Intermittently unable to install a Corona build via TestFlight

antonyburrows · November 19, 2012, 4:27pm

Hi,

Just seeing if any other Corona users are having this problem. I use Testflight and most of the time it works perfectly, but with increasing regularity I am getting an “Unable to download application - [XXXXX] coud not be installed at this time” error.

The frustrating part is I do not change my build process at all between working and non working builds. Once the error comes up, no future build will work for a few days, and then suddenly the next build I upload will start working.

I have spoken to TestFlight support and they seem to have no idea, so I am just trying to see if this is a Corona/Testflight specific problem that other users here are having or something specific to just me?

Any similar experiences?

Antony [import]uid: 169392 topic_id: 33156 reply_id: 333156[/import]

jose.silva · November 19, 2012, 7:37pm

Hi Anthony,

I don’t know what could be happening to you, I’m using test flight to test several apps, and i’m not getting that error, even when our app (ipa file) is bigger than 50mbs.

If you get an answer please share it with us.

Good Luck!!! [import]uid: 84893 topic_id: 33156 reply_id: 131681[/import]

jkrassman · November 20, 2012, 6:17am

Works like a charm for me as well. Could it be that something goes wrong when you upload? It happended once for me and it looked okay but my users couldnt download it. I just did a new upload and everything was fine.

Joakim [import]uid: 81188 topic_id: 33156 reply_id: 131751[/import]

jose.silva · November 19, 2012, 7:37pm

Hi Anthony,

I don’t know what could be happening to you, I’m using test flight to test several apps, and i’m not getting that error, even when our app (ipa file) is bigger than 50mbs.

If you get an answer please share it with us.

Good Luck!!! [import]uid: 84893 topic_id: 33156 reply_id: 131681[/import]

jkrassman · November 20, 2012, 6:17am

Works like a charm for me as well. Could it be that something goes wrong when you upload? It happended once for me and it looked okay but my users couldnt download it. I just did a new upload and everything was fine.

Joakim [import]uid: 81188 topic_id: 33156 reply_id: 131751[/import]

antonyburrows · November 20, 2012, 5:33pm

Thanks for the feedback guys. TestFlight have told me they have escalated it, so I will let you know the results.

Joakim - Thanks for the tip, I have tried re-uploading many times and even re-building and uploading, no joy

A quick sanity check -this is the process I go through, is it the same as yours and/or I am doing anything stupid?

1:Develop in luaGlider - launch simulator in build mode (the hammer icon)
2: Build app
2a: Increment version number (e.g 1.025 - > 1.026)
2b: Use Distribution profile created for the app (Ad Hoc)
3: Use the App to IPA utility created by Corona staff Danny (http://developer.coronalabs.com/forum/2011/01/24/support-generating-ipa-install-zips#comment-108052)
4: Upload build via Tesflight website in Chrome
5: Grant permissions to testers ( I don’t upload a profile here as it’s built with the profile containing all my testers)
6: Flip a coin as to whether it will work or not

Thanks [import]uid: 169392 topic_id: 33156 reply_id: 131858[/import]

jkrassman · November 20, 2012, 9:49pm

Hi,

This is my workflow and there are some small differences…

Developed in Corona
Build App with the correct development provisioning profile
No increment of version number in development stage (testflight takes care of this nowadays)
Using a Development provisioning profile, not a distribution.
Manually creates the IPA
Upload the IPA through testflights own application and not a webrowser.
Work every time!

Joakim [import]uid: 81188 topic_id: 33156 reply_id: 131886[/import]

antonyburrows · November 20, 2012, 5:33pm

Thanks for the feedback guys. TestFlight have told me they have escalated it, so I will let you know the results.

Joakim - Thanks for the tip, I have tried re-uploading many times and even re-building and uploading, no joy

A quick sanity check -this is the process I go through, is it the same as yours and/or I am doing anything stupid?

1:Develop in luaGlider - launch simulator in build mode (the hammer icon)
2: Build app
2a: Increment version number (e.g 1.025 - > 1.026)
2b: Use Distribution profile created for the app (Ad Hoc)
3: Use the App to IPA utility created by Corona staff Danny (http://developer.coronalabs.com/forum/2011/01/24/support-generating-ipa-install-zips#comment-108052)
4: Upload build via Tesflight website in Chrome
5: Grant permissions to testers ( I don’t upload a profile here as it’s built with the profile containing all my testers)
6: Flip a coin as to whether it will work or not

Thanks [import]uid: 169392 topic_id: 33156 reply_id: 131858[/import]

Naomi · November 21, 2012, 9:44am

@Anthony, when I used TestFlight in the past, I did have some uploads not correctly installing to the team/test user’s device. I believe it was because the transmission didn’t make the clean uploads. Here’s what I did.

Generate device build with Corona SDK
Install the build to my device using Xcode and confirm the app installs properly
Generate IPA version using the tool Danny shared with us (the one you noted in step 3 of your post #3 above)
Upload IPA to TestFlight via web browser.
Download TestFlight version directly to my device to ensure it downloads correctly.

Sometime, step 5 fails, and if it does fail, I’ll re-upload the very same IPA (I think I removed the corrupted IPA first from the TestFlight account before re-uploading it). I’d try this process (i.e., step 4 and step 5) until I no longer have issue when downloading from TestFlight.

Not sure if you are experiencing the same problem, but I thought I’d mention how I dealt with the intermittent issue I experienced.

