Hey, i’m trying for the first time to build an apple-applikation.
This seems to be overly complicated and I’m stuck with all licenses and profiles and whatnot. (using windows which makes it even harder)
So i’ve managed to sign up to Apple developing and just got an .cer file created but now I’m stuck.
The defold engine doesn’t seem to recognise any profile and “sign iOs-app” can’t be clicked. What should I do?
First, you must build from a Macintosh computer. All Apple tools are for OSX only so there is no way to sign an app (or upload to Apple) from a windows machine! If it helps, everybody despises the convoluted Apple certificate and submission process… 
But start with a Mac and let’s take it from there.
I’ve fixed a Mac now to build on. I can run the defold egnine and build directly from it.
Still have some trouble with building a boundle, seems the mac is to old to install xcode, does this mean it doesn’t work to build the app as well? Apple.developer doesn’t seem do want to register the UUID as an valid UDID either…
You do not need to install Xcode and the tools that Defold uses to sign bundles are command line tools that I think work on old versions of OS X as well.
If you follow the guide on http://doc.defold.com/doc/ios you should be fine. What does Apple’s site say when you try to register the UDID?
I’ve been trying to follow the guide but sence I’m not used to mac it has been a bit confusing.
Haven’t figured out how to get a “code signing identy” yet. Thought this had to do with register devices in the app developer.
When I try to enter the UUID it simple says “Please Enter a valid Hardware UDID”
Make sure that you get the right number from the device in iTunes. When you click the serial number it changes between serial, UDID and a couple of other identifiers.
Apple’s development and submission process is quite complex and takes a while to understand. There’s a lot of things to understand concerning signing identities, provision profiles etc. Take your time and read the documentation available from Apple carefully.
Can I use the MAC UUID as an UDID or do I need a Iphone/Ipad for this to work? The own computer doesn’t seem to be in the devices menu on Itunes.
And I have gotten certificats with keys and such and it looks like the key in your tutorial. Howerer the defold engine can’t find this identifier and I can’t find any information about HOW TO make defold find this Identifier…
No, you can’t. If you want to build for iOS devices (iPads and iPhones) you need to provide the UDID for an iOS target device in order to create a provisioning profile that allows you to test your app on that device, and at the same time prevents you from installing the app on any other device. Apple does special signing for apps that are on the appstore that allows them to be installed on any device.
Sounds like a really stupid way to work but I guess that is how it is…
But when I get a device and a provisioning profile will the Defold Engine automatically also find my “code signing identity”?
"You can also easily create a stand alone application bundle for your game from the editor. Simply select Project > Bundle… > iOS Application… from the menu."
I interpret that statement that it would be possible to build an app that will work on any device…
Yes, after you download and install the identity it will show up in the menu when bundling.
You can create iOS applications that you can run on your own devices easily from the editor, but in order to create an application that can be put on any device, you have to do that by submitting to Apple’s Appstore. That is just how iOS publishing works.
As I understand I can make ios build only on mac?
For example in Adobe AIR I can build ipa on windows using exported certificate and mobileprovision files.
Do you plan to make windows/linux ipa build in future? It can be great feature for many people.
At the moment, at least code signing identity makes it Mac only, because you select it from a drop down and not based on a file (there may be and probably are other reasons too). Provisioning profile can be selected as a file.
yes. it’s only drop-down. But I think, has other reason.
On other side, if it’s possible with Adobe AIR so it can have some possiability to implement this feature in defold also
1 Like
Yes, it may be possible, but it may be a lot of extra work too depending on how much Defold is currently using the Mac OS X only tools. There are probably open source software already made and available which replaces the Mac OS X only tools though, making it more possible to make bundled iOS builds cross platform without so much extra work.
It would be a great feature which will save a lot of time.
1 Like