How To Run Xcode Linux Projects: Tools & Workarounds 2025

A guide to teach you everything about running an Xcode Linux Project, the practical tools, and whereabouts you never knew of.

Why Developers Want Xcode on Linux?

A little background! Xcode was first launched in 2003. Apple frequently provides package updates and continues to issue software updates.

Xcode includes a set of tools that developers use to create apps for Apple platforms. It also allows users to easily manage the entire development process, from creating the app to testing, optimizing, and submitting it to the App Store.

Features Crucial for Developing in the Apple Ecosystem:

• Includes a code editor, debugger, interface builder, and simulators.
• Vital for development specific to products.
• Grants access to the latest technologies from Apple.
• Provides a complete development environment.

Xcode is a macOS Cocoa application, meaning it depends heavily on macOS-specific frameworks and libraries that are not available on Linux. The low-level toolchain, like the GCC compiler family and the GDB debugger, is open-source and widely used across Unix and Linux systems. However, the complete Xcode IDE, which features the editor, project management, and graphical debugger, cannot be used on Linux.

Running Xcode Linux On A Project: Practical Workarounds!

Prerequisites:

Xcode is a software development tool made by Apple that’s:

• a proprietary software designed for macOS and Apple hardware
• An Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
• a collection of tools for creating Apple-related apps

Since it’s closed-source software, we can’t just run the Xcode app on Linux. But the open-source movement is pretty strong in the entire Unix world, which includes both macOS and Linux. So, it’s not surprising that the low-level tools and libraries that help build Xcode are open source.

Even so, the high-level parts of the IDE are proprietary content specifically designed for macOS, and attempting to run the Xcode app directly on Linux would breach the Apple Xcode End User License Agreement.

Darling

Darling is a translation layer that allows Linux users to run macOS applications. At present, Darling supports basic graphical user interface (GUI) apps and some command-line applications. Therefore, we can utilize the Xcode command-line tool through Darling.

Build and Install Darling

First, we need to download the required dependencies for our Linux distribution. For instance, let’s download and install what’s needed on Ubuntu:

$ sudo apt-get install cmake clang bison flex xz-utils libfuse-dev libudev-dev pkg-config \<br>libc6-dev:i386 linux-headers-generic gcc-multilib libcap2-bin libcairo2-dev libgl1-mesa-dev \<br>libtiff5-dev libfreetype6-dev libfreetype6-dev:i386 git libelf-dev libxml2-dev libegl1-mesa-dev \<br>libfontconfig1-dev libbsd-dev

Next, we will clone the Darling git repository to our local machine:

$ git clone --recursive https://github.com/darlinghq/darling.git

Then, we will navigate to the Darling clone directory:

$ cd darling

Now, let’s create a build directory for the build process:

$ mkdir build && cd build

Inside the build directory, we will configure the build using CMake:

$ cmake ..

Now, we will build Darling using make:

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$ make

It’s important to note that the actual build process may take up to an hour, depending on the resources available on our machine.

Finally, we will install Darling, build the Darling kernel module, and install darling_mach:

$ sudo make install<br>$ make lkm<br>$ sudo make lkm_install

At this stage, we have set up Darling on our Linux system. Next, we will proceed with installing and running the Xcode command-line tool.

Install Xcode on Linux With Darling

To execute a program on Linux using Darling, we first need to access the Darling subsystem and start a macOS shell environment by running the darling shell:

$ darling shell

Now, we can execute macOS system commands. Additionally, any further macOS software installation occurs within the darling shell. Therefore, running commands is not possible without connecting to Darling

Finally, we can download and install Xcode command-line tools.

Xcode: Benefits and Cross-Platform Methods

Product-Specific Development:

• Xcode is tailored for creating software for Apple’s platforms.
• It includes tools and frameworks that are optimized for the distinct features of each platform.

Comprehensive Development Environment:

• Xcode Linux provides you with a complete set of tools that encompasses the whole software development lifecycle.

Access to Apple’s Latest Technologies:

• Xcode receives regular updates with the newest technologies and features from Apple.

App Store Submission:

• Xcode makes it easier to submit applications to the App Store.

Cross-Platform Approaches:

• Visual Studio: Microsoft’s IDE facilitates cross-platform applications through Xamarin.
• React Native: Facebook’s open-source framework allows for cross-platform apps using JavaScript and React.
• Flutter: Google’s mobile app SDK enables developers to create cross-platform applications with Dart.

Note: These methods allow the use of non-Apple development environments, but they may not achieve the same level of integration and optimization as Xcode.

Best Alternatives to Xcode Linux Developers

The table shows the top alternatives to Xcode for Linux:

Conclusion

For many of you, this might have come as a shock that Xcode Linux can’t be directly installed. But the bright side is that with the right tools and some workarounds, you can still develop Swift, iOS, and macOS projects right from your Linux setup. Whether you opt for virtual machines, cloud-based macOS options, or alternatives like VS Code and CLion, Linux can definitely be part of your Apple development process.

For complete iOS app deployment, you’ll eventually need a Mac at some point, but Xcode Linux will offer you flexibility, speed, and robust development tools to tackle most of your coding needs.

FAQ’S