No longer possible to use the CLI to launch an app on Apple TV

[douglowder]

Environment

info Fetching system and libraries information...
System:
  OS: macOS 12.6.5
  CPU: (10) arm64 Apple M1 Max
  Memory: 3.37 GB / 64.00 GB
  Shell:
    version: 5.8.1
    path: /bin/zsh
Binaries:
  Node:
    version: 18.13.0
    path: /usr/local/bin/node
  Yarn:
    version: 1.22.19
    path: ~/.yarn/bin/yarn
  npm:
    version: 8.19.3
    path: /usr/local/bin/npm
  Watchman: Not Found
Managers:
  CocoaPods:
    version: 1.11.3
    path: /Users/dlowder/.rbenv/shims/pod
SDKs:
  iOS SDK:
    Platforms:
      - DriverKit 22.2
      - iOS 16.2
      - macOS 13.1
      - tvOS 16.1
      - watchOS 9.1
  Android SDK:
    API Levels:
      - "26"
      - "28"
      - "29"
      - "30"
      - "31"
      - "32"
      - "33"
    Build Tools:
      - 26.0.3
      - 30.0.2
      - 30.0.3
      - 31.0.0
      - 32.0.0
      - 32.1.0
      - 33.0.0
    System Images:
      - android-25 | Google APIs ARM 64 v8a
      - android-26 | Google APIs Intel x86 Atom_64
      - android-31 | Android TV ARM 64 v8a
      - android-31 | ARM 64 v8a
      - android-31 | Google APIs ARM 64 v8a
      - android-31 | Google Play ARM 64 v8a
      - android-32 | Google APIs ARM 64 v8a
      - android-32 | Google Play ARM 64 v8a
      - android-33 | Android TV ARM 64 v8a
      - android-33 | Google APIs ARM 64 v8a
    Android NDK: Not Found
IDEs:
  Android Studio: 2022.1 AI-221.6008.13.2211.9619390
  Xcode:
    version: 14.2/14C18
    path: /usr/bin/xcodebuild
Languages:
  Java:
    version: 11.0.16.1
    path: /usr/bin/javac
  Ruby:
    version: 2.7.7
    path: /Users/dlowder/.rbenv/shims/ruby
npmPackages:
  "@react-native-community/cli":
    installed: 11.2.0
    wanted: ^11.2.0
  react:
    installed: 18.2.0
    wanted: 18.2.0
  react-native: Not Found
  react-native-macos: Not Found
  react-native-tvos:
    installed: 0.71.7-0rc1
npmGlobalPackages:
  "*react-native*": Not Found
Android:
  hermesEnabled: true
  newArchEnabled: false
iOS:
  hermesEnabled: false
  newArchEnabled: false

Description

It used to be that

npx react-native run-ios --scheme=MyApp-tvOS --simulator="Apple TV"

worked correctly when building apps with the React Native TV repo.

Now, this command fails because it cannot find a matching simulator.

xcodebuild: error: Unable to find a destination matching the provided destination specifier:
		{ id:14727BE0-55EB-4DB6-AC40-3B11B3E66F8B }

	Available destinations for the "MyApp-tvOS" scheme:
		{ platform:tvOS, id:dvtdevice-DVTiOSDevicePlaceholder-appletvos:placeholder, name:Any tvOS Device }
		{ platform:tvOS Simulator, id:dvtdevice-DVTiOSDeviceSimulatorPlaceholder-appletvsimulator:placeholder, name:Any tvOS Simulator Device }
		{ platform:tvOS, id:fc278c52b29dac08bf50aa40a76ac39e810e8c54, name:Doug dev TV }
		{ platform:tvOS Simulator, id:2996D07E-5C4D-4FCB-9686-93E90A1D741D, OS:15.2, name:Apple TV }
		{ platform:tvOS Simulator, id:FEB20D19-9E38-4943-939E-6141B3DF5CED, OS:16.0, name:Apple TV }
		{ platform:tvOS Simulator, id:6999154E-23B8-40F1-A69E-5721458BD99D, OS:16.1, name:Apple TV }
		{ platform:tvOS Simulator, id:C9EE0829-CFD4-4119-AD77-4812C4E1058E, OS:15.2, name:Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) }
		{ platform:tvOS Simulator, id:EC880B0E-7E81-4C07-86BD-CE0AB84003A4, OS:16.0, name:Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) }
		{ platform:tvOS Simulator, id:33FD6B0E-7032-4FE4-8CDB-770314302BFE, OS:16.1, name:Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) }
		{ platform:tvOS Simulator, id:7247EAEF-3898-4DC7-A9B8-6666AD66D87F, OS:16.1, name:Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) (at 1080p) }
		{ platform:tvOS Simulator, id:D5C61178-2DCF-4C0A-AF2A-9A47897E308A, OS:15.2, name:Apple TV 4K (at 1080p) (2nd generation) }
		{ platform:tvOS Simulator, id:ABA63AD3-0537-469A-BACE-E796AC2C1F21, OS:16.0, name:Apple TV 4K (at 1080p) (2nd generation) }
]

It appears that the ability to run on tvOS was removed, most likely in #1823 .

Reproducible Demo

• Execute

react-native init RN69TV --template=react-native-tvos --skip-install

• Edit RN69TV/package.json and add resolutions to make sure the latest CLI is used:

"resolutions": {
    "@react-native-community/cli": "^11.2.0",
    "@react-native-community/cli-platform-ios": "^11.2.0"
  }

• Then install dependencies and attempt to run the app on Apple TV:

cd RN69TV
yarn
npx pod-install
npx react-native run-ios --scheme=RN69TV-tvOS --simulator="Apple TV"

[douglowder]

@adamTrz @thymikee it seems that a definite decision was taken in #1823 to drop support for React Native on Apple TV. The existing test code to verify correct listing of Apple TV devices was removed in that PR.

Was this decision taken explicitly? Would a PR to reenable Apple TV support be welcome?

[thymikee]

Ugh, this is a regression. tvOS should definitely be supported. I now see that we went slightly more explicit on returning iOS devices in that helper instead of all-of-apple. PR to sort this out would definitely be welcome.

cc @adamTrz @szymonrybczak

[douglowder]

Thanks @thymikee I'll self-assign this and have a look soon.

[Killavus]

@douglowder I took a liberty of investigating and creating a fix for the issue.

[adamTrz]

Fixed with #1929