Dedicated hosts for macOS
The dedicated host resource class is available for those developing, building, testing, and signing iOS, iPadOS, macOS, WatchOS, and tvOS applications using the Xcode IDE. These dedicated resources provide an isolated environment for increased security.
This resource class requires a 24-hour minimum lease and runs on Intel-based Mac hardware.
The identifier for the dedicated host resource is macos.x86.metal.gen1, and supports the same Xcode images as the other macOS resource classes, with the exception of Xcode 10.3. Refer to the Supported Xcode versions section of the Testing iOS page for the full list of versions.
Pricing and specs
| Class | vCPUs | RAM | Total Storage | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 32 GB | 200 GB | 100 credits per minute (24-hour minimum) |
Each account has a maximum of one dedicated host by default. You can increase the maximum number by contacting CircleCI support, or your account representative.
Once a dedicated host has been allocated, you have exclusive access to it for a minimum of 24 hours. If the dedicated host is already in use when a job is kicked off, the job is queued until the host becomes available, unless you have increased your dedicated host limit.
Supported Xcode versions
| Config | Xcode Version | macOS Version | Software Manifest | Release Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xcode 14.0.1 (14A400) | 12.5.1 | ||
| Xcode 13.4 (13F17a) | 12.3.1 | ||
| Xcode 13.3 (13E500a) | 12.3.1 | ||
| Xcode 13.2.1 (13C100) | 11.6.2 | ||
| Xcode 13.1 (13A1030d) | 11.6.1 | ||
| Xcode 13.0 (13A233) | 11.5.2 | ||
| Xcode 12.5.1 (12E507) | 11.4.0 | ||
| Xcode 11.7 (11E801a) | 10.15.5 |
Known limitations
-
The resource class does not currently support test splitting or parallelism.
-
The host gets cleaned between jobs, which can currently take 5 to 45 minutes. We recommend running more than one dedicated host concurrently to help minimize the impact of this scrubbing process. Contact support or your account representative to increase your limit.
Example configuration file using macOS dedicated host resources
# .circleci/config.yml
version: 2.1
jobs:
build-and-test:
macos:
xcode: 14.0.1 # indicate your selected version of Xcode
resource_class: macos.x86.metal.gen1 # dedicated host, with 24-hour billing
steps:
- checkout
- run: bundle install
- run:
name: Fastlane
command: bundle exec fastlane $FASTLANE_LANE
- store_artifacts:
path: output
- store_test_results:
path: output/scan
workflows:
build-test:
jobs:
- build-and-testFAQs
How does a dedicated host differ from the other macOS resources on CircleCI?
CircleCI’s other macOS resources are run on isolated virtual machines, which means that multiple customers can be using VMs on the same host. Dedicated hosts provide exclusive access to an entire host, without worrying about sharing resources with other customers.
Why is there a 24-hour minimum?
Apple released an updated end-user license agreement (EULA) along with the release of Big Sur in November 2020, which requires cloud providers to lease Apple hardware to no more than one customer for a minimum of 24 hours.
| By using the Services, you represent and warrant that you have reviewed and agree to be bound by the terms of the Apple Software License Agreement, as well as the terms applicable to any software preinstalled on the Apple Software, including, but not limited to, Apple’s Xcode developer software and any other Apple or third-party software. |
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