obsidian-vault/work/projects/vscode-migration/vscode-migration.md

VSCode/Cursor Builds & Debugging (macOS)

Status: IN PROGRESS · updated 2026-10-04

Asana: Migration to fully VSCode-supported builds&debugging Repo: ~/DuckDuckGo/apple-browsers.git (bare + worktrees) Findings: projects/vscode-migration/findings Tech design (package step): projects/vscode-migration/tech-design-spm-browser-package Editor via Xcode build server (no package needed): projects/vscode-migration/xcode-build-server · projects/vscode-migration/tech-design-xcode-build-server Next: projects/vscode-migration/modularization-roadmap — modularization after the browser package (incl. iOS/macOS sharing)

Goal

Build, run and debug the macOS app from VSCode/Cursor: make most of the app SPM-compatible, so swift build + SourceKit-LSP work, and configure .vscode (tasks, launch).

Status

Step	Status
Move non-Swift code to local packages	✅ Jun 2025
Missing imports, unused files cleanup	✅ Jun 2025
Initial VSCode config	✅ Jun 2025 (stale: sweetpad worktree)
Unify WebKit private methods (Sparkle/AppStore)	✅ Feb 2026
Drop #if SPARKLE/APPSTORE	✅ Mar 2026 — DMG and App Store targets now compile the same 1398 files
Drop dead target flags (SANDBOX_TEST_TOOL, ALPHA, NETWORK_EXTENSION in shared files)	✅ #6983
Replace sandbox-test-tool with App Store UI tests (AppStoreSandboxUITests, CI leg along full DMG runs)	✅ #6980
Split app files shared with helper targets	🔄 A+B in review (#7029), C ready, G done; the rest stays shared by path — see Target split stages
Asset resource initializers instead of asset symbol extensions	✅ committed, alex/asset-resource-symbols (needs a PR)
Drop storyboards	✅ last one (NavigationBar) is alex/drop-navigationbar-storyboard (PR open); Feedback #6866, PasswordManager #6950 merged
Browser code as a SwiftPM package	🔄 builds and runs from Xcode and VSCode — alex/spm-browser-package, see Browser package
Core Data models in code	❌ Cancelled 2026-10-01 — Xcode 27 builds these in SPM
Asset catalogs for swift build	❌ Cancelled 2026-10-01 — Xcode 27 builds these in SPM
swift-build fork (Provisional Inputs)	⏸ not started; may be unnecessary
Remote debugging (VMs, old hardware)	⏸ not started
AI instructions, GitHub MCP subtasks	⏸ not started

Current decision and evidence (2026-10-04)

• Code-initialized Core Data models were proposed at Apple Weekly on 2026-09-29, then cancelled after Xcode 27 / Swift 6.4 validation. Asana subtask 1218854852229979 is completed because the conversion became unnecessary, not because the new model code was implemented. Existing .xcdatamodeld files stay as SPM resources and load through Bundle.module; the project documents local Xcode 27.2 verification.
• Cleanup task 1218987523298563 to remove runtime model compilation test hacks remains open. PR #7080 packages the browser as SwiftPM, is currently Draft, and is separate from the cancelled code-defined model approach. GitHub shows it was temporarily closed and reopened on 2026-10-02.
• For cross-project focus and career analysis, use personal/projects/personal-os/project-truth-analyzer to distinguish proposals, decisions, implementation, and verification.

Open items after the cancellation

• Closed PR #6976 (AssetCatalogPlugin) and the Core Data PR; their worktrees are removed.
• Check what Xcode 27 actually does for swift build (native) and SourceKit-LSP: asset symbols, .car, .momd, storyboards? Earlier finding on Xcode 26: only --build-system swiftbuild handles assets, native doesn't. See projects/vscode-migration/findings#Asset catalogs.
• Re-check whether storyboards still need dropping with Xcode 27.

