I'm trying to figure out how to get PhoneGap to work for cross-platform development. Android is fairly straightforward, but when it comes to iOS, I haven't found a solution that isn't expensive.
I know you can use build.phonegap.com to do it over the cloud, but you need a provisioning profile, which I can't access unless I pay $100 to Apple. I have a free developer account so I had access to my certificates at least, but I can't go further than that unfortunately. I'm just trying to do a homework assignment and I'd rather not pay that much for it.
I'm currently on a Windows 10 laptop, but also I have a Virtual Machine that is running OSX Mojave if that makes a difference.
Or does anyone know if there are any free alternatives that allow me to use HTML/CSS/JS to create apps cross-platform?
Thank you :)
Seems like there is no other way to do this other than purchasing a full developer account.
Unfortunately, there is no free or even inexpensive solution for developing applications on iOS.
You need a developer account (99$) and if it is for a serious project, a virtual machine will not be enough to debug.
For your need of make a crossplatform application with HTML/CSS/JS you can see with PWA.
These are not native applications but once installed, the user won't notice anything.
Here is a list of links that can help you :
How to create : https://developers.google.com/web/fundamentals/codelabs/your-first-pwapp/
And apple in there? https://medium.com/#firt/progressive-web-apps-on-ios-are-here-d00430dee3a7
I am about to embark on some mobile development projects but I'm doing a little homework first. My primary goal is to deploy to Android and iOS, but the latter is posing some problems because I do not have access to (nor do I have any interested in acquiring) a Mac.
Phonegap offers a cloud service where you can upload your mobile development project and they will do the building for you - no Mac required. From the Phonegap Build FAQ:
Simply upload your web assets - a ZIP file of HTML, CSS and
JavaScript, or a single index.html file - to PhoneGap Build, point us
to your Git or SVN repository, or let us set up a git remote endpoint
that you can push to. Then we’ll undertake the compilation and
packaging for you. In minutes, you’ll receive the download URLs for
all mobile platforms.
I am leaning toward the development and native UI capabilities of Appcelerator, but since I do not have a Mac, is there any hope for me using Titanium for iOS development using something akin to PhoneGap's Build service?
If you dont have a Mac you will not be able to develop, test, deploy, or put in the app store applications for iOS, with or without using Titanium.
Regardless, even if you were able to use a cloud build technology with Titanium (which does not exist) you wont be able to deploy your final application to the App Store because you have to have XCode for that, the same goes for PhoneGap. Check this here:
Note: Since PhoneGap Build uses Apple's standard development process to build applications, >you will need to sign up for their developer program to build iOS applications on PhoneGap >Build. You will also need a Mac to configure your certificate and provisioning profile.
Bottom line, unless you use a mac, your not legally deploying to the App Store.
Don't be forgetting the registration fees that come with signing up as Both a google play & iOS developer.
I fear that using a remote service is going to cost you dearly in time, as you'll be significantly increasing your test cycle.
The cost of a second hand Mac mini is hardly going to impact any development budget, even charity work. And as the previous poster note, you can't legally deploy your completed build without a mac. If you made macs, wouldn't you do the same?
There are services cropping up like Mobundler.com and Foundry22.com which let you do end to end development without a Mac.
Foundry22 is a service similar to PhoneGap build, for Titanium SDK. Similar to PhoneGap build, it requires p12 bundle for iOS signing and Java keystore for Android. You can use service like Mobundler to create those using just your browser. You still need to pay to become part of iOS developer program.
The answer here is outdated.
There is an Icenium platform which will allow you to build and put your app on App Store without using Mac at all.
http://docs.icenium.com/publishing-your-app/distribute-production/publish-ios
I want to make a little app just for me. I don't want to distribute it, and don't want to make any money from it, I just need to have this app with me.
I don't have a Mac capable of running Xcode, and I don't want to waste any money on the developer license.
Is there a way I can make an app for only my personal iPhone 4s, without going through the App Store or using Xcode? My iPhone is jailbroken.
A web app might be a better solution.
The short answer is no. You would need a Mac/Xcode to compile/build the application for you. As #Thalecress suggested you might be better off building a web app.
Also check PhoneGap, with it you can deploy your web app in several platforms (including iOS, Android and WP7). Phonegap also offers a build service that you can use to wrap the final web app as a native app to run it on a device (PhoneGap:Buld).
