Mystery console error with IOHIDFamily

Question

For one of my projects, this error message in Xcode's console happens every time I run a build in the iOS Simulator. It's been happening for over a year and I thought it would eventually go away with an update to Xcode. I've dereferenced and relinked all the Frameworks and I am not explicitly calling anything from the IOHIDFamily, whatever that is! It doesn't seem to affect my program execution but I would really like to figure out why it dumps all this every time.

2015-04-21 18:20:13.997 Vector-Z_beta[12370:1453236] Error loading /System/Library/Extensions/IOHIDFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOHIDLib.plugin/Contents/MacOS/IOHIDLib:  dlopen(/System/Library/Extensions/IOHIDFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOHIDLib.plugin/Contents/MacOS/IOHIDLib, 262): no suitable image found.  Did find:
    /System/Library/Extensions/IOHIDFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOHIDLib.plugin/Contents/MacOS/IOHIDLib: mach-o, but not built for iOS simulator
2015-04-21 18:20:13.997 Vector-Z_beta[12370:1453236] Cannot find function pointer IOHIDLibFactory for factory 13AA9C44-6F1B-11D4-907C-0005028F18D5 in CFBundle/CFPlugIn 0x78da9a80 </System/Library/Extensions/IOHIDFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOHIDLib.plugin> (bundle, not loaded)
2015-04-21 18:20:13.997 Vector-Z_beta[12370:1453236] Error loading /System/Library/Extensions/IOHIDFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOHIDLib.plugin/Contents/MacOS/IOHIDLib:  dlopen(/System/Library/Extensions/IOHIDFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOHIDLib.plugin/Contents/MacOS/IOHIDLib, 262): no suitable image found.  Did find:
    /System/Library/Extensions/IOHIDFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOHIDLib.plugin/Contents/MacOS/IOHIDLib: mach-o, but not built for iOS simulator
2015-04-21 18:20:13.997 Vector-Z_beta[12370:1453236] Cannot find function pointer IOHIDLibFactory for factory 13AA9C44-6F1B-11D4-907C-0005028F18D5 in CFBundle/CFPlugIn 0x78da9a80 </System/Library/Extensions/IOHIDFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOHIDLib.plugin> (bundle, not loaded)
2015-04-21 18:20:13.998 Vector-Z_beta[12370:1453236] Error loading /System/Library/Extensions/IOHIDFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOHIDLib.plugin/Contents/MacOS/IOHIDLib:  dlopen(/System/Library/Extensions/IOHIDFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOHIDLib.plugin/Contents/MacOS/IOHIDLib, 262): no suitable image found.  Did find:
    /System/Library/Extensions/IOHIDFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOHIDLib.plugin/Contents/MacOS/IOHIDLib: mach-o, but not built for iOS simulator
2015-04-21 18:20:13.998 Vector-Z_beta[12370:1453236] Cannot find function pointer IOHIDLibFactory for factory 13AA9C44-6F1B-11D4-907C-0005028F18D5 in CFBundle/CFPlugIn 0x78da9a80 </System/Library/Extensions/IOHIDFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOHIDLib.plugin> (bundle, not loaded)
2015-04-21 18:20:13.998 Vector-Z_beta[12370:1453236] Error loading /System/Library/Extensions/IOHIDFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOHIDLib.plugin/Contents/MacOS/IOHIDLib:  dlopen(/System/Library/Extensions/IOHIDFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOHIDLib.plugin/Contents/MacOS/IOHIDLib, 262): no suitable image found.  Did find:
    /System/Library/Extensions/IOHIDFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOHIDLib.plugin/Contents/MacOS/IOHIDLib: mach-o, but not built for iOS simulator
2015-04-21 18:20:13.998 Vector-Z_beta[12370:1453236] Cannot find function pointer IOHIDLibFactory for factory 13AA9C44-6F1B-11D4-907C-0005028F18D5 in CFBundle/CFPlugIn 0x78da9a80 </System/Library/Extensions/IOHIDFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOHIDLib.plugin> (bundle, not loaded)

Answer 1

When deploying to a real iOS device you are building for an ARM architecture, when deploying to the iOS simulator you are building for an x386 architecture.

In the latter case your app links with mach-o files present on your Mac (unless as someone suggested you only link with SDK assemblies, not native Mac ones, but this will really slow down your build and isn’t an available option anymore in recent Xcode versions I believe).

Apparently, one of these mach-o files - the IOHIDFamily extension one, which seems to be linked if GameKit.framework is linked as a library - is not specifically built for the iOS simulator. Hence, the message. As I understand this is a confirmed Apple bug and will be fixed by Apple at some point.

It is an issue with the iOS simulator only and can be safely ignored.

Answer 2

Vinnie posted this solution

try setting the IOS Build Options: Linker options to "Link SDK assemblies only", fixed it for me

here: http://forums.xamarin.com/discussion/24656/error-running-app-after-upgrading-xamarin

Answer 3

Disabling Game Center capabilities remove these messages for me. On your Project, select the Desired target and go to Capabilities.