Catalogskills.sh · charleswiltgen

axiom-build

Use when ANY iOS or macOS build fails, a crash log needs diagnosing, a test run crashes, Xcode misbehaves, or an environment issue blocks work before code is the suspect. Covers build failures, dependency conflicts, simulator diagnostics.

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100/100

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DO NOT INSTALL

Severity

CRITICAL

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SKILL.md

---
name: axiom-build
description: Use when ANY iOS or macOS build fails, a crash log needs diagnosing, a test run crashes, Xcode misbehaves, or an environment issue blocks work before code is the suspect. Covers build failures, dependency conflicts, simulator diagnostics.
license: MIT
---

# Build & Environment

**You MUST use this skill for ANY build, environment, or Xcode-related issue before debugging application code.**

> **Not on Claude Code?** Where this router says "Launch `some-auditor` agent", read that auditor's file in this suite and follow it inline — the same procedure, needing only file search and read.
>
> Available here: `skills/modernization-helper.md`.
> Homed in another suite: `axiom-security/skills/security-privacy-scanner.md`.
>
> Agents that need Bash — builds, tests, simulators, crash symbolication — stay Claude Code-only; there is no inline equivalent for those.

## Capture Build and Test Diagnostics

Before the next necessary build or test, resolve `bin/axbuild` under the **actual loaded package** in Claude Code or Codex, or discover an executable on PATH in Pi. Check executable permission and run its absolute path with `--help`; assign that observed path to `AXBUILD`. Never infer an installation path from an example.

Cursor and MCP distributions do not bundle axbuild and expose no axbuild MCP wrapper. Use the **saved-log fallback** below when a verified shell helper is unavailable.

Before **every** Xcode invocation, run `pgrep -lx xcodebuild; echo "pgrep exit=$?"`: exit 1 means none are running, 0 lists them, and any other exit means the inventory failed. Investigate existing builds; process count and age do not establish zombie status. Never terminate unrelated processes. When interrupted or timed out, axbuild also stops build scripts and other processes descended from its build that Xcode moved into separate process groups, found by parentage when cleanup begins and on each cleanup pass. It reports `cleanup-incomplete` for any such descendant it could not stop or verify (another user's, unreadable, or being debugged). Jobs that had already left the build's process tree, such as daemons or launchd-started tools, are neither stopped nor reported. Inspect ownership before stopping anything it lists. Discover the actual scheme and destination before executing:

```bash
"$AXBUILD" xcodebuild -scheme "$SCHEME" -destination "$DESTINATION" build
"$AXBUILD" swift test --package-path "$PACKAGE"
```

Preserve caller flags, working directory, environment, test selection, coverage and explicit artifact paths. The wrapper adds absent diagnostic defaults; it never cleans caches or automatically rebuilds. Do not pipe a build through another command.

Inspect `command` (native outcome) and `collection` (evidence completeness) separately. Native success can accompany partial collection. The default JSON is bounded to 8,000 UTF-8 bytes; inspect `omissions` and read `artifacts.report` relative to the absolute `artifacts.run` directory for complete records and evaluated values. The startup stderr JSON identifies the run directory before completion. Use diagnostic locations and values rather than rebuilding to redisplay output.

The retained log is the primary compiler source; test results and validated Swift Testing events supplement it. A null failed-test count means uncertainty, not zero. Preserve result bundles for attachment export, coverage, console logs and deeper inspection. Native informational commands pass their output through.

**Saved-log fallback:** redirect the necessary native command's stdout/stderr to a unique file, let it finish, record its exit status and inspect that saved file. An xcresult build summary is not equivalent to the compiler log. Read an existing log before considering another build. If a build's output ends in a truncation marker, or before xcodebuild's closing `** BUILD … **` or `** TEST … **` line, read the saved log or report instead of rebuilding.

