Error running pod install: How to solve this problem?

Question

I've searched a lot but unfortunately I didn't find a solution. For my flutter project I added the Firebase plug in in the pubspec.yaml file and since then I wasn't able to run the project on my iPhone anymore.

It says: Exception: Error running pod install

What I tried so far: deleting the podfile and run pod install --repo-update but it didn't work. Can someone PLEASE help me? Thank you so much!

This is what my terminal shows when I try to run the project:

lib/main.dart:1
Automatically signing iOS for device deployment using specified development team in Xcode project: 7F67C53MP2
CocoaPods' output:
↳
      Preparing
    Analyzing dependencies
    Inspecting targets to integrate
      Using `ARCHS` setting to build architectures of target `Pods-Runner`: (``)
Fetching external sources
    -> Fetching podspec for `Flutter` from `Flutter`
    -> Fetching podspec for `cloud_firestore` from `.symlinks/plugins/cloud_firestore/ios`
    cloud_firestore: Using Firebase SDK version '8.0.0' defined in 'firebase_core'
    -> Fetching podspec for `firebase_core` from `.symlinks/plugins/firebase_core/ios`
    firebase_core: Using Firebase SDK version '8.0.0' defined in 'firebase_core'
    Resolving dependencies of `Podfile`
    ――― MARKDOWN TEMPLATE ―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――
    ### Command
    ```
    /usr/local/bin/pod install --verbose
    ```
    ### Report
    * What did you do?
    * What did you expect to happen?
    * What happened instead?
    ### Stack
    ```
       CocoaPods : 1.10.1
            Ruby : ruby 2.6.3p62 (2019-04-16 revision 67580) [universal.x86_64-darwin20]
        RubyGems : 3.0.3
            Host : macOS 11.3 (20E232)
           Xcode : 12.5 (12E262)
             Git : git version 2.30.1 (Apple Git-130)
    Ruby lib dir : /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.6/usr/lib
    Repositories :
    ```
    ### Plugins
    ```
    cocoapods-deintegrate : 1.0.4
    cocoapods-plugins     : 1.0.0
    cocoapods-search      : 1.0.0
    cocoapods-trunk       : 1.5.0
    cocoapods-try         : 1.2.0
    ```
    ### Podfile
    ```ruby
# Uncomment this line to define a global platform for your project
    # platform :ios, '10.0'
    # CocoaPods analytics sends network stats synchronously affecting flutter build latency.
    ENV['COCOAPODS_DISABLE_STATS'] = 'true'
    project 'Runner', {
      'Debug' => :debug,
      'Profile' => :release,
      'Release' => :release,
    }
    def flutter_root
      generated_xcode_build_settings_path = File.expand_path(File.join('..', 'Flutter', 'Generated.xcconfig'), __FILE__)
      unless File.exist?(generated_xcode_build_settings_path)
        raise "#{generated_xcode_build_settings_path} must exist. If you're running pod install manually, make sure flutter pub get is executed first"
      end
      File.foreach(generated_xcode_build_settings_path) do |line|
        matches = line.match(/FLUTTER_ROOT\=(.*)/)
        return matches[1].strip if matches
      end
      raise "FLUTTER_ROOT not found in #{generated_xcode_build_settings_path}. Try deleting Generated.xcconfig, then run flutter pub get"
    end
    require File.expand_path(File.join('packages', 'flutter_tools', 'bin', 'podhelper'), flutter_root)
    flutter_ios_podfile_setup
    target 'Runner' do
      use_frameworks!
      use_modular_headers!
      flutter_install_all_ios_pods File.dirname(File.realpath(__FILE__))
    end
    post_install do |installer|
      installer.pods_project.targets.each do |target|
        flutter_additional_ios_build_settings(target)
      end
    end
    ```
    ### Error
    ```
LoadError - dlopen(/Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/ffi-1.15.1/lib/ffi_c.bundle, 9): no suitable image found.  Did find:
        /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/ffi-1.15.1/lib/ffi_c.bundle: mach-o, but wrong architecture
        /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/ffi-1.15.1/lib/ffi_c.bundle: mach-o, but wrong architecture - /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/ffi-1.15.1/lib/ffi_c.bundle
2
    /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.6/usr/lib/ruby/2.6.0/rubygems/core_ext/kernel_require.rb:54:in `require'
    /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/ffi-1.15.1/lib/ffi.rb:5:in `rescue in <top (required)>'
    /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/ffi-1.15.1/lib/ffi.rb:2:in `<top (required)>'
2
    /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.6/usr/lib/ruby/2.6.0/rubygems/core_ext/kernel_require.rb:54:in `require'
    /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/ethon-0.14.0/lib/ethon.rb:3:in `<top (required)>'
2
    /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.6/usr/lib/ruby/2.6.0/rubygems/core_ext/kernel_require.rb:54:in `require'
    /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/typhoeus-1.4.0/lib/typhoeus.rb:2:in `<top (required)>'
2
    /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.6/usr/lib/ruby/2.6.0/rubygems/core_ext/kernel_require.rb:54:in `require'
    /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/cocoapods-1.10.1/lib/cocoapods/sources_manager.rb:74:in `cdn_url?'
