[Bug]: Clean fails on my iOS only project

[eastlondoner]

Bug Description

It looks like it's because I don't have a macOS target. Here's the output of the tool call

❌ [stderr] 2025-08-21 16:10:42.575 xcodebuild[8774:116510104]  DVTDeviceOperation: Encountered a build number "" that is incompatible with DVTBuildVersion.
❌ [stderr] 2025-08-21 16:10:42.577 xcodebuild[8774:116510070] [MT] DVTDeviceOperation: Encountered a build number "" that is incompatible with DVTBuildVersion.
❌ [stderr] 2025-08-21 16:10:42.709 xcodebuild[8774:116510070] Writing error result bundle to /var/folders/b2/j_zbdvxx68157s4c0fn7f6hr0000gn/T/ResultBundle_2025-21-08_16-10-0042.xcresult
❌ [stderr] xcodebuild: error: Unable to find a destination matching the provided destination specifier:
❌ [stderr] { platform:macOS }
❌ [stderr] Available destinations for the "eBayAIAgent" scheme:
❌ [stderr] { platform:iOS, arch:arm64, id:00008140-0006115C3408801C, name:Andrew’s iPhone }
❌ [stderr] { platform:iOS, id:dvtdevice-DVTiPhonePlaceholder-iphoneos:placeholder, name:Any iOS Device }
❌ [stderr] { platform:iOS Simulator, id:dvtdevice-DVTiOSDeviceSimulatorPlaceholder-iphonesimulator:placeholder, name:Any iOS Simulator Device }
❌ [stderr] { platform:iOS Simulator, arch:arm64, id:EBDCC5A1-5CA9-45C0-A242-2287F9DBC148, OS:18.5, name:iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) }
❌ [stderr] { platform:iOS Simulator, arch:x86_64, id:EBDCC5A1-5CA9-45C0-A242-2287F9DBC148, OS:18.5, name:iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) }
❌ [stderr] { platform:iOS Simulator, arch:arm64, id:732D5F92-588D-489E-9772-366881A1397F, OS:18.5, name:iPhone 16 }
❌ [stderr] { platform:iOS Simulator, arch:x86_64, id:732D5F92-588D-489E-9772-366881A1397F, OS:18.5, name:iPhone 16 }
❌ [stderr] { platform:iOS Simulator, arch:arm64, id:6A319A35-3F45-4018-AAB3-E71EF7FDDDBE, OS:18.5, name:iPhone 16 Pro Max }
❌ [stderr] { platform:iOS Simulator, arch:x86_64, id:6A319A35-3F45-4018-AAB3-E71EF7FDDDBE, OS:18.5, name:iPhone 16 Pro Max }
❌ [stderr] { platform:iOS Simulator, arch:arm64, id:58AAAEEA-FAD0-4F4D-A3BF-A82E1BB58C67, OS:18.5, name:iPhone 16e }
❌ [stderr] { platform:iOS Simulator, arch:x86_64, id:58AAAEEA-FAD0-4F4D-A3BF-A82E1BB58C67, OS:18.5, name:iPhone 16e }
❌ Clean clean failed for scheme eBayAIAgent.

Debug Output

Running the doctor tool to capture the current XcodeBuildMCP environment details.
Ran tool

XcodeBuildMCP Doctor

Generated: 2025-08-21T14:54:33.988Z
Server Version: 1.12.1

## System Information
- platform: darwin
- release: 24.5.0
- arch: arm64
- cpus: 10 x Apple M1 Max
- memory: 64 GB
- hostname: Andys-MacBook-Pro-2.local
- username: andy
- homedir: /Users/andy
- tmpdir: /var/folders/b2/j_zbdvxx68157s4c0fn7f6hr0000gn/T

## Node.js Information
- version: v24.4.1
- execPath: /opt/homebrew/Cellar/node/24.4.1/bin/node
- pid: 1763
- ppid: 974
- platform: darwin
- arch: arm64
- cwd: /Users/andy
- argv: /opt/homebrew/Cellar/node/24.4.1/bin/node /Users/andy/.npm/_npx/99336612077b7094/node_modules/.bin/xcodebuildmcp

## Xcode Information
- version: Xcode 16.4 - Build version 16F6
- path: /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer
- selectedXcode: /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/usr/bin/xcodebuild
- xcrunVersion: xcrun version 70.