## When to Use

Use this router when you encounter:
- Build failures (`BUILD FAILED`, compilation errors, linker errors)
- Test crashes or hangs
- Simulator issues (won't boot, device errors)
- Xcode misbehavior (stale builds, zombie processes)
- Dependency conflicts (CocoaPods, SPM)
- Build performance issues (slow compilation)
- Environment issues before debugging code

## Routing Logic

This router invokes specialized skills based on the specific issue:

### 1. Environment-First Issues → **xcode-debugging**
**Triggers**:
- `BUILD FAILED` without obvious code cause
- Tests crash in clean project
- Simulator hangs or won't boot
- "No such module" after SPM changes
- Zombie `xcodebuild` processes
- Stale builds (old code still running)
- Clean build differs from incremental build
- Device Hub / predicted-vs-built issues in Xcode 27 (`OS27`)
- Reproducing a device-only bug on a simulator (Device Hub) (`OS27`)

**Why xcode-debugging first**: 90% of mysterious issues are environment, not code. Check this BEFORE debugging code.

**Invoke**: `skills/xcode-debugging.md`

---

### 2. Slow Builds → **build-performance**
**Triggers**:
- Compilation takes too long
- Type checking bottlenecks
- Want to optimize build time
- Build Timeline shows slow phases

**Invoke**: `skills/build-performance.md`

---

### 3. SPM Dependency Conflicts → **spm-conflict-resolver** (Agent)
**Triggers**:
- SPM resolution failures
- "No such module" after adding package
- Duplicate symbol linker errors
- Version conflicts between packages
- Swift 6 package compatibility issues
- Package.swift / Package.resolved conflicts

**Why spm-conflict-resolver**: Specialized agent that analyzes Package.swift and Package.resolved to diagnose and resolve Swift Package Manager conflicts.

**Invoke**: Launch `spm-conflict-resolver` agent

---

### 4. Security & Privacy Audit → **security-privacy-scanner** (Agent)
**Triggers**:
- App Store submission prep
- Privacy Manifest requirements (iOS 17+)
- Hardcoded credentials in code
- Sensitive data storage concerns
- ATS violations
- Required Reason API declarations

**Why security-privacy-scanner**: Specialized agent that scans for security vulnerabilities and privacy compliance issues.

**Invoke**: Launch `security-privacy-scanner` agent or `/axiom:audit security`

---

### 5. iOS 17→18 Modernization → **modernization-helper** (Agent)
**Triggers**:
- Migrate ObservableObject to @Observable
- Update @StateObject to @State
- Adopt modern SwiftUI patterns
- Deprecated API cleanup
- iOS 17+ migration

**Why modernization-helper**: Specialized agent that scans for legacy patterns and provides migration paths with code examples.

**Invoke**: Launch `modernization-helper` agent or `/axiom:audit modernization`

---

### 6. Build Failure Auto-Fix → **build-fixer** (Agent)
**Triggers**:
- BUILD FAILED with no clear error details
- Build sometimes succeeds, sometimes fails
- App builds but runs old code
- "Unable to boot simulator" error
- Want automated environment-first diagnostics

**Why build-fixer**: Autonomous agent that checks zombie processes, Derived Data, SPM cache, and simulator state before investigating code. Saves 30+ minutes on environment issues.

**Invoke**: Launch `build-fixer` agent or `/axiom:fix-build`

---

### 7. Slow Build Optimization → **build-optimizer** (Agent)
**Triggers**:
- Builds take too long
- Want to identify slow type checking
- Expensive build phase scripts
- Suboptimal build settings
- Want parallelization opportunities

**Why build-optimizer**: Scans Xcode projects for build performance optimizations — slow type checking, expensive scripts, suboptimal settings — to reduce build times by 30-50%.

**Invoke**: Launch `build-optimizer` agent or `/axiom:optimize-build`

---

### 8. General Dependency Issues → **build-debugging**
**Triggers**:
- CocoaPods resolution failures
- "Multiple commands produce" errors
- Framework version mismatches
- Non-SPM dependency graph conflicts

**Invoke**: `skills/build-debugging.md`

---

### 9. TestFlight Crash Triage → **testflight-triage**
**Triggers**:
- Beta tester reported a crash
- Crash reports in Xcode Organizer
- Crash logs aren't symbolicated
- TestFlight feedback with screenshots
- App was killed but no crash report

**Why testflight-triage**: Systematic workflow for investigating TestFlight crashes and reviewing beta feedback. Covers symbolication, crash interpretation, common patterns, and Claude-assisted analysis.

