diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/commands/list.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/commands/list.dart
index f2f1feafefe..2cc77c66863 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/commands/list.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/commands/list.dart
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 // found in the LICENSE file.
 
 import 'dart:async';
+import 'dart:io';
 
 import '../android/device_android.dart';
 import '../ios/device_ios.dart';
@@ -43,25 +44,27 @@ class ListCommand extends FlutterCommand {
       }
     }
 
-    if (details)
-      print('iOS Devices:');
+    if (Platform.isMacOS) {
+      if (details)
+        print('iOS Devices:');
 
-    for (IOSDevice device in IOSDevice.getAttachedDevices(devices.iOS)) {
-      if (details) {
-        print('${device.id}\t${device.name}');
-      } else {
-        print(device.id);
+      for (IOSDevice device in IOSDevice.getAttachedDevices(devices.iOS)) {
+        if (details) {
+          print('${device.id}\t${device.name}');
+        } else {
+          print(device.id);
+        }
       }
-    }
 
-    if (details)
-      print('iOS Simulators:');
+      if (details)
+        print('iOS Simulators:');
 
-    for (IOSSimulator device in IOSSimulator.getAttachedDevices(devices.iOSSimulator)) {
-      if (details) {
-        print('${device.id}\t${device.name}');
-      } else {
-        print(device.id);
+      for (IOSSimulator device in IOSSimulator.getAttachedDevices(devices.iOSSimulator)) {
+        if (details) {
+          print('${device.id}\t${device.name}');
+        } else {
+          print(device.id);
+        }
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/ios/device_ios.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/ios/device_ios.dart
index 7c1b19f67ad..34aadbe0a30 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/ios/device_ios.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/ios/device_ios.dart
@@ -21,10 +21,6 @@ class IOSDevice extends Device {
       'To work with iOS devices, please install ideviceinstaller. '
       'If you use homebrew, you can install it with '
       '"\$ brew install ideviceinstaller".';
-  static const String _linuxInstructions =
-      'To work with iOS devices, please install ideviceinstaller. '
-      'On Ubuntu or Debian, you can install it with '
-      '"\$ apt-get install ideviceinstaller".';
 
   String _installerPath;
   String get installerPath => _installerPath;
@@ -100,19 +96,16 @@ class IOSDevice extends Device {
   static final Map<String, String> _commandMap = {};
   static String _checkForCommand(
     String command, [
-    String macInstructions = _macInstructions,
-    String linuxInstructions = _linuxInstructions
+    String macInstructions = _macInstructions
   ]) {
     return _commandMap.putIfAbsent(command, () {
       try {
         command = runCheckedSync(['which', command]).trim();
       } catch (e) {
         if (Platform.isMacOS) {
-          logging.severe(macInstructions);
-        } else if (Platform.isLinux) {
-          logging.severe(linuxInstructions);
+          logging.severe('$command not found. $macInstructions');
         } else {
-          logging.severe('$command is not available on your platform.');
+          logging.severe('Cannot control iOS devices or simulators.  $command is not available on your platform.');
         }
       }
       return command;
@@ -331,9 +324,12 @@ class IOSSimulator extends Device {
 
   static List<IOSSimulator> getAttachedDevices([IOSSimulator mockIOS]) {
     List<IOSSimulator> devices = [];
-    _IOSSimulatorInfo deviceInfo = _getRunningSimulatorInfo(mockIOS);
-    if (deviceInfo != null)
-      devices.add(new IOSSimulator(id: deviceInfo.id, name: deviceInfo.name));
+    try {
+      _IOSSimulatorInfo deviceInfo = _getRunningSimulatorInfo(mockIOS);
+      if (deviceInfo != null)
+        devices.add(new IOSSimulator(id: deviceInfo.id, name: deviceInfo.name));
+    } catch (e) {
+    }
     return devices;
   }