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Release v2.5.0

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@github-actions github-actions released this 07 May 21:36
v2.5.0
5c3a781

Release v2.5.0

Breaking

Standalone log-capture tools removed

The old logging workflow and its standalone log-capture tools (start_sim_log_cap, stop_sim_log_cap, start_device_log_cap, stop_device_log_cap, and launch_app_logs_sim) have been removed. This affects users, scripts, and agents that call those tool names directly.

Use the launch or build-and-run tools instead. They return runtime log paths as part of the normal result, so agents no longer need a separate start/stop log-capture sequence.

Before:

xcodebuildmcp logging start-sim-log-cap --simulator-id <UDID> --bundle-id com.example.MyApp
xcodebuildmcp simulator launch-app --simulator-id <UDID> --bundle-id com.example.MyApp
xcodebuildmcp logging stop-sim-log-cap --pid <PID>

After:

xcodebuildmcp simulator build-and-run --scheme MyApp --project-path ./MyApp.xcodeproj

# Or, for an app that is already installed on a simulator:
xcodebuildmcp simulator launch-app --simulator-id <UDID> --bundle-id com.example.MyApp

For MCP clients, use build_run_sim or launch_app_sim and read the returned runtime log path.

Runtime launch arguments now use launchArgs

Build-and-run and launch-only tools now separate build settings from app launch arguments. This affects users, scripts, and agents that previously passed runtime arguments through extraArgs or the launch-only args input.

If you do nothing, app runtime arguments may not reach the launched process, and launch-only calls that still use args will fail validation. Move app arguments to launchArgs; keep extraArgs only for xcodebuild flags and build setting overrides.

Before:

xcodebuildmcp simulator build-and-run --json '{
  "scheme": "MyApp",
  "projectPath": "./MyApp.xcodeproj",
  "extraArgs": ["--uitesting"]
}'

After:

xcodebuildmcp simulator build-and-run --json '{
  "scheme": "MyApp",
  "projectPath": "./MyApp.xcodeproj",
  "launchArgs": ["--uitesting"]
}'

Launch-only tools use the same input:

xcodebuildmcp simulator launch-app --json '{
  "simulatorId": "<UDID>",
  "bundleId": "com.example.MyApp",
  "launchArgs": ["--uitesting"]
}'

For MCP clients, use launchArgs on build_run_sim, build_run_device, build_run_macos, launch_app_sim, launch_app_device, and launch_mac_app. See CLI.

New! Structured outputs

XcodeBuildMCP now returns structured, machine-readable results across supported MCP clients and the CLI. Agents and scripts no longer have to scrape prose to find build status, log paths, bundle IDs, process IDs, test failures, or app paths. The human-readable text remains available, but every supported result now has a consistent envelope with the same fields:

{
  "schema": "xcodebuildmcp.output.build-run-result",
  "schemaVersion": "1",
  "didError": false,
  "error": null,
  "data": { }
}

For agents, this reduces token usage and makes tool results easier to act on reliably. Instead of rereading a full text transcript to find the build log, runtime log, or launched process, the agent can jump straight to fields such as data.artifacts.buildLogPath, data.artifacts.runtimeLogPath, data.artifacts.osLogPath, data.artifacts.appPath, data.artifacts.bundleId, and data.artifacts.processId.

MCP clients

MCP clients that support structured tool results receive structuredContent alongside the existing text response. The text remains useful for humans and older clients; supported clients can use the structured fields directly.

Example Build & Run result shape:

{
  "schema": "xcodebuildmcp.output.build-run-result",
  "schemaVersion": "1",
  "didError": false,
  "error": null,
  "data": {
    "summary": { "status": "SUCCEEDED", "durationMs": 1234, "target": "simulator" },
    "artifacts": {
      "appPath": "~/Library/Developer/XcodeBuildMCP/DerivedData/.../CalculatorApp.app",
      "bundleId": "io.sentry.calculatorapp",
      "processId": 99999,
      "buildLogPath": "~/Library/Developer/XcodeBuildMCP/logs/build_run_sim_...log",
      "runtimeLogPath": "~/Library/Developer/XcodeBuildMCP/logs/io.sentry.calculatorapp_...log",
      "osLogPath": "~/Library/Developer/XcodeBuildMCP/logs/io.sentry.calculatorapp_oslog_...log"
    }
  }
}

CLI JSON output

The CLI now supports --output text|json|jsonl|raw for tool commands. text remains the default. Use --output json when a script, CI job, or agent needs one final result document:

xcodebuildmcp simulator build-and-run --output json
{
  "schema": "xcodebuildmcp.output.build-run-result",
  "schemaVersion": "1",
  "didError": false,
  "error": null,
  "data": {
    "request": { "scheme": "CalculatorApp", "platform": "iOS Simulator" },
    "summary": { "status": "SUCCEEDED", "durationMs": 1234, "target": "simulator" },
    "artifacts": { "buildLogPath": "~/Library/Developer/XcodeBuildMCP/logs/build_run_sim_...log" },
    "diagnostics": { "warnings": [], "errors": [] }
  }
}

Use --output jsonl for live progress as newline-delimited JSON, one event per line:

{"event":"build-result.invocation","operation":"BUILD","request":{"scheme":"CalculatorApp","platform":"iOS Simulator"}}
{"event":"build-result.build-stage","operation":"BUILD","stage":"COMPILING","message":"Compiling CalculatorApp"}
{"event":"build-result.build-summary","operation":"BUILD","status":"SUCCEEDED","durationMs":3421}

Failures use the same envelope as successes, so callers can rely on didError, error, data.summary, data.diagnostics, and test-specific fields like testCases and testFailures instead of handling every command differently.

Published schemas

The structured result contracts are published as JSON Schema and can be used to validate output or generate types:

https://xcodebuildmcp.com/schemas/structured-output/<schema-name>/<version>.schema.json

For example: xcodebuildmcp.output.build-run-result v1. See Output Formats for the full reference.

Added

  • Added xcodebuildmcp upgrade to check for available updates and upgrade in place, with --check for report-only use and --yes/-y for non-interactive upgrades.
  • Added a platform-aware xcodebuildmcp setup wizard: choose macOS, iOS, tvOS, watchOS, or visionOS up front; get platform-appropriate workflow recommendations; skip simulator/device prompts for macOS-only projects; and reuse previous choices when re-running setup. Single-platform setups also include the platform in generated config and --format mcp-json output. See Setup (#365, based on work by @ichoosetoaccept).
  • Added XCODEBUILDMCP_CWD so MCP clients that cannot choose the server's start directory can still point project config discovery and relative-path resolution at the right workspace. See Environment Variables.
  • Added per-test timing output, so agents and scripts can identify slow tests without opening the full test report. JSON and structured results include a testCases list, and text output can show per-test durations with showTestTiming or XCODEBUILDMCP_SHOW_TEST_TIMING=1 (#339 by @codeman9).
  • Added default result bundles for simulator, device, macOS, and Swift Package test runs, so agents can inspect detailed test artifacts without manually choosing a result bundle path.
  • Added opt-in idle shutdown for unused MCP server processes via XCODEBUILDMCP_MCP_IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS, reducing leftover background processes for clients that keep server sessions open (#398). See Environment Variables.
  • Added toggle_software_keyboard and toggle_connect_hardware_keyboard tools for showing/hiding the iOS Simulator software keyboard and connecting/disconnecting the Mac hardware keyboard. See Tools Reference (#346, #347 by @yjmeqt).
  • Added tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS support to build_device, so physical-device builds are no longer limited to iOS. See Device Code Signing (#352 by @bitxeno).

Changed

  • CLI build and test commands now show live progress while they are running instead of waiting until the command finishes. See Output Formats.
  • CLI text output now shows file paths in a more readable Files: list by default. Use --file-path-render-style tree, filePathRenderStyle, or XCODEBUILDMCP_FILE_PATH_RENDER_STYLE if you prefer the compact tree layout used by MCP text responses (#402). See Output Formats.
  • Xcode IDE tool results are now shorter in final output, with full details still accessible when needed. CLI JSON and JSONL output now work for Xcode IDE tool calls too (#396).
  • Runtime log capture is more reliable across restarts, cleans itself up when apps stop or the server shuts down, and avoids stopping active log streams from another workspace (#382).
  • XcodeBuildMCP now cleans up old logs and temporary build artifacts more reliably without disrupting concurrent active sessions (#391).
  • Builds and tests now use an isolated DerivedData location per workspace or project when you have not set derivedDataPath, reducing cross-project build conflicts while keeping explicit derivedDataPath settings unchanged (#340, #341 by @codeman9).
  • Long-form documentation has moved to xcodebuildmcp.com/docs, with the README focused on installation, setup, and quick links to the hosted guides.

Fixed

  • Fixed shell-injection vulnerabilities when user-provided values were passed to Apple developer tools, log-capture queries, bundle ID extraction, and macOS launch flows (#289 by @sebastiondev, #390 by @voidborne-d).
  • Fixed a path traversal vulnerability that could allow reading files outside the expected scope.
  • Fixed portable macOS installs missing a required runtime dependency, which could make packaged installs fail when commands needed file matching.
  • Fixed configured paths that begin with ~ or ~/ so project, workspace, DerivedData, AXe, and template paths resolve under the user's home directory instead of creating literal ~ folders. Absolute configured paths are now normalized before use (#283, supersedes #301 by @trmquang93).
  • Fixed device build next-step guidance so agents no longer suggest unsupported --device-id or deviceId arguments (#287, #300 by @trmquang93, #350 by @MukundaKatta).
  • Fixed Xcode IDE manual disconnect immediately reconnecting after the user explicitly disconnected it (#343, #344 by @shaun0927).
  • Fixed simulator defaults refresh so stale simulator IDs are reconciled when both a simulator name and ID are configured, without rewriting shared project config files unnecessarily (#357).
  • Fixed session profile output so the persisted field accurately reflects whether a profile switch was saved.
  • Fixed long-running commands that could hang even after completing.
  • Fixed build and test failures after command startup returning incomplete output; they now finish with a clear error result and log paths.
  • Fixed final text and JSON results changing unexpectedly when commands also stream live progress (#360).
  • Fixed test result output so agents can find xcresult bundle paths after simulator, device, macOS, and Swift Package test runs (#397).
  • Fixed test summaries and progress output so CLI tests no longer show false compiler errors, mixed Swift Testing/XCTest suites are counted accurately, parameterized Swift Testing cases are not overcounted, and simulator test progress stays visible while tests run (#383, #392).
  • Fixed device tool calls that use session defaults so they no longer fail when platform is omitted.

Various other internal improvements to stability, performance, and code quality.

Option A — Homebrew (no Node.js required)

Install:

brew tap getsentry/xcodebuildmcp
brew install xcodebuildmcp

MCP config:

"XcodeBuildMCP": {
  "command": "xcodebuildmcp",
  "args": ["mcp"]
}

Option B — npm / npx (Node.js 18+)

Install:

npm install -g xcodebuildmcp@latest

MCP config:

"XcodeBuildMCP": {
  "command": "npx",
  "args": ["-y", "xcodebuildmcp@latest", "mcp"]
}

📦 NPM Package: https://www.npmjs.com/package/xcodebuildmcp/v/2.5.0

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