Plan (next steps)

1. PRs in order: #7029 (A+B) → C (move-vpn-pixel-event) / G (move-helper-only-files) → alex/asset-resource-symbols → alex/drop-navigationbar-storyboard → alex/spm-browser-package.
2. Browser package PR follow-ups — see Browser package: localization export (loc_export.sh), CI checks for the VSCode setup, dropping the duplicated app-target package product dependencies.
3. Helper-target split, later: D, E1, E2+H, F aren't needed for the package (helpers keep compiling the shared files by path); do them when there's a reason (F with the KeyedStoring migration).
4. VSCode tasks with cached helper targets (extensions/login items built by Xcode only when their inputs change) — the host app already contains them; revisit if host rebuilds are too slow. See projects/vscode-migration/findings#Extensions in VSCode tasks.

Browser package

Worktree spm-browser-package, branch alex/spm-browser-package (on top of alex/move-helper-only-files + alex/asset-resource-symbols + alex/drop-navigationbar-storyboard; package work uncommitted).

• macOS/DuckDuckGo/Package.swift: target DuckDuckGo_Privacy_Browser (same module name as the former app target: storyboards, archived class names, @testable import) with path: "." — files stay in place. Products DuckDuckGoBrowser (static, linked into the app targets) and DuckDuckGoBrowserDynamic (for swift build).
• Resources stay in the app targets (Bundle.main: strings, JSON, scripts, app icons); asset catalogs (for generated ImageResource/ColorResource) and the 8 Core Data models (codegen entity classes) are processed by the package — models now load from Bundle.module.
• App targets: only DuckDuckGoApp/main.swift (AppMain.main()), module DuckDuckGoApp; package reference + DuckDuckGoBrowser product added, existing product dependencies kept.
• SPM_FORCE_DEBUG in Package.swift (same as AppKitExtensions/SyncUI): the CI configuration maps to release for packages.
• REVIEW compilation condition can't reach the package → Browser Tools Panel debug menu item is gated at runtime (isDebugBuild || isReviewBuild).
• VSCode/Cursor: open macOS/DuckDuckGo; .vscode/ has tasks (host app → swift build --build-system swiftbuild → sign), launch.json, make-host-app.sh, sign-dylib.sh, launcher/launcher.c.
• Verified (Xcode 27.2, offline): all product schemes Debug, macOS Browser Review, unit + integration tests build-for-testing Debug and CI (with SPM_FORCE_DEBUG=1), Xcode-signed Debug app and the VSCode host run without crashes, swift build of the dylib.
• Open: loc_export.sh / string catalog extraction now that sources are in a package; CI doesn't build the VSCode path; Package.resolved in macOS/DuckDuckGo (copied from the project) — keep in sync or generate.

Target split stages

Goal: no file in macOS/DuckDuckGo/ is compiled into a helper target (VPN agent, PIR agent, NetP extensions), so the app directory can become one SPM target. InputFilesChecker tracks the remaining files in temporarilyAllowedMisplacedFiles (one block per stage); a stale entry fails the build, so each stage PR must remove its block.

