Getting started

Go from order to your first iOS build

Choose the CDNMac M4 and a location, then check out and retrieve your system access details. Secure the connection, verify your Xcode environment, run an Archive, and move the build artifacts to controlled storage.

Order CDNMac M4 Review plans and pricing

1 configuration CDNMac M4, M4 / 16GB / 256GB

6 locations Across Asia-Pacific and the US

6 steps Order, checkout, connect, verify, build, automate

BUILD HANDOFF

First-build handoff checklist

Ready to get started

Choose resources Term, location, and add-ons

Complete checkout Confirm USD total and payment gateway

Get access details Device status and system access details

Secure access Separate SSH keys and VNC credentials

Verify the environment macOS, Xcode, Git, and signing assets

Hand off artifacts Archive, logs, and exported files

Signing check Before building

Access principle Least privilege

Artifact destination Controlled storage

View the full workflow

Complete setup in six steps

Each step has clear inputs and outputs. Don’t add project secrets until access details are secured, or run a production release before checking the development environment.

01
Choose a term and location

Choose based on task duration, your team’s location, repository location, and dependency download routes. A single latency test is only a guide; it can’t replace a real build test.
Output: draft order configuration
02
Place your order and check out

Double-check CDNMac M4, billing period, location, SSD upgrade, and the number of Thunderbolt 5 devices to connect. The final amount is the one shown on the checkout page.
Output: order ID
03
Get connection details

Check device status, system access details, and management access in the console. Availability and delivery details are based on the console’s latest response.
Output: verifiable access details
04
Secure remote access

Prefer SSH key authentication, restrict permitted sources, use separate credentials for CLI and graphical sessions, and assign an owner for credential rotation.
Output: controlled connection path
05
Verify the development environment

Check that macOS, Xcode, Command Line Tools, Git, certificates, and provisioning profiles meet project requirements before restoring dependencies.
Output: environment check record
06
Build and hand off

Run an Archive from a test repository, check the signing results, logs, and exported files, then copy required artifacts to team-controlled storage.
Output: first traceable build

Before you order

Decide these seven things first

Use this checklist to avoid configuration changes and back-and-forth after ordering. The project owner should provide a clear answer for every item.

01 Define the use case

Confirm whether you need iOS automated builds, macOS development and testing, cross-platform mobile builds, or Apple Silicon model compatibility testing.

02 Choose a location

Choose from Singapore, Japan (Tokyo), South Korea (Seoul), Hong Kong, the US East Coast, and the US West Coast. Record why you chose it.

03 Choose a billing period

Daily billing suits short tests, weekly billing suits short sprints, and monthly or quarterly billing suits ongoing builds. Don’t compare prices in isolation.

04 Check storage needs

The base configuration includes a 256GB SSD. Estimate peak usage for source code, dependency caches, DerivedData, Archives, and logs before choosing an SSD upgrade.

05 Assess parallel workflows

Consider Thunderbolt 5 connections only if your workflow requires multiple devices to work in parallel. Confirm the quantity and responsibilities for each device.

06 Plan repository access

Prepare a least-privilege method for repository access. Don’t reuse a personal long-lived token or store private keys, tokens, or certificate passwords in a repository.

07 Plan artifact exports

Decide where to send Archives, export packages, symbol files, and build logs, and schedule data export before the rental term ends.

Create your order

One configuration, with your choice of term, location, and add-ons

One configuration is available: a dedicated physical machine. Each order includes one cloud Mac with resources that aren’t shared with other orders. It’s not a virtual machine.

Choose from 6 locations

CDNMac M4

Mac mini M4 for iOS builds, macOS development and testing, and continuous integration.

Starting daily price $19.9

M4 16GB RAM 256GB SSD

Daily $19.9

Weekly $53.6

Monthly $99.3

Quarterly $270.1

Choose from six locations

Singapore Japan (Tokyo) South Korea (Seoul) Hong Kong US East Coast US West Coast

Availability, delivery times, and add-on options are based on the console’s latest response.

Configure CDNMac M4 Compare six locations

+1TB SSD

For ongoing development that needs more room for dependency caches, Archives, and build logs.

Daily: $2.6
Weekly: $7.1
Monthly: $13.2
Quarterly: $35.9

+2TB SSD

For larger dependency directories, datasets, model files, or longer-term artifact storage.

Daily: $5.2
Weekly: $14.2
Monthly: $26.4
Quarterly: $71.8

Thunderbolt 5 connections

Billed per device. For approved parallel device workflows; does not change the base machine specifications.

Daily: $1.8
Weekly: $4.8
Monthly: $8.8
Quarterly: $23.9

Checkout

Two payment methods at checkout

All prices and orders are charged in US dollars (USD). Available gateways are determined by the backend response.

USDT-TRC20

Before sending payment, verify the order amount, network, and recipient details. Keep the transaction ID for order matching or billing queries.

Currency: USD

Visa / Mastercard / Amex

Card payments are processed by Stripe. Check your billing details and order total before authorizing payment. Never share full payment credentials in a support request.

Gateway: Stripe

Final checks before payment

Confirm the model, term, location, SSD upgrade, number of connected devices, and USD total match the configuration approved by the project owner.

