I can't figure out the distribution for iPhone with Xcode 4.2

Question

iOS Target: iOS 5 Xcode Version: 4.2

I am new to iPhone programing, and have been working on a simple app to get started. I was able to successfully figure out how to provision my app to test on an iPhone 4 but now that I am trying to figure out the distribution part of it and getting the app onto the store, I have had no luck at any of it for the past week! It seems that the instructions in the iOS Provisioning Portal are outdated and are not for this version of Xcode (Xcode 4.2, current version) or the provisioning portal itself. I have looked online and it appears that either no one else has this problem or google is hiding it from me.

SO... is there anyone that can give me elaborate instructions from the beginning on how to get my app through the distribution process?

P.S. I do have a developer profile account (the $99/year thing)

Any advice is MUCH appreciated!

Answer 1

It's not clear what part of the process you're having trouble with. Do you have a distribution profile signed with a distribution certificate from the provisioning portal? If not you must do that first. It will involve setting up a distribution certificate, etc. but the instructions for all of that are current and accurate.

After you have your distribution profile downloaded and installed, make sure it's set as the release code-signing identity of your target by selecting your project in the Project Navigator, selecting your target from the list on the left, then clicking "Build Settings" from the tabs across the top.

Scroll down the list until you see the "Code Signing Identity" entry, and make sure it's disclosure triangle is expanded. Make sure the profile for the "release" configuration is the distribution profile you just made/downloaded/installed.

Then go to the "Product" menu, and select "Archive". Assuming everything builds without error, a binary archive ought to appear in the Organizer window (make sure the "Archive" tab is selected if you can't see it). To send the binary to Apple for approval, just select the proper binary from this list, click the "Submit..." button, and follow the instructions.

Answer 2

I had the same problem, since the official "Building your Application with Xcode for Distribution" guide uses XCode 3.2, not XCode 4.2 which is totally different.

It turns out, though, that this Technical Note on Code Signing was written using XCode 4.2, and I got it working by following the steps in "Verify Xcode Project configuration" onwards.

If you're used to XCode 3.2, this blog post covers the transition nicely.