Beginning in the present day, you possibly can construct functions on macOS with AWS CodeBuild. Now you can construct artifacts on managed Apple M2 machines that run on macOS 14 Sonoma. AWS CodeBuild is a totally managed steady integration service that compiles supply code, runs checks, and produces ready-to-deploy software program packages.
Constructing, testing, signing, and distributing functions for Apple programs (iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS) requires the usage of Xcode, which runs completely on macOS. Once you construct for Apple programs within the AWS Cloud, it is vitally probably you configured your steady integration and steady deployment (CI/CD) pipeline to run on Amazon Elastic Cloud Compute (Amazon EC2) Mac situations.
Since we launched Amazon EC2 Mac in 2020, I’ve spent a big period of time with our prospects in varied industries and geographies, serving to them configure and optimize their pipelines on macOS. Within the easiest type, a buyer’s pipeline would possibly seem like the next diagram.
The pipeline begins when there’s a new commit or pull request on the supply code repository. The repository agent put in on the machine triggers varied scripts to configure the surroundings, construct and check the applying, and ultimately deploy it to App Retailer Join.
Amazon EC2 Mac drastically simplifies the administration and automation of macOS machines. As I like to explain it, an EC2 Mac occasion has all of the issues I really like from Amazon EC2 (Amazon Elastic Block Retailer (Amazon EBS) volumes, snapshots, digital personal clouds (VPCs), safety teams, and extra) utilized to Mac minis working macOS within the cloud.
Nevertheless, prospects are left with two challenges. The primary is to arrange the Amazon Machine Picture (AMI) with all of the required instruments for the construct. A minimal construct surroundings requires Xcode, however it is vitally widespread to put in Fastlane (and Ruby), in addition to different construct or growth instruments and libraries. Most organizations require a number of construct environments for a number of combos of macOS and Xcode variations.
The second problem is to scale your construct fleet based on the quantity and length of builds. Massive organizations usually have a whole lot or hundreds of builds per day, requiring dozens of construct machines. Scaling out and in of that fleet helps to avoid wasting on prices. EC2 Mac situations are reserved to your devoted use. One occasion is allotted to at least one devoted host. Scaling a fleet of devoted hosts requires a selected configuration.
To deal with these challenges and simplify the configuration and administration of your macOS construct machines, in the present day we introduce CodeBuild for macOS.
CodeBuild for macOS is predicated on the not too long ago launched reserved capability fleet, which comprises situations powered by Amazon EC2 which are maintained by CodeBuild. With reserved capability fleets, you configure a set of devoted situations to your construct surroundings. These machines stay idle, able to course of builds or checks instantly, which reduces construct durations. With reserved capability fleets, your machines are at all times working and can proceed to incur prices so long as they’re provisioned.
CodeBuild supplies a regular disk picture (AMI) to run your builds. It comprises preinstalled variations of Xcode, Fastlane, Ruby, Python, Node.js, and different fashionable instruments for a growth and construct surroundings. The complete checklist of instruments put in is obtainable within the documentation. Over time, we’ll present extra disk photos with up to date variations of those instruments. You can too convey your personal customized disk picture if you happen to need.
As well as, CodeBuild makes it simple to configure auto scaling. You inform us how a lot capability you need, and we handle all the things from there.
Let’s see CodeBuild for macOS in motion
To point out you the way it works, I create a CI/CD pipeline for my pet venture: getting began with AWS Amplify on iOS. This tutorial and its accompanying supply code clarify how you can create a easy iOS app with a cloud-based backend. The app makes use of a GraphQL API (AWS AppSync), a NoSQL database (Amazon DynamoDB), a file-based storage (Amazon Easy Storage Service (Amazon S3)), and consumer authentication (Amazon Cognito). AWS Amplify for Swift is the piece that glues all these companies collectively.
The tutorial and the supply code of the app can be found in a Git repository. It contains scripts to automate the construct, check, and deployment of the app.
Configuring a brand new CI/CD pipeline with CodeBuild for macOS entails the next high-level steps:
- Create the construct venture.
- Create the devoted fleet of machines.
- Configure a number of construct triggers.
- Add a pipeline definition file (
buildspec.yaml
) to the venture.
To get began, I open the AWS Administration Console, choose CodeBuild, and choose Create venture.
I enter a Undertaking identify and configure the connection to the Supply code repository. I take advantage of GitHub on this instance. CodeBuild additionally helps GitLab and BitBucket. The documentation has an up-to-date checklist of supported supply code repositories.
For the Provisioning mannequin, I choose Reserved capability. That is the one mannequin the place Amazon EC2 Mac situations can be found. I don’t have a fleet outlined but, so I determine to create one on the flight whereas creating the construct venture. I choose Create fleet.
