flutter_release_manager 1.0.2

Flutter build and release automation tool for Android and iOS. Build APKs and IPAs, upload to Google Drive via rclone, distribute through Diawi, and manage releases from a single CLI.

flutter_release_manager

Build, package, and distribute Flutter releases with a single command.

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The Problem

Every time you finish a feature or fix a bug, your QA team needs the latest build. Without a tool, you do this manually:

1. Run flutter build apk in the terminal — wait 3 minutes
2. Navigate to build/app/outputs/flutter-apk/ in Finder/Explorer
3. Upload the APK file to Google Drive by dragging and dropping
4. Wait for the upload to finish
5. Right-click → Get shareable link
6. Copy the link and paste it in Slack/WhatsApp
7. Tell the QA team which version it is

With flutter_release_manager:

cd your_flutter_app
flutter_release_manager

Done. The APK is built, uploaded, and a shareable link is printed in your terminal — in one command.

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What It Does

Without this tool	With this tool
Build manually, upload manually	One command does everything
Flat Drive folder — chaos after 10 builds	Organized: AppName/2026/June/UAT/
Duplicate folders from typos or case mismatch	Smart folder reuse — case-insensitive
Create shareable links manually	Link generated and printed automatically
Android and iOS are separate workflows	Both platforms in one command
Re-enter Drive folder every time	Remembers settings, asks only what changed
No idea which build is DEV vs PROD	Environment (DEV/UAT/PROD) in every filename

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Features

Feature	Description
✅ Android APK Build	flutter build apk --split-per-abi — arm64-v8a preferred
✅ iOS IPA Build	Xcode archive + export, fully automated
✅ Google Drive Upload	Browser sign-in via rclone — zero Cloud Console setup
✅ Diawi Upload	iOS testers get a one-tap install link
✅ Rclone Authentication	Non-interactive OAuth, no deadlocks, no interactive prompts
✅ Real-time Upload Progress	[████░░░] 64% 42 MB / 66 MB 4.2 MB/s ETA: 6s
✅ Environment Selection	DEV / UAT / PROD per build — never remembered by mistake
✅ Configuration Management	flutter_release_manager config — edit all settings interactively
✅ Smart Folder Reuse	Case-insensitive Drive folder matching prevents duplicates
✅ Structured Drive Hierarchy	root/AppName/year/month/ENV/APK — scales to multiple apps
✅ Team Distribution	Shareable Drive link + Diawi install link printed after build
✅ CI/CD Ready	All settings overridable via flags — zero prompts in pipeline
✅ Cross-Platform	macOS, Linux, Windows

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Before You Start

You need these installed before using this package:

Requirement	What it is	How to install
Flutter & Dart	The Flutter framework and Dart SDK	flutter.dev/docs/get-started/install
rclone (Android upload)	A tool that uploads files to Google Drive	Automatic — init installs it for you
Xcode (iOS only, macOS only)	Apple's IDE, needed to build iOS apps	Mac App Store → Xcode

Note for iOS builds: After installing Xcode, run this once:

xcode-select --install

You do not need:

• A Google Cloud account
• An OAuth client ID or secret
• A service account key file
• Any prior rclone experience

macOS users: On first use, macOS may show a security dialog asking if you want to allow Flutter, Dart, or rclone to run. Click Open or go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Allow Anyway. This approval is required only once per tool. See macOS Gatekeeper for full instructions.

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Step 1 — Install the Package

Open your terminal and run:

dart pub global activate flutter_release_manager

What this does: Downloads and installs the flutter_release_manager command on your machine globally. You can now use it from any directory.

Expected output:

Resolving dependencies...
Downloading flutter_release_manager 3.0.0...
Building package executables...
Built flutter_release_manager:flutter_release_manager.
Installed executable flutter_release_manager.
Activated flutter_release_manager 3.0.0.

Make sure the command is available. If you get "command not found" after installing, add the Dart pub global bin directory to your PATH:

• macOS / Linux — add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc:

  export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/.pub-cache/bin"
  

  Then restart your terminal or run source ~/.zshrc.