Naomi
[import]uid: 67217 topic_id: 33156 reply_id: 131967[/import]

jkrassman · November 21, 2012, 10:48am

One thing i noticed, you are using a Distribution provisioning profile? Is that the right way to do it? I thought Distribution only was for the final release to appstore.

Joakim [import]uid: 81188 topic_id: 33156 reply_id: 131975[/import]

jkrassman · November 20, 2012, 9:49pm

Hi,

This is my workflow and there are some small differences…

Developed in Corona
Build App with the correct development provisioning profile
No increment of version number in development stage (testflight takes care of this nowadays)
Using a Development provisioning profile, not a distribution.
Manually creates the IPA
Upload the IPA through testflights own application and not a webrowser.
Work every time!

Joakim [import]uid: 81188 topic_id: 33156 reply_id: 131886[/import]

antonyburrows · November 21, 2012, 6:49pm

I have been using Joakims method (manually created IPA - and app to upload) and it has been woking for a day now… lets wait and see.

@Naomi, thanks for the feedback. Every time it failed for me, no matter how many times I re-uploaded it would not work.

I think I have hit on something though: Danny’s tool would make an IPA with apps name eg myApp.ipa The Testflight upload app seems to insist the file is called Payload.ipa. I wonder if there was a quirk that would sometimes allow it to work with different file names, but not anymore. Just a hunch, as manually creating Payload.ipa now has let it work for the last day…?

@Joakim, I believe you can use a distribution profile, but it needs to be adhoc, which mine is. But I may be wrong there, if it starts playing up again, I’ll look into that. I am using distribution as I have my push certificates based of that and it makes it easy for testing [import]uid: 169392 topic_id: 33156 reply_id: 132016[/import]

Naomi · November 21, 2012, 9:44am

@Anthony, when I used TestFlight in the past, I did have some uploads not correctly installing to the team/test user’s device. I believe it was because the transmission didn’t make the clean uploads. Here’s what I did.

Generate device build with Corona SDK
Install the build to my device using Xcode and confirm the app installs properly
Generate IPA version using the tool Danny shared with us (the one you noted in step 3 of your post #3 above)
Upload IPA to TestFlight via web browser.
Download TestFlight version directly to my device to ensure it downloads correctly.

Sometime, step 5 fails, and if it does fail, I’ll re-upload the very same IPA (I think I removed the corrupted IPA first from the TestFlight account before re-uploading it). I’d try this process (i.e., step 4 and step 5) until I no longer have issue when downloading from TestFlight.

Not sure if you are experiencing the same problem, but I thought I’d mention how I dealt with the intermittent issue I experienced.

Naomi
[import]uid: 67217 topic_id: 33156 reply_id: 131967[/import]

jkrassman · November 21, 2012, 10:48am

One thing i noticed, you are using a Distribution provisioning profile? Is that the right way to do it? I thought Distribution only was for the final release to appstore.

Joakim [import]uid: 81188 topic_id: 33156 reply_id: 131975[/import]

antonyburrows · November 21, 2012, 6:49pm

I have been using Joakims method (manually created IPA - and app to upload) and it has been woking for a day now… lets wait and see.

@Naomi, thanks for the feedback. Every time it failed for me, no matter how many times I re-uploaded it would not work.

I think I have hit on something though: Danny’s tool would make an IPA with apps name eg myApp.ipa The Testflight upload app seems to insist the file is called Payload.ipa. I wonder if there was a quirk that would sometimes allow it to work with different file names, but not anymore. Just a hunch, as manually creating Payload.ipa now has let it work for the last day…?

@Joakim, I believe you can use a distribution profile, but it needs to be adhoc, which mine is. But I may be wrong there, if it starts playing up again, I’ll look into that. I am using distribution as I have my push certificates based of that and it makes it easy for testing [import]uid: 169392 topic_id: 33156 reply_id: 132016[/import]

dooq · December 3, 2012, 6:28pm

Hmm, I started having the same problem as the top post here. Testflight stopped working. I was also using the APP to IPA application. I’ll try not using that next build I push out I guess. [import]uid: 52260 topic_id: 33156 reply_id: 133607[/import]

antonyburrows · December 3, 2012, 6:57pm

Dooq, Ever since I stopped using the APP to IPA utility, Testflight has worked perfectly. I can only assume they have changed something at their end which does not agree with the way the utility works. [import]uid: 169392 topic_id: 33156 reply_id: 133610[/import]

LairdGames · December 3, 2012, 9:39pm

Hello guys,

I never used this tool from David (because I did not know about it) what I do is simply put the app file into a folder called Payload then I zip that folder (Payload.zip) then manually I change the extension to .ipa The Mac asks me if I want to that, I say yes and drop the final folder named Payload.ipa and voila! I have been doing this for a year now and never had any issues.

Hope this help.

Mo [import]uid: 100814 topic_id: 33156 reply_id: 133621[/import]

dooq · December 3, 2012, 6:28pm

Hmm, I started having the same problem as the top post here. Testflight stopped working. I was also using the APP to IPA application. I’ll try not using that next build I push out I guess. [import]uid: 52260 topic_id: 33156 reply_id: 133607[/import]

antonyburrows · December 3, 2012, 6:57pm

Dooq, Ever since I stopped using the APP to IPA utility, Testflight has worked perfectly. I can only assume they have changed something at their end which does not agree with the way the utility works. [import]uid: 169392 topic_id: 33156 reply_id: 133610[/import]