I have an incredibly basic Adobe AIR 4.5 desktop project that I just want to use to test an iOS deployment. Is it at all possible to deploy this to an iOS device as it is? Or does it need to be turned into a Mobile project somehow?
The steps to creating an IPA file in the guide on Adobe's site (http://www.adobe.com/devnet/air/articles/packaging-air-apps-ios.html) seem to assume the project is already a mobile project. I'm a total newb here, but it sounds like this sort of thing is possible? Is it really? I'm having trouble finding information.
It is possible to create a simple Flash project and export it without modification for iOS. Obviously depending on what the project is doing, some things might need to be tweaked.
I am currently building several apps using the same fla and as files, which are targetted for browser and iOS use.
But in order to place anything onto an iDevice, be it just for debugging, testing or adHoc distribution, you need to be signed up to the Apple Development program, have an Apple provisioning certificate in place and have relevant apple provisioning profiles created.
There is a great course on lynda.com about setting yourself up for iDevice app building.
http://www.lynda.com/iOS-SDK-4-tutorials/distributing-ios-applications-through-the-app-store/77853-2.html?srchtrk=index%3A7%0Alinktypeid%3A2%0Aq%3Aios%0Apage%3A1%0As%3Arelevance%0Asa%3Atrue%0Aproducttypeid%3A2
Closed. This question does not meet Stack Overflow guidelines. It is not currently accepting answers.
We don’t allow questions seeking recommendations for books, tools, software libraries, and more. You can edit the question so it can be answered with facts and citations.
Closed 7 years ago.
Improve this question
I've heard that you need to get a Mac if you want to develop iPhone apps. Is this true?
Is it possible to develop iPhone apps using Linux? If yes, what do I need and where do I download the necessary tools?
To provide a differing response, I'm running OS X and Xcode on a virtualised (VMware) machine on Linux. CPU is a Core2Quad (Q8800), and it is perfectly fast. I found a prebuilt VM online (I'll leave it to you to find)
Xcode/iPhone development works perfectly, as does debugging via USB to the phone itself.
It actually surprised me a lot - but I've had no issues at all.
The answer to this really depends on whether or not you want to develop apps that are then distributed through the iPhone store. If you don't, and don't mind developing for the "jailbroken" iPhone crowd - then it's possible to develop from Linux.
Check this chap's page for a comprehensive (if a little complex) guide on what to do :
http://www.saurik.com/id/4
It seems to be true so far. The only SDK available from Apple only targets the macOS environment. I've been upset about that, but I'm looking into buying a mac now, just to do iPhone development. I really dislike what they are doing, and I hope a good SDK come out for other environments, such as Linux and Windows.
Obstacles regarding the SDK:
The iPhone SDK and free software: not a match
Apple's recently released a software development kit (SDK) for the iPhone, but if you were hoping to port or develop original open source software with it, the news isn't good. Code signing and nondisclosure conditions make free software a no-go.
The SDK itself is a free download, with which you can write programs and run them on a software simulator. But in order to actually release software you've written, you must enroll in the iPhone Developer Program -- a step separate from downloading the SDK, and one that requires Apple's approval.
I think it's rather elitist for them to think only macOS users are good enough to write programs for their phone, and the fact you need to buy a $100 license if you want to publish your stuff, really makes it more difficult for the hobbyist programmer. Though, if that's what you need to do, I'm planning on jumping through their hoops; I'd really like to get some stuff developed on my iPhone.
There used to be a project dedicated to solve this defect: iphone-dev
The goal of the iphone-dev project is to create a free, portable, high quality toolchain to enable development for the Apple iPhone and other embedded devices based on the ARM/Darwin platform.
Regarding the alternative tool chain, Saurik's site is useful but for latest firmware development he indicates building on the iPhone itself and stays clear of indicating that you may need to copy necessary iPhone firmware files to your Linux environment. It's not impossible, but just requires additional work, especially for signing the code (there are open alternative solutions out there as well).
Also, take a look at other guides (for the same tool chain) that approach it more methodically.
I'd suggest to still do the final build and code signing and packaging in XCode (which may mean borrowing someone's Mac) in case you run into problems when submitting the application to Apple. Using the alternative tool chain opens up (at least on the Mac) the possibility of using other IDEs other than XCode for developing the application and again resorting to XCode for the deployment and testing with the simulator.
Of course if you do get the code signing / certificate generation working from the command line outside of XCode then you can install a certificate on your actual iPhone and test there (installing the app via iTunes w/your certificate).
