license agreement, and apple has shown itself in the past to be a real ass about this sort of thing. I think this can fly under the radar as long as no one uses it, but as soon as people actually start using this tool in any significant amount, I wouldn't be surprised if apple comes for it.

sockbot 1y ago
So running on Asahi is ok?
- Jotalea 1y ago
  Asahi isn't Apple-branded but it runs on Apple hardware so.. I think it's ok. Though I'm not a lawyer, so I can't say for sure.
paxcoder 1y ago
Touched upon here: https://forums.swift.org/t/xtool-cross-platform-xcode-replacement-build-ios-apps-on-linux-and-more/79803 https://forums.swift.org/t/xtool-cross-platform-xcode-replac... We need to get EU on this case.
- bornfreddy 1y ago
  This! There is no reason Apple should be able to dictate how their software and devices can be used just so they can exclude other companies from their ecosystem. This measure is a clear example of anti-competitive practices. Free market sometimes needs regulation to be kept free.
CharlesW 1y ago
> Both xtool itself, and anyone who uses it, is violating this license agreement, and apple has shown itself in the past to be a real ass about this sort of thing. Only with people dumb enough to build businesses on the back of Apple's IP (see: Corellium). Hobbyist/enthusiast use of Apple technologies (see: the Hackintosh community) has a long history of being tolerated.
scripturial 1y ago
I’m curious, would Apple know if you are building on Linux on a Mac, or building on Linux on PC?
- bornfreddy 1y ago

iJohnDoe 1y ago

Can someone explain what this?

yellow_lead 1y ago
A tutorial showing how to use xtool to develop for iOS on Linux/Windows. Normally, it's limited to Mac OS only.
scripturial 1y ago
It allows automated builds of an Xcode project on a CI machine, VPS, or docker instance.
v5v3 1y ago
To make and release an android app you can do it on any windows, Linux or apple laptop or desktop. To make and release an iOS app, apple insist you can only do it on an apple machine. This is a cross platform solution challenging Apple's arrogance and greed.

malloc-0x90 1y ago

Never built on Apple, last time I tried: it asked me to update Xcode; Xcode asked me to update the OS first; and the OS asked me to buy a new 1300$€ MacBook hardware (with similar specs, the one I was using wasn't even that old/slow). So to quote Rick and Morty i though: "That's just subscription with extra steps!" - and made a windows program and an Android app.

zombot 1y ago
Exactly. Apparently Apple still finds enough idiots who perform that dance, but they've lost me. I can only hope others will follow and xtool looks like it can help.
- lynx97 1y ago
  Do you call anyone who isn't of your opinion an idiot?
  - zombot 1y ago
    I'd argue it's not about my opinion. What my parent comment describes is a recognizable pattern that Apple has been pulling for over a decade now. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me ad nauseam again and again — well...
- can16358p 1y ago
  Don't worry, those "idiots" are doing perfectly fine with great salaries and a nice developer experience who apparently figured out using archaic hardware for developing newer devices is practically pointless even if there were software support.
  - touwer 1y ago
    I wouldn't call XCode a nice developer experience. Hell comes closer
    - 1y ago

zombot 1y ago

More info about xtool: https://xtool.sh/documentation/xtool/ https://xtool.sh/documentation/xtool/ This looks damn cool.

lynx97 1y ago

[flagged]

Abishek_Muthian 1y ago

I was one of the early mobile app developers and after nearly a decade of wrangling with the tools & environment of the duopoly I got fed up and quit mobile app development. Recently I picked up Flutter and I really liked it. Apart from the declarative programming, not having to touch Android Studio and Xcode for building the app in Linux was the main contributor for the pleasant experience. I plan to release the app soon so I’ve already paid the Apple Tax for dev license and hardware but I still dread having to use Xcode; hopefully tools like xtool will help in that regard.

deleted 1y ago
[deleted]

sureglymop 1y ago

Can I sideload the app to test/debug it on device without having to log into any online account? Can I sign the app bundle with my own debug keys? If no, it's still not interesting to me.

zoobab 1y ago

I use the language of my choice, not those programming languages imposed on us by the GAFAMs.

surrTurr 1y ago

has anyone actually published an app using this?

zer0zzz 1y ago

Are they using ldprime/ld64 or lld?

techlatest_net 1y ago

[dead]

kapildev 1y ago

Now, all that's remaining is an iOS simulator and developers can build for iOS without paying Apple anything except the $100 developer fee.