# Install xcode-build-server with Homebrew, MacPorts Build server protocol implementation for integrating Xcode with sourcekit-lsp. Version 1.3.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-14. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:xcode-build-server ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install xcode-build-server ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install xcode-build-server ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: devel/xcode-build-server/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:xcode-build-server - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.3.0 - **Source summary:** Build server protocol implementation for integrating Xcode with sourcekit-lsp - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-05-14T17:32:27-04:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - xcode-build-server (cli) - xcode-build-server (alias) ## Uses from macOS - python ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on all ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 1.3.0 - Package-manager updated: 2026-05-14 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/SolaWing/xcode-build-server - Upstream latest detected: v1.3.0 (current) ## Project history and usage xcode-build-server is a Build Server Protocol implementation for using Xcode projects with Apple's SourceKit-LSP. Its README states the motivation plainly: SourceKit-LSP does not directly support Xcode projects, but it can integrate with other build systems through BSP. ### Project history The project was created by SolaWing to make iOS and Apple-platform development practical in editors outside Xcode. The README says the goal is to integrate Xcode with SourceKit-LSP and support the language set Xcode handles: Swift, C, C++, Objective-C, and Objective-C++. xcode-build-server's implementation reflects the gap it fills. Instead of replacing Xcode's build system, it watches or parses Xcode build logs, extracts compile flags, and exposes the information SourceKit-LSP needs. The repository is primarily Python and includes the `xcode-build-server` executable, config helpers, log parsing code, and Xcode automation scripts. The GitHub repository lists about 142 commits, five releases, and v1.3.0 as the latest release on 5 January 2026. Earlier release search results show v1.0.0 in February 2024, suggesting the tool moved from a useful niche script into a versioned utility as SourceKit-LSP/BSP workflows became more common. ### Adoption history Adoption is concentrated among Swift developers who want Neovim, VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, or another LSP-capable editor to understand Xcode projects. A Swift Forums discussion from 2024 describes SourceKit-LSP's BSP integration and the need for build servers to provide build settings, target information, and index data; xcode-build-server is one practical community implementation of that idea for Xcode. The tool is cited in SourceKit-LSP issue discussions and editor setup guides as a working answer for Xcode project support. MacPorts describes it as implementing a build server to provide SourceKit-LSP with the build information it needs for an Xcode project, and the GitHub page shows nearly a thousand stars, making it one of the better-known utilities in this small niche. ### How it is used The simplest documented workflow is to run `xcode-build-server config` in the workspace root with a workspace or project and scheme. That creates or updates `buildServer.json` with `kind: xcode`, instructing the server to watch and use compile flags from the newest Xcode build log. Afterward, opening files with SourceKit-LSP enabled should provide editor intelligence. For non-Xcode builds, the README documents `xcode-build-server parse` on a build log or on piped `xcodebuild` output. That mode writes compile information to `.compile` and updates `buildServer.json` with `kind: manual`. The README repeatedly notes that stale compile info should be refreshed by building again or rerunning the parse step when files, SDKs, configurations, or macros change. The package-nerd detail is that it relies on the standard `buildServer.json` discovery convention used by BSP/LSP tooling. The project root must be the working directory where `buildServer.json` is created, so editor setup and repository layout matter as much as the executable itself. ### Why package nerds care xcode-build-server is significant because Xcode projects are historically hard to use outside Xcode. SourceKit-LSP supports Swift and C-family editor features, but it needs exact compiler arguments, SDK paths, target membership, and index locations. xcode-build-server turns Xcode's own build output into that missing protocol layer. For Swift tooling users, it represents a pragmatic compromise: keep Xcode as the authoritative build system, but let other editors participate through SourceKit-LSP and BSP. That makes it a bridge between Apple's proprietary project model and the open editor tooling world. ### Timeline - 2023: SourceKit-LSP issue discussions identify xcode-build-server as a practical solution for Xcode project support. - 2024-02-14: GitHub release listings show v1.0.0 and v1.0.1 releases. - 2024: Swift Forums discusses extending SourceKit-LSP's use of Build Server Protocol for richer build-system integration. - 2026-01-05: GitHub repository lists v1.3.0 as the latest release. ### Related projects - SourceKit-LSP is Apple's language-server implementation for Swift and C-family languages and is the main consumer of the build information xcode-build-server provides. - The Build Server Protocol defines the editor-to-build-server layer that xcode-build-server implements. - Other Swift BSP work, such as sourcekit-bsp and Swift build-server experiments, addresses similar integration problems for different build systems. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. - **Geiger risk:** blue / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal ## Configuration and credential file locations These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval. ## Configuration files - Unix: ./buildServer.json, ./.compile ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** xcode-build-server - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Requirements:** macos - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - MacPorts - xcode-build-server: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: devel/xcode-build-server/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [xcbeautify](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/xcbeautify/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: apple-development, cli, developer-tools, swift, xcode. - [xcodegen](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/xcodegen/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: apple-development, cli, developer-tools, swift, xcode. - [xcdiff](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/xcdiff/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: apple-development, cli, developer-tools, xcode. - [xcenv](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/xcenv/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: apple-development, cli, developer-tools, xcode. - [xclogparser](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/xclogparser/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: apple-development, cli, developer-tools, xcode. - [xcode-kotlin](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/xcode-kotlin/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: apple-development, cli, developer-tools, xcode. - [xcodes](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/xcodes/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: apple-development, cli, developer-tools, xcode. - [ansible-language-server](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ansible-language-server/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, language-server. - [crystalline](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/crystalline/) - Local metadata places this package in an adjacent workflow. Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, implementation, language. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/xcode-build-server.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/xcode-build-server.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph