Feature Request: Workflow Generation for EAS-Independent Builds via Fastlane/Gradle

[uroge]

Thanks for creating expo-react-native-cicd! It's a great project. I appreciate the effort you've put into making Expo builds more accessible and flexible.

I'm raising this issue as a feature request to explore the possibility of generating workflows that bypass EAS builds entirely. While the current implementation streamlines EAS builds, I'm interested in a solution that operates independently of the EAS infrastructure.

Motivation:

My primary motivation is to achieve complete independence from EAS, even at the cost of increased complexity in setup.

Some reasons I'm interested in this are:

• Cost: Even though expo-react-native-cicd significantly reduces EAS costs, it would be ideal to eliminate them entirely.
• Full Control: Bypassing EAS grants complete control over the build process and environment. Without the need for expo account etc.

Proposed Solution:

I'm suggesting the addition of a workflow generation option that leverages prebuilding the app and then uses tools like Fastlane and Gradle to replicate the functionality of EAS Build in a managed workflow. This would involve the following steps:

• Prebuilding: Use expo prebuild to generate the native iOS and Android projects.
• Dependency Management: Utilize tools like CocoaPods (for iOS) and Gradle (for Android) to manage dependencies within the generated native projects.
• Building (Android): Use Gradle commands to build the Android APK and AAB files.
• Building (iOS): Use Fastlane to manage code signing, provisioning profiles, and build the iOS IPA file.
• Distribution: Maintain existing distribution options (Google Drive, GitHub Releases, etc.) for the generated binaries.

Benefits:

• Zero EAS Costs: Completely eliminates dependency on EAS Build.
• Complete Control: Provides ultimate control over the build environment and process.
• Platform Independence: Reduces reliance on the EAS platform.

Considerations:

• Increased Complexity: This approach would inherently be more complex to set up and maintain than the current EAS-based workflow.
• Maintenance Burden: Requires ongoing maintenance to keep up with changes in Expo, Fastlane, Gradle, and Xcode.
• Potential Performance Differences: Build times might vary compared to EAS Build.

Example workflow structure:

- name: Setup
  run: |
    npm install
    npx expo install --fix

- name: Prebuild
  run: npx expo prebuild --clean

- name: Build Android
  run: |
    cd android
    ./gradlew assembleRelease
    ./gradlew bundleRelease

- name: Build iOS
  run: |
    cd ios
    bundle install # make sure bundler is available
    bundle exec fastlane build_app # run fastlane using bundler
    # OR xcodebuild -workspace YourApp.xcworkspace -scheme YourApp archive

- name: Upload builds
  run: |
    # Your existing upload logic here, e.g., using GitHub CLI, etc.
    echo "Implement upload steps here"

I understand that this is a significant feature request with considerable implementation challenges. However, I believe that it would provide a valuable option for users who require complete independence from EAS.

Thanks again for your work on this!

[TanayK07]

Hi,
That's a fair request actually to move away from Expo entirely, as an option , works for non expo builds as well, let me have a look at some iterations on the same, and if I can get this done on the same in say a week or so .

Thank you for using the repo,
This is also open to contribution if you would like to add something to the same.