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Show HN: iOS Apps on Linux

A project called QuillUI has ported iOS frameworks such as SwiftUI, AppKit, and NSFoundation to Linux, enabling iOS apps to run on the platform. The developers are seeking additional Swift apps to test on Linux.

Background

- QuillUI is an open-source project aiming to run iOS and macOS apps (built with Apple's SwiftUI and AppKit frameworks) directly on Linux, without needing Apple hardware. - Apple's SwiftUI and AppKit are the primary frameworks for building native user interfaces on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. They are proprietary and officially only work within Apple's ecosystem (Xcode on macOS). - The project likely re-implements Apple's private frameworks using open-source components (e.g., Cairo, Skia, or GTK for rendering) so that Swift-based apps can compile and run on Linux. - Historically, projects like GNUStep (for Objective-C/Cocoa) and SwiftCrossUI have tried similar approaches, but full SwiftUI/AppKit compatibility on Linux has remained elusive. - This matters because it could let developers test iOS/macOS UIs without buying a Mac, and potentially open up Apple's app ecosystem to Linux users — though legal questions around Apple's APIs and trademarks may arise.

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