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flutter run --no-build still builds the app #68529

Closed
#191358
Closed
flutter run --no-build still builds the app#68529
#191358
Labels
P2Important issues not at the top of the work lista: buildBuilding flutter applications with the toolfound in release: 3.3Found to occur in 3.3found in release: 3.7Found to occur in 3.7has reproducible stepsThe issue has been confirmed reproducible and is ready to work onteam-toolOwned by Flutter Tool teamtoolAffects the "flutter" command-line tool. See also t: labels.tool-still-validIssues that have been deemed still valid as part of the Flutter Tools issue cleanup initiative.triaged-toolTriaged by Flutter Tool team

Description

@jmagman
jmagman
opened on Oct 19, 2020

flutter run --no-build is actually building my iOS app, even though build/ios/iphoneos/Runner.app exists and (if I'm understanding the feature) it should be using that.

Note the "Compiling, linking and signing" below (ran with verbose, it really is recompiling):

$ flutter run --no-build  
Launching lib/main.dart on iPhone 6s in debug mode...
Found saved certificate choice "Apple Development: Jenn Magder (2867XHZLGW)". To clear, use "flutter config".
Signing iOS app for device deployment using developer identity: "Apple Development: Jenn Magder (2867XHZLGW)"
Running Xcode build...                                                  
 └─Compiling, linking and signing...                         8.1s
Xcode build done.                                           12.0s
Installing and launching...                                        12.7s
Waiting for iPhone 6s to report its views...                         5ms
Syncing files to device iPhone 6s...                                56ms

Feature introduced in #5301.

$ flutter doctor -v
[✓] Flutter (Channel master, 1.23.0-19.0.pre.108, on Mac OS X 10.15.7 19H2 darwin-x64, locale en-US)
    • Flutter version 1.23.0-19.0.pre.108 at /Users/m/Projects/flutter
    • Framework revision 03db9bf918 (3 hours ago), 2020-10-19 12:28:43 -0700
    • Engine revision d03b759d04
    • Dart version 2.11.0 (build 2.11.0-229.0.dev)

[✓] Android toolchain - develop for Android devices (Android SDK version 29.0.2)
    • Android SDK at /Users/m/Library/Android/sdk
    • Platform android-30, build-tools 29.0.2
    • Java binary at: /Applications/Android Studio.app/Contents/jre/jdk/Contents/Home/bin/java
    • Java version OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_242-release-1644-b3-6222593)
    • All Android licenses accepted.

[✓] Xcode - develop for iOS and macOS (Xcode 12.0)
    • Xcode at /Users/m/Applications/Xcode-12.app/Contents/Developer
    • Xcode 12.0, Build version 12A7209
    • CocoaPods version 1.9.3

[✓] Chrome - develop for the web
    • Chrome at /Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome

[✓] Android Studio (version 4.0)
    • Android Studio at /Applications/Android Studio.app/Contents
    • Flutter plugin version 50.0.1
    • Dart plugin version 193.7547
    • Java version OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_242-release-1644-b3-6222593)

[✓] VS Code (version 1.49.2)
    • VS Code at /Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents
    • Flutter extension version 3.13.2

[✓] Connected device (5 available)
    • iPhone 6s (mobile)     • d83d5bc53967baa0ee18626ba87b6254b2ab5418 • ios            • iOS 13.7
    • iPhone 8 Plus (mobile) • A75CFA74-4CE0-469D-AADE-DE01EC6E31CA     • ios            • com.apple.CoreSimulator.SimRuntime.iOS-14-0 (simulator)
    • macOS (desktop)        • macos                                    • darwin-x64     • Mac OS X 10.15.7 19H2 darwin-x64
    • Web Server (web)       • web-server                               • web-javascript • Flutter Tools
    • Chrome (web)           • chrome                                   • web-javascript • Google Chrome 86.0.4240.80

Activity

  1. jmagman
    added
    toolAffects the "flutter" command-line tool. See also t: labels.
    P2Important issues not at the top of the work list
    on Oct 19, 2020

  2. jmagman commented on Oct 19, 2020

    @jmagman
    jmagman
    on Oct 19, 2020
    MemberAuthor

    Possibly broken in #8743?

  3. jmagman commented on Oct 19, 2020

    @jmagman
    jmagman
    on Oct 19, 2020
    MemberAuthor

    We tried to use this for multiple CI runs, and since it didn't work we used --use-application-binary which required knowing the app bundle name.

    #68528

  4. jmagman commented on Oct 19, 2020

    @jmagman
    jmagman
    on Oct 19, 2020
    MemberAuthor

    Also, it doesn't work for drive #10774

  5. jason-simmons commented on Oct 19, 2020

    @jason-simmons
    jason-simmons
    on Oct 19, 2020
    Member

    @jonahwilliams is --build obsolete?

