How can I use the legacy build system with Xcode 10's `xcodebuild`?

Question

I'd like to use the new build system of Xcode 10 for development, but our build in our continuous integration system fails since the xcarchive produced has an issue: the Info.plist in the xcarchive is missing the ApplicationProperties key and the information therein!

It turns out switching back to the legacy build system fixes this. This can be done in the workspace settings (File > Workspace Settings… > Build System). But I would prefer to keep the new build system for development and only use the legacy build system for CI builds.

Is there a way to make xcodebuild use the legacy build system without modifying the workspace?

Solution 1

There is an (as of yet undocumented) flag in xcodebuild: -UseModernBuildSystem=<value>. The value can be either 0 or NO to use the legacy ("original") build system, or 1 or YES to use the new build system.

For example:

xcodebuild -workspace Foo.xcworkspace -scheme Bar -configuration Release -archivePath /path/to/Foo.xcarchive clean archive -UseModernBuildSystem=NO

(-UseNewBuildSystem=<value> seems to work as well; this flags was introduced in Xcode 9 but I suspect UseModernBuildSystem is going to be the "official" flag for this.)

Solution 2

Change build system to Legacy Build System from New Build System and vice versa.

Open Xcode --> Select File -->Select Workspace Settings

Change Build System to Legacy Build System from New Build System --> Click Done.

Solution 3

To extend DarkDust's answer, in case you're using fastlane for automated builds, additional parameters such as UseModernBuildSystem can be passed through xcargs:

build_app(
   // ... other necessary parameters,
   xcargs: "-UseModernBuildSystem=NO"
)

Solution 4

To select Xcode 10's build system:

In Xcode, go to: File -> Project Settings (or Workspace Settings)-> Build System

From there you can select New Build System (Default) or Legacy Build System

Hope this help makes this easier.

Solution 5

Currently, I'm using Xcode version 12.0 (12A7209) and follow the below steps and then you can use legacy build mode:

1. Workspace Setting:

   

2. Set the legacy build mode:

   

View more solutions

Comments

[cynistersix]

Do you think this is a bug with Xcode or something else going on where that entry in the plist is missing?

[DarkDust]

@cynistersix: I think so, yes. There seem to be other issues with the new build system as well: for example, if you're using CocoaPods and change a file in a pod the new build system doesn't correctly recompile it, you have to clean the project first. My guess is that since the new buildsystem is an improvement but not perfect yet they also left in the support for the legacy buildsystem.

[niko.mikulicic]

This will change project settings. The question was about xcodebuild using the legacy build system without modifying the workspace

[CrazyOne]

True Niko, thanks for clarifying. Hopefully this will help those that do need it otherwise.

[DarkDust]

Thank you, but as stated in the question, that's already known. This question is about the xcodebuild tool.

[Mattijs]

In Xcode 11, this menu item is called Project Settings

[Dipesh Pokhrel]

how to do for CI

[sejn]

If we change this to deprecated one, is it a good thing to change this?

[AmerllicA]

@sejn, This answer is not about being good or not, if someone needs to change the build type to legacy one, this is the way.

[sejn]

@AmerllicA I am getting the below error after changing to Legacy build system. The legacy build system does not support building projects with Swift when SWIFT_ENABLE_LIBRARY_EVOLUTION is enabled.