Setup SFML on Mac with Xcode

Written 2021-02-18 on MacOS 11.2.1 BigSur and Xcode 12.4

Installation

Based on the instructions at https://www.sfml-dev.org/tutorials/2.5/start-osx.php:

• Download the SDK https://www.sfml-dev.org/download.php
• Copy contents of Frameworks to /Library/Frameworks
• Copy contents of extlibs to /Library/Frameworks
• Copy templates/SFML to ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/Templates (create the folders if they don't exist yet)

Then, in Xcode, you can create new SFML apps.

Fix paths in build script

In Xcode, Click on the .xcodeproj file and go to the Build Phases tab. Expand Run Script and update the paths to start with simply /Library/Framework/ instead of /Users/SFML/Desktop.... This will help resolve errors like this:

ditto: Cannot get the real path for source '/Users/SFML/Desktop/packaging/tmp/install/Library/Frameworks/sfml-system.framework'
couldn't copy /Users/SFML/Desktop/packaging/tmp/install/Library/Frameworks/sfml-system.framework to /Users/dtron/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Deleteme-acixjsmlqhawaehgseqymmiyrydx/Build/Products/Debug/Deleteme.app/Contents/Frameworks//sfml-system.framework

Allow unverified framework to be opened

When you try to run the new app created from template, it will then give you errors about not being able to load the framework because it is untrusted. You will see an error like this:

smfl-*.framework cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified. macOS cannot verify that this app is free from malware. Safari downloaded this file today at 12:00 PM from www.sfml-dev.org.

You can resolve these one at a time by going to your System Preferences | Security & Privacy | General and look for Allow Anyway button next to the message saying sfml-*.framework was blocked from use because it is not from an identified developer. The next time you run it will allow you to open it. You will have to repeat this for every framework.

Build the .app

To build for release go to Product | Archive. To build for Debug run Product | Build.

You might get an error about signing like this, but it will still finish building the .app:

CodeSign /Users/dtron/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Deleteme-acixjsmlqhawaehgseqymmiyrydx/Build/Intermediates.noindex/ArchiveIntermediates/Deleteme/InstallationBuildProductsLocation/Applications/Deleteme.app (in target 'Deleteme' from project 'Deleteme')
    cd /Users/dtron/workspace/Deleteme
    export CODESIGN_ALLOCATE\=/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/codesign_allocate

Signing Identity:     "-"

    /usr/bin/codesign --force --sign - --entitlements /Users/dtron/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Deleteme-acixjsmlqhawaehgseqymmiyrydx/Build/Intermediates.noindex/ArchiveIntermediates/Deleteme/IntermediateBuildFilesPath/Deleteme.build/Release/Deleteme.build/Deleteme.app.xcent /Users/dtron/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Deleteme-acixjsmlqhawaehgseqymmiyrydx/Build/Intermediates.noindex/ArchiveIntermediates/Deleteme/InstallationBuildProductsLocation/Applications/Deleteme.app

/Users/dtron/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Deleteme-acixjsmlqhawaehgseqymmiyrydx/Build/Intermediates.noindex/ArchiveIntermediates/Deleteme/InstallationBuildProductsLocation/Applications/Deleteme.app: code object is not signed at all
In subcomponent: /Users/dtron/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Deleteme-acixjsmlqhawaehgseqymmiyrydx/Build/Intermediates.noindex/ArchiveIntermediates/Deleteme/InstallationBuildProductsLocation/Applications/Deleteme.app/Contents/Frameworks/vorbisenc.framework
Command CodeSign failed with a nonzero exit code

Find the built .app file

~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/$APP_NAME/Build/Products/Deployment/ You might have to press Command+Shift+. to show hidden files like Library in your home directory.