**Invoke**: See axiom-shipping (skills/testflight-triage.md)

---

### 10. App Store Connect Navigation → **app-store-connect-ref**
**Triggers**:
- How to find crashes in App Store Connect
- ASC metrics dashboard navigation
- Understanding crash-free users percentage
- Comparing crash rates between versions
- Exporting crash data from ASC
- App Store Connect API for crash data

**Why app-store-connect-ref**: Reference for navigating ASC crash analysis, metrics dashboards, and data export workflows.

**Invoke**: See axiom-shipping (skills/app-store-connect-ref.md)

---

### 11. Crash Log Analysis → **crash-analyzer** (Agent)
**Triggers**:
- User has .ips or .crash file to analyze
- User pasted crash report text
- Need to parse crash log programmatically
- Identify crash pattern from exception type
- Check symbolication status

**Why crash-analyzer**: Autonomous agent that parses crash reports, identifies patterns (null pointer, Swift runtime, watchdog, jetsam), and generates actionable analysis.

**Invoke**: Launch `crash-analyzer` agent or `/axiom:analyze-crash`

---

### 12. MetricKit API Reference → **metrickit-ref**
**Triggers**:
- MetricKit setup and subscription
- MXMetricPayload parsing (CPU, memory, launches, hitches)
- MXDiagnosticPayload parsing (crashes, hangs, disk writes)
- MXCallStackTree decoding and symbolication
- Field crash/hang collection
- Background exit metrics

**Why metrickit-ref**: Complete MetricKit API reference with setup patterns, payload parsing, and integration with crash reporting systems.

**Invoke**: See axiom-performance (`skills/metrickit-ref.md`)

---

### 13. Hang Diagnostics → **hang-diagnostics**
**Triggers**:
- App hangs or freezes
- Main thread blocked for >1 second
- UI unresponsive to touches
- Xcode Organizer shows hang diagnostics
- MXHangDiagnostic from MetricKit
- Watchdog terminations (app killed during launch/background transition)

**Why hang-diagnostics**: Systematic diagnosis of hangs with decision tree for busy vs blocked main thread, tool selection (Time Profiler, System Trace), and 8 common hang patterns with fixes.

**Invoke**: See axiom-performance (`skills/hang-diagnostics.md`)

---

### 14. Live Debugging → **lldb**
**Triggers**:
- Need to reproduce a crash interactively
- Want to set breakpoints and inspect state
- Crash report analyzed, now need live investigation
- Need to attach debugger to running app

**Why lldb**: Crash reports tell you WHAT crashed. LLDB tells you WHY.

**Invoke**: `skills/lldb.md`

---

### 16. Runtime Console Capture → **xclog-ref**
**Triggers**:
- Need to see what the app is logging at runtime
- App crashes but no crash report (need console output)
- Silent failures (network, data, auth) with no UI feedback
- Want to capture print()/os_log() output from simulator
- Need structured log output for analysis
- "What is the app printing?"

**Why xclog-ref**: Xcode's debug console isn't accessible externally. xclog combines simctl stdout/stderr with `log stream` JSON to capture everything print(), NSLog(), os_log(), and Logger emit — with structured fields (level, subsystem, category) for automated analysis.

**Invoke**: `/axiom:console`

---

### 15. Code Signing Issues → **code-signing**
**Triggers**:
- "No signing certificate found"
- "Provisioning profile doesn't include signing certificate"
- errSecInternalComponent in CI
- ITMS-90035 Invalid Signature on upload
- Ambiguous identity / multiple certificates
- Entitlement mismatch or missing capability
- Setting up CI/CD code signing (GitHub Actions, fastlane match)
- Certificate expired or revoked

**Why code-signing**: Code signing errors are NEVER code bugs — they are 100% configuration (certificates, profiles, entitlements, keychains). Diagnosing with CLI tools takes 5 minutes vs hours of guessing.

**Invoke**: See axiom-security (skills/code-signing.md) (workflows) or See axiom-security (skills/code-signing-diag.md) (troubleshooting)

---

## Decision Tree

1. Mysterious/intermittent/clean build fails? → xcode-debugging (environment-first)
2. SPM dependency conflict? → spm-conflict-resolver (Agent)
3. CocoaPods/other dependency conflict? → build-debugging
4. Slow build time? → build-performance
5. Security/privacy/App Store prep? → security-privacy-scanner (Agent)
6. Want automated build fix (environment-first diagnostics)? → build-fixer (Agent)
7. Want build time optimization scan? → build-optimizer (Agent)
8. Modernization/deprecated APIs? → modernization-helper (Agent)
9. TestFlight crash/feedback? → testflight-triage
10. Navigating App Store Connect? → app-store-connect-ref
11. Have a crash log (.ips/.crash)? → crash-analyzer (Agent)
12. MetricKit setup/parsing? → metrickit-ref
13. App hang/freeze/watchdog? → hang-diagnostics
14. Need to reproduce crash interactively / inspect runtime state? → lldb
15. Code signing error (certificate, profile, entitlement, Keychain)? → code-signing / code-signing-diag
16. Need to see runtime console output (print/os_log)? → xclog-ref or `/axiom:console`

## Anti-Rationalization

| Thought | Reality |
|---------|---------|
| "I know how to fix this linker error" | Linker errors have 4+ root causes. xcode-debugging diagnoses all in 2 min. |
| "Let me just clean the build folder" | Clean builds mask the real issue. xcode-debugging finds the root cause. |
| "It's just an SPM issue, I'll fix Package.swift" | SPM conflicts cascade. spm-conflict-resolver analyzes the full dependency graph. |
| "The simulator is just slow today" | Simulator issues indicate environment corruption. xcode-debugging checks systematically. |
| "I'll skip environment checks, it compiles locally" | Environment-first saves 30+ min. Every time. |
| "I'll read the crash report more carefully instead of reproducing" | Crash reports show WHAT crashed, not WHY. Reproducing in LLDB with breakpoints reveals the actual state. `skills/lldb.md` has the workflow. |
| "I know my certificate is fine, let me check the code" | Code signing errors are NEVER code bugs. 100% configuration. code-signing diagnoses with CLI in 5 min. |
| "I can't see what the app is logging without Xcode" | xclog captures print() + os_log from the simulator. Structured JSON output with level, subsystem, category. `/axiom:console`. |

## When NOT to Use (Conflict Resolution)

**Do NOT use axiom-build for these — use the correct router instead:**

| Error Type | Correct Router | Why NOT axiom-build |
|------------|----------------|-------------------|
| Swift 6 concurrency errors | `/skill axiom-concurrency` | Code error, not environment |
| SwiftData migration errors | `/skill axiom-data` | Schema issue, not build environment |
| "Sending 'self' risks data race" | `/skill axiom-concurrency` | Language error, not Xcode issue |
| Type mismatch / compilation errors | Fix the code | These are code bugs |

**axiom-build is for environment mysteries**, not code errors:
- ✅ "No such module" when code is correct
- ✅ Simulator won't boot
- ✅ Clean build fails, incremental works
- ✅ Zombie xcodebuild processes
- ❌ Swift concurrency warnings/errors
- ❌ Database migration failures
- ❌ Type checking errors in valid code

## Example Invocations

User: "My build failed with a linker error"
→ Invoke: `skills/xcode-debugging.md` (environment-first diagnostic)

User: "Builds are taking 10 minutes"
→ Invoke: `skills/build-performance.md`

User: "SPM won't resolve dependencies"
→ Invoke: `spm-conflict-resolver` agent

User: "Two packages require different versions of the same dependency"
→ Invoke: `spm-conflict-resolver` agent

