bit2pixel/kiwix-apple

Kiwix for offline access on iOS and macOS

Kiwix for iOS & macOS

This is the home for Kiwix apps on iOS and macOS.

Mobile app for iPads & iPhones

• Download the iOS mobile app on the App Store

Kiwix Desktop for macOS

• Download Kiwix Desktop on the Mac App Store
• Download Kiwix Desktop DMG file

Developers

Dependencies

• An Apple Developer account (doesn't require membership)
• Latest Apple Developers Tools (Xcode)
• Its command-line utilities (xcode-select --install)
• libkiwix.xcframework (kiwix-lib)

Creating libkiwix.xcframework

Instructions to build kiwix-lib at on the kiwix-build repo.

The xcframework is a bundle of a library for multiple architectures and/or platforms. The libkiwix.xcframework will contain libkiwix library for macOS arch and for iOS. You don't have to follow steps for other platform/arch if you don't need them.

Following steps are done from kiwix-build root and assume your apple repository is at ../apple.

Build libkiwix

Make sure to preinstall kiwix-build prerequisites (ninja and meson).

If you use homebrew, run the following

brew install ninja meson

Make sure xcode command tools are installed

xcode-select --install

After you can build the libkiwix

git clone https://github.com/kiwix/kiwix-build.git
cd kiwix-build
# [iOS] build libkiwix
kiwix-build --target-platform iOS_multi libkiwix
# [macOS] build libkiwix
kiwix-build --target-platform macOS_arm64 libkiwix
kiwix-build --target-platform macOS_x86_64 libkiwix

Create fat archive with all dependencies

This creates a single .a archive named libkiwix which contains all libkiwix's dependencies. If you are to create an xcframework with multiple architectures/platforms, repeat this step for each:

• macOS_x86_64
• macOS_arm64
• iOS_x86_64
• iOS_arm64

You'll have to do it for both iOS archs although you built it using multi.

libtool -static -o BUILD_<target>/INSTALL/lib/libkiwix.a BUILD_<target>/INSTALL/lib/*.a

Add fat archive to xcframework

xcodebuild -create-xcframework -library BUILD_<target>/INSTALL/lib/libkiwix.a -headers BUILD_<target>/INSTALL/include -output ../apple/Libraries/libkiwix.xcframework

You can now launch the build from Xcode and use the iOS simulator or your macOS target.

Building Kiwix iOS or Kiwix macOS

• Open project with Xcode open Kiwix.xcodeproj
• Change the App groups (in Capabilities) and Bundle Identifier for both iOS and Bookmarks targets
  • App Group must be different and unique (ex: tld.mydomain.apple)
  • iOS Bundle Identifier must be different and unique (ex: tld.mydomain.apple.Kiwix)
  • Bookmarks Bundle Identifier must be a child of iOS one (ex: tld.mydomain.apple.Kiwix.Bookmarks)
  • ⚠ if you are using a regular (non-paying) Apple Developer Account, you are limited in the number of App IDs you can use so be careful not to fumble much with those.
• Change the Signing profile to your account.