iOS troubleshooting

Full Xcode was not found

/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools is not enough. Install Xcode, then verify:

xcode-select -p
xcodebuild -version
xcrun --sdk iphonesimulator --show-sdk-path

If several Xcode versions are installed, set DEVELOPER_DIR for the command or select the intended version yourself. cargo-ferry never runs sudo xcode-select.

Rust target is missing

rustup target add aarch64-apple-ios-sim
cargo ferry doctor

No Simulator runtime

This does not block cargo ferry build ios --simulator. The build uses the installed SDK without a destination. A runtime/device is required only to install or launch the result.

Cargo failed before Xcode

Inspect:

target/ferry/ios/logs/debug/01-cargo-build.log

Confirm the requested binary exists in Cargo.toml, features are spelled correctly, Slint enables backend-winit and renderer-skia, and the project compiles for aarch64-apple-ios-sim.

Xcode failed

Inspect:

target/ferry/ios/logs/debug/02-xcodebuild.log

The generated project is disposable. Do not repair it manually; fix ferry.toml or the generator and rebuild. All generated paths remain below target/ferry/ios/.

Validation errors name the exact failed invariant: plist key/value, missing executable/resource, architecture, Cargo-binary mismatch, framework entry, extension count, extension point, or bundle identifier. A non-zero result means the .app must not be distributed as a successful artifact.

Call widgets::update after the iOS runtime is installed, then verify the configured app-group identifier is identical for the app and extension. The bridge writes rustferry.widget.snapshot and requests a timeline reload, but WidgetKit controls refresh timing. Fallback values mean no readable snapshot reached that app-group suite; inspect the typed Rust error before treating it as a presentation bug.

Live Activity cannot start

The ActivityKit bridge is compiled and linked. Check that Live Activity is enabled, the deployment target is iOS 16.1 or newer, the runtime was installed before the call, and live_activity::is_supported() is true. Surface the typed start error: OS availability or user settings can reject a request even when the .appex is structurally valid. Runtime behavior has not yet been observed in this project’s Simulator environment.

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