Swift 6.0.3 (Ubuntu 24.04) AMI Administrator Guide

1. Quick Start Information

Connection Methods:

Access the instance via SSH using the ubuntu user. Use sudo to run commands requiring root privileges. To switch to the root user, use sudo su - root.

Install Information:

OS: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
Swift version: 6.0.3 (swift-6.0.3-RELEASE)
Target architecture: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
Swift Install Directory: /usr/share/swift
Swift Binary Path: /usr/share/swift/usr/bin/swift
Environment Configuration: /etc/profile.d/swift.sh

Quick Verification Commands:

Check Swift version: swift --version
Verify Swift location: which swift
Run Swift REPL: swift repl (interactive mode)
Compile Swift file: swift build
Run Swift script: swift run

Development Tools Included:

Swift Compiler: swift (v6.0.3)
Swift Package Manager: swift package
Swift Build System: swift build
Swift REPL: swift repl (interactive shell)
Clang Compiler: Required for linking
Python 3 Development Libraries: For Swift-Python interop

Firewall Configuration:

Please allow SSH port 22.
For security, it is recommended to limit SSH access to trusted IPs only.

2. First Launch & Verification

Step 1: Connect to Your Instance

Launch your instance in your cloud provider's console (e.g., AWS EC2)
Ensure SSH port 22 is allowed in your security group

Connect via SSH:

ssh -i your-key.pem ubuntu@YOUR_PUBLIC_IP

Step 2: Verify Swift Installation

Check the Swift version:

swift --version

Expected Output:

Swift version 6.0.3 (swift-6.0.3-RELEASE)
Target: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu

Verify the installation path:

which swift

Expected Output:

/usr/share/swift/usr/bin/swift

Step 3: Test Swift Compiler

Create and run a simple Swift program:

# Create a test file
echo 'print("Hello, Server-Side Swift!")' > hello.swift

# Run the script
swift hello.swift

# Clean up
rm hello.swift

Expected Output:

Hello, Server-Side Swift!

How This Works:

swift hello.swift: Compiles and executes the Swift file in one step
The Swift compiler automatically links against Clang and system libraries
No separate compilation step needed for simple scripts

Step 4: Test Swift Package Manager

Initialize a sample Swift package:

# Create a new directory
mkdir swift-test && cd swift-test

# Initialize a new Swift package
swift package init --type executable

# Build the package
swift build

# Run the executable
./.build/debug/swift-test

Expected Output:

Hello, world!

How This Works:

swift package init: Creates a standard Swift package structure with Package.swift manifest
swift build: Compiles the package and its dependencies
The executable is placed in .build/debug/ directory

3. Architecture & Detailed Configuration

This AMI uses the official Swift.org binary distribution for Ubuntu 24.04, ensuring compatibility with the latest Swift ecosystem and server-side frameworks like Vapor and Kitura.

Installation Architecture:

[Swift.org Download]
         ↓
[swift-6.0.3-RELEASE-ubuntu24.04.tar.gz]
         ↓
[Extract to /usr/share/swift]
         ↓
├── /usr/share/swift/usr/bin/swift → Swift compiler
├── /usr/share/swift/usr/bin/swiftc → Swift compiler (explicit)
├── /usr/share/swift/usr/bin/swift-package → Package manager
└── /usr/share/swift/usr/lib/ → Swift standard library
         ↓
[Environment Configuration]
         ↓
/etc/profile.d/swift.sh → Adds Swift to PATH
         ↓
[System Dependencies]
         ↓
├── Clang → Linker and C/C++ interop
├── libpython3-dev → Swift-Python interop
├── libcurl4 → Network operations
└── libstdc++-13-dev → C++ standard library

Key Design Decisions:

Installation Location: /usr/share/swift is the standard location for third-party software on Linux
Official Binary: Using Swift.org official builds ensures compatibility with SwiftPM ecosystem
System-Wide Installation: All users can access Swift without per-user configuration
Dependency Isolation: System dependencies installed via apt ensure reproducibility

3.1. Environment Configuration File

File Location: /etc/profile.d/swift.sh

File Content:

# Swift 环境变量
export PATH=/usr/share/swift/usr/bin:"${PATH}"

How This Works:

This file is automatically sourced by the shell for all users
Prepends Swift's binary directory to the PATH
Ensures swift command is available system-wide