User: "Duplicate symbol linker error"
→ Invoke: `spm-conflict-resolver` agent

User: "I need to prepare for App Store security review"
→ Invoke: `security-privacy-scanner` agent

User: "Do I need a Privacy Manifest?"
→ Invoke: `security-privacy-scanner` agent

User: "Are there hardcoded credentials in my code?"
→ Invoke: `security-privacy-scanner` agent

User: "How do I migrate from ObservableObject to @Observable?"
→ Invoke: `modernization-helper` agent

User: "Update my code to use modern SwiftUI patterns"
→ Invoke: `modernization-helper` agent

User: "Should I still use @StateObject?"
→ Invoke: `modernization-helper` agent

User: "A beta tester said my app crashed"
→ Invoke: See axiom-shipping (skills/testflight-triage.md)

User: "I see crashes in App Store Connect but don't know how to investigate"
→ Invoke: See axiom-shipping (skills/testflight-triage.md)

User: "My crash logs aren't symbolicated"
→ Invoke: See axiom-shipping (skills/testflight-triage.md)

User: "I need to review TestFlight feedback"
→ Invoke: See axiom-shipping (skills/testflight-triage.md)

User: "How do I find crashes in App Store Connect?"
→ Invoke: See axiom-shipping (skills/app-store-connect-ref.md)

User: "Where's the crash-free users metric in ASC?"
→ Invoke: See axiom-shipping (skills/app-store-connect-ref.md)

User: "How do I export crash data from App Store Connect?"
→ Invoke: See axiom-shipping (skills/app-store-connect-ref.md)

User: "Analyze this crash log" [pastes .ips content]
→ Invoke: `crash-analyzer` agent or `/axiom:analyze-crash`

User: "Parse this .ips file: ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/MyApp.ips"
→ Invoke: `crash-analyzer` agent or `/axiom:analyze-crash`

User: "Why did my app crash? Here's the report..."
→ Invoke: `crash-analyzer` agent or `/axiom:analyze-crash`

User: "How do I set up MetricKit to collect crash data?"
→ Invoke: See axiom-performance (`skills/metrickit-ref.md`)

User: "How do I parse MXDiagnosticPayload?"
→ Invoke: See axiom-performance (`skills/metrickit-ref.md`)

User: "What's in MXCallStackTree and how do I decode it?"
→ Invoke: See axiom-performance (`skills/metrickit-ref.md`)

User: "My app hangs sometimes"
→ Invoke: See axiom-performance (`skills/hang-diagnostics.md`)

User: "The main thread is blocked and UI is unresponsive"
→ Invoke: See axiom-performance (`skills/hang-diagnostics.md`)

User: "Xcode Organizer shows hang diagnostics for my app"
→ Invoke: See axiom-performance (`skills/hang-diagnostics.md`)

User: "My app was killed by watchdog during launch"
→ Invoke: See axiom-performance (`skills/hang-diagnostics.md`)

User: "I have a crash report and need to reproduce it in the debugger"
→ Invoke: `skills/lldb.md`

User: "How do I set breakpoints to catch this crash?"
→ Invoke: `skills/lldb.md`

User: "My build is failing with BUILD FAILED but no error details"
→ Invoke: `build-fixer` agent or `/axiom:fix-build`

User: "Build sometimes succeeds, sometimes fails"
→ Invoke: `build-fixer` agent or `/axiom:fix-build`

User: "How can I speed up my Xcode build times?"
→ Invoke: `build-optimizer` agent or `/axiom:optimize-build`

User: "No signing certificate found when I try to build"
→ Invoke: See axiom-security (skills/code-signing-diag.md)

User: "errSecInternalComponent in my GitHub Actions CI"
→ Invoke: See axiom-security (skills/code-signing-diag.md)

User: "How do I set up code signing for GitHub Actions?"
→ Invoke: See axiom-security (skills/code-signing.md)

User: "What is my app printing to the console?"
→ Invoke: `/axiom:console`

User: "I need to see the simulator console output"
→ Invoke: `/axiom:console`

User: "The app fails silently, no error in the UI"
→ Invoke: `/axiom:console`