iOS, tvOS, watchOS

Using Darwin toolchain package (build require)

Warning

This is an experimental feature subject to breaking changes in future releases.

One example of a build requires implementing a toolchain to cross-compile to iOS, tvOS or watchOS, is the Darwin Toolchain package. Although this package is not in Conan Center Index you can check it to see an example of how to use a toolchain for cross-compilation by using a build requires. You can use a profile like the following to cross-build your packages for iOS, watchOS and tvOS:

ios_profile

include(default)

[settings]
os=iOS
os.version=9.0
arch=armv7

[build_requires]
darwin-toolchain/1.0@theodelrieu/stable

$ conan install . --profile ios_profile

Use built-in Conan toolchain

Warning

This is an experimental feature subject to breaking changes in future releases.

Conan will generate a toolchain for iOS if the recipe is using a CMakeToolchain. This toolchain provides a minimal implementation supporting only the CMake XCode generator. It will be extended in the future but at the current version (1.31.0) is just for testing purpouses.

For using it, create a regular profile for the host context:

profile_host_ios

[settings]
 os=iOS
 os.version=12.0
 arch=armv8
 compiler=apple-clang
 compiler.version=12.0
 compiler.libcxx=libc++
 build_type=Release

Together with the files created by the generators that make it possible to find and link the requirements, conan install command will generate a toolchain file like the following one:

conan_toolchain.cmake (some parts are stripped)

 set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE "Release" CACHE STRING "Choose the type of build." FORCE)

 # set cmake vars
 set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME iOS)
 set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_VERSION 12.0)
 set(DEPLOYMENT_TARGET ${CONAN_SETTINGS_HOST_MIN_OS_VERSION})
 # Set the architectures for which to build.
 set(CMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES arm64)
 # Setting CMAKE_OSX_SYSROOT SDK, when using Xcode generator the name is enough
 # but full path is necessary for others
 set(CMAKE_OSX_SYSROOT iphoneos)

With this toolchain file you can execute CMake’s command to generate the binaries:

conan install <conanfile> --profile:host=profile_host_ios --profile:build=default
cmake . -GXcode -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=conan_toolchain.cmake
cmake --build . --config Release