3.2. System Dependencies

Required Packages:

Swift requires several system libraries for compilation and runtime:

Compiler Toolchain:
- clang: LLVM-based C/C++ compiler (Swift uses Clang for linking)
- binutils: Binary utilities (linker, assembler)
- libc6-dev: C standard library development files
Language Interoperability:
- libpython3-dev: Python 3 development headers (Swift-Python interop)
- libstdc++-13-dev: C++ standard library (required for some Swift features)
Network and Data:
- libcurl4-openssl-dev: HTTP client library
- libxml2-dev: XML parsing library
- libsqlite3-0: SQLite database library
Build Tools:
- git: Version control (required by Swift Package Manager)
- pkg-config: Package configuration tool
- unzip: Archive extraction

4. How-To-Create: Reproduce This Environment

This section explains how this AMI was built, allowing you to reproduce the installation on any Ubuntu 24.04 system.

Step 1: Install System Dependencies

Purpose: Install all required libraries and tools that Swift compiler depends on.

# Update package index
sudo apt-get update

# Install Swift runtime dependencies
sudo apt-get install -y \
  binutils \
  git \
  gnupg2 \
  libc6-dev \
  libcurl4-openssl-dev \
  libedit2 \
  libgcc-s1 \
  libpython3-dev \
  libsqlite3-0 \
  libstdc++-13-dev \
  libxml2-dev \
  zlib1g-dev \
  pkg-config \
  tzdata \
  unzip \
  clang

How This Works:

clang: Swift uses Clang as its linker backend. Without it, you'll get error: link command failed
libpython3-dev: Enables Swift-Python interoperability (calling Python from Swift)
libcurl4-openssl-dev: Required for networking in Swift (URLSession, HTTP clients)
libstdc++-13-dev: C++ standard library headers (Swift uses C++ internally)
zlib1g-dev: Compression library (used by Swift Package Manager)

Why These Dependencies?

Swift is not a standalone compiler. It leverages:

Clang for C/C++ interop and linking
System libraries for networking, compression, and data parsing
Python integration for scripting use cases

Step 2: Download Swift Official Binary

Purpose: Download the pre-compiled Swift toolchain from Swift.org for Ubuntu 24.04.

# Define version variables (makes upgrades easier)
SWIFT_VERSION=6.0
SWIFT_PLATFORM=ubuntu24.04
SWIFT_BRANCH=swift-${SWIFT_VERSION}-release
SWIFT_TAG=swift-${SWIFT_VERSION}-RELEASE

# Download official tar.gz package
wget https://download.swift.org/${SWIFT_BRANCH}/${SWIFT_PLATFORM}/${SWIFT_TAG}/${SWIFT_TAG}-${SWIFT_PLATFORM}.tar.gz

How This Works:

SWIFT_VERSION=6.0: Locks the major/minor version
SWIFT_PLATFORM=ubuntu24.04: Ensures we get the Ubuntu 24.04-compatible build
SWIFT_BRANCH: Points to the release branch on Swift.org's download server
SWIFT_TAG: The exact release tag (e.g., swift-6.0-RELEASE)

URL Structure:

Swift.org uses a consistent URL pattern:

https://download.swift.org/
  └── {branch}/               (e.g., swift-6.0-release)
      └── {platform}/         (e.g., ubuntu24.04)
          └── {tag}/          (e.g., swift-6.0-RELEASE)
              └── {tag}-{platform}.tar.gz

Actual Download URL (for reference):

https://download.swift.org/swift-6.0-release/ubuntu24.04/swift-6.0-RELEASE/swift-6.0-RELEASE-ubuntu24.04.tar.gz

Step 3: Install Swift Globally

Purpose: Extract Swift to a system-wide location and set proper permissions.