Get device details

Verify the device before adding project materials

Once your order is complete, check the device status, system access details, and management access in the console. On your first connection, verify your identity and inspect the environment; don’t import production keys yet.

DEVICE HANDOFF

Connection details checklist

Verify each item

Order ID Matches project records

Location Matches your order

Device status Check the console’s latest response

System access details Share only with authorized team members

Management access Confirm access before proceeding

First changes Rotate changeable credentials

Four steps after your first login

Change any initial credentials that can be changed.
Record authorized users and credential owners.
Restrict the sources permitted to connect remotely.
Create a checklist for retrieving data before the rental term ends.

View connection troubleshooting tips

Secure your connection

Use SSH for automation and VNC for GUI access

You can use both connection methods, but manage their credentials, permissions, and use cases separately. Don’t embed long-lived keys in scripts or build logs.

Command line

SSH key access

For Git operations, dependency restoration, scripts, log collection, Archives, and self-hosted runners. Use dedicated keys where possible and grant each automation task only the permissions it needs.

Verify the host before saving connection details.
Restrict access to approved IP addresses or networks.
Use separate keys for interactive logins and automation.
Rotate credentials regularly and revoke unused access.

Graphical session

VNC graphical session

For your initial Xcode check, GUI settings, development tools that require a graphical interface, and Archive verification. A graphical session is no reason to share credentials.

Grant access only to people who need GUI access.
When you’re done, quit sensitive tools and close unrelated windows.
Don’t expose keys or certificate passwords in screenshots or screen recordings.
Use separate SSH credentials for command-line automation.

Verify your development environment

Turn environment differences into a reviewable record

Don’t just check that “Xcode opens.” Record versions, paths, signing asset status, and free disk space so you can trace failures to specific changes.

First iOS build environment checklist
Check	How to check	Pass criteria	What to do if it fails
macOS	Record the OS version and available disk space	Meets project toolchain requirements; enough space for dependencies, caches, and Archives	Remove unrelated caches and reassess SSD capacity
Xcode	Check the required major version and selected path	Project opens; target SDK and build settings are available	Select the correct version and resolve the project again
Command Line Tools	`xcode-select -p`	Path points to the intended Xcode toolchain	Correct the selected path, then check the command version
Git	`git --version` and test least-privilege repository access	Can read the test repository without exposing long-lived credentials	Check key permissions, source restrictions, and repository access
Certificates and provisioning profiles	Check names, purpose, validity, and project identifiers	Match the test target; no unrelated assets imported	Ask the project owner to provide the correct assets
Dependency lockfile	Confirm the lockfile is committed and matches the target branch	Dependency restoration is repeatable, with no implicit upgrades	Restore again from a commit that matches the lockfile

Basic environment checks Read-only; does not modify the project

sw_vers
xcodebuild -version
xcode-select -p
git --version
df -h

Run your first build

Validate the full workflow with a test repository first

The goal of your first task isn’t to ship a release. It’s to verify a complete workflow for code access, dependency restoration, Archive, signing checks, log retention, and artifact export.

01 Clone a test repository

Use least-privilege credentials to clone a known buildable commit. Record the commit hash and target branch.
git clone <repository-url>
02 Restore dependencies

Restore dependencies from the project lockfile. If you need CocoaPods, Flutter, or another tool, record its version first.
Keep the lockfile in sync with the target commit
03 Run an Archive

Specify the workspace, scheme, configuration, and archivePath to avoid relying on implicit GUI defaults.
xcodebuild archive -workspace App.xcworkspace -scheme App -archivePath build/App.xcarchive
04 Check code signing

Check that the bundle identifier, certificates, provisioning profiles, and export settings match the test task. Don’t ignore signing warnings.
Record signing check results and the stage where a failure occurred
05 Save logs

Keep the start and end times, commit hash, tool versions, and failed steps. Before sharing logs, remove tokens, sensitive names in file paths, and certificate passwords.
Logs should be traceable to the order, location, and commit
06 Export artifacts

Copy the Archive, exported files, and any required symbol files to team-controlled storage. Verify file integrity and access permissions.
Clean up the workspace after exporting

Automate your workflow

Turn a successful build into a maintainable runner

After manual validation, register the dedicated physical machine as a self-hosted runner. Isolate automation credentials, working directories, and cleanup policies by repository.

Register the runner

Give the runner a recognizable name and record its location, project scope, and owner. Start with a read-only test job before enabling build permissions.

Record: name, location, repository, owner

Limit token permissions

Grant tokens only the repository and operation permissions required for the current task. Never put tokens in source code, cache directories, build logs, or downloadable artifacts.

Principle: one task, one set of least-privilege permissions

Isolate and clean up workspaces

Use separate directories for different repositories. Define which caches can be reused, which artifacts must be exported, and how to clean up after successful, failed, or canceled jobs.

Policy: isolate repositories, tier caches, recover from failures

Keep

Commit hash, tool versions, task start and end times, dependency restoration results, Archive path, and artifact verification details.

Never log

Private keys, access tokens, certificate passwords, full payment credentials, or sensitive project content unrelated to troubleshooting.

Before the rental term ends

Export required artifacts, revoke automation tokens, remove repository credentials, and ensure project materials are cleared from working directories and caches.