xz-pi-build-ios-apps

Pi-native port of OpenAI's Build iOS Apps plugin, with automatic iOS workflow routing and a bundled XcodeBuildMCP registration.

What is included

The package exposes a broad build-ios-apps router plus all nine upstream specialist skills:

• build-ios-apps — automatically routes general iOS, Swift, SwiftUI, Xcode, and Simulator requests
• ios-app-intents
• ios-debugger-agent
• ios-ettrace-performance
• ios-memgraph-leaks
• ios-simulator-browser
• swiftui-liquid-glass
• swiftui-performance-audit
• swiftui-ui-patterns
• swiftui-view-refactor

It also includes the complete reusable upstream references, scripts, templates, and icons.

Requirements

• macOS 14.5 or newer
• Xcode 16 or newer, including Command Line Tools
• Node.js 18 or newer
• Pi 0.99 or newer for extension-registered MCP servers

Some workflows have additional on-demand requirements:

• Xcode and Simulator automation: xcodebuildmcp@2.7.0
• Simulator browser mirroring: serve-sim@0.1.46
• ETTrace profiling: the ettrace Homebrew package and a matching app-side framework
• Memory graphs: Apple's leaks, xcrun, and a running Simulator app

The npm CLIs are not installed globally. The MCP server and fallback workflows invoke reviewed, pinned versions through npx.

Install

pi install npm:xz-pi-build-ios-apps

For local development from the monorepo root:

pi install -l ./xz-pi-build-ios-apps
# or for one session
pi -e ./xz-pi-build-ios-apps

Run /reload or restart Pi after installation. Confirm that the package is enabled with:

pi list

If the npm package exists under a Pi npm directory but its skills do not appear in the startup diagnostics, the package is not necessarily enabled. Open pi config and ensure both its extension and skills are active.

Automatic routing

Pi advertises only skill names and descriptions until a skill is needed. This package adds a broad build-ios-apps routing skill and a short system-guidance section so requests involving iOS, SwiftUI, Xcode, Simulator, App Intents, profiling, or leaks proactively load the matching specialist workflow.

Skills remain directly invocable when an explicit workflow is preferred:

/skill:build-ios-apps
/skill:ios-debugger-agent
/skill:swiftui-ui-patterns
/skill:ios-app-intents

XcodeBuildMCP integration

The package extension registers an MCP server named xcodebuildmcp with:

• pinned package: xcodebuildmcp@2.7.0
• enabled workflows: simulator, ui-automation, and debugging
• five-minute request timeout for long Xcode operations
• a model-facing description covering projects, schemes, Simulator UI, logs, screenshots, and LLDB

The registration works with Pi's built-in MCP support. On Pi 0.99 or newer, pi-mcp-adapter also consumes extension registrations and exposes this server through its mcp gateway. A user or project MCP entry with the same name takes precedence, allowing local overrides without editing this package.

Inside Pi, inspect /mcp or the active MCP gateway and verify that xcodebuildmcp is connected. The ios-debugger-agent skill prefers MCP for build, launch, semantic UI automation, screenshots, runtime-log artifacts, and LLDB. It uses the pinned CLI only when the server is unavailable.

Verify the fallback tools manually without a global install:

npx --yes xcodebuildmcp@2.7.0 tools --json
npx --yes --package xcodebuildmcp@2.7.0 xcodebuildmcp-doctor
npx --yes serve-sim@0.1.46 --help

Pi adaptations

Codex metadata is translated into Pi behavior instead of copied as inert files:

• .codex-plugin/plugin.json → npm/Pi package metadata and gallery assets
• .mcp.json → the package extension's pinned pi.registerMcpServer(...) registration
• plugin and skill agents/openai.yaml → the router skill, specialist descriptions, explicit /skill:* entries, and automatic system guidance
• Codex direct MCP names → MCP discovery compatible with both Pi built-in MCP and pi-mcp-adapter
• Codex in-app browser → an available Pi browser automation tool or the macOS default browser
• Codex terminal-input APIs → an interactive foreground terminal or visible tmux pane for ETTrace

See UPSTREAM.md for the exact upstream snapshot and behavioral differences.

Updating from upstream

Copy the reusable upstream skill payload, retain and review the Pi adaptations in UPSTREAM.md, update the recorded commit and versions, then run:

npm run check --workspace xz-pi-build-ios-apps
npm pack --dry-run --workspace xz-pi-build-ios-apps

The package tests assert the complete expected upstream skill file set so omitted references, scripts, or templates fail CI.

Security

Pi extensions and skills execute with your user permissions. This package starts XcodeBuildMCP through npx when Pi connects the registered server. Review the package before installation, use explicit Simulator identifiers, and keep temporary profiling or generated build output outside the target source tree unless requested otherwise.

License

The vendored OpenAI plugin content is declared MIT-licensed upstream. See LICENSE and UPSTREAM.md.