# Create installation directory
sudo mkdir -p /usr/share/swift

# Extract archive to installation directory
# --strip-components=1 removes the outer folder, placing contents directly in /usr/share/swift
sudo tar xz -C /usr/share/swift --strip-components=1 -f ${SWIFT_TAG}-${SWIFT_PLATFORM}.tar.gz

# Set proper permissions (readable by all users)
sudo chmod -R 755 /usr/share/swift

How This Works:

/usr/share/swift: Standard Linux location for third-party software
--strip-components=1: The downloaded archive has a top-level directory (e.g., swift-6.0-RELEASE-ubuntu24.04/). This flag removes it, so contents go directly into /usr/share/swift
chmod -R 755: Ensures all users can read and execute Swift binaries

Directory Structure After Extraction:

/usr/share/swift/
├── usr/
│   ├── bin/
│   │   ├── swift           # Main compiler/REPL
│   │   ├── swiftc          # Explicit compiler invocation
│   │   ├── swift-package   # Package manager
│   │   └── swift-build     # Build system
│   ├── lib/
│   │   └── swift/          # Standard library
│   └── include/
│       └── swift/          # Header files
└── README.md

Step 4: Configure Environment Variables

Purpose: Make the swift command available system-wide for all users.

# Create environment configuration file
sudo tee /etc/profile.d/swift.sh > /dev/null << 'EOF'
# Swift 环境变量
export PATH=/usr/share/swift/usr/bin:"${PATH}"
EOF

# Make the file executable
sudo chmod +x /etc/profile.d/swift.sh

# Load the configuration immediately (for current session)
source /etc/profile.d/swift.sh

How This Works:

/etc/profile.d/swift.sh: This directory contains shell scripts that are automatically executed when users log in
export PATH=...: Prepends Swift's binary directory to the PATH environment variable
source /etc/profile.d/swift.sh: Applies the changes to the current shell session (new sessions will load it automatically)

Why /etc/profile.d/?

Files in this directory are sourced by /etc/profile during login
Applies to all users system-wide
Survives system reboots and updates

Step 5: Verification and Cleanup

Purpose: Confirm Swift is working correctly and remove installation artifacts to reduce AMI size.

# Verify Swift version
swift --version
# Expected: Swift version 6.0.3 (swift-6.0.3-RELEASE)

# Verify Swift path
which swift
# Expected: /usr/share/swift/usr/bin/swift

# Test Swift compiler
echo 'print("Hello, Server-Side Swift!")' > hello.swift
swift hello.swift
# Expected: Hello, Server-Side Swift!
rm hello.swift

# Clean up downloaded archive (600+ MB)
rm ${SWIFT_TAG}-${SWIFT_PLATFORM}.tar.gz

# Clear command history (for AMI creation)
history -c

Cleanup Results:

Removes ~600 MB tar.gz archive
Clears shell history (removes sensitive commands for AMI snapshots)
Final AMI size: ~1.2 GB (Swift installation only)

5. Using the Swift Environment

5.1. Swift REPL (Interactive Shell)

Start the REPL:

swift repl

Example Session:

Welcome to Swift version 6.0.3 (swift-6.0.3-RELEASE).
Type :help for assistance.
  1> let greeting = "Hello, Swift!"
greeting: String = "Hello, Swift!"
  2> print(greeting)
Hello, Swift!
  3> let numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
numbers: [Int] = 5 values {
  [0] = 1
  [1] = 2
  [2] = 3
  [3] = 4
  [4] = 5
}
  4> :quit

REPL Commands:

:help - Show available commands
:quit - Exit the REPL
:type <expression> - Print the type of an expression

5.2. Running Swift Scripts

Create a Script:

cat > server.swift << 'EOF'
import Foundation

print("Starting server...")
print("Current time: \(Date())")
print("Server running on port 8080")
EOF

Execute the Script:

swift server.swift

Expected Output:

Starting server...
Current time: 2026-02-13 12:00:00 +0000
Server running on port 8080

5.3. Creating a Swift Package

Initialize a New Package:

# Create project directory
mkdir my-swift-project
cd my-swift-project

# Initialize as executable package
swift package init --type executable

# Project structure created:
# ├── Package.swift
# ├── Sources/
# │   └── my-swift-project/
# │       └── main.swift
# └── Tests/
#     └── my-swift-projectTests/

Package.swift (Generated):

// swift-tools-version: 6.0
import PackageDescription

let package = Package(
    name: "my-swift-project",
    targets: [
        .executableTarget(
            name: "my-swift-project"
        ),
    ]
)

Build and Run:

# Build the package
swift build

# Run the executable
swift run

Expected Output:

Hello, world!

5.4. Building a Web Server with Vapor

Vapor is the most popular Swift web framework for server-side development.

