From iOS certificate request to signature file generation

iOS development needs to be part of a development plan and pay Apple, which everyone knows. But for the sake of security, Apple's management of permissions is complicated, so a lot of people start to get confused by Apple's complex settings. Here's a brief description of how to apply for a certificate, register a device, generate a appid, and eventually generate a signature file in the Apple backend provisioning portal.

Apple's app requires a signature file when it's released (whether it's a adhoc release or a AppStore official release). This signature file is generated by Apple backstage, and it connects the user-generated certificate, registration device, AppID and so on. Let's start with how to generate a signature file in one step.

1. Prepare the CSR file

With Apple, it's best to prepare a Mac machine. An apple-keyaccess software is needed to generate the application file for the certificate.

When you click Request a certificate from a certification authority, it appears:

Here is the input mailbox, name, need to remind that we generally choose to "save to disk", the application file exists on the hard disk, after the need to upload this file to Apple backstage.

2. Certificate of Application

After you have prepared the application file for the certificate, you should apply for the certificate.

The certificate is divided into the development certificate and the publishing certificate, where there is no push function is different, according to the actual application of the function of selecting the type of certificate:

Then upload the CSR file that you just generated

After pressing generate, wait a moment, the certificate is generated, you can download and then install to this machine.

3. AppID

It should be emphasized that the appid and often said AppleID are not a concept. AppleID is the user's account in Apple, in the AppStore download the application, need to use this account. AppID, however, is an applied ID that indicates the application's ID.

After the certificate is generated, the next step is to generate AppID, which is equivalent to generating an identity card for the app you want to develop.

AppID need you to make a name to describe it conveniently. You cannot enter special characters here.

The AppID is also divided into band wildcard and without wildcard characters. When the app is officially published on AppStore, the app must have a unique name, so you need to use a appid without wildcards, and at other times, to make it easier for multiple apps to be shared, we tend to use AppID with wildcard characters.

The final step is to choose the service of the application, this need to choose according to the actual situation of the application, if you do not know how to apply the specific situation, then these options can be changed, choose the default.

4. Registering the device

Because Apple applications in the development process cannot be published on AppStore, such dabbler applications cannot be installed on the device. So what about debugging and testing? Apple introduced the Adhoc version, which belongs to the beta version prior to release, and only the devices that were registered in the background and introduced by the signed file can be installed and run.

You need to enter the Udid of the device, depending on the type of account, you can register 100 or more devices.

5. Generating a signature file

The signature file is the core file for the application signature. Signature files also have a distinction between development and release, of course, Adhoc release and AppStore issued signature files are also different.

Signature file needs and a AppID bundle, this according to the actual situation, the general development of the signature file, will be bundled with a wildcard appid, which can be used in a series of applications, and the release of AppStore signature file, must be bundled with a appid without a wildcard character.

Then select the certificate:

The next step is to select the device and only the selected device can install the app. Of course, there is no such step if it is a AppStore signature file.

Finally, enter the name of the signature file, press the Generate button, and the signature file is generated.

This way, after generating a series of related content, the signature file is generated, you can download the file and then sign the app!

From iOS certificate request to signature file generation