Cordova app failing to Archive with Xcode 7.3 (Cordova/CDVViewController.h' file not found)

Question

I have a project with Cordova(6.1.1)/Phonegap(5.3.10). I am trying to build an ipa file with Xcode 7.3. When I click on Product > Archive the build fails, and the log says: 'Cordova/CDVViewController.h' file not found. I can successfully build the project to a device, so i am kinda lost knowing what the problem might be.

I have tried to change the Header Search Path from

"$(OBJROOT)/UninstalledProducts/include"

to

"$(OBJROOT)/UninstalledProducts/$(PLATFORM_NAME)/include"

from reading this post Xcode 7.2: In “Archive”: Getting the issue: “Cordova/CDVViewController.h’ file not found ”. While there is no such issues in building the app

I have tried to change chage to enable bitcode to "no", but still no luck at Archiving my app.

From many readings here on stackoverflow the issue seems to be with header search path, but this havent solved my issue. Dont know if there is something else on Xcode 7.3, because the other posts is with Xcode 7.2 and below. Dont know how to solve this issue, has anyone else experienced this problem?

Update (Solution):

Under Build Settings > Deployment > Install owner. I left that blank and then it finally worked.

Solution 1

Try this out, this should work.

• Run this in your terminal: cordova platform update ios

• Open your project in Xcode

• Go to Preference -> Locations -> Advanced

• Choose "Unique" as the option for Build Location

• Product -> Clean

• Product -> Build

Try out cordova platform update ios as well as it fixed the problem for the questioner

Solution 2

If you have tried all the suggestions above and still it does not work. You can try these:

First check if you have this folder "CordovaLib", under: platforms->ios

Second, make sure you have the icons and splash images in your "resources" folder.

if not:

$ ionic resources

then run:

ionic platform remove ios
ionic platform add ios

These commands will install "CordovaLib" folder, then do the build again.

Comments

[Michał Rakowski]

cordova platform update ios was what I was missing to solve this. Thanks a lot.

[Dom Hede]

@Gandhi THANK YOU!!

[Adriano Spadoni]

to me, it was --> Choose "Unique" as the option for Build Location

[Wouter]

Wow, I spent quite some time looking for the answer and this solved it. Thank you! The Ionic/Cordova project was building fine from the terminal. Building it in Xcode 9 failed. It was not project specific, because it was the same for every Ionic/Cordova project. For me the solution was also choosing 'Unique' as the option for Build Location. It was set to 'Legacy'.