Resolving Test Splitting Issues on macOS Xcode

This guide provides a solution to the issues encountered when trying to perform test splitting on macOS Xcode images in CircleCI due to the limitations of the system-installed Bash 3's globbing functionality. We'll guide you through installing Bash 5 and setting it as the shell in the job's step to overcome these limitations.

Understanding the Issue

When using system-installed Bash 3 on macOS Xcode images in CircleCI, you may encounter issues with test splitting. This is due to a limitation with globbing test results in Bash 3. The issue does not present in Bash 5.

Steps to Install Bash 5 and Set it as the Shell

Follow the steps below to install Bash 5 and set it as the shell in the job's step:

1. Install Bash 5 using the brew install command:

   brew install bash

2. Set Bash 5 as the shell in the job's step using the shell command. Here is an example of how to include it in your CircleCI configuration file:

   
       version: 2.1
       jobs:
         build:
           macos:
             xcode: "12.5.1"
           steps:
             - run:
                 name: Run commands using Bash 5
                 shell: /opt/homebrew/bin/bash --login -eo pipefail
                 command: |
                   echo "Running commands with Bash 5"
       

Conclusion

You have now successfully installed Bash 5 and set it as the shell in the job's step on CircleCI using macOS Xcode images. This should help overcome the limitations of the system-installed Bash 3's globbing functionality and allow for successful test splitting.

Additional Resources

For more information on working with Bash and CircleCI, you may find the following resources helpful:

• Using the shell keyword in CircleCI
• GNU Bash Documentation