Stage	Files	Used by	Home	New deps / project changes	Size & blockers	PR
A	ApplicationBuildType, BuildFlags, DuckDuckGoUserAgent	app + all 6 helpers	AppKitExtensions	none (all targets already link it)	46 imports	#7029
B	DBPFeatureFlagger, DataBrokerAuthenticationManagerBuilder, DataBrokerProtectionSettings+Environment, WebViewUserAgentProvider, SafariVersionReader, WebKitVersionProvider	app + PIR agent	DataBrokerProtection-macOS	none (Subscription comes transitively, like elsewhere in the package)	5 imports	#7029
C	NetworkProtectionPixelEvent (569 loc)	app, VPN agent, 3 extensions	NetworkProtectionMac → VPNPixels (new library product)	VPNPixels += VPN, Configuration; BSK package dep; product linked to 7 targets	9 imports. Ready, uncommitted (move-vpn-pixel-event)	own PR, on top of #7029
D	SubscriptionPixel, SubscriptionPixelHandler, SubscriptionEnvironment+Default, WideEventFeatureFlagAdapter, SubscriptionFunnelOrigin (836 loc)	app, VPN agent, PIR agent, 3 extensions	new local package (no existing one is linked by all consumers)	Subscription, PixelKit, Networking, PrivacyConfig, WideEvent, AppKitExtensions; product linked to ~8 targets	used in ~134 files — biggest diff	own PR (new package, Subscription reviewers)
E1	TipKit ×4, VPNIPCResources, VPNOperationErrorRecorder, NetworkProtectionVPNCountryLabelsModel, VPNSettings+Environment (~470 loc)	app + VPN agent	NetworkProtectionMac (IPC / UI, or a small TipKitSupport target)	Subscription for VPNSettings+Environment	moderate, no strings	combine with G
G	10 helper-only sources living in DuckDuckGo/ (Bundle+VPN, NetworkProtectionOptionKeyExtension, NetworkProtectionControllerErrorStore, NetworkProtectionTunnelController, MacPacketTunnelProvider, MacTransparentProxyProvider, NetworkProtectionNotificationsPresenterFactory, VPNFailureRecoveryPixel, Bundle+NetworkProtectionExtensions, SubscriptionManager+StandardConfiguration)	helpers only, never the app	DuckDuckGoVPN/, new HelperTargetsShared/ (allowed for helper targets in InputFilesChecker)	git mv + pbxproj group paths only	done	✅ alex/move-helper-only-files
E2	UserText+NetworkProtection+Shared, DefaultVPNLocationFormatter	app + VPN agent	NetworkProtectionUI (has Localizable.xcstrings)	strings → Bundle.module with translations; app and VPN agent each have their own UserText	blocked on the strings/resources decision	combine with H
H	4 app icons, macos-config.json, 7 VPN Lottie JSONs, 2 NetP .xcstrings	app + helpers	package resources or per-target copies	resource bundles / Bundle.module	same decision as E2 and the app-package tech design	with E2
F	UserDefaultsWrapper (415 loc) + UserDefaults+NetworkProtectionShared	app, VPN agent, all extensions; ~51 app files	don't move — deprecated in favour of KeyedStoring	follows the KeyedStoring migration	blocked on that migration (owner/timeline TBD)	after the migration
X (optional)	NETP_SYSTEM_EXTENSION in MacPacketTunnelProvider, MacTransparentProxyProvider, NetworkProtectionNotificationsPresenterFactory	extensions only	runtime check Bundle.main.bundleURL.pathExtension == "systemextension"	removes the last FEATURE_FLAGS from xcconfigs	changes keychain service / defaults selection — needs VPN team review	optional, separate

Order: C → D → E1+G → strings/resources tech design → E2+H → F after KeyedStoring. X any time if the VPN team agrees.

Worktrees

Worktree	Branch	What
trim-target-memberships	alex/trim-target-memberships	Stages A+B + membership trim, PR #7029
move-vpn-pixel-event	alex/move-vpn-pixel-event	Stage C, uncommitted, on top of #7029
move-helper-only-files	alex/move-helper-only-files	Stage G (committed): helper-only sources → DuckDuckGoVPN/, HelperTargetsShared/
asset-resource-symbols	alex/asset-resource-symbols	Asset resource initializers (committed)
spm-browser-package	alex/spm-browser-package	Browser code as a SwiftPM package + VSCode setup (WIP, uncommitted)
drop-sb-navigationbar	alex/drop-navigationbar-storyboard	Last storyboard (PR open, merged into spm-browser-package)
drop-sb-feedback	alex/drop-feedback-storyboard	Merged (#6866); follow-up commits after the squash?
coredata-spm-hacks-cleanup	alex/coredata-spm-hacks-cleanup	no commits ahead of main yet
netp-dependencies	alex/align-netp-dependencies	Old draft: move files by target (superseded by the stages above)
vscode, vscode2	alex/fix-imports-cleanup, alex/vscode2	Old: SwiftGenPlugin draft (uncommitted), root Package.swift
sweetpad	alex/cursor-fix-build	Old .vscode (SweetPad) config

Gone: spm-asset-symbols-plugin, coredata-code-models*, drop-sb-bookmarksbar* (BookmarksBar storyboard + xib are on main), appstore-sandbox-ui-tests (#6980), drop-dead-target-flags (#6983), split-shared-target-files.

Demo project for the (cancelled) asset approach: ~/Developer/SPMAssetSymbolsDemo (./verify.sh).