Many Apple podcasters criticize Xcode, yet you can build Mac and iOS apps without ever opening it. TL;DR: Xcode must be installed but never opened. Tools like xcodebuild, notarytool, stapler, and devicectl run from a shell. One‑time GUI steps are: sign into Apple ID, create a Developer ID certificate, and store a notarization password.

Install Xcode and set the command‑line toolchain: `sudo xcode-select -s /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer`. Avoid the standalone Command Line Tools; all required tools live inside Xcode.app. Next, use Xcode Gen to generate projects from a single project.yml; commit only that file and ignore the generated .xcodeproj.

Configure Xcode: accept the license, add your paid Apple Developer account, create a Developer ID Application certificate (for notarized apps), and store a notarization credential with an app‑specific password. Store passwords in 1Password for automation.

Create a Local.xcconfig with your team ID and bundle prefix, add it to .gitignore, and use a release.sh script to automate archive, sign, notarize, staple, and install. Claude Code can generate this pipeline, keeping the build headless.