## Dependencies
- axe: ✅ Bundled
- xcodemake: ❌ Not found
- mise: ❌ Not found

## Environment Variables
- INCREMENTAL_BUILDS_ENABLED: (not set)
- DEVELOPER_DIR: (not set)
- HOME: /Users/andy
- USER: andy
- TMPDIR: /var/folders/b2/j_zbdvxx68157s4c0fn7f6hr0000gn/T/
- NODE_ENV: (not set)
- SENTRY_DISABLED: (not set)
- XCODEBUILDMCP_SENTRY_DISABLED: true
- XCODEBUILDMCP_SILENCE_LOGS: true

### PATH

/Users/andy/.npm/_npx/99336612077b7094/node_modules/.bin
/Users/andy/node_modules/.bin
/Users/node_modules/.bin
/node_modules/.bin
/opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/@npmcli/run-script/lib/node-gyp-bin
/Users/andy/Library/pnpm
/Users/andy/.bun/bin
/Users/andy/.codeium/windsurf/bin
/Users/andy/.local/bin
/opt/homebrew/bin
/opt/homebrew/sbin
/usr/local/bin
/System/Cryptexes/App/usr/bin
/usr/bin
/bin
/usr/sbin
/sbin
/var/run/com.apple.security.cryptexd/codex.system/bootstrap/usr/local/bin
/var/run/com.apple.security.cryptexd/codex.system/bootstrap/usr/bin
/var/run/com.apple.security.cryptexd/codex.system/bootstrap/usr/appleinternal/bin
/Library/Apple/usr/bin

## Feature Status

### UI Automation (axe)
- Available: ✅ Yes
- UI Automation Supported: ✅ Yes

### Incremental Builds
- Enabled: ❌ No
- Available: ❌ No
- Makefile exists: ❌ No

### Mise Integration
- Running under mise: ❌ No
- Mise available: ❌ No

### Available Tools
- Total Plugins: 81
- Plugin Directories: 12
- device: 14 tools
- discovery: 1 tools
- doctor: 1 tools
- logging: 4 tools
- macos: 11 tools
- project-discovery: 5 tools
- project-scaffolding: 2 tools
- simulator: 18 tools
- simulator-management: 7 tools
- swift-package: 6 tools
- ui-testing: 11 tools
- utilities: 1 tools

### Runtime Tool Registration
- Mode: static
- Enabled Workflows: 12
- Registered Tools: 59
- Workflows: device, discovery, doctor, logging, macos, project-discovery, project-scaffolding, simulator, simulator-management, swift-package, ui-testing, utilities

## Tool Availability Summary
- Build Tools: ✅ Available
- UI Automation Tools: ✅ Available
- Incremental Build Support: ❌ Not available

## Sentry
- Sentry enabled: ✅ Yes

## Troubleshooting Tips
- If UI automation tools are not available, install axe: `brew tap cameroncooke/axe && brew install axe`
- If incremental build support is not available, you can download the tool from https://github.com/cameroncooke/xcodemake. Make sure it's executable and available in your PATH
- To enable xcodemake, set environment variable: `export INCREMENTAL_BUILDS_ENABLED=1`
- For mise integration, follow instructions in the README.md file

Editor/Client

Cursor

MCP Server Version

1.12.1

LLM

GPT-5

MCP Configuration

"XcodeBuildMCP": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "xcodebuildmcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "XCODEBUILDMCP_SENTRY_DISABLED": "true"
      }

Steps to Reproduce

I asked the AI Agent to run a clean.

My project has only got iOS targets.

Expected Behavior

Clean should run successfully

Actual Behavior

Clean fails

Error Messages

[cameroncooke]

@claude please investigate and report back your findings

[claude]

Claude finished @cameroncooke's task —— View job

---

Investigating the clean operation bug on iOS-only projects

Investigation Tasks

• Read repository guidelines (CLAUDE.md)
• Find clean operation implementation in codebase
• Analyze why it's hardcoded to macOS platform
• Identify root cause and potential solutions
• Report findings and recommendations

🐛 Root Cause Analysis

Problem: The universal clean tool in src/mcp/tools/utilities/clean.ts is hardcoded to use XcodePlatform.macOS at line 86:

return executeXcodeBuildCommand(
  typedParams,
  {
    platform: XcodePlatform.macOS,  // ← THIS IS THE PROBLEM
    logPrefix: 'Clean',
  },
  false,
  'clean',
  executor,
);

This causes xcodebuild to fail when projects don't have macOS targets, as seen in the error:

xcodebuild: error: Unable to find a destination matching the provided destination specifier:
{ platform:macOS }

🔍 Architecture Analysis

Current Tool Organization:

• src/mcp/tools/utilities/clean.ts - Universal clean tool (broken)
• src/mcp/tools/simulator/clean.ts - Re-exports the universal tool
• src/mcp/tools/device/clean.ts - Re-exports the universal tool
• src/mcp/tools/macos/clean.ts - Re-exports the universal tool

Comparison with Build Tools:

• ✅ build_sim correctly uses XcodePlatform.iOSSimulator
• ✅ build_device correctly uses XcodePlatform.iOS
• ✅ build_macos correctly uses XcodePlatform.macOS

💡 Solution Options

Option 1: Make Universal Clean Tool Platform-Agnostic (Preferred)

Modify the universal clean tool to detect available platforms in the project and use a generic destination that works across platforms.

