Building and shipping Mac and iOS apps without opening Xcode (scottwillsey.com)

Article summary

The article describes a process for building and shipping Mac and iOS apps without opening Xcode, using command-line tools and a large language model (LLM) like Claude Code. The process involves installing Xcode, setting up a Developer ID certificate, and creating a script to automate the build and deployment process. The script uses tools like xcodebuild, notarytool, and stapler to archive, sign, notarize, and install the app. This approach allows for a fully headless build pipeline, eliminating the need to interact with the Xcode GUI.

Main themes

• Xcode alternatives
• Command-line tools
• LLM-assisted development
• Automated build pipelines
• Mac and iOS app development

What commenters say

• The described process is a viable alternative to using the Xcode GUI for building and shipping Mac and iOS apps.
• The use of LLMs like Claude Code can simplify the development process by automating tasks and providing guidance.
• Some developers prefer bespoke solutions over community tools, as they can be tailored to specific project needs and reduce dependencies.
• Others argue that relying on shell scripts and LLMs may lead to a lack of standardization and community-driven tooling.
• The Xcode command-line tools installer is seen as insufficient, as it omits important tools like the notary and stapler tools.
• There is a need for self-hostable Linux-based build servers for iOS app development, which could be the next frontier in iOS app tooling.