install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install xcodes

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install xcodes

MacPorts ports tree · devel/xcodes/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#xcodes

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/xc/xcodes/package.nix · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Command-line tool to install and switch between multiple versions of Xcode

Project links

Commands and aliases

xcodes

history

Project history and usage

xcodes is a Swift command-line tool for installing, listing, selecting, and removing multiple versions of Xcode. It fills the same role for Apple's IDE that language version managers fill for Ruby, Node, or Python projects.

Project history

The repository was created on 2019-02-22 and shipped its initial 0.1.0 release on 2019-03-11 as an MVP for Apple developers who needed side-by-side Xcode installs. The README documents commands for installing specific releases and prereleases, listing available versions, selecting an active Xcode, managing runtimes, and uninstalling versions.

The project began under Robots and Pencils and moved into the XcodesOrg organization on 2023-04-21. The maintainer note describes the move as a response to growth beyond a small utility used by Apple developers around the world, while keeping Matt Kiazyk as owner and maintainer.

By 2024 and 2026, xcodes had adapted to changes in Apple's tooling and distribution model: releases added support for iOS 18+ runtime downloads and SRP Apple login changes, then 2.0.x refactored the CLI onto shared XcodesKit and XcodesLoginKit packages, added architecture-aware filtering, and raised the implementation baseline to Swift 6 and macOS 13.

Adoption history

xcodes is widely adopted because Xcode versions are large, slow to install manually, and often need to be pinned per project or CI lane. The repository has thousands of GitHub stars and a long release line, and its companion Xcodes.app gives the same version-management idea a graphical macOS interface.

The .xcode-version proposal ties xcodes to a broader convention already used by xcode-install and fastlane. That file lets a repository declare the Xcode version it expects, making xcodes useful in onboarding scripts and CI environments where reproducible Apple build tooling matters.

How it is used

Common workflows include running xcodes list to discover versions, xcodes install to download and install an exact Xcode version, xcodes select to switch the active toolchain through xcode-select, and xcodes runtimes to install platform runtimes. When authentication is required for Apple downloads, xcodes stores Apple ID credentials in the macOS Keychain after prompting or reading environment variables.

Teams often add a .xcode-version file next to an Xcode project or workspace so automation can choose the expected Xcode. The README recommends committing that file for teams and CI, especially when a project depends on a specific stable Xcode release.

Why package nerds care

xcodes is significant in package-manager culture because it brings version-manager ergonomics to a toolchain Apple distributes as a huge GUI application. It makes Xcode itself scriptable: a package can select, install, and document the IDE/runtime version needed for deterministic builds.

Timeline

2019-02-22: Repository created on GitHub.
2019-03-11: 0.1.0 initial MVP release.
2023-04-21: Xcodes projects moved from Robots and Pencils into XcodesOrg.
2023-06-23: 1.4.1 release highlighted runtime download and install support.
2024-10-30: 1.6.0 added Apple SRP login support and iOS 18+ runtime download support.
2026-06-08: 2.0.1 refactored the CLI around shared XcodesKit/XcodesLoginKit and architecture-aware downloads.
2026-06-17: 2.0.2 fixed a 2FA authentication regression.

Related projects

Xcodes.app is the native macOS GUI companion for the same workflow.
fastlane and the legacy xcode-install gem are related because they also use or recognize .xcode-version-style Xcode pinning.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 2 platform targets.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

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

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix: ./.xcode-version

Credential files

Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.

macOS: macOS Keychain

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`xcodes`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08

manager version2.0.2

manager updated2026-06-28

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detected2.0.2

https://github.com/XcodesOrg/xcodes

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:xcodes
Version	2.0.2
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/xcodes
Homepage	https://github.com/XcodesOrg/xcodes
Repository	https://github.com/XcodesOrg/xcodes
Upstream docs	https://github.com/XcodesOrg/xcodes#readme
License	MIT
Source archive	https://github.com/XcodesOrg/xcodes/archive/refs/tags/2.0.2.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-06-28T20:59:36+01:00
Pulse	updated
Uses from macOS	swift
Bottle	available (on arm64_sequoia, arm64_tahoe)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	xcodes
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Requirements	macos xcode
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Nix95%

xcodes

nix profile install nixpkgs#xcodes

normalized package name match
Matched by: Xcodes

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/xc/xcodes/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

MacPorts95%

xcodes

sudo port install xcodes

normalized package name match
Matched by: Xcodes

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: devel/xcodes/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/xcodes.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated configuration and credential file locations
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install xcodes with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix