Xcode 15: "Cycle inside ...; building could produce unreliable results" due to DSTROOT=/

Developer Tools & Services Xcode
FxFactory OP
Created Jun ’23
Replies 29
Boosts 15
Views 34k
Participants 60

Offering this here for those who may run into the same issue... There is more than one reason you may get the following error message when attempting to build your targets:

Cycle inside ...; building could produce unreliable results

But if you just switched to Xcode 15 and you are currently customizing DSTROOT to set the root install location for the deliverables (app, bundle, etc) built by your Target, Xcode 15 will refuse to build any target with dependencies on other targets that use the same underlying configuration. There is obviously no real cycle: Xcode 15 is just confused by both targets sharing the same DSTROOT. For example, if you set up your projects with:

DSTROOT=/
INSTALL_PATH=/Applications

(notice that DSTROOT=/ is even mentioned in the docs)

Xcode will wrongfully detect a circular dependency as both targets share the build destination and thus refuse to build. The solution is to not customize DSTROOT, thus allowing it to have a directory name that is target-dependent and thus fairly immune to collisions. Instead, customize the INSTALL_ROOT setting. While this setting does not appear in the Build Phases tab, it defaults to reusing the DSTROOT value. If you set it explicitly, it allows DSTROOT to remain for other purposes, while using the value of INSTALL_ROOT to deploy your deliverables:

INSTALL_ROOT=/
INSTALL_PATH=/Applications

This allows the build system to proceed without errors.

Answered by .jeroen. in 755002022

Update: we managed to fix the issue on our end by moving the 'Embed Frameworks' build phase above the 'Run script' build phase(s).

Replies  29
Boosts  15
Views  34k
Participants  60
arvinq OP
Oct ’23

For me, we've got a widget extension which is in Embed Foundation Extensions. Putting this before Copy Bundle Resources solves our issue.

2
liudasbar OP
Oct ’23

For me what worked: Updated cocoapods to the latest version (1.13.0), ran pod install, and moved all of my target's Run Script Phase build phases to the very bottom.

0
Dr_Trust_iOS_Dev OP
Oct ’23

please follow the below image

0
oschlueter OP
Oct ’23

As an add-on to the accepted response: for Flutter projects a cycle like this may appear when adding an application extension to the Flutter App. That can be resolved by moving the "Embed Foundation frameworks"-Phase in front of the "Thin binary"-Phase for the main application (i.e. "Runner).

0
jaredfromkansas city OP
Nov ’23

Moving the embed frameworks build phase above run script worked for me as well.

0
dognotdog OP
Dec ’23

The INSTALL_ROOT setting is what worked for me.

0
elitek2 OP
Dec ’23

Where can i find the INSTALL_ROOT setting and set it explicitly ?

0
Youlean OP
Dec ’23

I had issues with Copy Files. The solution was to remove it and to use a script to do the coping.

0
ucheNkadiCode OP
Jan ’24

I'm in XCode 15 and Watch 10 OS, React Native 72 so my case, I did not have anything called "Embed Framework". I had a section in my iOS target Build Phases section called "Embed Watch Content".

Initially, "Embed watch content" was the LAST build phase of my main iOS Target. I did not have to touch anything in my Watch target build phases.

Follow the order of the picture below. You can literally just click and drag a build phase in the UI.

Before:

After:

1
C0dez OP
Mar ’24

I searched the entire internet and couldn't find a single resource pointing me to the INSTALL_ROOT settings, where can i find it???

0
TrollgenSTudio OP
Apr ’24

Like FxFactory said (thank you dear stranger on the internet very much!), that solution worked! To set it:

  1. Build Settings
  2. Plus in top left
  3. User Defined Setting

Type INSTALL_ROOT in and for the field (should have a green outline), add "/"

And then I used this build phases (though I think it was setting):

0
DarFirdous OP
May ’24

It absolutely works for me... Thanks for providing so clearly the solution....

0
dcowden OP
Jun ’24

Add a user-defined setting called INSTALL_ROOT and set it to /.

0
OksDev OP
Jul ’24

iOS 17 I placed Embed App Extensions above Copy Bundle Resources and it worked

0
Xcode 15: "Cycle inside ...; building could produce unreliable results" due to DSTROOT=/
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