[tvOS] How to config for react-native-tvOS?

[nhannfq]

I'm trying build a tvOS application for the Apple TV, react-native-firebase doesn't seem to have support forfor tvOS, �does it?

[mikehardy]

I would be shocked if it worked. It's on my wishlist to provide that but I haven't had time.
I believe the work to do, if you've got the time, is mostly going in and adding the appropriate ifdefs/ifndefs etc that toggle out apple API symbols that are (or are not) defined for tvOS, along with appropriate markup in associated index.d.ts files (that are processed into our API documentation) noting where things are not supported on tvOS, perhaps with a main docs page in the core/app module about tvOS specifically that links to the upstream firestore-ios-sdk package documentation on what modules work for tvOS and what don't, and what the differences are from the iOS platform

[mikehardy]

That alone would be a very positive step and I think cover 99% of potential future failures.

Separately - it appears that Detox may be made to work on tvOS as the previous was that underlying framework EarlyGrey did not work on tvOS, but then that changed and subsequently that framework was dropped anyway such that an in-repo DetoxSync framework is used.

As such, getting Detox to work on tvOS may be a possibliity now (and...just maybe...another one of those ifdef'ing festivals that is somehow easier then expected - could happen!).

Or it could be that on-device testing is better done in some other framework, preferably one that does not rely on the JSI (our current Detox/Jet system uses JSI...) and preferably one that works on all platforms (where I define that as android/ios/web/macOS/catalyst/windows - everything...). Not sure what that other platform would be but maybe some sort of webdriver appium thing - I only mention this because perhaps you have some domain knowledge here and could share wisdom, doesn't hurt to ask :-)

But concretely: just a build check? Still very useful + totally acceptable

[grigdodon]

any update on this?
when trying to build, I get:

Framework not found FirebaseAnalytics
Linker command failed with exit code 1 (use -v to see invocation)

[mikehardy]

Hey @grigdodon 👋 - nope, no concrete steps though I'm still open to any reasonable PR to get tvOS working, I continue to think it would just be a matter of ifdefing things out and then a build check that copies our current ios e2e yml and does everything except the actual e2e run.

When I see errors like yours though I get worried - I wonder if that's related to using unsupported modular_headers Podfile workarounds that will never work for react-native-firebase, instead of using use_frameworks! :linkage => :static ? If not that, then perhaps analytics isn't supported for tvOS, I haven't looked at the specific list of modules that work or don't work in a while

[dev-folks]

Hey!
I also spent a lot of time trying to find a successful case of using firebase for react-native-tvos. It seems that the user request for this is negligible - too few questions and information...

react-native-tvos/react-native-tvos#811

[mikehardy]

I just took a look at this myself as I'd like to see react-native-tvos supported (and react-native-web, supported well for that matter vs just as shim-hacks like I've done)

I do not currently have a way to test tvOS support (though I just did another look at the 2 open feature requests in react-native-test-app and tried to confirm some assumptions there about adding it).

If you have a way to test current react-native-tvos or are willing to spend the time to make a skeleton repository (that I could just drop a google services info plist/json set into) then we could get it building I'm sure. In other repositories I manage, it's just a matter of doing the right compiler ifdefs to exclude API usage that is invalid on tvOS platform

[douglowder]

I'll take a look to see if the underlying Firebase Cocoapods dependencies actually support tvOS. If so, then we can probably do this.

[adamkoch]

#8109

[douglowder]

Thanks @adamkoch I'll have a look

[mikehardy]

#8111 has what I think is final merge-worthy state on this - I just extended the style you posted, Adam, to all supported firebase components, and switched the auth ifdef compile guards to ios-only to match upstream - pretty simple really, happy for such a small change to enable an entire platform

[adamkoch]

Amazing, thank you!

[dev-folks]

Oh yes, that's amazing, you are legends!

[aleksandrsakov]

Hello guys, as I see you merged support for tvOS, but i can not manage to build project with React Native CLI 0.77 and RNFB v. 22.2.1.
My package.json

    "@react-native-firebase/app": "^22.2.1",
    "@react-native-firebase/firestore": "^22.2.1",
    "react-native": "npm:react-native-tvos@0.77.0-0",

I added in Podfile

use_frameworks! :linkage => :static
$RNFirebaseAsStaticFramework = true

And import Firebase and FirebaseApp.configure() in AppDelegate.swift

pod install --repo-update works fine, but after that when I am running buid ios, i got a tone of errors like on a screen

Here is my full Podfile

# Resolve react_native_pods.rb with node to allow for hoisting
require Pod::Executable.execute_command('node', ['-p',
  'require.resolve(
    "react-native/scripts/react_native_pods.rb",
    {paths: [process.argv[1]]},
  )', __dir__]).strip

platform :tvos, min_ios_version_supported
prepare_react_native_project!

linkage = ENV['USE_FRAMEWORKS']
if linkage != nil
  Pod::UI.puts "Configuring Pod with #{linkage}ally linked Frameworks".green
  use_frameworks! :linkage => linkage.to_sym
end

target 'nugs' do
  config = use_native_modules!
  use_frameworks! :linkage => :static
  $RNFirebaseAsStaticFramework = true

  use_react_native!(
    :path => config[:reactNativePath],
    # An absolute path to your application root.
    :app_path => "#{Pod::Config.instance.installation_root}/.."
  )

  post_install do |installer|
    # https://github.com/facebook/react-native/blob/main/packages/react-native/scripts/react_native_pods.rb#L197-L202
    react_native_post_install(
      installer,
      config[:reactNativePath],
      :mac_catalyst_enabled => false,
      # :ccache_enabled => true
    )
  end
end

Maybe you know what i missing? Can you help me here please? @mikehardy @adamkoch @douglowder

[adamkoch]

Not sure if this will be much help, but I find our set up to be quite fragile and breaks easily. Once it's working I don't touch it unless I absolutely have to.

My current set up uses:

"react-native": "npm:react-native-tvos@~0.76.9-0",
"@react-native-firebase/app": "^22.1.0",

I am NOT on the RN new architecture. I did try to upgrade to it in the past but it broke things pretty badly. Granted I didn't spend that long working on it.

I also use Expo and its managed workflow which generates the ios directory on the fly so I'm not configuring my podfile myself.