Setup Instructions - SSH iOS Development Environment

Step 1: Clone the Repository

Clone this repository to your local machine and navigate to the repository root.

Step 2: Follow Initial Setup Instructions

Follow the steps in the original README file to set up the environment and install macOS (Sonoma).

Step 3: Initial VM Boot

Start the VM for the first time with the GUI to complete the initial macOS setup:

./OpenCore-Boot.sh

Complete the macOS setup and install XCode and other GUI-dependent tools.

Note: Active SSH on macOS System Preferences > Sharing > Remote Login.

Step 4: Install XCode and Generate Unique Serial

If you need to install XCode, you'll need a unique serial number. Complete steps 1-5 below and start ./OpenCore-Boot.sh again to connect to your Apple account, install XCode, and other tools.

# Run the following commands on the macOS VM

# Download XCode from [Apple Developer](https://developer.apple.com/download/all/?q=xcode)
xip -x ~/Downloads/$xcode_version.xip

# Install XCode command line tools
xcode-select --install

# Continue on the host machine to generate a unique serial number

# Clone the GenSMBIOS repository and navigate to the directory
git clone https://github.com/corpnewt/GenSMBIOS.git
cd GenSMBIOS

# Make the script executable
chmod +x GenSMBIOS.command
./GenSMBIOS.command

1. Install/Update MacSerial.
2. Select $osx_kvm_path/OpenCore/headless/config.plist as the configuration file.
3. Generate SMBIOS for iMacPro1,1.
4. Generate UUID.

Step 5: Generate OpenCore Image with NoUI Configuration

# Update submodule
git submodule update --init --recursive ./resources/OcBinaryData

cd ./OpenCore

# Generate OpenCore image with NoUI configuration
rm -f OpenCore.qcow2; sudo ./opencore-image-ng.sh --cfg ./headless/config.plist --img OpenCore.qcow2

Step 6: Connect to macOS VM with SSH

Start the macOS VM with the oc_boot.sh script, to access the VM through SPICE and SSH from LAN.

ssh -p 2222 $user_name@localhost

# Copy xcode from host to VM via scp
scp -P 2222 Xcode_13.3.1.xip $user_name@localhost:~/Downloads/

Step 7: Connect from Any Device on the Network to the VM

ssh $user_name@$vm_host_ip

Step 8: Shutdown the VM

# (run on mac via SSH)
sudo shutdown -h now

Additional Notes

When you use the VSCode Remote SSH extension, you will disconnect from the VM as soon as the VM enters sleep mode. To prevent this, you can enable automatic login and disable lock screen in the macOS settings. This way, the user will be logged in automatically when the VM starts and won't enter sleep mode.

I personally use Nix flakes to manage the environment, so I can install all the required tools with nix develop and run the scripts from there. (The Nix package manager does not support XCode, so you need to install it manually first.)

Additionally, I use GitHub to store my credentials, which allows me to just copy the .gitconfig and .git-credentials to the user home directory on the VM.

To debug iOS apps, it's easiest to use XCode Wi-Fi debugging, so you don't need to connect the phone to the VM.