    I don't see anything in flutter_tools that still reads that flag.

  6. jmagman commented on Oct 19, 2020

    @jmagman
    jmagman
    on Oct 19, 2020
    MemberAuthor

    I don't think intentionally obsolete.

  7. jonahwilliams commented on Oct 19, 2020

    @jonahwilliams
    jonahwilliams
    on Oct 19, 2020
    Contributor

    We should still use use-application-binary and not --no-build. If this flag hasn't worked for more than a year its effectively deprecated anyway

  8. jmagman commented on Oct 19, 2020

    @jmagman
    jmagman
    on Oct 19, 2020
    MemberAuthor

    If this flag hasn't worked for more than a year its effectively deprecated anyway
    Fair enough.

    We should still use use-application-binary and not --no-build.

    It would have been the perfect thing to use in #68516 since the tool already knows where the built binary is, and you don't need to pass in the path or know the bundle name (which changes depending on how you set up the app's display name).

  9. jonahwilliams commented on Oct 19, 2020

    @jonahwilliams
    jonahwilliams
    on Oct 19, 2020
    Contributor

    That's true, but that will only be temporarily useful

  10. pedromassangocode
    added
    passed first triage
    on Oct 20, 2020

  11. vrnvorona commented on Oct 28, 2020

    @vrnvorona
    vrnvorona
    on Oct 28, 2020

    flutter drive --no-build works, but flutter run --no-build doesn't. I thought drive is just fancy wrapper over run and connect, so that's weird.

  12. pedromassangocode commented on Dec 16, 2020

    @pedromassangocode
    pedromassangocode
    on Dec 16, 2020

    Adding labels based on reproduction of #72342.

  13. pedromassangocode
    added
    a: buildBuilding flutter applications with the tool
    found in release: 1.25Found to occur in 1.25
    on Dec 16, 2020

  14. 7 remaining items

  15. exaby73 commented on Dec 20, 2022

    @exaby73
    exaby73
    on Dec 20, 2022
    Member

    I can still reproduce this with iOS. xcrun xcodebuild is being run as observed in the verbose logs. Updating labels

  16. exaby73
    added
    found in release: 3.3Found to occur in 3.3
    found in release: 3.7Found to occur in 3.7
    and removed
    found in release: 1.25Found to occur in 1.25
    on Dec 20, 2022
  17. flutter-triage-bot
    added
    team-toolOwned by Flutter Tool team
    triaged-toolTriaged by Flutter Tool team
    on Jul 8, 2023
  18. Hixie
    removed
    passed first triage
    on Jul 8, 2023

  19. matanlurey commented on Jul 10, 2025

    @matanlurey
    matanlurey
    on Jul 10, 2025
    Contributor

    @jmagman: I'm confused at the goal of this issue and the back and forth.

    We want to deprecate --no-build and push folks towards --use-application-binary?

  20. matanlurey
    added
    tool-still-validIssues that have been deemed still valid as part of the Flutter Tools issue cleanup initiative.
    on Jul 10, 2025
  21. matanlurey
    marked [integration_test] Changing test code doesn't work with --no-build parameter #72276 as a duplicate of this issue on Jul 10, 2025

  22. slavap commented on Jul 10, 2025

    @slavap
    slavap
    on Jul 10, 2025

    @matanlurey and --use-application-binary will be working for Flutter Web?
    See #72276 (comment)

  23. auto-submit
    closed this as completedin #191358on Aug 21, 2026
  24. mdebbar
    added a commit that references this issue on Aug 21, 2026

    [flutter_tools] Deprecate --build and --no-build flags on flutter run (…

    e210443

  25. github-actions commented on Sep 4, 2026

    @github-actions
    github-actionsbot
    on Sep 4, 2026 – with GitHub Actions

    This thread has been automatically locked since there has not been any recent activity after it was closed. If you are still experiencing a similar issue, please open a new bug, including the output of flutter doctor -v and a minimal reproduction of the issue.

  26. github-actions
    locked as resolved and limited conversation to collaborators on Sep 4, 2026
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    P2Important issues not at the top of the work lista: buildBuilding flutter applications with the toolfound in release: 3.3Found to occur in 3.3found in release: 3.7Found to occur in 3.7has reproducible stepsThe issue has been confirmed reproducible and is ready to work onteam-toolOwned by Flutter Tool teamtoolAffects the "flutter" command-line tool. See also t: labels.tool-still-validIssues that have been deemed still valid as part of the Flutter Tools issue cleanup initiative.triaged-toolTriaged by Flutter Tool team

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