XVM: Xcode Version Manager - No More Headaches When New Xcode Drops

Опубликовано 05 октября 2025 AntonSeagull — 4 min

XVM: When New Xcode Drops, Everything Goes Sideways

Hey there, fellow developers! Today I want to tell you about utility XVM (Xcode Version Manager) and why it should be in every iOS developer's toolkit.

The Problem We All Know Too Well

You know that moment when Apple releases a new Xcode, but your project still uses an older iOS SDK? Or when a client asks you to build a project with Xcode 15.4, but you already have 16.2 installed?

That's when the classic headache begins:

Download the required Xcode version (8+ gigabytes, thanks Apple)
Rename the current Xcode to Xcode-16.2.app
Rename the new one to Xcode.app
Run sudo xcode-select --switch /Applications/Xcode.app
Wait for Xcode to re-index all projects
Pray that nothing breaks

And a week later you need to switch back, and this whole circus repeats. Sound familiar? Then keep reading.

The Solution: XVM

XVM is a simple command-line utility that automates this entire process. Set up multiple Xcode versions once, and now you can switch between them with a single command.

What XVM can do:

Show all installed Xcode versions — xvm list
Show current active version — xvm current
Switch between versions — sudo xvm switch 15.4
Dry-run mode — xvm switch 15.4 --dry-run
Bilingual interface — works in Russian and English

Installation

Quick install (recommended):

curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AntonSeagull/xcode-version-manager/main/install-xvm.sh | bash

Manual installation:

Download the latest binary from releases
Make it executable: chmod +x xvm-darwin-amd64 (or xvm-darwin-arm64 for Apple Silicon)
Move to PATH: sudo mv xvm-darwin-amd64 /usr/local/bin/xvm

How it works

XVM manages Xcode versions very elegantly:

Renames the current active Xcode (usually /Applications/Xcode.app) to a versioned name (e.g., Xcode-16.2.app)
Renames the target Xcode (e.g., Xcode-15.4.app) to /Applications/Xcode.app
Updates xcode-select to point to the new active version

Simple and clear. No magic, just common sense.

Usage Examples

# List all versions
xvm list

# Active / Active: /Applications/Xcode.app (16.2)
#
# Found in /Applications:
#  * /Applications/Xcode.app (16.2)
#    /Applications/Xcode-15.4.app (15.4)
#    /Applications/Xcode-14.3.1.app (14.3.1)

# Switch to Xcode 15.4
sudo xvm switch 15.4

# Preview switch
xvm switch 14.3.1 --dry-run

Setting up multiple Xcode versions

Download Xcode versions from Apple Developer Downloads
Install each version to /Applications/ with a versioned name:
- Xcode-16.2.app
- Xcode-15.4.app
- Xcode-14.3.1.app
Use XVM to switch between them

Why do you need this?

For development teams:

Everyone works on the same Xcode versions
Easy switching between projects with different requirements
Less "it works on my machine" situations

For CI/CD:

Test on different Xcode versions
Automate version switching in scripts

For legacy project support:

Old projects that don't compile on newer versions
Clients who require a specific Xcode version

Requirements

macOS (tested on macOS 10.15+)
Multiple Xcode installations in /Applications/ directory
Administrator privileges for switching versions (sudo required)

Commands Reference

Command	Description
`xvm list`	Show all installed Xcode versions
`xvm current`	Show currently active Xcode version
`xvm switch <version>`	Switch to specified version
`xvm switch <version> --dry-run`	Preview switch operation

Troubleshooting

Permission denied

Make sure you're using sudo when switching versions:

sudo xvm switch 15.4

Xcode not found

Ensure your Xcode installations are named correctly:

ls -la /Applications/Xcode*

Should show files like /Applications/Xcode-16.2.app, /Applications/Xcode-15.4.app, etc.

Version detection issues

XVM tries multiple methods to detect Xcode versions:

Reading Info.plist
Using xcodebuild -version

Conclusion

XVM solves a real problem that every iOS developer faces. No more dancing around when switching Xcode versions. One command and you're done.

Try it yourself and let me know if something doesn't work. The source code is open, report bugs in GitHub Issues.

P.S. If you have ideas for improvements or want to add new features — welcome to contribute! 🚀