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So I just finished developing my first App for iPad and I have to send my App now to 15 other remote testers to test the App.

I am told that I have to send all those testers an IPA file which they can install in their iPad through iTunes. They all have sent me their UDIDs so that I can put them somewhere on Apple Developer's site so that their iPad can magically install the IPA I sent.

As you might have guessed, I have no idea what to do in this regard. I've searched around the web and I am amazed that I was still unable to get a clue.

I tried this particular link for e.g. and got stuck in the middle of instructions:-

http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/ToolsLanguages/Conceptual/YourFirstAppStoreSubmission/TestYourApponManyDevicesandiOSVersions/TestYourApponManyDevicesandiOSVersions.html

Certificates, Provisions, App ID; I'd be very thankful if someone could tell me some easy steps for the following problems:-

  • How can I install the iPad App to my iPad that I developed in XCode. This iPad is attached to my computer?
  • How can create an IPA file that I can send to other testers so that this IPA can install on their iPads and they can run it?
  • What if I take the source code from my home machine to office machine? How can I still make changes to the app and could install it back on my iPad to test?

I know these are all beginner questions, but they are rolling my head!

halfer
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Steve
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    http://testflightapp.com is by far one of the best ways to go about doing this. – Fogmeister Jul 08 '13 at 09:58
  • Possible duplicate of [How to share an xCode .app product with others](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/16142047/how-to-share-an-xcode-app-product-with-others) – Suhaib Aug 09 '16 at 01:09

1 Answers1

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  1. Are you are paid up registered developer? If so go to the Xcode Organizer and hit the button that says "Use for development" on the page for your iPad in the "Devices" section. If not you'll need to pay for a license in order to run your app on a device.

  2. Create an IPA file by using the "Archive" function in the "Project" menu. However, you will need to add the other users' devices to your iOS developer portal. You cannot just send the IPA to anyone. It needs to be built specifically for all the devices you want to run it (you only build once but it needs to include all the devices).

  3. I use http://testflightapp.com for distributing remote builds. It makes the whole process much easier. You create a team on Testflight and invite your testers. Once they have joined your team you can get their device IDs that you use to put into the iOS developer portal. You can then upload your build to Testflight (use the desktop app). This will then email everyone and they can get the app from Testflight.

  4. Use source control for this. http://bitbucket.org is free and you can create private repos. If you haven't used git before then there's a bit to learn but essentially you sync a version on to bitbucket that you can pull down to any computer. When the changes are made you push back.

i.e. home computer - push to bitbucket. work computer - pull from bitbucket, make changes, push back to bitbucket. home computer - pull from bitbucket.

Now your home computer has all the changes you made on your work computer.

RE 2

Go to developer.apple.com and log in to your iOS portal.

Go to the Devices section.

Add the devices using the UUIDs.

You will also have a provisioning profile for development.

You need to then add the devices in to this provisioning profile.

...Hmm I may blog about this to show how to do it...

Once you've added the devices to the provisioning profile you need to download the profile and open it. (This will open Xcode).

Once all of this is done the devices you added will then be able to run the IPA file you send them.

Fogmeister
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  • Hi Meister, thank you for enlightening me with your wisdom, yes I am paid up member for Apple Developer. Now I will get back to your answer as I lost you by the time I reached the second point. – Steve Jul 08 '13 at 10:09
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    Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. May the utter coolness be with you! Please excuse me while I embark on the journey of Apple Labyrinth; with your devised map ofcourse. – Steve Jul 08 '13 at 10:18
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    Haha, it's a perilous journey indeed. If you get stuck at any point let me know and I'll try to assist. – Fogmeister Jul 08 '13 at 10:19
  • Ok, so a question, I know I have to create Provisioning profiles through my keyChain generated certificates. After I did, should I create Development Provision or Adhoc Distribution Provision? – Steve Jul 08 '13 at 10:47
  • It should work for either. The main difference is to separate dev stuff from distro stuff. – Fogmeister Jul 08 '13 at 10:48
  • Ok I did as you said, but when I ran Xcode; it said "A Valid Provisioning Profile for this Executable was not found" – Steve Jul 08 '13 at 11:08
  • Hurray!!! I managed to install it on my own iPad; this is such a relief. I did it by making a Developer Certificate and Distribution Certificate for my iPad and then adding them up on my iPad. So now you are saying, that If i just add the UDIDs of the testers in the Provisions on Developer site, I can send them the IPA and they can run the app ? – Steve Jul 08 '13 at 11:30
  • Yes, in theory :D However, before you start sending them the IPA file I'd seriously get set up on Testflight. You don't NEED to do anything to the app to make it work but when you've got the hang of it you can install their SDK and you can view the console logs and crash logs of each person's session plus you can add feedback and checkpoints into the app to get more detailed testing stats. – Fogmeister Jul 08 '13 at 11:32
  • When I try to make IPA by going to `Product > Archive`, it gives me a nice, shiny error ... `clang: error: linker command failed with exit code 1 (use -v to see invocation)` ... Any idea? – Steve Jul 08 '13 at 11:32
  • Hmm... in the error navigator in Xcode it should show more detail in there. Just as a quick thing, try cleaning the project folder (hold down ALT and press Project - Clean). – Fogmeister Jul 08 '13 at 11:33