On the Compute fleet configuration web page, I enter a Compute fleet identify and choose macOS as Working system. Underneath Compute, I choose the quantity of reminiscence and the amount of vCPUs wanted for my construct venture, and the variety of situations I need below Capability.
For this instance, I’m comfortable to make use of the Managed picture. It contains Xcode 15.4 and the simulator runtime for iOS 17.5, amongst different packages. You possibly can learn the checklist of packages preinstalled on this picture within the documentation.
When completed, I choose Create fleet to return to the CodeBuild venture creation web page.
As a subsequent step, I inform CodeBuild to create a brand new service position to outline the permissions I need for my construct surroundings. Within the context of this venture, I need to embrace permissions to drag an Amplify configuration and entry AWS Secrets and techniques Supervisor. I’m not sharing step-by-step directions to take action, however the pattern venture code comprises the checklist of the permissions I added.
I can select between offering my set of construct instructions within the venture definition or in a buildspec.yaml
file included in my venture. I choose the latter.
That is non-compulsory, however I wish to add the construct artifact to an S3 bucket the place I can archive every construct. Within the Artifact 1 – Main part, I subsequently choose Amazon S3 as Sort, and I enter a Bucket identify and artifact Title. The file identify to add is specified within the buildspec.yaml
file.
Down on the web page, I configure the venture set off so as to add a GitHub WebHook. It will configure CodeBuild to begin the construct each time a commit or pull request is shipped to my venture on GitHub.
Lastly, I choose the orange Create venture button on the backside of the web page to create this venture.
Testing my builds
My venture already contains construct scripts to arrange the construct, construct the venture, run the checks, and deploy it to Apple’s TestFlight.
I add a buildspec.yaml
file on the root of my venture to orchestrate these present scripts.
model: 0.2
phases:
set up:
instructions:
- code/ci_actions/00_install_rosetta.sh
pre_build:
instructions:
- code/ci_actions/01_keychain.sh
- code/ci_actions/02_amplify.sh
construct:
instructions:
- code/ci_actions/03_build.sh
- code/ci_actions/04_local_tests.sh
post_build:
instructions:
- code/ci_actions/06_deploy_testflight.sh
- code/ci_actions/07_cleanup.sh
artifacts:
identify: $(date +%Y-%m-%d)-getting-started.ipa
recordsdata:
- 'getting began.ipa'
base-directory: 'code/build-release'
I add this file to my Git repository and push it to GitHub with the next command: git commit -am "add buildpsec" buildpec.yaml
On the console, I can observe that the construct has began.
Once I choose the construct, I can see the log recordsdata or choose Section particulars to obtain a high-level standing of every section of the construct.
When the construct is profitable, I can see the iOS software IPA file uploaded to my S3 bucket.
The final construct script that CodeBuild executes uploads the binary to App Retailer Join. I can observe new builds within the TestFlight part of the App Retailer Join.
Issues to know
It takes 8-10 minutes to arrange an Amazon EC2 Mac occasion and to simply accept the very first construct. This isn’t particular to CodeBuild. The builds you submit in the course of the machine preparation time are queued and might be run so as as quickly because the machine is obtainable.
CodeBuild for macOS works with reserved fleets. Opposite to on-demand fleets, the place you pay per minute of construct, reserved fleets are charged for the time the construct machines are reserved to your unique utilization, even when no builds are working. The capability reservation follows the Amazon EC2 Mac 24-hour minimal allocation interval, as required by the Software program License Settlement for macOS (article 3.A.ii).
A fleet of machines may be shared throughout CodeBuild initiatives in your AWS account. The machines within the fleet are reserved to your unique use. Solely CodeBuild can entry the machines.
CodeBuild cleans the working listing between builds, however the machines are reused for different builds. It permits you to use the CodeBuild native cache mechanism to rapidly restore chosen recordsdata after a construct. When you construct totally different initiatives on the identical fleet, remember to reset any international state, such because the macOS keychain, and construct artifacts, reminiscent of the SwiftPM and Xcode package deal caches, earlier than beginning a brand new construct.
Once you work with customized construct photos, ensure they’re constructed for a 64-bit Mac-Arm structure. You additionally should set up and begin the AWS Techniques Supervisor Agent (SSM Agent). CodeBuild makes use of the SSM Agent to put in its personal agent and to handle the machine. Lastly, be sure the AMI is obtainable to the CodeBuild group ARN.
CodeBuild for macOS is obtainable within the following AWS Areas: US East (Ohio, N. Virginia), US West (Oregon), Asia Pacific (Sydney), and Europe (Frankfurt). These are the identical Areas that supply Amazon EC2 Mac M2 situations.
Get began in the present day and create your first CodeBuild venture on macOS.