Is it possible to install iOS 6 SDK on Xcode 5?

Question

EDIT: Starting Feb 1, 2014, Apple will no longer accept pre-iOS7 apps for submission to App Store. So while this technique still works, it will not be useful for most readers.

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Yes, this is fine. I still build with iOS 4.3 for one project (it's been awhile since we updated; but they still accepted it after iOS 6 came out), and I currently build 10.5 apps with Xcode 5.

See How to point Xcode to an old SDK so it can be used as a "Base SDK"? for details on how to set it up. You can use my fix-xcode script to link everything for you every time you upgrade.

The only trick is getting the old SDKs. If you don't have them, you generally need to download old versions of Xcode (still available on developer.apple.com), open the installer package, and hunt around to find the SDK you need.

SDKs can be found within the installer package at:

Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/

I was also running the same problem when I updated to xcode 5 it removed older sdk. But I taken the copy of older SDK from another computer and the same you can download from following link.

http://www.4shared.com/zip/NlPgsxz6/iPhoneOS61sdk.html
(www.4shared.com test account [email protected]/test)

There are 2 ways to work with.

1) Unzip and paste this folder to /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs & restart the xcode.

But this might again removed by Xcode if you update xcode.

2) Another way is Unzip and paste where you want and go to /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs and create a symbolic link here, so that the SDK will remain same even if you update the Xcode.

Another change I made, Build Setting > Architectures > standard (not 64) so list all the versions of Deployment Target

No need to download the zip if you only wanted to change the deployment target.

Here are some screenshots.

Yes, I just solved the problem today.

1. Find the SDK file, like iPhoneOS6.1.sdk, in your or your friend's older Xcode directory.
2. Copy & put it into the Xcode 5 directory : /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs.

Then you can choose the SDK like below :

Hope this helps you.

Find and download old SDK. Older SDKs are found here.

I have copied the xcode.app directory as Xcode_4.6.3.app.

Now you can test and debug in both xcode versions. You have to run them from the corresponding folders or create shortcuts in your desktop. When building from command line give the parameter as iPhoneOS6.1 instead of iPhoneOS7.0

This worked great for me in Xcode5 and iOS.

Go to into Xcode5's SDK dir. Its usually located at:

/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs

Add a symbolic link to the old SDK like this:

sudo ln -s /Applications/Xcode_4.6.3.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs/iPhoneOS6.1.sdk iPhoneOS6.1.sdk

Or more accurately from anywhere in the command line,

sudo ln -s /Applications/Xcode_4.6.3.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs/iPhoneOS6.1.sdk  /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs/iPhoneOS6.1.sdk

You can download the older SDK and install it in

Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs/

folder. Logout + Login just to make sure the changes take effect and you should see the older SDK in your new XCode

Just to add, you can actually download old versions of the simulator with Xcode 5 itself - just go to preferences and you'll find them under Downloads: