macOS
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brew install ios-simlocal Homebrew formula metadata
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Install ios-sim with Homebrew
Command-line application launcher for the iOS Simulator. Version 9.0.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Command-line application launcher for the iOS Simulator
Project links
Commands and aliases
- ios-sim
history
Project history and usage
ios-sim is a command-line launcher for the iOS Simulator. Its README and package metadata present it as a CLI for installing, launching, and querying simulator apps and device types from scripts.
Project history
The repository dates to 2010, and package.json names Shazron Abdullah as author. Early ios-sim filled a practical gap before Apple's simulator tooling became friendlier to automation: launch a built app into the simulator without driving Xcode's GUI.
Later releases moved the user-facing command surface into an oclif-style Node CLI while still centering on simulator launch/install tasks. The README shows version 9.0.0 usage, commands such as install, launch, showdevicetypes, showsdks, and start, and npm installation as the first usage example.
Adoption history
ios-sim was distributed through npm as well as Homebrew. npm registry metadata shows publication beginning in 2013 with dozens of versions, while the Homebrew formula packages the 9.0.0 tag as an all-platform bottle because the package itself is a JavaScript CLI wrapper around macOS simulator tooling.
How it is used
The tool is used to start the simulator, install an app bundle, launch an app bundle with arguments or environment variables, list device types, and list SDKs. Those operations made it useful to Cordova-era and CI scripts that needed simulator control without a full Xcode UI session.
Why package nerds care
ios-sim is a good package-catalog fossil: it captures the period when JavaScript mobile toolchains wrapped Apple developer tools to make iOS builds testable from npm scripts and CI jobs. Its value is less about a complex algorithm than about packaging a repeatable CLI facade over Apple's simulator.
Timeline
- 2010: GitHub repository created and version 1.0 tag appears in the Git history.
- 2013: npm package publication began.
- 2020: Version 9.0.0 tag used by Homebrew as the stable source archive.
- 2022: npm registry metadata records later package modification after the 9.0.0 line.
Related projects
- ios-sim sits beside ios-deploy in the ios-control organization: ios-sim targets the simulator, while ios-deploy targets physical devices. It also relates to Apple's Simulator.app and simctl tooling.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
ios-sim | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-08-03
manager version9.0.0
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:ios-sim |
|---|---|
| Version | 9.0.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://github.com/ios-control/ios-sim |
| Repository | https://github.com/ios-control/ios-sim |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- pkg.so package database
- pkgdb category and tag curation