xtool
MIT cross-platform Xcode replacement for SwiftPM iOS apps
DevOps / Mobile Build · OSS/MIT · 12.8k
Reviewed 2026-10-15 · last push 2026-10-19 · repo checked 2026-10-19
What's Good
MIT (xtool-org/xtool), release 1.22.2. One AppImage on Linux, a `xtool setup` that logs in to Apple and builds an iOS Swift SDK from Xcode.xip, then `xtool new`, `xtool dev`, `install` and `launch` from the terminal or VS Code. The XKit library exposes Apple Developer Services and device access to your own Swift code. Useful for agents and CI boxes that run Linux but need to ship to an iPhone. ★~11k.
The Catch
You still need Apple’s Xcode.xip (Apple ID login and Xcode licence) to generate the SDK, plus the Swift toolchain and usbmuxd. Without a paid Apple Developer membership you log in with your Apple ID password over private Apple APIs — the docs suggest a throwaway Apple ID. Projects must be SwiftPM packages, and WSL needs USB passthrough to reach the device.
Verdict
The real way to do iOS work from Linux today — keep a Mac around for anything xtool does not cover yet.
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