iOS builds / ipa creation no longer works from the command line

Question

Overview

Our command line builds (to build and create the .ipa) are no longer working.

iTunesConnect has started rejecting builds that use the CODE_SIGN_RESOURCE_RULES_PATH build setting.

If we build WITHOUT that setting the PackageApplication tool (which we use to create the signed .ipa) fails.

It seems that PackageApplication calls /usr/bin/codesign with resource-rules arguments even if the CODE_SIGN_RESOURCE_RULES_PATH build setting is excluded

I suspect the PackageApplication needs to be updated so that it does not call /usr/bin/codesign with resource-rules arguments when the CODE_SIGN_RESOURCE_RULES_PATH build setting is excluded.

Has anyone found a solution for this?

Details

We build our app on the command line like this:

xcodebuild -workspace myApp.xcworkspace -scheme myApp -sdk iphoneos -configuration AppStoreDistribution OBJROOT=$PWD/build SYMROOT=$PWD/build ONLY_ACTIVE_ARCH=NO 'CODE_SIGN_RESOURCE_RULES_PATH=$(SDKROOT)/ResourceRules.plist'

We create the signed .ipa on the command line like this:

xcrun -log -sdk iphoneos PackageApplication "/Users/mpv/dev/myApp/build/AppStoreDistribution-iphoneos/myApp.app" -o "/Users/mpv/dev/myApp/build/AppStoreDistribution-iphoneos/myApp.ipa" -sign "iPhone Distribution: MyTeam (XXXXXXXXXX)" -embed /Users/mpv/Library/MobileDevice/Provisioning\ Profiles/xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx.mobileprovision

iTunesConnect is now rejecting our builds with the following error:

"This bundle is invalid. The Info.plist contains an invalid key 'CFBundleResourceSpecification' in bundle myApp [myApp.app]"

If we remove the 'CODE_SIGN_RESOURCE_RULES_PATH=$(SDKROOT)/ResourceRules.plist' bit from the build command then the app is built without the CFBundleResourceSpecification plist key (which I presume is what we want). The new build command looks like this:

xcodebuild -workspace myApp.xcworkspace -scheme myApp -sdk iphoneos -configuration AppStoreDistribution OBJROOT=$PWD/build SYMROOT=$PWD/build ONLY_ACTIVE_ARCH=NO 

The problem now is that the command to build the .ipa fails with the following error:

error: /usr/bin/codesign --force --preserve-metadata=identifier,entitlements,resource-rules --sign iPhone Distribution: MyTeam (XXXXXXXXXX) --resource-rules=/var/folders/2b/7hylk7nn13dgrl9yyh2wp0lm0000gn/T/zDRRJMkKtQ/Payload/myApp.app/ResourceRules.plist --entitlements /var/folders/2b/7hylk7nn13dgrl9yyh2wp0lm0000gn/T/zDRRJMkKtQ/entitlements_plistIUdGWLYe /var/folders/2b/7hylk7nn13dgrl9yyh2wp0lm0000gn/T/zDRRJMkKtQ/Payload/myApp.app failed with error 1. Output: Warning: usage of --preserve-metadata with option "resource-rules" (deprecated in Mac OS X >= 10.10)!

Warning: --resource-rules has been deprecated in Mac OS X >= 10.10! /var/folders/2b/7hylk7nn13dgrl9yyh2wp0lm0000gn/T/zDRRJMkKtQ/Payload/myApp.app/ResourceRules.plist: cannot read resources

It seems that PackageApplication calls /usr/bin/codesign with resource-rules arguments even if the CODE_SIGN_RESOURCE_RULES_PATH argument / build setting is excluded.

I think PackageApplication needs to be updated so that it does not call /usr/bin/codesign with resource-rules arguments when the CODE_SIGN_RESOURCE_RULES_PATH argument / build setting is excluded.

Sprinkling

Hello, I already have an unanswered question about exactly the same issue: #32720942 – Medicable

Hey I'm getting this error "Ld /Users/confiz/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/CloudMessage-afevkkqtjcnmoddycvosdhbgoraa/Build/Intermediates/ArchiveIntermediates/LTDMessaging/IntermediateBuildFilesPath/CloudMessage.build/Release-iphoneos/LTDMessaging.build/Objects-normal/arm64/LTD\ Messaging normal arm64" if i try to archive from command line but it works fine from Xcode. I really don't know how to solve it. – Minne

Answer 1

Apple got back to me with a solution. As of Xcode 7 we should use xcodebuild instead of PackageApplication to produce the .ipa file.

xcodebuild has a new -exportArchive option to create an .ipa that works more like Xcode Organizer.

So we should now:

1. build an archive with xcodebuild archive
2. create the .ipa with xcodebuild -exportArchive

We now build the archive like this:

xcodebuild -workspace myApp.xcworkspace -scheme myApp -sdk iphoneos -configuration AppStoreDistribution archive -archivePath $PWD/build/myApp.xcarchive

We now export the .ipa like this:

xcodebuild -exportArchive -archivePath $PWD/build/myApp.xcarchive -exportOptionsPlist exportOptions.plist -exportPath $PWD/build

These two command create the files build/myApp.xcarchive and build/myApp.ipa

Note that xcodebuild -exportArchive requires a -exportOptionsPlist argument that points to a .plist file with export options. For a complete list of what you can put in that plist, run xcodebuild -help. The minimal contents of the file looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>method</key>
    <string>app-store</string>
    <key>teamID</key>
    <string>YOUR_TEN_CHARACTER_TEAM_ID</string>
</dict>
</plist>

