MonoTouch Enterprise - Deployment

Question

Our firm has begun building MonoTouch iPad/iPhone apps for enterprise deployment.

How do I take the app and create a *.ipa file for upload to our MDM server?

Answer 1

An .ipa file is basically a glorified .zip file. There are a couple of routes you can go down:

1. Export the project to xcode and under "Build" click "Build and Archive" - fill in the appropriate details and the project should create the .ipa for you as expected.
2. If this isn't an option, (which it isnt for us, so this is the method I've used, to great success) you can simply create all the components that go into the .ipa and right-click, "Compress..." in Finder.

The .ipa is made up of the following components:

• A folder named "Payload", which contains the compiled (release/iPhone) .app
• a 57x57 .png icon file (which is displayed while the app is being downloaded)
• a 512x512 .png file of the icon once again - however this has to renamed itunesartwork with no extension
• iTunesMetadata.plist - this contains information about the app, such as copyright name, genre, itemname, softwareIconNeedsShine (you can google what information this needs).

The way I package up our .ipa, is I have a folder called "App Packaging" which has all of these components already in, and I simply update the .app file whenever we do an upload, "Compress..." then rename the file to x.ipa (OS X will ask if you want to use this extension, make sure you select ("use .ipa" !).

Answer 2

With the current Monodevelop (2.8.6.5) and Monotouch (5.2.5) it is as easy as right clicking on your project -> options -> iPhone IPA Options -> check Build ad-hoc/enterprise package (IPA) for the desired configuration.

We created a special configuration called Distribution which builds using the Distribution Certificate and In House Distribution Profile.

Answer 3

Luke, I like your answer and have given you the credit. I am adding some more details for my own, and others, notes.

Use SpotLight to find one of your own MonoTouch apps. Search on ".ipa". Rename it to SomeThing.Zip Unzip it.

You can then use the structure of the unzipped folder to edit then rezip.

Answer 4

Just another way to get an IPA that made it easy for me, drag your .app file onto your itunes library and sync your device. ITunes then creates a copy of the app as an .ipa file in the user/music/itunes/itunes media/mobile applications. This can then be distributed much easier than the .app file.