mcpbeat

Using Xtool

aiskillstore/using-xtool

This skill should be used when building iOS apps with xtool (Xcode-free iOS development), creating xtool projects, adding app extensions, or configuring xtool.yml. Triggers on "xtool", "SwiftPM iOS", "iOS on Linux", "iOS on Windows", "Xcode-free", "app extension", "widget extension", "share extension". Covers project setup, app extensions, and deployment.

This is a copy. The original lives at comeonoliver/using-xtool.

14k tokens
context cost
the whole folder, loaded on every use
2
files
instructions only
0
copies elsewhere
how many repositories repackaged it
404
stars on the repo
on the repository, not the skill itself

Install

one command, takes just this skill from the repository
npx skills add https://github.com/aiskillstore/marketplace --skill using-xtool

What comes with it

46 726 bytes besides the instruction
skill-report.json

The instruction itself

17 sections, as written by the author

Using xtool

Overview

xtool is a cross-platform Xcode replacement for building iOS apps with SwiftPM on Linux, Windows, and macOS. It is NOT XcodeGen, Tuist, or Xcode project files.

Critical: xtool is NOT XcodeGen

| xtool Uses | NOT These |

|------------|-----------|

| xtool.yml | project.yml, Project.swift |

| Package.swift (SwiftPM) | Xcode project files |

| xtool dev | xtool build, xtool run, xtool generate |

| Sources/ directory | Extensions/ directory |

Project Structure

MyApp/
├── Package.swift          # SwiftPM package definition
├── xtool.yml              # xtool configuration
├── Sources/
│   ├── MyApp/             # Main app target
│   │   ├── MyAppApp.swift
│   │   └── ContentView.swift
│   └── MyWidget/          # Extension target (if any)
│       └── Widget.swift
├── MyApp-Info.plist       # Optional custom Info.plist
└── MyWidget-Info.plist    # Required for extensions

Quick Reference: Commands

# Project lifecycle
xtool new MyApp              # Create new project
xtool new MyApp --skip-setup # Create without running setup
xtool dev                    # Build + run (same as `xtool dev run`)
xtool dev build              # Build only
xtool dev build --ipa        # Build IPA file
xtool dev run -s             # Run on iOS Simulator (--simulator)
xtool dev run -c release     # Release build (--configuration)
xtool dev run -u <udid>      # Target specific device (--udid)
xtool dev generate-xcode-project  # Generate .xcodeproj for debugging

# Device management
xtool devices                # List connected devices
xtool install app.ipa        # Install IPA to device
xtool launch                 # Launch installed app
xtool uninstall              # Uninstall app from device

# Authentication & setup
xtool setup                  # Full setup (auth + SDK)
xtool auth login             # Authenticate with Apple
xtool auth status            # Check auth status
xtool auth logout            # Log out
xtool sdk                    # Manage Darwin Swift SDK

# Developer Services
xtool ds teams               # List development teams
xtool ds certificates        # Manage certificates
xtool ds profiles            # Manage provisioning profiles

xtool.yml Format

Minimal:

version: 1
bundleID: com.example.MyApp

Full options:

version: 1
bundleID: com.example.MyApp
product: MyApp                    # Which SwiftPM product is main app
infoPath: MyApp-Info.plist        # Custom Info.plist (merged)
iconPath: Resources/AppIcon.png   # App icon (1024x1024 PNG)
entitlementsPath: App.entitlements
resources:                        # Files copied to app bundle root
  - Resources/GoogleServices-Info.plist
extensions:                       # App extensions
  - product: MyWidget
    infoPath: MyWidget-Info.plist

Adding App Extensions (Widgets, Share, etc.)

Step 1: Update Package.swift

Add BOTH a product AND a target. Note: xtool uses .library (not .executable) - it bundles the library into an iOS app.

// swift-tools-version: 6.0
import PackageDescription

let package = Package(
    name: "MyApp",
    platforms: [.iOS(.v17)],
    products: [
        .library(name: "MyApp", targets: ["MyApp"]),
        .library(name: "MyWidget", targets: ["MyWidget"]),  // ADD
    ],
    targets: [
        .target(name: "MyApp"),
        .target(name: "MyWidget"),  // ADD
    ]
)

Step 2: Update xtool.yml

version: 1
bundleID: com.example.MyApp
product: MyApp
extensions:
  - product: MyWidget
    infoPath: MyWidget-Info.plist

Step 3: Create Extension Info.plist

Minimal required (just the extension type):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>NSExtension</key>
    <dict>
        <key>NSExtensionPointIdentifier</key>
        <string>com.apple.widgetkit-extension</string>
    </dict>
</dict>
</plist>

Step 4: Create Extension Code

Sources/MyWidget/Widget.swift:

import WidgetKit
import SwiftUI

@main struct MyWidgetBundle: WidgetBundle {
    var body: some Widget { MyWidget() }
}

struct MyWidget: Widget {
    var body: some WidgetConfiguration {
        StaticConfiguration(kind: "MyWidget", provider: Provider()) { entry in
            Text(entry.date, style: .date)
                .containerBackground(.fill.tertiary, for: .widget)
        }
        .configurationDisplayName("My Widget")
    }
}

struct Entry: TimelineEntry { var date = Date() }

struct Provider: TimelineProvider {
    func placeholder(in context: Context) -> Entry { Entry() }
    func getSnapshot(in context: Context, completion: @escaping (Entry) -> Void) {
        completion(Entry())
    }
    func getTimeline(in context: Context, completion: @escaping (Entry) -> Void) {
        completion(Timeline(entries: [Entry()], policy: .after(.now + 3600)))
    }
}

Step 5: Build and Run

xtool dev

Common Extension Types

| Extension | NSExtensionPointIdentifier |

|-----------|---------------------------|

| Widget (WidgetKit) | com.apple.widgetkit-extension |

| Share | com.apple.share-services |

| Action | com.apple.ui-services |

| Safari | com.apple.Safari.web-extension |

| Keyboard | com.apple.keyboard-service |

| Today (deprecated) | com.apple.widget-extension |

Troubleshooting

| Error | Solution |

|-------|----------|

| "Untrusted Developer" | Settings > General > VPN & Device Management > Trust |

| Device not found | Connect USB, run xtool devices, enable Developer Mode |

| Auth failed | Run xtool auth login |

| Build fails on first run | Normal - SDK modules building. Wait for completion. |

Resources Configuration

SwiftPM resources (in bundle subdirectory):

.target(name: "MyApp", resources: [.copy("Blob.png")])
// Access: Image("Blob", bundle: Bundle.module)

Top-level resources (in app bundle root):

# xtool.yml
resources:
  - Resources/GoogleServices-Info.plist

Entitlements

# xtool.yml
entitlementsPath: App.entitlements
<!-- App.entitlements -->
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>com.apple.developer.homekit</key>
    <true/>
</dict>
</plist>

Common Mistakes

| Mistake | Fix |

|---------|-----|

| Using xtool build | Use xtool dev build |

| Using project.yml | Use xtool.yml |

| Using Extensions/ dir | Use Sources/ (standard SwiftPM) |

| Forgetting Package.swift | Extensions need product + target in Package.swift |

| Complex extension Info.plist | Only NSExtension/NSExtensionPointIdentifier required |

How to use it

Copy the folder

Take aiskillstore/using-xtool from the repository into ~/.claude/skills for personal use, or into .claude/skills inside a project.

Check the name does not clash

The agent identifies a skill by the name field in its header. Two skills with the same name cannot sit side by side — one of them will be ignored.