How Do I Create An Ipa For Use On Testflight?

Solar2D iOS
#1

I have built my app using Kwik and Corona. It is loaded on my iPad and so far so good, but now I want to test it on other devices.  

Testflight looks like a good option, but How do I create the IPA?   Testflight instructions send me to Apple and what I find there are instructions for building in Xcode or for an Archive.   

So close and yet so far…

#2
  1. Move your Corona-compiled binary .app file into a folder called Payload.
  2. If you want to add an icon to the .ipa file, take your 512x512 icon .png file and rename it to  iTunesArtwork  with no extension, then place it at the same level as (not inside) the Payload folder.
  3. Compress or zip the iTunesArtwork file and the Payload folder into a file.
  4. Rename the compressed .zip file to an .ipa file.
  5. Upload to TestFlight!
#3

Well that was easy enough!  Thank you so much!

#4

I’ve been looking if anyone has a automator script for this on the mac…anyone?

#5

Try this.

http://forums.coronalabs.com/topic/32715-right-click-app-to-prep-payload-and-upload-to-testflight/?hl=mochibits#entry170317

#6
  1. Move your Corona-compiled binary .app file into a folder called Payload.
  2. If you want to add an icon to the .ipa file, take your 512x512 icon .png file and rename it to  iTunesArtwork  with no extension, then place it at the same level as (not inside) the Payload folder.
  3. Compress or zip the iTunesArtwork file and the Payload folder into a file.
  4. Rename the compressed .zip file to an .ipa file.
  5. Upload to TestFlight!
#7

Well that was easy enough!  Thank you so much!

#8

I’ve been looking if anyone has a automator script for this on the mac…anyone?

#9

Try this.

http://forums.coronalabs.com/topic/32715-right-click-app-to-prep-payload-and-upload-to-testflight/?hl=mochibits#entry170317

#10

Hi,

I have a .app make with Corona, I created Payload folder, I puted .app into, I zip the folder i renamed this to .ipa … i uploaded with Testflight but i haved this error ‘Invalid Profile: does not contain provisioned devices, are you sure this is not a developer profile?’ Can you help me?

Juanpa

#11

@joanpao, Make sure you build it with an up to date provisioning profile with each test device registered against it.  You do that in the apple developer site, add devices.  Thats the only trouble with the iOS builds on test flight you have to manually add the devices to the profile.  You can however upload the profile separately to the .ipa package in order to add devices that weren’t included in the original build.

#12

Thanks … Now my App  … fligth

#13

Hi,

I have a .app make with Corona, I created Payload folder, I puted .app into, I zip the folder i renamed this to .ipa … i uploaded with Testflight but i haved this error ‘Invalid Profile: does not contain provisioned devices, are you sure this is not a developer profile?’ Can you help me?

Juanpa

#14

@joanpao, Make sure you build it with an up to date provisioning profile with each test device registered against it.  You do that in the apple developer site, add devices.  Thats the only trouble with the iOS builds on test flight you have to manually add the devices to the profile.  You can however upload the profile separately to the .ipa package in order to add devices that weren’t included in the original build.

#15

Thanks … Now my App  … fligth

#16

I initially copied the AppName.app directory to a FAT32 flash drive and then tried to build the IPA file on it. I could drop it into iTunes apps but was unable to successfully sync with the iPhone. Redoing it on the Mac file system and it worked just fine.

I presume that FAT32’s missing file attributes may have had something to do with it.

Here is how I built it (using the shell):  mkdir Payload; mv TestAdhoc.app Payload; zip -0 -y -r TestAdhoc.ipa Payload/

Notes:

  - I don’t know if the -0 (zero) is needed so that the files are not compressed.

  - If you put this in a script you will have to remove any previous Payload directory and TestAdhoc.ipa file.

As a side note it is worth peeking at the files in the AppName.app directory just to make sure you do not have garbage that inflates the install file size or is info you don’t want on the user’s device.  Anything unwanted should be removed from the Corona project’s directory and the app rebuilt.

#17

I initially copied the AppName.app directory to a FAT32 flash drive and then tried to build the IPA file on it. I could drop it into iTunes apps but was unable to successfully sync with the iPhone. Redoing it on the Mac file system and it worked just fine.

I presume that FAT32’s missing file attributes may have had something to do with it.

Here is how I built it (using the shell):  mkdir Payload; mv TestAdhoc.app Payload; zip -0 -y -r TestAdhoc.ipa Payload/

Notes:

  - I don’t know if the -0 (zero) is needed so that the files are not compressed.

  - If you put this in a script you will have to remove any previous Payload directory and TestAdhoc.ipa file.

As a side note it is worth peeking at the files in the AppName.app directory just to make sure you do not have garbage that inflates the install file size or is info you don’t want on the user’s device.  Anything unwanted should be removed from the Corona project’s directory and the app rebuilt.