Issue installing development APP on iOS through iTune

Solar2D iOS
#1

Hi,

I am currently trying to install a Corona APP on my iPAD air iOS 9.3 through iTune without success.

I tried to move it into my test device using the iTune “Add file to library” or “Add folder to library”.

Doing so, I see the .wav files of my APP ending in the “Music” library but no sign of the APP itself.

I also tried to drag and drop the “.app” file almost everywhere in iTune without success.

What could be going on?

I compiled the APP using Corona Simulator on a cloud service MacInCloud.

All certificates appear to be fine and the embedded.mobileprovision file does contain my test device UDID.

I tried both development and ad-hoc certificates with the same result.

Note that I am new to Corona and iOS development and could be missing something obvious.

#2

Apple has removed App support from iTunes. It sounds like you’re on Windows and not a Mac since you’re using MacInCloud. I don’t know if they kept that support in the Windows version, but you need a .iap file, not a .app project. Making a .iap isn’t hard and there should be forum posts with the step-by-step guide. You might want to try and convert the .app to an .ipa and see if that works. 

If it doesn’t, you may need to start using TestFlight (upload a distribution version of the app to App Store Connect, set up your device to be a test device and install from Testflight.

Rough steps to creating a .ipa file:

  1. Make a folder for your project, name it what you want your .ipa to be named.

  2. In that folder make a folder named Payload

  3. Move your .app into the Payload folder

  4. Right click on the folder that has the Payload folder in it and choose compress (steps on Windows might be different. You need to make a .zip file)

  5. Rename the appname.zip file to appname.ipa where appname is the name of your folder/project/etc that you’ve used in the previous steps.

Rob

#3

Hi,

Thanks for the details. Everything is now working.

TestFlight was the path I was on when I got your reply.

I got it working using the “Distribution” certificates path that allowed me to generate the “.ipa” file directly from

the Corona simulator.

For those going through the MacOnCloud service, the installed Corona Simulator was a 2017 build.

With this setup, I could not generated a “.ipa” file that would go through the Apple TestFlight process. (and I did test many schemes)
Switching to the latest Corona Simulator (a 2018 build) fixed it right away.

#4

Apple has removed App support from iTunes. It sounds like you’re on Windows and not a Mac since you’re using MacInCloud. I don’t know if they kept that support in the Windows version, but you need a .iap file, not a .app project. Making a .iap isn’t hard and there should be forum posts with the step-by-step guide. You might want to try and convert the .app to an .ipa and see if that works. 

If it doesn’t, you may need to start using TestFlight (upload a distribution version of the app to App Store Connect, set up your device to be a test device and install from Testflight.

Rough steps to creating a .ipa file:

  1. Make a folder for your project, name it what you want your .ipa to be named.

  2. In that folder make a folder named Payload

  3. Move your .app into the Payload folder

  4. Right click on the folder that has the Payload folder in it and choose compress (steps on Windows might be different. You need to make a .zip file)

  5. Rename the appname.zip file to appname.ipa where appname is the name of your folder/project/etc that you’ve used in the previous steps.

Rob

#5

Hi,

Thanks for the details. Everything is now working.

TestFlight was the path I was on when I got your reply.

I got it working using the “Distribution” certificates path that allowed me to generate the “.ipa” file directly from

the Corona simulator.

For those going through the MacOnCloud service, the installed Corona Simulator was a 2017 build.

With this setup, I could not generated a “.ipa” file that would go through the Apple TestFlight process. (and I did test many schemes)
Switching to the latest Corona Simulator (a 2018 build) fixed it right away.