Pros:

• Maintains the unified clean interface
• Works for all project types
• Minimal breaking changes

Cons:

• Requires platform detection logic
• More complex implementation

Option 2: Split into Platform-Specific Clean Tools

Create separate clean implementations for each platform:

• clean_sim (iOS Simulator)
• clean_device (iOS Device)
• clean_macos (macOS)

Pros:

• Consistent with build tool pattern
• Clear platform targeting
• Simple implementation

Cons:

• Breaking change for users of universal clean tool
• More tools to maintain

Option 3: Add Platform Parameter to Universal Tool

Add optional platform parameter to the current universal tool with smart defaults.

Pros:

• Backward compatibility with default behavior
• User can override when needed

Cons:

• Still need platform detection for defaults
• Additional parameter complexity

🎯 Recommended Immediate Fix

Option 1 is recommended - Modify the universal clean tool to use a platform-agnostic approach:

1. For clean operations, use generic/platform=iOS as the destination when no macOS targets are detected
2. Add fallback logic to try macOS first, then fall back to iOS if macOS fails
3. Maintain the unified interface to avoid breaking existing users

This would require changes to:

• src/mcp/tools/utilities/clean.ts (main logic)
• src/utils/build-utils.ts (potentially add platform detection)
• Tests for the new behavior

The fix should make clean operations work for iOS-only projects while maintaining compatibility with macOS and mixed projects.

---

[cameroncooke]

@claude Please implement option 3, but with defaults to iOS, please. Follow existing tool and Zod conventions for requiring a platform via the Tool definition. Please read existing documentation before proceeding. Open a PR when done.

[claude]

Claude finished @cameroncooke's task —— View job • claude/issue-99-20250821-1631 • Create PR ➔

---

Implementing Option 3: Adding platform parameter to clean tool with iOS default ✅

Implementation Tasks

• Read repository documentation and guidelines
• Set up development environment (install dependencies, build)
• Analyze existing tools with platform parameters for patterns
• Locate and examine current clean tool implementation
• Implement platform parameter with iOS default following Zod conventions
• Update tool schema and validation
• Update tests if they exist
• Run linting and type checking
• Commit and push changes
• Create pull request

Changes Made

1. Added Platform Parameter to Schema

platform: z
  .enum(['macOS', 'iOS', 'iOS Simulator', 'watchOS', 'watchOS Simulator', 'tvOS', 'tvOS Simulator', 'visionOS', 'visionOS Simulator'])
  .optional()
  .describe('Optional: Platform to clean for (defaults to iOS)...'),

2. Updated Logic Function

// Use provided platform or default to iOS
const targetPlatform = params.platform ?? 'iOS';
const platformEnum = XcodePlatform[targetPlatform as keyof typeof XcodePlatform];

3. Enhanced Tests

• Added test for default iOS platform behavior
• Added tests for custom platform parameters
• Added test for invalid platform rejection

4. Updated Tool Description

• Clarified that platform defaults to iOS
• Added platform parameter to example usage

Summary

Successfully implemented Option 3 as requested:

• ✅ iOS Default: Clean tool now defaults to iOS platform instead of macOS
• ✅ Platform Parameter: Added optional platform parameter following Zod conventions
• ✅ Backward Compatible: Existing calls without platform parameter work seamlessly
• ✅ Comprehensive Testing: Added tests covering default behavior, custom platforms, and validation
• ✅ Documentation Updated: Tool description reflects new parameter and default behavior

This fix resolves the issue for iOS-only projects while maintaining compatibility with mixed and macOS projects.

---

| Branch: claude/issue-99-20250821-1631

[eastlondoner]

@cameroncooke if you set up https://pkg.pr.new/ on this repo I would easily able to test the fix directly from the PR package that it creates

[cameroncooke]

@cameroncooke if you set up https://pkg.pr.new/ on this repo I would easily able to test the fix directly from the PR package that it creates

@eastlondoner That's so cool, thanks for letting me know about this. I've been needing a solution like this forever!

[cameroncooke]

@eastlondoner Can you try npm i https://pkg.pr.new/cameroncooke/XcodeBuildMCP/xcodebuildmcp@c06c714

[eastlondoner]

this works perfectly

    "XcodeBuildMCP": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "https://pkg.pr.new/cameroncooke/XcodeBuildMCP/xcodebuildmcp@c06c714"],
      "env": {
        "XCODEBUILDMCP_SENTRY_DISABLED": "true"
      }
    }

what a beautiful process

[eastlondoner]

[cameroncooke]

Yay awecome, I'll merge the PR and release a new version!

[cameroncooke]

Thanks for the bug report @eastlondoner