• Windows — add %LOCALAPPDATA%\Pub\Cache\bin to your System PATH.

Verify it works:

flutter_release_manager --help

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Step 2 — One-Time Setup

Run this once per machine. After setup, you never need to run it again unless you want to change your Drive folder or Diawi token.

flutter_release_manager init

The setup wizard walks you through 5 steps. Here is exactly what happens at each step:

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Step 2.1 — rclone Installation

What is rclone? rclone is a free, open-source program that uploads files to cloud storage services like Google Drive. It handles the connection between your machine and your Google Drive account. flutter_release_manager uses rclone internally to upload APKs — you never interact with rclone directly.

What happens: The wizard checks if rclone is installed. If not, it installs it automatically:

• macOS: installs via Homebrew
• Linux: installs via apt-get
• Windows: shows instructions with download links

Expected output (rclone already installed):

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
  Step 1 — rclone
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝

  ✓  rclone — rclone v1.67.0

Expected output (rclone not installed, macOS):

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
  Step 1 — rclone
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝

  ⚠  rclone not found — attempting automatic installation...

  →  Installing rclone via Homebrew...
  [homebrew output...]
  ✓  rclone installed — rclone v1.67.0

Troubleshooting:

• macOS — Homebrew not found: Install Homebrew first: /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
• Linux — apt-get fails: Install manually from rclone.org/install

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Step 2.2 — Google Drive Sign-in

What happens: The wizard opens your web browser automatically. You sign in to your Google account and click Allow to give rclone permission to access your Google Drive. The permission is saved securely on your machine — you never need to sign in again.

Why is sign-in required? APKs are uploaded to your Google Drive. Google requires authentication to access your files. Unlike manual setup, you don't need to create a Google Cloud project or generate API keys — rclone uses its own built-in credentials and handles everything through the standard Google sign-in screen you already know.

Expected output:

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
  Step 2 — Google Drive Remote
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝

  ─── Google Drive Sign-in ──────────────────────────────

  Your browser will open for Google sign-in.
  Sign in with the account that owns your Drive folder,
  then click Allow — this tool will resume automatically.

  →  Opening browser for Google OAuth (waiting up to 5 min)...

  If your browser doesn't open automatically go to the following link:
  http://127.0.0.1:53682/auth?...
  Log in and authorize rclone for access
  Waiting for code...
  Got code

  ✓  Authorization complete.
  →  Saving credentials to rclone remote "flutter_release_manager"...
  ✓  Remote "flutter_release_manager" configured.

What the browser shows: A standard Google sign-in page, then a screen asking you to allow access to Google Drive. Click Allow.

Troubleshooting:

• Browser doesn't open: Copy the http://127.0.0.1:... link from the terminal and paste it into your browser manually.
• Authorization failed: Make sure you clicked Allow (not Deny). Re-run flutter_release_manager init.
• Times out after 5 minutes: The browser window was left open too long. Re-run flutter_release_manager init and complete sign-in promptly.

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Step 2.3 — Drive Connection Verification

What happens: The wizard confirms that the sign-in worked by connecting to your Google Drive and displaying your storage quota.

Expected output:

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
  Step 3 — Verify Connection
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝

  →  Verifying Google Drive connection...
  ✓  Google Drive — connected
   ℹ  Total:   15 GB
   ℹ  Used:    4.2 GB
   ℹ  Free:    10.8 GB

---

Step 2.4 — Choose Your Drive Folder

What happens: The wizard lists the folders at the top level of your Google Drive and asks you to choose one. APKs will be uploaded inside that folder, organized by year and month automatically.

Example input:

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
  Step 4 — Drive Folder
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝

  Fetching top-level folders from your Google Drive...

  1. Personal
  2. QA Builds
  3. Projects
  4. Enter folder name manually

  Select destination folder [1-4]: 2
  ✓  Drive folder: QA Builds

If your folder doesn't appear in the list: Choose "Enter folder name manually" and type the folder name. The folder will be created automatically on the first upload if it doesn't exist yet.

Where files will appear:

QA Builds/
└── 2026/
    └── June/
        ├── MyApp_2026_06_18_1430.apk   ← uploaded on Jun 18 at 14:30
        └── MyApp_2026_06_19_0920.apk   ← uploaded on Jun 19 at 09:20

---

Step 2.5 — Diawi Token (iOS only — optional)

What is Diawi? Diawi is a web service for distributing iOS and Android builds to testers. After uploading your IPA file, Diawi gives you a short link like https://i.diawi.com/AbCdEf. Testers tap that link on their iPhone and the app installs directly — no App Store, no TestFlight, no developer account needed for testers.

Do I need Diawi?

• Android only? → No. APKs go to Google Drive. Press Enter to skip.
• iOS builds? → Yes, this is the recommended way to share iOS builds with testers.

How to get a Diawi token:

1. Go to diawi.com and create a free account
2. Log in → click your name → Account → API Access Tokens
3. Click Create new token and copy it

Example input:

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
  Step 5 — Diawi Token (optional)
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝

  ℹ  Diawi gives testers an install link for iOS builds.
  ℹ  Sign up at diawi.com → Account → API Access Tokens.
  ℹ  Press Enter to skip if you don't need iOS uploads.

  Diawi API token (or Enter to skip): a1b2c3d4e5f6...
  ✓  Diawi token saved.

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Setup Complete

After all 5 steps, you'll see:

  ✓  Configuration saved to ~/.config/flutter_release_manager/config.json

  Setup complete.
  Run flutter_release_manager to build and upload.

Your settings are stored at ~/.config/flutter_release_manager/config.json. You never need to run init again unless you want to change your Drive folder or Diawi token.

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Step 3 — Build and Upload

Navigate into your Flutter project and run:

cd /path/to/your_flutter_project
flutter_release_manager

What happens — complete example session:

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
  flutter_release_manager  v3
  Build · Archive · Distribute
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝

  ✓  Flutter project detected: /Users/shadab/projects/my_app

  ─── Platform ────────────────────────────────────────────

  What do you want to build?
  1) Android only  — generates APK
  2) iOS only      — generates IPA
  3) Both          — APK + IPA

  Enter choice [1/2/3]: 1

  ─── Google Drive Upload ──────────────────────────────────

  ℹ  APKs are uploaded via rclone — no OAuth setup needed.
  ℹ  Run flutter_release_manager init once to configure Drive.
  ℹ  Skip to keep the APK on your machine.

  Upload APK to Google Drive after building? [y/N]: y
  ✓  Drive folder: QA Builds

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
  Pre-flight checks
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝

  ✓  flutter found
  ✓  rclone found — rclone v1.67.0
  ✓  rclone remote "flutter_release_manager" configured
  ✓  Google Drive — connected

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
  Build Summary
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝

  Platform      Android
  App dir       /Users/shadab/projects/my_app
  App name      MyApp

  Android
    Drive upload  Yes (via rclone)
    Folder        QA Builds

  Press Enter to start the build, or Ctrl+C to cancel... ↵

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
  Android APK  (2026-06-18_14-30)
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝

  →  Running: flutter build apk --split-per-abi

  [... flutter build output ...]

  Output APKs:
  ✓  app-arm64-v8a-release.apk    (28.3 MB)   ← modern phones
  ✓  app-armeabi-v7a-release.apk  (26.1 MB)   ← older phones
  ✓  app-x86_64-release.apk       (29.0 MB)   ← emulators

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
  Uploading APK to Google Drive
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝

  →  Destination : QA Builds/2026/June/MyApp_2026_06_18_1430.apk
  →  Local file  : app-arm64-v8a-release.apk (28.3 MB)
  →  Uploading (attempt 1/3)...

  [rclone transfer progress...]

  ✓  Upload complete.

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
  Upload completed successfully
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝

  APK Name:
  MyApp_2026_06_18_1430.apk

  Google Drive URL:
  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AbCdEfGhIjKlMnOpQrStU.../view

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
  Build complete
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝

  Android APK:
  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AbCdEfGhIjKlMnOpQrStU.../view

Copy the Google Drive URL and send it to your QA team.

Second run and beyond: The tool remembers your platform choice and folder. Just press Enter to accept the defaults — the build starts in seconds.

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Command Reference

flutter_release_manager init

Purpose	One-time machine setup: install rclone, sign into Google Drive, choose folder, save Diawi token
When to run	Once per machine. Re-run to change your Drive folder or Diawi token.
Requires	Internet connection, Google account

flutter_release_manager init

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flutter_release_manager doctor

Purpose	Check that all prerequisites are installed and configured correctly
When to run	After installation to verify setup, or when something stops working
Requires	Nothing — just reads system state

flutter_release_manager doctor

Example output (all good):

  ✓  flutter          flutter found
  ✓  rclone           rclone v1.67.0
  ✓  Drive remote     remote "flutter_release_manager" configured
  ✓  Drive connection Google Drive reachable
  ✓  Drive folder     "QA Builds" accessible
  ⚠  Diawi token      not set — iOS Diawi upload will be skipped

  ✓  All checks passed. Ready to build and upload.

Example output (problem found):

  ✓  flutter          flutter found
  ✓  rclone           rclone v1.67.0
  ✗  Drive remote     remote "flutter_release_manager" not found
                 Fix: Run: flutter_release_manager init

  ⚠  Some checks failed. Run: flutter_release_manager init

---

flutter_release_manager

Purpose	Build your Flutter app and upload the artifacts
When to run	From inside your Flutter project directory, whenever you want to share a build
Requires	init must have been run at least once

cd /path/to/your_flutter_project
flutter_release_manager

---

flutter_release_manager config

Purpose	Interactively edit all saved settings
When to run	To change project directory, app name, Drive folder, Diawi token, or upload preferences

flutter_release_manager config

Menu:

  ─── Current Configuration ──────────────────────────

  1)  Project Directory          /Users/john/my_app
  2)  App Name                   MyApp
  3)  Google Account             Connected
  4)  Google Drive Root Folder   QA Builds
  5)  Diawi Token                Configured
  6)  Upload Preferences         Drive: auto-upload, Diawi: skip
  7)  Reset Configuration
  8)  Exit

---

flutter_release_manager --platform android

Purpose	Build and upload Android APK only, skip iOS entirely
When to run	When you only need to share with Android testers

flutter_release_manager --platform android --upload-drive

---

flutter_release_manager --platform ios

Purpose	Build and upload iOS IPA only, skip Android entirely
When to run	When you only need to share with iOS testers (macOS only)

flutter_release_manager --platform ios --team-id ABCD1234EF

---

flutter_release_manager --skip-build

Purpose	Upload the artifact from your last build without rebuilding
When to run	Build succeeded but upload failed. Or you want to re-share the same build.

flutter_release_manager --platform android --skip-build

---

flutter_release_manager --upload-only

Same as --skip-build. Both flags do the same thing.

flutter_release_manager --platform android --upload-only

---

All Flags

Flag	Short	Description	Default
--platform	-p	android, ios, or both	prompted
--app-dir	-d	Path to Flutter project (where pubspec.yaml lives)	auto-detected
--app-name	-n	Label used in APK/IPA file names	from pubspec.yaml
--upload-drive		Upload APK to Google Drive	prompted
--environment	-e	DEV, UAT, or PROD — required when --upload-drive	prompted
--team-id	-t	Apple Developer Team ID (iOS only)	prompted
--scheme		Xcode scheme name	Runner
--export-method		development | release-testing | app-store	development
--diawi-token		Diawi API token for IPA upload	from config
--skip-build		Upload last artifact, skip the build step	false
--upload-only		Alias for --skip-build	false
--help	-h	Print help text

---

Non-Interactive Mode (CI/CD)

Pass all values as flags to skip every prompt. Useful in GitHub Actions, Bitrise, Codemagic, or any CI pipeline.

flutter_release_manager \
  --platform android \
  --app-dir /path/to/my_app \
  --app-name MyApp \
  --upload-drive \
  --environment UAT

For iOS:

flutter_release_manager \
  --platform ios \
  --app-dir /path/to/my_app \
  --app-name MyApp \
  --team-id ABCD1234EF \
  --diawi-token YOUR_TOKEN \
  --export-method development

Both platforms:

flutter_release_manager \
  --platform both \
  --app-dir /path/to/my_app \
  --app-name MyApp \
  --team-id ABCD1234EF \
  --diawi-token YOUR_TOKEN \
  --upload-drive

---

Configuration Files

Machine Configuration

Location: ~/.config/flutter_release_manager/config.json (macOS / Linux) Location: %APPDATA%\flutter_release_manager\config.json (Windows)

What it stores:

• Your chosen Google Drive folder name
• Your Diawi API token (if saved)
• The rclone remote name

Set by: flutter_release_manager init

Security: The directory has permission 700 (owner-only access) and the file has permission 600 (owner-read-only). This is set automatically.

Example contents:

{
  "folderName": "QA Builds",
  "remote": "flutter_release_manager",
  "diawiToken": "a1b2c3d4..."
}

---

Project Configuration

Location: <your_flutter_app>/.flutter_release_manager_config.json

What it stores:

• Last used platform (android / ios / both)
• App name
• Apple Team ID
• Xcode scheme
• Export method

Set by: Automatically saved after each successful run.

Security: Contains no secrets. The file is added to .gitignore automatically.

Example contents:

{
  "platform": "android",
  "appName": "MyApp",
  "scheme": "Runner",
  "exportMethod": "development"
}

---

Google Drive Folder Structure

APKs are organized automatically using the hierarchy:

testing releasing/             ← your root folder (chosen during init)
├── Ruloans/                   ← app name (case-insensitive, reuses existing)
│   └── 2026/
│       └── June/
│           ├── DEV/
│           │   └── Ruloans_DEV_2026_06_18_1326.apk
│           ├── UAT/
│           │   └── Ruloans_UAT_2026_06_18_1430.apk
│           └── PROD/
│               └── Ruloans_PROD_2026_06_18_1715.apk
├── RuConnect/                 ← separate app in the same root
│   └── 2026/ ...
└── PartnerApp/                ← another app
    └── 2026/ ...

Folder naming rules:

• Folders are matched case-insensitively — Ruloans reuses an existing ruloans folder
• New folders are created automatically during the first upload
• Existing folder names are preserved as-is to avoid duplicates

Filename format:

AppName_ENV_YYYY_MM_DD_HHmm.apk
Ruloans_UAT_2026_06_18_1326.apk

The arm64-v8a APK is uploaded (covers all modern Android phones). A fallback to armeabi-v7a is used if arm64 is not available.

---

iOS Distribution

Prerequisites for iOS Builds

1. macOS only — iOS builds require Xcode, which only runs on macOS.
2. Install Xcode from the Mac App Store.
3. Install command-line tools:

   xcode-select --install
   

4. Apple Developer Account — needed to sign the app. Free accounts work for development builds. Paid accounts ($99/year) are needed for distribution.
5. Apple Team ID — a 10-character code like UC2HYA24R2. Find it at: developer.apple.com → Sign in → click your name (top right) → Membership details → Team ID

Export Methods

Value	Use case
development	Testing on registered devices. Xcode manages provisioning profiles automatically. Works with Diawi.
release-testing	Ad Hoc distribution. For sharing with up to 100 specific devices.
app-store	Final build for App Store submission.

Use development unless you know you need something else.

---

Troubleshooting

flutter: command not found

Problem: The flutter command is not recognized. Cause: Flutter is not installed, or its bin directory is not in your PATH. Solution:

1. Install Flutter from flutter.dev/docs/get-started/install
2. Follow the "Update your path" step in the Flutter installation guide
3. Restart your terminal and run flutter --version to verify

---

macOS shows a security popup (Gatekeeper)

Problem: A dialog appears saying "flutter cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified" or "Apple cannot verify..." — or a tool is blocked in System Settings.

Why it happens: macOS Gatekeeper quarantines every binary downloaded from the internet until you explicitly approve it. Flutter, rclone, and Dart tools are all affected on first use. This is normal behaviour — it is not a virus warning.

What NOT to do: Do not click Move to Trash or Cancel. That removes or blocks the tool, and the build will fail.

How to allow it — Option 1 (dialog box):

1. When the popup appears, click Cancel (not Move to Trash)
2. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security
3. Scroll down to the Security section
4. Find the entry for the blocked tool and click Allow Anyway
5. Run flutter_release_manager again — this time click Open when prompted

How to allow it — Option 2 (terminal, faster):

# Allow flutter
xattr -d com.apple.quarantine $(which flutter)

# Allow rclone (after init installs it)
xattr -d com.apple.quarantine $(which rclone)

# Allow dart
xattr -d com.apple.quarantine $(which dart)

How to check which tools are quarantined:

flutter_release_manager doctor

The doctor output includes a macOS Gatekeeper section that lists any quarantined binaries and shows the exact commands to clear them.

This only happens once per tool. After you approve a binary, macOS never asks again.

Recommended screenshot: show System Settings → Privacy & Security with "Allow Anyway" visible next to "flutter". This is the single most common support question for macOS users.

---

rclone not found after running init

Problem: rclone installation failed. Cause: Homebrew (macOS) or apt-get (Linux) failed, or you're on Windows. Solution:

• macOS: Install Homebrew first: https://brew.sh, then run flutter_release_manager init again.
• Linux: Run sudo apt-get install rclone manually, then flutter_release_manager init.
• Windows: Download from rclone.org/install/#windows, install, then run flutter_release_manager init.

---

Google Drive authentication failed

Problem: The sign-in step failed or timed out. Cause: You may have clicked Deny, the browser window was left open too long, or network issues occurred. Solution:

flutter_release_manager init

Run init again. Complete the sign-in promptly after the browser opens (within 5 minutes).

---

Remote "flutter_release_manager" not found

Problem: The Google Drive connection is not configured. Cause: init was not completed, or the rclone config was deleted. Solution:

flutter_release_manager init

---

Drive folder is not visible in the list during init

Problem: Your target folder doesn't appear in the list. Cause: The folder may be inside another folder (not at the root of Drive), or Drive hasn't synced. Solution:

• Choose "Enter folder name manually" and type the name exactly
• The folder will be created automatically on the first upload if it doesn't exist

---

Diawi upload failed

Problem: The iOS IPA was not uploaded to Diawi. Cause: The Diawi token is expired, incorrect, or Diawi's servers are temporarily unavailable. Solution:

1. Go to diawi.com → Account → API Access Tokens
2. Create a new token
3. Run flutter_release_manager init to update the saved token

---

Archive failed or Export failed (iOS)

Problem: The iOS build failed at the Xcode archive step. Cause: Misconfigured Team ID, missing provisioning profiles, or Xcode command-line tools not installed. Solution:

1. Verify your Team ID is exactly 10 uppercase characters (e.g. UC2HYA24R2)
2. Run xcode-select --install to update command-line tools
3. Open Xcode and make sure your project builds manually: Product → Archive
4. Check that you have a valid signing certificate in Xcode → Settings → Accounts

---

Flutter build apk fails

Problem: The Android build fails. Cause: Code errors, missing SDK, or Gradle issues. Solution: Run the build command directly to see the raw error:

flutter build apk --split-per-abi

Fix any errors shown, then run flutter_release_manager again.

