Add configuration option for test executor arguments

.github/workflows/test.yml

@@ -79,9 +79,13 @@ jobs:
         - os: macos-15
           python_version: '3.13'
           test_select: ios
+          # Exercise iOS on a non-default simulator.
+          test_execution: 'args: --simulator "iPhone 16e,OS=18.5"'
         - os: macos-15-intel
           python_version: '3.13'
           test_select: android
+          # Exercise Android on a non-default simulator
+          test_execution: 'args: --managed minVersion'
         - os: macos-15
           python_version: '3.13'
           test_select: android
@@ -154,6 +158,7 @@ jobs:
         CIBW_ARCHS_MACOS: x86_64 universal2 arm64
         CIBW_BUILD_FRONTEND: ${{ matrix.test_select && 'build' || 'build[uv]' }}
         CIBW_PLATFORM: ${{ matrix.test_select }}
+        CIBW_TEST_EXECUTION: ${{ matrix.test_execution }}
 
     - name: Run a sample build (GitHub Action, only)
       uses: ./
@@ -179,6 +184,7 @@ jobs:
       uses: ./
       env:
         CIBW_PLATFORM: ${{ matrix.test_select }}
+        CIBW_TEST_EXECUTION: ${{ matrix.test_execution }}
       with:
         package-dir: sample_proj
         output-dir: wheelhouse_config_file
@@ -202,6 +208,8 @@ jobs:
         path: wheelhouse/*.whl
 
     - name: Test cibuildwheel
+      env:
+        CIBW_TEST_EXECUTION: ${{ matrix.test_execution }}
       run: |
         uv run --no-sync bin/run_tests.py --test-select=${{ matrix.test_select || 'native' }} ${{ (runner.os == 'Linux' && runner.arch == 'X64') && '--run-podman' || '' }}
 

README.md

@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ Usage
 
 |                 | Linux | macOS | Windows | Linux ARM | macOS ARM | Windows ARM | Android | iOS |
 |-----------------|-------|-------|---------|-----------|-----------|-------------|---------|-----|
-| GitHub Actions  | ✅    | ✅    | ✅       | ✅        | ✅        | ✅²         | ✅⁴      | ✅³⁵ |
-| Azure Pipelines | ✅    | ✅    | ✅       |           | ✅        | ✅²         | ✅⁴      | ✅³⁵ |
+| GitHub Actions  | ✅    | ✅    | ✅       | ✅        | ✅        | ✅²         | ✅⁴      | ✅³  |
+| Azure Pipelines | ✅    | ✅    | ✅       |           | ✅        | ✅²         | ✅⁴      | ✅³  |
 | Travis CI       | ✅    |       | ✅      | ✅        |           |             | ✅⁴      |     |
 | CircleCI        | ✅    | ✅    |         | ✅        | ✅        |             | ✅⁴      | ✅³  |
 | Gitlab CI       | ✅    | ✅    | ✅      | ✅¹       | ✅        |             | ✅⁴      | ✅³  |
@@ -70,7 +70,6 @@ Usage
 <sup>² [Uses cross-compilation](https://cibuildwheel.pypa.io/en/stable/faq/#windows-arm64). It is not possible to test `arm64` on this CI platform.</sup><br>
 <sup>³ Requires a macOS runner; runs tests on the simulator for the runner's architecture. </sup><br>
 <sup>⁴ Building for Android requires the runner to be Linux x86_64, macOS ARM64 or macOS x86_64. Testing has [additional requirements](https://cibuildwheel.pypa.io/en/stable/platforms/#android).</sup><br>
-<sup>⁵ The `macos-15` and `macos-latest` images are [incompatible with cibuildwheel at this time](https://cibuildwheel.pypa.io/en/stable/platforms/#ios-system-requirements) when building iOS wheels.</sup><br>
 
 <!--intro-end-->
 
@@ -160,12 +159,13 @@ The following diagram summarises the steps that cibuildwheel takes on each platf
 |  | [`test-groups`](https://cibuildwheel.pypa.io/en/stable/options/#test-groups) | Specify test dependencies from your project's `dependency-groups` |
 |  | [`test-skip`](https://cibuildwheel.pypa.io/en/stable/options/#test-skip) | Skip running tests on some builds |
 |  | [`test-environment`](https://cibuildwheel.pypa.io/en/stable/options/#test-environment) | Set environment variables for the test environment |
+|  | [`test-execution`](https://cibuildwheel.pypa.io/en/stable/options/#test-execution) | Controls how the tests will be executed. |
 | **Debugging** | [`debug-keep-container`](https://cibuildwheel.pypa.io/en/stable/options/#debug-keep-container) | Keep the container after running for debugging. |
 |  | [`debug-traceback`](https://cibuildwheel.pypa.io/en/stable/options/#debug-traceback) | Print full traceback when errors occur. |
 |  | [`build-verbosity`](https://cibuildwheel.pypa.io/en/stable/options/#build-verbosity) | Increase/decrease the output of the build |
 
 
-<!--[[[end]]] (sum: FxE3nIgFiY) -->
+<!--[[[end]]] (sum: /aL2w4bcMB) -->
 
 These options can be specified in a pyproject.toml file, or as environment variables, see [configuration docs](https://cibuildwheel.pypa.io/en/latest/configuration/).
 

bin/generate_schema.py

@@ -224,6 +224,24 @@
   test-environment:
     description: Set environment variables for the test environment
     type: string_table
+  test-execution:
+    description: Additional configuration for the test runner
+    oneOf:
+      - type: string
+        pattern: '^$'
+      - type: object
+        additionalProperties: false
+      - type: string
+        pattern: 'args:'
+      - type: object
+        additionalProperties: false
+        required: [args]
+        properties:
+          args:
+            type: array
+            items:
+              type: string
+
 """
 
 schema = yaml.safe_load(starter)
@@ -304,6 +322,7 @@
         test-sources: {"$ref": "#/$defs/inherit"}
         test-requires: {"$ref": "#/$defs/inherit"}
         test-environment: {"$ref": "#/$defs/inherit"}
+        test-execution: {"$ref": "#/$defs/inherit"}
 """
 )
 

cibuildwheel/options.py

@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 from .selector import BuildSelector, EnableGroup, TestSelector, selector_matches
 from .typing import PLATFORMS, PlatformName
 from .util import resources
-from .util.helpers import format_safe, strtobool, unwrap
+from .util.helpers import format_safe, parse_key_value_string, strtobool, unwrap
 from .util.packaging import DependencyConstraints
 
 MANYLINUX_ARCHS: Final[tuple[str, ...]] = (
@@ -92,6 +92,20 @@ class GlobalOptions:
     allow_empty: bool
 
 
+@dataclasses.dataclass(frozen=True)
+class TestExecutionConfig:
+    args: Sequence[str] = ()
+
+    @classmethod
+    def from_config_string(cls, config_string: str) -> Self:
+        config_dict = parse_key_value_string(config_string, [], ["args"])
+        args = config_dict.get("args") or []
+        return cls(args=args)
+
+    def options_summary(self) -> str | dict[str, str]:
+        return {"args": repr(self.args)}
+
+
 @dataclasses.dataclass(frozen=True, kw_only=True)
 class BuildOptions:
     globals: GlobalOptions
@@ -110,6 +124,7 @@ class BuildOptions:
     test_extras: str
     test_groups: list[str]
     test_environment: ParsedEnvironment
+    test_execution: TestExecutionConfig
     build_verbosity: int
     build_frontend: BuildFrontendConfig
     config_settings: str
@@ -761,6 +776,20 @@ def _compute_build_options(self, identifier: str | None) -> BuildOptions:
                 msg = f"Malformed environment option {test_environment_config!r}"
                 raise errors.ConfigurationError(msg) from e
 
+            test_execution_str = self.reader.get(
+                "test-execution",
+                env_plat=False,
+                option_format=ShlexTableFormat(sep="; ", pair_sep=":", allow_merge=False),
+            )
+            if not test_execution_str:
+                test_execution = TestExecutionConfig()
+            else:
+                try:
+                    test_execution = TestExecutionConfig.from_config_string(test_execution_str)
+                except ValueError as e:
+                    msg = f"Failed to parse test execution config. {e}"
+                    raise errors.ConfigurationError(msg) from e
+
             test_requires = self.reader.get(
                 "test-requires", option_format=ListFormat(sep=" ")
             ).split()
@@ -868,6 +897,7 @@ def _compute_build_options(self, identifier: str | None) -> BuildOptions:
                 test_command=test_command,
                 test_sources=test_sources,
                 test_environment=test_environment,
+                test_execution=test_execution,
                 test_requires=[*test_requires, *test_requirements_from_groups],
                 test_extras=test_extras,
                 test_groups=test_groups,

cibuildwheel/platforms/android.py

@@ -638,17 +638,27 @@ def test_wheel(state: BuildState, wheel: Path) -> None:
         )
         raise errors.FatalError(msg)
 
+    # By default, run on a testbed managed emulator running the newest supported
+    # Android version. However, if the user specifies a --managed or --connected
+    # test execution argument, that argument takes precedence.
+    test_execution_args = state.options.test_execution.args
+
+    if any(arg.startswith(("--managed", "--connected")) for arg in test_execution_args):
+        emulator_args = []
+    else:
+        emulator_args = ["--managed", "maxVersion"]
+
     # Run the test app.
     call(
         state.python_dir / "android.py",
         "test",
-        "--managed",
-        "maxVersion",
         "--site-packages",
         site_packages_dir,
         "--cwd",
         cwd_dir,
+        *emulator_args,
         *(["-v"] if state.options.build_verbosity > 0 else []),
+        *test_execution_args,
         "--",
         *test_args,
         env=state.build_env,

cibuildwheel/platforms/ios.py

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import dataclasses
 import os
+import platform
 import shlex
 import shutil
 import subprocess
@@ -653,11 +654,35 @@ def build(options: Options, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
                                     )
                                     raise errors.FatalError(msg)
 
+                            test_execution_args = build_options.test_execution.args
+
+                            # 2025-10: The GitHub Actions macos-15 runner has a known issue where
+                            # the default simulator won't start due to a disk performance issue;
+                            # see https://github.com/actions/runner-images/issues/12777 for details.
+                            # In the meantime, if it looks like we're running on a GitHub Actions
+                            # macos-15 runner, use a simulator that is known to work, unless the
+                            # user explicitly specifies a simulator.
+                            os_version, _, arch = platform.mac_ver()
+                            if (
+                                "GITHUB_ACTIONS" in os.environ
+                                and os_version.startswith("15.")
+                                and arch == "arm64"
+                                and not any(
+                                    arg.startswith("--simulator") for arg in test_execution_args
+                                )
+                            ):
+                                test_execution_args = [
+                                    "--simulator",
+                                    "iPhone 16e,OS=18.5",
+                                    *test_execution_args,
+                                ]
+
                             call(
                                 "python",
                                 testbed_path,
                                 "run",
                                 *(["--verbose"] if build_options.build_verbosity > 0 else []),
+                                *test_execution_args,
                                 "--",
                                 *final_command,
                                 env=test_env,

cibuildwheel/resources/cibuildwheel.schema.json

@@ -569,6 +569,39 @@
       ],
       "title": "CIBW_TEST_ENVIRONMENT"
     },
+    "test-execution": {
+      "description": "Additional configuration for the test runner",
+      "oneOf": [
+        {
+          "type": "string",
+          "pattern": "args:"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "string",
+          "pattern": "^$"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "object",
+          "additionalProperties": false
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "object",
+          "additionalProperties": false,
+          "required": [
+            "args"
+          ],
+          "properties": {
+            "args": {
+              "type": "array",
+              "items": {
+                "type": "string"
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "title": "CIBW_TEST_EXECUTION"
+    },
     "overrides": {
       "type": "array",
       "description": "An overrides array",
@@ -638,6 +671,9 @@
               },
               "test-environment": {
                 "$ref": "#/$defs/inherit"
+              },
+              "test-execution": {
+                "$ref": "#/$defs/inherit"
               }
             }
           },
@@ -748,6 +784,9 @@
           },
           "test-environment": {
             "$ref": "#/properties/test-environment"
+          },
+          "test-execution": {
+            "$ref": "#/properties/test-execution"
           }
         }
       }
@@ -876,6 +915,9 @@
         },
         "test-environment": {
           "$ref": "#/properties/test-environment"
+        },
+        "test-execution": {
+          "$ref": "#/properties/test-execution"
         }
       }
     },
@@ -936,6 +978,9 @@
         },
         "test-environment": {
           "$ref": "#/properties/test-environment"
+        },
+        "test-execution": {
+          "$ref": "#/properties/test-execution"
         }
       }
     },
@@ -1009,6 +1054,9 @@
         },
         "test-environment": {
           "$ref": "#/properties/test-environment"
+        },
+        "test-execution": {
+          "$ref": "#/properties/test-execution"
         }
       }
     },
@@ -1069,6 +1117,9 @@
         },
         "test-environment": {
           "$ref": "#/properties/test-environment"
+        },
+        "test-execution": {
+          "$ref": "#/properties/test-execution"
         }
       }
     },
@@ -1129,6 +1180,9 @@
         },
         "test-environment": {
           "$ref": "#/properties/test-environment"
+        },
+        "test-execution": {
+          "$ref": "#/properties/test-execution"
         }
       }
     },
@@ -1189,6 +1243,9 @@
         },
         "test-environment": {
           "$ref": "#/properties/test-environment"
+        },
+        "test-execution": {
+          "$ref": "#/properties/test-execution"
         }
       }
     }

cibuildwheel/resources/defaults.toml

@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ test-requires = []
 test-extras = []
 test-groups = []
 test-environment = {}
+test-execution = {}
 
 container-engine = "docker"