Building is where Linux stops. cordova build ios hands the project to xcodebuild, Xcode 10 's command-line builder, and cordova requirements ios says why it cannot continue:
cordova build ios; echo "exit=$?"
cordova requirements ios; echo "exit=$?"xcodebuild was not found. Please install version 15.0.0 or greater from App Store exit=1 Requirements check results for ios: Apple macOS: not installed Error: Cordova tooling for iOS requires Apple macOS Some of requirements check failed exit=1
On a Mac with Xcode, the loop mirrors Android's (not run here). cordova emulate ios builds for the iOS Simulator, which runs the app as a Mac process compiled for the Mac's own CPU, so it starts in seconds. cordova run ios --list lists simulators and devices, --target picks one, and opening platforms/ios/App.xcworkspace in Xcode gives you its debugger and Instruments. The Simulator has no camera, so test camera plugins on a device.
This chapter therefore verifies iOS up to xcodebuild: the generated project (Adding iOS), the signing settings Cordova 129 passes to Xcode (Certificates and Profiles) and each plugin's <platform name="ios"> section (Reading plugin.xml). The JavaScript is the code you tested on Android, so iOS bugs cluster in WKWebView (Safari 10 's engine; Safari Web Inspector for iOS), in plugins whose iOS half lags, and in signing. A rented cloud Mac or a CI service with macOS runners can build the project for you.