alt Hacker NewsBuild an iOS app on Linux or Windows
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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.
I use the language of my choice, not those programming languages imposed on us by the GAFAMs.
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has anyone actually published an app using this?
Are they using ldprime/ld64 or lld?
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.
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.
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.
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.