Xcode - ld: library not found for -lPods

I get these errors when I try to build an iOS application.

ld: library not found for -lPods
clang: error: linker command failed with exit code 1 (use -v to see invocation)

Ld /Users/Markus/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Totalbox-clpeqwpfvwuhpleeejnzlavncnvj/Build/Products/Debug-iphonesimulator/Totalbox.app/Totalbox normal x86_64
cd /Users/Markus/Development/xcode/totalbox-ios
export IPHONEOS_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET=7.1
export PATH="/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneSimulator.platform/Developer/usr/bin:/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/usr/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin"
/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/clang -arch x86_64 -isysroot 
/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneSimulator.platform/Developer/SDKs/iPhoneSimulator7.1.sdk -L/Users/Markus/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Totalbox-clpeqwpfvwuhpleeejnzlavncnvj/Build/Products/Debug-iphonesimulator -F/Users/Markus/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Totalbox-clpeqwpfvwuhpleeejnzlavncnvj/Build/Products/Debug-iphonesimulator -filelist /Users/Markus/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Totalbox-clpeqwpfvwuhpleeejnzlavncnvj/Build/Intermediates/Totalbox.build/Debug-iphonesimulator/Totalbox.build/Objects-normal/x86_64/Totalbox.LinkFileList -Xlinker -objc_abi_version -Xlinker 2 -ObjC -framework CoreGraphics -framework Foundation -framework MobileCoreServices -framework QuartzCore -framework Security -framework SystemConfiguration -fobjc-arc -fobjc-link-runtime -Xlinker -no_implicit_dylibs -mios-simulator-version-min=7.1 -framework CoreGraphics -framework UIKit -framework Foundation -lPods -Xlinker -dependency_info -Xlinker /Users/Markus/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Totalbox-clpeqwpfvwuhpleeejnzlavncnvj/Build/Intermediates/Totalbox.build/Debug-iphonesimulator/Totalbox.build/Objects-normal/x86_64/Totalbox_dependency_info.dat -o /Users/Markus/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Totalbox-clpeqwpfvwuhpleeejnzlavncnvj/Build/Products/Debug-iphonesimulator/Totalbox.app/Totalbox

PODS ROOT in the build settings:

${SRCROOT}/Pods

I didn't create this Xcode project - just pulled it from git to check it out.

Solution 1:

If the project uses CocoaPods be aware to always open the .xcworkspace file instead of the .xcodeproj file.

Solution 2:

Had this problem as well. Something was wrong with my CocoaPods installation. No pods other than KIF were installing properly. I followed the comments on this thread to be of help.

Basically, I needed to ensure that Build Active Architectures Only settings for both my project and the Pods project were equal.

Solution 3:

After hours of research this solution worked for me:

(disclaimer: results may vary due to circumstances)

the Library not found -lPods-(someCocoapod) error was due to multiple entries in the :

Settings(Target) > Build Settings > Linking > 'Other Linker Flags'

A lot of other posts had me look there and I would see changes to the error when I messed around with the entries, but I kept getting some variation on the same error.

Too many hours lost ...

My Fix:

remove the -lPods-(someCocoaPod) lines in the 'Other Linker Flags' list BUT only if $(inherited) is at the top. At first I was unsure, but the reassuring sign was that I still saw references to my cocoapods when I left the edit mode(inherited). I tested in debug and release, both of which were giving me errors, and the problem was immediately resolved.

Solution 4:

It seems project has been using cocoapods. and that files are missing from your project.

You cant just download it from git. You need to install it from cocoapods.

for more help, you may follow Introduction to CocoaPods Tutorial

If the project uses CocoaPods be aware to always open the .xcworkspace file instead of the .xcodeproj file