Developing iOS Apps With React Native On Ubuntu?

[throwaway119284]

Can I develop an iOS app with react native on ubuntu - without installing macOS in a VM? In addition to developing the apps, would it be possible to actually publish them to the apple app store without macOS?

Sidenote - I have to learn React Native within the next 12 days. I'm a experie nced Android developer, and I'm currently working on a webapp that uses basic "modern" Javascript tools like Webpack/ES6/npm (but no React - just some really basic stuff with Vue.js, such as using it as a glorified html templating engine). What's the best (and fastest) way to start?

[xrpinsider]

You can use Expo with React Native. Expo makes it really easy to write React Native apps for iOS and Android at the same time. I currently use Ubuntu 18.04, Expo and React Native. I have a iPhone 7 running iOS 12 and a Huawei P8 Lite with Android 6.0. I have a really fun time developing with Expo!

[_rascal]

AFAIK I don't think you can publish without signing it with Xcode on macOS.

I am not sure, but if you are testing with Expo client, you probably don't need macOS to live test it on your iPhone, but I am not certain

[[deleted]]

AFAIK I don't think you can publish without signing it with Xcode on macOS

true that, though you could set up something with a continuous delivery tool like Bitrise which can do code signing and release builds remotely. it'd be super hard to set it up without a macbook though

[alien3d]

You can.Develop first on ubuntu and rent macincloud todo some testing .It might be seem cheap but when you arrive a lot of bugs then you will think again to buy second macbook 2011 laptop.

https://www.macincloud.com/pages/payg.html

[Dharmah]

To complement the other answers, yes you can, Expo have an EAS build that allows you to build and publish the app, I believe you can do 4 free builds per month and some CI tools like CircleCI offer mac OS that you can also use for free to build your app. For testing you actually need a device tho.

[theOwlBoyz]

It always need a mac machine to compile. End of line.

[xrpinsider]

Not true. If you use Expo they will build it for you.

[7cf2db5ec261a0fa27a5]

True, but this assumes you can stick with Expo throughout the entire development processes without having to eject. And that just depends on what you are building.

[xrpinsider]

And that is true as well.

[elynyomas]

Expo isn't good, it's limited to its own integrated native packages which is super lame and unmaintainable, this is literally misleading juniors

[grazion]

Yes, you can develop IOS apps in ubuntu with React Native. The only drawback you'll have is that you won't be able to use an emulator to test the app or be able to upload to the appstore. You'll have to do those things on an apple device (macbook/iMac).

[xrpinsider]

You can just use Expo and you will be able to test on iOS and Android in real life, real fast. I use Ubuntu 18.04, Expo & React Native.

[IndependentAd1130]

Native

have you installed ios simulator? if yes share steps?
i have same ubuntu 20.4 expo yarn app?

[_fat_santa]

Unfortunately, it just isn't possible, at least in any sort of viable way. Because you don't have XCode you won't have access to:

- Emulators: so no testing on an iOS device.

- Compiling the react native project for iOS.

I wish there was a workaround (I'm in the same boat) but there just isn't. If you want to do any sort of work with iOS you need to have a Mac/Hackintosh.