Attention all registered iOS and Mac developers: your yearly membership fee just delivered a bit more value. Apple is now giving developers free access to OS X Server as part of the company’s push to get developers to adopt Xcode’s continuous integration.
Continuous integration utilizes an Xcode service component in OS X Server to allow users to create and run automated bots that handle the process of building, analyzing, testing, and archiving apps remotely while development continues on the user’s primary Mac. It requires Xcode 5.0.1, OS X Mavericks, and the latest build of OS X Server.
While OS X Server used to be a completely separate build of OS X, Apple converted it into a set of downloadable tools that run on top of the client build of OS X starting with OS X Lion. The suite of tools still caries a price premium ($19.99 for the current Mavericks-compatible build), but now developers can get it for free, regardless of their plans to utilize continuous integration.
OS X Server is distributed via the Mac App Store. Registered iOS and Mac developers will need to log into the Apple Developer Center and obtain a redemption code for the software. Developer memberships for iOS and OS X cost $99 each per year and give developers access to the tools they need to create, test, and publish applications.