---

Doctor shows green but upload fails

Problem: All checks pass but uploading fails. Cause: The Google Drive token may have expired, or network issues during upload. Solution:

# Re-authenticate Google Drive
flutter_release_manager init

# Or retry the upload without rebuilding
flutter_release_manager --platform android --upload-only

---

command not found: flutter_release_manager (after installing)

Problem: The command is not found even after running dart pub global activate. Cause: The Dart global bin directory is not in your PATH. Solution: Add the pub cache bin to your PATH:

# macOS / Linux — add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc:
export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/.pub-cache/bin"

# Then reload:
source ~/.zshrc

On Windows, add %LOCALAPPDATA%\Pub\Cache\bin to your System PATH via Control Panel → Environment Variables.

---

FAQ

Why am I seeing macOS security warnings? macOS Gatekeeper quarantines every tool downloaded from the internet until you approve it. When you see "flutter cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified", go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → scroll to Security → Allow Anyway. Run the command again and click Open when prompted. This is a one-time approval per tool — once approved, macOS never asks again. See the macOS Gatekeeper troubleshooting section for step-by-step instructions.

Do I need a Google Cloud Console account? No. This tool uses rclone's built-in credentials. You sign in with the regular Google sign-in page — no Cloud Console, no project, no API key.

Do I need to know rclone? No. rclone is installed and configured automatically. You never interact with it directly.

Do I need OAuth credentials? No. This is the whole point of the tool. The standard Google sign-in in your browser is all that's required.

Can I use this with a Google Workspace (G Suite) account? Yes. Sign in with your Workspace account during init. If your organization restricts external app access, ask your admin to allow rclone.

Can I upload to Shared Drives? Yes. Shared Drives appear in your Google Drive folder list during init. Select the shared folder.

Can I upload Android only and skip iOS? Yes. Choose 1) Android only when prompted, or pass --platform android.

Can I skip Diawi? Yes. Press Enter when asked for a Diawi token. iOS builds will still work — the IPA will be saved locally but not uploaded.

Can I use multiple Google accounts? One account per machine. To switch accounts, run flutter_release_manager init — it will prompt for a new sign-in.

Is my Google token stored securely? The token is stored by rclone in its configuration file with restricted file permissions (600). It never touches your code or your project directory.

Can I use this in CI/CD? Yes, but CI requires a pre-configured rclone remote. Set up on a developer machine first, then export the rclone config to your CI environment. See the All Flags section for non-interactive usage.

What APK gets uploaded? The arm64-v8a APK (covers all phones made after 2014). If it's not available, armeabi-v7a is used as a fallback.

Does this work on Windows? Yes, for Android builds. iOS builds require macOS (Xcode requirement from Apple).

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Screenshots

Recommended screenshots to add to your documentation:

Screenshot	Suggested filename	Caption
Full init terminal session	doc/screenshots/init.png	"One-time setup: installs rclone, signs into Google Drive, picks folder"
doctor output (all green)	doc/screenshots/doctor.png	"Health check: all systems ready"
Build progress + upload progress	doc/screenshots/build.png	"Building APK and uploading to Google Drive"
Final output with Drive link	doc/screenshots/result.png	"Done: shareable Google Drive link ready to paste"
macOS security dialog	doc/screenshots/gatekeeper.png	"First-time macOS approval — click Open"
System Settings → Allow Anyway	doc/screenshots/gatekeeper_settings.png	"System Settings → Privacy & Security → Allow Anyway"

To take screenshots that render well on pub.dev: use a terminal with a dark theme and a font size of at least 14pt.

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Migration from flutter_build_release

If you used the previous flutter_build_release package, migration is fully automatic.

What migrates automatically on first run:

Old	New	Action
~/.config/flutter_build_release/config.json	~/.config/flutter_release_manager/config.json	Copied automatically
.flutter_build_release_config.json	.flutter_release_manager_config.json	Copied automatically
rclone remote flutter_build_release	rclone remote flutter_release_manager	Migrated, no re-authentication

You keep your Google Drive access. You don't sign in again.

After migration, remove the old package:

dart pub global deactivate flutter_build_release

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License

MIT — see LICENSE

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Made for Flutter teams who would rather ship than wait.