DevOps XCode@5 does not create .ipa file

Question

I have a Capacitor app that I am trying to build through DevOps with the xcode@5 task. However, I am not getting an .ipa to be generated on completion of the task. What am I missing? Is there another task that I need to run after the xcode task?

  - task: Xcode@5
  inputs:
    actions: 'build'
    scheme: 'App'
    sdk: 'iphoneos'
    configuration: 'Release'
    xcWorkspacePath: '**/App.xcworkspace'
    xcodeVersion: 'default'
    packageApp: true
    signingOption: 'manual'
    provisioningProfileUuid: 'xxxxxx-xxxxx-xxx-xxx-xxxxxxxxx'
    archivePath: "$(System.DefaultWorkingDirectory)/archive"

Answer 1

To generate the IPA package, you need to use .P12 certificate file and Provisioning Profile to sign the package.

Here are the steps:

Create certificate

Step1: Sign in the developer.apple.com/account/resources and select the Certificates tab.

Step2: Create a new certificates or select an existing certificate. Then download it(.cer file) to your local machine.

Step3: Double click the .cer file to install the certificate and navigate to Keychain Access(mac local machine) to find newly installed certificate.

Step4: Export the .P12 file and set the password.

Create provisioning profile

Step1: Sign in the developer.apple.com/account/resources and select Profiles tab.

Step2: Create a new Profiles. Select IOS App Development -> Apple ID as before.

Step3: When you select the certificate, you need to select the corresponding certificate downloaded in the previous step.

This is the key step. You need to select the same certificate as the .p12 file created.

For example:

Step4: Download the Provisioning Profile.

Finally, you could upload the new XX.p12 file and Provisioning Profile to Azure Devops Secure file(Pipelines -> Library -> Secure files). Then you could use them in pipeline.

For example:

steps:
- task: InstallAppleCertificate@2
  inputs:
    certSecureFile: 'my-secure-file.p12' 
    certPwd: '$(P12password)'
- task: InstallAppleProvisioningProfile@1
  inputs:
    provProfileSecureFile: 'my-provisioning-profile.mobileprovision' 
- task: Xcode@5
  inputs:
    actions: 'build'
    scheme: 'App'
    sdk: 'iphoneos'
    configuration: 'Release'
    xcWorkspacePath: '**/App.xcworkspace'
    xcodeVersion: 'default'
    packageApp: true
    signingOption: 'manual'
    signingIdentity: '$(APPLE_CERTIFICATE_SIGNING_IDENTITY)'
    provisioningProfileUuid: '$(APPLE_PROV_PROFILE_UUID)'
    archivePath: "$(System.DefaultWorkingDirectory)/archive"

Note: certSecureFile and provProfileSecureFile are the .p12 and .mobileprovision file Name attribute in Secure Files.

The certPwd is from the Pipeline variable or Variable Group. It will save the password you set at the #Create certificate step.

Result: