Your first-day development checklist
Set up your toolchain, then add automation
The macOS graphical interface and command line are both ready to use. Check what’s already installed to avoid duplicate setup. Software installation, dependency downloads and your first build aren’t included in the estimated 4-minute delivery time.
Check Xcode and command-line tools
Check your current Xcode version against your project’s requirements. If you need to install or switch versions, use a software package from a legitimate source. Once installation is complete, make sure the developer tools path points to the version you intend to use.
Command-line tools cover compilers and common dependencies; they aren’t a replacement for the full Xcode installation. If you use simulators, archives or SDKs, check that the complete development environment is installed.
xcodebuild -version
xcode-select -p
xcrun --find clang
xcrun simctl list devices available
Set up Homebrew and dependencies
Run command -v brew to check whether Homebrew is installed. If it isn’t, follow Homebrew’s official installation instructions. Don’t run installation scripts from unknown sources.
Check the architecture and paths used by your shell before installing project dependencies. For team projects, reuse the existing dependency manifest and lockfile where possible to keep versions consistent between rentals.
command -v brew
brew --version
git --version
ruby --version
Set up signing certificates and permissions
Import signing certificates and provisioning profiles through a secure channel approved by your team. Grant only the permissions needed for the task, and store certificate passwords in an approved secrets manager—not in your repository.
Run a signed build manually first. Check that the certificate is valid and that the bundle identifier matches the provisioning profile. If an automated run fails, work out whether the issue is with the build or signing permissions.
Check Fastlane and your runner
If your project has a Gemfile, install the locked dependencies and run an existing lane with bundle exec fastlane. Get a local build working before enabling CI triggers.
Give your runner a clear working directory and set a sensible concurrency limit. Check build output for leaked keys, passwords or signing materials, then sync successful artifacts to storage you control.
bundle install
bundle exec fastlane --version
bundle exec fastlane lanes
Test your setup with a real project on day one: fetch dependencies, complete a build, export the artifacts, sync them to storage you control, then verify access from a new connection session. Seeing a tool’s version number doesn’t mean your project can be built reliably from scratch.