Create a Vapor Project:

# Create new directory
mkdir vapor-app && cd vapor-app

# Initialize Vapor package
cat > Package.swift << 'EOF'
// swift-tools-version:6.0
import PackageDescription

let package = Package(
    name: "vapor-app",
    platforms: [
       .macOS(.v13)
    ],
    dependencies: [
        .package(url: "https://github.com/vapor/vapor.git", from: "4.89.0"),
    ],
    targets: [
        .executableTarget(
            name: "App",
            dependencies: [
                .product(name: "Vapor", package: "vapor")
            ]
        ),
    ]
)
EOF

# Create Sources directory
mkdir -p Sources/App
cat > Sources/App/main.swift << 'EOF'
import Vapor

var env = try Environment.detect()
let app = Application(env)
defer { app.shutdown() }

app.get("hello") { req in
    return "Hello, Vapor!"
}

try app.run()
EOF

# Build and run (first build will download dependencies)
swift build
swift run App

Access the Server:

# In another terminal
curl http://localhost:8080/hello
# Output: Hello, Vapor!

5.5. Compiling for Release

Build Optimized Binary:

# Build with release configuration
swift build -c release

# Binary location
ls -lh .build/release/

Release vs Debug:

Mode	Optimization	Size	Speed	Debug Info
Debug	`-Onone`	~10 MB	1x	Yes
Release	`-O`	~2 MB	5-10x	No

6. Important File Locations

File Path	Purpose
`/usr/share/swift/`	Swift installation root directory
`/usr/share/swift/usr/bin/swift`	Swift compiler and REPL
`/usr/share/swift/usr/bin/swiftc`	Swift compiler (explicit invocation)
`/usr/share/swift/usr/bin/swift-package`	Swift Package Manager
`/usr/share/swift/usr/lib/swift/`	Swift standard library
`/etc/profile.d/swift.sh`	Environment configuration (adds Swift to PATH)
`~/.swiftpm/`	User-specific Swift Package Manager cache
`.build/`	Build output directory (in project)
`Package.swift`	Swift package manifest file

7. Troubleshooting

Issue 1: Command Not Found: swift

Symptoms:

$ swift --version
-bash: swift: command not found

Diagnosis:

Check if Swift is installed:

ls -la /usr/share/swift/usr/bin/swift

Solution:

Reload environment configuration:

source /etc/profile.d/swift.sh

Or log out and log back in:

exit
ssh -i your-key.pem ubuntu@YOUR_PUBLIC_IP

Verify:

echo $PATH | grep swift
# Should show: /usr/share/swift/usr/bin

Issue 2: Link Command Failed

Symptoms:

$ swift build
error: link command failed with exit code 1 (use -v to see invocation)
ld: cannot find -lc++

Diagnosis:

Missing Clang or C++ standard library.

Solution:

Install required dependencies:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y clang libstdc++-13-dev

Verify:

which clang
# Output: /usr/bin/clang

swift --version
# Should show Swift version without errors

Issue 3: Swift Package Manager Hangs

Symptoms:

$ swift build
Fetching https://github.com/vapor/vapor.git
[Hangs indefinitely...]

Diagnosis:

Network connectivity issue or DNS resolution problem.

Solution:

Test network connectivity:

# Test GitHub access
curl -I https://github.com

# Check DNS resolution
nslookup github.com

If GitHub is blocked, use a mirror or configure proxy:

# Configure git proxy (if needed)
git config --global http.proxy http://your-proxy:port

Alternative:

Use package cache if available:

# Clean and retry
rm -rf .build
swift package reset
swift build

Issue 4: Segmentation Fault During Compilation

Symptoms:

$ swift build
Segmentation fault (core dumped)

Diagnosis:

Insufficient memory or corrupted Swift installation.

Solution 1: Check Memory:

free -h
# Ensure at least 2 GB free memory

Solution 2: Reinstall Swift:

sudo rm -rf /usr/share/swift
# Re-run installation steps from Section 4

Solution 3: Reduce Compilation Parallelism:

swift build --jobs 1

Issue 5: Package Dependency Resolution Failed

Symptoms:

$ swift build
error: package at 'https://github.com/vapor/vapor.git' is using Swift tools version 5.9.0 but the installed version is 6.0.3

Diagnosis:

Package requires older Swift version.