    /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/cocoapods-1.10.1/lib/cocoapods/sources_manager.rb:36:in `create_source_with_url'
    /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/cocoapods-1.10.1/lib/cocoapods/sources_manager.rb:21:in `find_or_create_source_with_url'
    /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/cocoapods-1.10.1/lib/cocoapods/installer/analyzer.rb:178:in `block in sources'
    /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/cocoapods-1.10.1/lib/cocoapods/installer/analyzer.rb:177:in `map'
    /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/cocoapods-1.10.1/lib/cocoapods/installer/analyzer.rb:177:in `sources'
    /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/cocoapods-1.10.1/lib/cocoapods/installer/analyzer.rb:1073:in `block in resolve_dependencies'
    /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/cocoapods-1.10.1/lib/cocoapods/user_interface.rb:64:in `section'
    /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/cocoapods-1.10.1/lib/cocoapods/installer/analyzer.rb:1072:in `resolve_dependencies'
/Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/cocoapods-1.10.1/lib/cocoapods/installer/analyzer.rb:124:in `analyze'
    /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/cocoapods-1.10.1/lib/cocoapods/installer.rb:414:in `analyze'
    /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/cocoapods-1.10.1/lib/cocoapods/installer.rb:239:in `block in resolve_dependencies'
    /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/cocoapods-1.10.1/lib/cocoapods/user_interface.rb:64:in `section'
    /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/cocoapods-1.10.1/lib/cocoapods/installer.rb:238:in `resolve_dependencies'
    /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/cocoapods-1.10.1/lib/cocoapods/installer.rb:160:in `install!'
    /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/cocoapods-1.10.1/lib/cocoapods/command/install.rb:52:in `run'
    /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/claide-1.0.3/lib/claide/command.rb:334:in `run'
    /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/cocoapods-1.10.1/lib/cocoapods/command.rb:52:in `run'
    /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.6.0/gems/cocoapods-1.10.1/bin/pod:55:in `<top (required)>'
    /usr/local/bin/pod:23:in `load'
    /usr/local/bin/pod:23:in `<main>'
    ```
    ――― TEMPLATE END ――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――
    [!] Oh no, an error occurred.
    Search for existing GitHub issues similar to yours:
    https://github.com/CocoaPods/CocoaPods/search?q=dlopen%28%2FLibrary%2FRuby%2FGems%2F2.6.0%2Fgems%2Fffi-1.15.1%2Flib%2Fffi_c.bundle%2C+9%29%3A+no+suitable+image+found.++Did+find%3A%0A%09%2FLibrary%2FRuby%2FGems%2F2.6.0%2Fgems%2Fffi-1.15.1%2Flib%2Fffi_c.bundle%3A+mach-o%2C+but+wrong+architecture%0A%09%2FLibrary%2FRuby%2FGems%2F2.6.0%2Fgems%2Fffi-1.15.1%2Flib%2Fffi_c.bundle%3A+mach-o%2C+but+wrong+architecture+-+%2FLibrary%2FRuby%2FGems%2F2.6.0%2Fgems%2Fffi-1.15.1%2Flib%2Fffi_c.bundle&type=Issues
    If none exists, create a ticket, with the template displayed above, on:
    https://github.com/CocoaPods/CocoaPods/issues/new
    Be sure to first read the contributing guide for details on how to properly submit a ticket:
    https://github.com/CocoaPods/CocoaPods/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md
    Don't forget to anonymize any private data!
    Looking for related issues on cocoapods/cocoapods...
Error output from CocoaPods:
↳
    Searching for inspections failed: undefined method `map' for nil:NilClass
    [!] Automatically assigning platform `iOS` with version `12.1` on target `Runner` because no platform was specified. Please specify a platform for this target in your Podfile. See `https://guides.cocoapods.org/syntax/podfile.html#platform`.
Exception: Error running pod install
Exited (sigterm)

Solution 1

On M1 macs, this is a known issue. Here's what you should do.

1. Run this command (need to be run only first time)

sudo arch -x86_64 gem install ffi

2. Install your pods like this.

arch -x86_64 pod install

Going forward, you need to run only the second command for pod install.

Source 1 : Got error while trying pod install #10220

Source 2 : pod install /w m1 macbook #10518

Solution 2

If you don't want to have to remember to include arch -x86_64 every time you run pod install, I found an alternative answer in Apple's forums that worked for me:

1. Uninstall CocoaPods (if installed by gem)

$ [sudo] gem uninstall cocoapods     # use sudo if cocoapods was installed using sudo

2. Install CocoaPods using Homebrew

$ brew install cocoapods

3. Install pods using the normal command!

$ pod install

Installing pods worked like a charm with the Homebrew version of CocoaPods!

---

This answer may not be for everyone; CocoaPods' site doesn't officially recommend using Homebrew to install, and not everyone uses Homebrew. But I like Homebrew, and I found this a lot easier than having to change my command for installing pods. Credit to treekie_ for this answer originally, but sharing here in case others find this first.