NSBundle loading crashes in Release

Question

I'm facing a really strange behavior in an iPad App. I create several bundles, the app downloads them an saves them to the documents directory.

I have a custom bundle manager where i can load the bundles like this.

NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];

NSString *bundlePath;
if (![bundleName hasSuffix:@".bundle"]) {
    bundlePath = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingFormat:@"/%@.bundle", bundleName];
} else {
    bundlePath = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingFormat:@"/%@", bundleName];
}
NSBundle *bundle = nil;
NSError *error = nil;

bundle = [[NSBundle alloc] initWithPath:bundlePath];
if (!bundle) {
    return nil;
}
[bundle loadAndReturnError:&error];

In debug mode all code works like a charm. The bundle gets loaded and the content can be used in the app. The bundles contain images and nibs, no code. In the bundle build settings I've set COMBINE_HIDPI_IMAGES to NO, so that the images will not be combined as tiff images. The bundles also do not contain any code.

So what's the problem. Well when starting the app without debugging (not connected to Xcode) the app crashes and generates this error message. [bundle loadAndReturnError:&error] is where the code crashes.

Exception Type:  EXC_CRASH (SIGKILL)
Exception Codes: 0x0000000000000000, 0x0000000000000000
Crashed Thread:  0

Thread 0 name:  Dispatch queue: com.apple.main-thread
Thread 0 Crashed:
0   dyld                            0x2fe8e2d8 strcmp + 0
1   dyld                            0x2fe83aac ImageLoaderMachO::parseLoadCmds() + 56
2   dyld                            0x2fe88d30 ImageLoaderMachOCompressed::instantiateFromFile(char const*, int, unsigned char const*, unsigned long long, unsigned long long, stat const&, unsigned int, unsigned int, linkedit_data_command const*, ImageLoader::LinkContext const&) + 296
3   dyld                            0x2fe839c6 ImageLoaderMachO::instantiateFromFile(char const*, int, unsigned char const*, unsigned long long, unsigned long long, stat const&, ImageLoader::LinkContext const&) + 222
4   dyld                            0x2fe7b0d4 dyld::loadPhase6(int, stat const&, char const*, dyld::LoadContext const&) + 664
5   dyld                            0x2fe7e774 dyld::loadPhase5stat(char const*, dyld::LoadContext const&, stat*, int*, bool*, std::__1::vector<char const*, std::__1::allocator<char const*> >*) + 428
6   dyld                            0x2fe7e498 dyld::loadPhase5(char const*, char const*, dyld::LoadContext const&, std::__1::vector<char const*, std::__1::allocator<char const*> >*) + 248
7   dyld                            0x2fe7e37c dyld::loadPhase4(char const*, char const*, dyld::LoadContext const&, std::__1::vector<char const*, std::__1::allocator<char const*> >*) + 128
8   dyld                            0x2fe7e29c dyld::loadPhase3(char const*, char const*, dyld::LoadContext const&, std::__1::vector<char const*, std::__1::allocator<char const*> >*) + 984
9   dyld                            0x2fe7dc36 dyld::loadPhase1(char const*, char const*, dyld::LoadContext const&, std::__1::vector<char const*, std::__1::allocator<char const*> >*) + 110
10  dyld                            0x2fe7ada4 dyld::loadPhase0(char const*, char const*, dyld::LoadContext const&, std::__1::vector<char const*, std::__1::allocator<char const*> >*) + 168
11  dyld                            0x2fe7ab58 dyld::load(char const*, dyld::LoadContext const&) + 208
12  dyld                            0x2fe7f8da dlopen + 802
13  libdyld.dylib                   0x39dee946 dlopen + 46
14  CoreFoundation                  0x31ab4910 _CFBundleDlfcnLoadBundle + 128
15  CoreFoundation                  0x31ab478c _CFBundleLoadExecutableAndReturnError + 356
16  Foundation                      0x323d2154 -[NSBundle loadAndReturnError:] + 844
17  Visitor Self Service            0x000e251a -[CoreBundleManager bundleForName:] (CoreBundleManager.m:70)
18  Visitor Self Service            0x000cd418 -[CoreProcessDefinition processBundle] (CoreProcessDefinition.m:226)
19  Visitor Self Service            0x000cf17e -[CoreProcessRuntime loadControllerForStep:] (CoreProcessRuntime.m:187)
20  Visitor Self Service            0x000ce9f4 -[CoreProcessRuntime performNextStepInProcessDefinition] (CoreProcessRuntime.m:112)
21  Visitor Self Service            0x000ba642 __62-[DynamicViewController prepareControllerForProcessDefinition]_block_invoke (DynamicViewController.m:107)
22  libdispatch.dylib               0x39ddb790 _dispatch_call_block_and_release + 8
23  libdispatch.dylib               0x39dde8be _dispatch_after_timer_callback + 10
24  libdispatch.dylib               0x39ddb5d8 _dispatch_client_callout + 20
25  libdispatch.dylib               0x39ddc48a _dispatch_source_invoke + 254
26  libdispatch.dylib               0x39ddee04 _dispatch_main_queue_callback_4CF + 164
27  CoreFoundation                  0x31afb1ac __CFRunLoopRun + 1284
28  CoreFoundation                  0x31a6e238 CFRunLoopRunSpecific + 352
29  CoreFoundation                  0x31a6e0c4 CFRunLoopRunInMode + 100
30  GraphicsServices                0x35629336 GSEventRunModal + 70
31  UIKit                           0x3398a2b4 UIApplicationMain + 1116
32  Visitor Self Service            0x000b66d8 main (main.m:16)
33  libdyld.dylib                   0x39deeb1c start + 0

Answer 1

Finally I got it working.

There are several steps for setting up a proper bundle.

In the Project Build Settings for the Bundle set

• Architectures => armv7, armv7s
• Supported Plattforms => iOS
• Valid Architectures => armv7, armv7s
• Set up a valid Code Sign Identity
• Set up a matching provisioning profile

You also need a Info.plist

• Required Device Capabilities => armv7, armv7s
• Principal Class => Your bundles principal class name
• Executable File => Same as Principal Class

Note

External code execution is prohibited by the Apple Review Guidelines, so it's only possible in In-House Apps.

2.7 Apps that download code in any way or form will be rejected

2.8 Apps that install or launch other executable code will be rejected