Solution:

Update package to use Swift 6.0:

Edit Package.swift:

// Change this line:
// swift-tools-version:5.9

// To:
// swift-tools-version:6.0

Or use compatible package version:

# Check package releases
git ls-remote --tags https://github.com/vapor/vapor.git

# Use specific version
.package(url: "https://github.com/vapor/vapor.git", .exact("4.89.0"))

Issue 6: Permission Denied Errors

Symptoms:

$ swift build
error: unable to create directory: Permission denied

Diagnosis:

Insufficient permissions in project directory.

Solution:

Ensure you own the project directory:

# Check ownership
ls -la

# Fix ownership if needed
sudo chown -R ubuntu:ubuntu ~/my-swift-project

Verify:

cd ~/my-swift-project
swift build
# Should work without sudo

8. Final Notes

Key Takeaways

Swift 6.0.3 is installed system-wide at /usr/share/swift
Clang is required for linking Swift binaries
Swift Package Manager handles dependencies automatically
All tools are verified and tested on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
The installation is production-ready and AMI-optimized

Server-Side Swift Use Cases

High-Performance APIs: Vapor, Kitura frameworks
Microservices: Docker + Swift for cloud-native apps
CLI Tools: Swift Package Manager for command-line utilities
AWS Lambda: Swift runtime for serverless functions
Real-Time Services: WebSocket servers, chat applications

Additional Resources

Official Swift Documentation: https://swift.org/documentation/
Swift Book (Free): https://docs.swift.org/swift-book/
Vapor Framework: https://vapor.codes
Swift Package Index: https://swiftpackageindex.com/
Swift Forums: https://forums.swift.org/

Support

If you encounter issues not covered in this guide:

Check the troubleshooting section above
Review Swift.org official documentation
Verify your security group and firewall settings
Check system logs: sudo journalctl -xe
Visit Swift Forums for community support

For support or questions, please contact the Easycloud team.

1. Quick Start Information​

2. First Launch & Verification​

Step 1: Connect to Your Instance​

Step 2: Verify Swift Installation​

Step 3: Test Swift Compiler​

Step 4: Test Swift Package Manager​

3. Architecture & Detailed Configuration​

3.1. Environment Configuration File​

3.2. System Dependencies​

4. How-To-Create: Reproduce This Environment​

Step 1: Install System Dependencies​

Step 2: Download Swift Official Binary​

Step 3: Install Swift Globally​

Step 4: Configure Environment Variables​

Step 5: Verification and Cleanup​

5. Using the Swift Environment​

5.1. Swift REPL (Interactive Shell)​

5.2. Running Swift Scripts​

5.3. Creating a Swift Package​

5.4. Building a Web Server with Vapor​

5.5. Compiling for Release​

6. Important File Locations​

7. Troubleshooting​

Issue 1: Command Not Found: swift​

Issue 2: Link Command Failed​

Issue 3: Swift Package Manager Hangs​

Issue 4: Segmentation Fault During Compilation​

Issue 5: Package Dependency Resolution Failed​

Issue 6: Permission Denied Errors​

8. Final Notes​

Key Takeaways​

Server-Side Swift Use Cases​

Additional Resources​

Support​

1. Quick Start Information

2. First Launch & Verification

Step 1: Connect to Your Instance

Step 2: Verify Swift Installation

Step 3: Test Swift Compiler

Step 4: Test Swift Package Manager

3. Architecture & Detailed Configuration

3.1. Environment Configuration File

3.2. System Dependencies

4. How-To-Create: Reproduce This Environment

Step 1: Install System Dependencies

Step 2: Download Swift Official Binary

Step 3: Install Swift Globally

Step 4: Configure Environment Variables

Step 5: Verification and Cleanup

5. Using the Swift Environment

5.1. Swift REPL (Interactive Shell)

5.2. Running Swift Scripts

5.3. Creating a Swift Package

5.4. Building a Web Server with Vapor

5.5. Compiling for Release

6. Important File Locations

7. Troubleshooting

Issue 1: Command Not Found: swift

Issue 2: Link Command Failed

Issue 3: Swift Package Manager Hangs

Issue 4: Segmentation Fault During Compilation

Issue 5: Package Dependency Resolution Failed

Issue 6: Permission Denied Errors

8. Final Notes

Key Takeaways

Server-Side Swift Use Cases

Additional Resources

Support