In Xcode 9, you now have to specify more details in exportOptions.plist like below:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
  <key>compileBitcode</key>
  <false/>
  <key>method</key>
  <string>ad-hoc</string>
  <key>provisioningProfiles</key>
  <dict>
    <key>my.bundle.identifier</key>
    <string>My Provisioning Profile Name</string>
  </dict>
  <key>signingCertificate</key>
  <string>iPhone Distribution</string>
  <key>signingStyle</key>
  <string>manual</string>
  <key>stripSwiftSymbols</key>
  <true/>
  <key>teamID</key>
  <string>YOURTEAMID</string>
  <key>thinning</key>
  <string>&lt;none&gt;</string>
</dict>
</plist> 

Sprinkling

I was able to xcodebuild -archive without specifying the options plist -exportOptionsPlist – Snow

If you look closely at the output I believe it says something to the effect of using -archive without -exportOptionsPlist is deprecated. – Sprinkling

Yes you are right, there is a deprecation warning in the output log. Thx for clarification. – Snow

can i send you a beer? – Sioux

@Sioux Sure! Next time you are in Boston. ;-) – Sprinkling

what is the "method" for distribution cert and not app-store? – Alpert

@HussamEddin xcodebuild -help provides some documentation. Regarding the method key it says Available options: app-store, ad-hoc, package, enterprise, development, and developer-id. I haven't tried those myself but I assume one of those is what you need. – Sprinkling

@MikeVosseller, Thank you for your reply. Appreciate it. – Alpert

Not the author.... but subathrathanabalan.com/2016/01/07/building-ipa-export-archive helps a ton on the raw mechanics of translating the old PackageApplication syntax to the new love. – Ruffle

Is that minimal? I thought the teamID has a default value, "the team used to build the archive", and so could be omitted? – Zen

AppStoreDistribution is default or ur created configuration? How does it work with profiles? where to put the profile info? I see u are making App Store ipa but not using any profile info. Does teamID replace it or u have info in configuration? – Burnight

Guys, I am also trying to find a way how is myApp.ipa defined. Is there a way to change the resulting IPA name at the export step execution? If no, then how it can me changed finally? – Survival

In Xcode 9.3 while building archive using above code I am getting error: Check dependencies:Code Signing Error: No signing certificate "iOS Development" found: No "iOS Development" signing certificate matching team ID "XXXXXXXX" with a private key was found. – Goatsucker

What is My Provisioning Profile Name? Is it a file path? – Polymorphonuclear

@Polymorphonuclear I too am working on this and I believe My Provisioning Profile Name is the value for the Name key inside the provisioning profile. – Mutual

@blinkmacalahan, why do you think it's under my.bundle.identifier key? For me looks malformed. – Polymorphonuclear

@Polymorphonuclear the key is literally called Name. Find that key and then use its value. You can also use the UUID of the provisioning profile. You can easily find both by previewing your provisioning profile in the Mac finder. Simply find the provisioning profile in the Mac Finder, single click it to highlight the file, and hit spacebar on it to view a preview. The Name is the top value shown in the preview. You'll find the UUID a few lines down. – Mutual

Answer 2

Steps to make iPA Usig terminal

Clean Project:

Release

xcodebuild clean -project ProjectPath/myApp.xcodeproj -configuration  ReleaseAdhoc  -alltargets

Debug

xcodebuild clean -project ProjectPath/myApp.xcodeproj -configuration Debug -alltargets

Archive Project:

Debug

xcodebuild archive -project  ProjectPath/myApp.xcodeproj  -scheme “myApp” -configuration Debug  -archivePath  pathForArchiveFolder/myApp.xcarchive

Release

xcodebuild archive -project  ProjectPath/myApp.xcodeproj  -scheme “myApp”  -archivePath  pathForArchiveFolder/myApp.xcarchive

Export IPA

Older Version: This may give A signed resource has been added, modified, or deleted. Error

xcodebuild -exportArchive -archivePath  projectPath/myapp.xcarchive  -exportPath  projectPath/myApp.ipa  -exportFormat ipa  -exportProvisioningProfile  “provisioning profile”

New version:

xcodebuild -exportArchive -archivePath  ProjectPath/myapp.xcarchive  -exportPath  projectPath/myApp.ipa  -exportOptionsPlist  ProjectFolder/exportPlist.plist

Great

so what are the keys/values supported by -exportoptionPlist option.plist ? – Burnight

Answer 3

Go to project folder:

Archive:

for DEBUG:

xcrun xcodebuild -scheme MyApp -configuration Debug archive -archivePath build/MyApp.xcarchive

for Release:

xcrun xcodebuild -scheme MyApp -configuration Release archive -archivePath build/MyApp.xcarchive

Fetch iPA:

xcrun xcodebuild -exportArchive -exportPath build/ -archivePath build/MyApp.xcarchive/

Great

Answer 4

Here's a quick tip in case you need to create the exportOptions.plist file as part of your build process (maybe Jenkins).

You can use the plutil tool to turn JSON into a plist. Example:

echo "{\"method\":\"app-store\"}" | plutil -convert xml1 -o /tmp/exportOptions.plist -- -

Enjoy!

Isborne

Answer 5

I have created a project name myFirstApp and the location of the project is Desktop/myFirstApp. Tested on Xcode 8.3

Step 1 -

cd /Users/Ved/Desktop/myFirstApp/

Step 2 -

xcodebuild -scheme myFirstApp archive \

-archivePath /Users/Ved/Desktop/myFirstApp.xcarchive

Step 3 -

xcodebuild -exportArchive -exportFormat ipa \

-archivePath "/Users/Ved/Desktop/myFirstApp.xcarchive" \

-exportPath "/Users/Ved/Desktop/myFirstApp.ipa" \

-exportProvisioningProfile "myFirstAppDevProfile"

Hartill