Xcode can't build ipa file for iOS app. Instead builds .pkg

Question

I want to export my iOS app as an ipa file for Testflight. For some reason only on this project there is no option to build an .ipa file. Instead I can only export it as a Mac OS X application. It runs fine on the simulator and on the real device. I already tried recreating the Ad-Hoc Provisioning profile, but it didn't change anything.

Would be great if someone knows how to fix that.

Thanks in advance!

Xcode export dialog

enter image description here

Antonio MG · Accepted Answer · 2012-03-01 08:32:50Z

1

I use TestFlight a lot and I do this:

Take the .app and put it in a folder called "Payload", compress that folder to a .zip file, then change the extension of the file from .zip to .ipa (you will have Payload.ipa), and your file is ready for TestFlight.

This is the way I do it and it works.

edited Mar 1, 2012 at 8:32

answered Mar 1, 2012 at 8:19

Antonio MG

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5 Comments

KrauseFx Over a year ago

You mean I should put the .app folder into a new folder called my project and zip it? Should I use the app folder from the simulator in the Library?

Antonio MG Over a year ago

Yes, put the .app into a folder and zip it, and change the .zip to .ipa. But not the file from the simulator, change the scheme to iOS Device and press Command+B, and take that file, the other one is only for the simulator.

KrauseFx Over a year ago

Okay, I can simply use the simulator app folder? I tried it and got this error: 'Invalid IPA: the .app must be in a "Payload" (case-sensitive) folder.' I'll try to create on and put it inside

Antonio MG Over a year ago

Sorry I forgot to say that you have to call the folder "Payload.zip" and then "Payload.ipa". The .app from the Simulator is not going to work, change the Scheme to iOS Device and press Command+B to generate the .app for the device.

KrauseFx Over a year ago

Okay, I built it and uploaded it to Testflight, but now I get the error "Invalid IPA: Must specify MinimumOSVersion" I'm not sure if that's really a good solution. There seems to be something wrong with the project settings. This is a property I shouldn't change on my own: stackoverflow.com/questions/846975/… I guess the organizer sets it automatically when exporting the app

KrauseFx · Accepted Answer · 2012-03-05 16:17:16Z

1

I finally found a solution for this problem: I used the "Validate Settings"-button underneath the build settings. The only property Xcode changed for me was the deployment target from iOS 4 to iOS 5.

answered Mar 5, 2012 at 16:17

KrauseFx

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