The only way I know of doing development in Linux for the iPhone would be to install Vmware and work on getting OS X running in a virtual machine. With that said there are some "legal" concerns in doing that. It is reported that OS X Server can be virtualized but as far as the development story on that I don't know.
If you are truly serious, that's the what I'd investigate.
Good luck.
You can use Tersus (open source), and it lets you export the app as an Xcode project.
You might be able to write code on a Linux box that will eventually find itself on an iPhone or iPad, but ultimately you would need a Mac to test or deploy the code to the iPhone or to submit it to the App store. So ultimately you need a Mac, so you might as well do the work on the Mac too, with all the tools that Apple provide. There are alternatives to Xcode & Objective-C, such as Monotouch - but these utilize the Apple tools too.
You can with some work run OS X in a VM on Linux. However I should point out that this will break the OSX license agreement, even if you buy the copy of OSX - as it is only licensed to run on Apple hardware.
Sorry to give you this news - the ecosystem around the iPhone/iPad is very tightly controlled.
EDIT: One major exception to this is writing a web app for the iPhone. There are some excellent web apps for the iPhone which are almost as good as user experience as a native app. However I did interpret your question to be about native app development. Web apps, although the user can create an icon for launching them - are still 'second class' citizens.
I've had success building iOS apps on linux using the iOS clang toolchain by cjacker. Basically it consists of the upstream clang and llvm tools from your linux distro, a linux port of apple's linker and some extra tools to help simplify the build process (such as converting xcode projects to Makefile format).
It does take a few steps to install, but you're a software developer so you'd be used to that. I posted an up to date howto for Debian 7 (Wheezy) online:
https://rogerkeays.com/how-to-build-an-ios-toolchain-for-linux-debian-7
Otherwise you want to go with the generic instructions which are a little older:
http://code.google.com/p/ios-toolchain-based-on-clang-for-linux/wiki/HowTo_en
Good luck.
There's a framework called Rhodes.
The concept is based on Ruby on Rails and you develop your mobile app in Ruby and HTML, and you can write your code in a Linux environment. You can then create an account at Rhohub, where you add the code (through GitHub), and it allows you to compile it for iPhone, Blackberry, Android, Windows Mobile and Symbian, all off the same code. You don't have to code in Objective-C for iPhone, nor Java for Android, etc. It does the conversions for you. All you need to do is stick to the Rules for creating an iPhone application (or the Phone's you want to develop for) so it can be accepted at iTunes (or the equivalent market).
This will allow you to add the app to iTunes as well.
I have not found any emulators, however, which means that to test your app you need to put it on an iPhone, which is a mission.
I am using this option as I want to create apps for all phones and I use Ruby on Rails already. If you just want to make an app for an iPhone, then invest in a Mac.
Hope this helps.
You're right non-jailbroken phones are limited to Apple's App store and Apple "has the right" to enforce whatever rule, it's totally nonfree territory.
However while developing, one won't have to deal with Apple at all. You can use e.g. rsync to upload the code to the device and test it.
To a certain extent, yes, it is possible. You can type Objective-C code and set up your projects. You can even test the C and C++ parts of your code with gcc.
What you cannot do:
Use Interface Builder to set up your interface, as it's Mac-only. (Not required, but recommended.)
Compile code that uses Apple's Cocoa classes - they don't exist on Linux.
Test code in the Simulator - there isn't one for Linux.
Compile code for real devices or for the App Store - all this requires tools that Apple only provides for OS X.
You need to get mac for it. There are several tool chains available (like win-chain) that actually lets you write and build i Phone applications on windows. There are several associated tutorials to build the Objective C code on Windows. But there is a problem, the apps hence developed will work on Jail broken i Phones only.
We’ve seen few hacks to get over that and make it to App Store, but as Apple keeps on updating SDKs, tool chains need regular updates. It’s a hassle to make it up all the time.If you want to get ready app you can also take help from arcapps its launches apps at a reasonable price.
iphone app development
I did an attempt to port cocos2d-iphone to GNUstep so that you can Develop game based on cocos2d. However for publishing you need a mac. cocos2d-GNUstep.
I would recommend getting a mac because the ios simulator is amazing for testing in the early stages of an app. But I do know of a small company we work with that develops using Unity so they don't need a load of macs. That way they only need one mac for the office and that's just to compile the final build. It also means it works on android but it really depends on what your building because it's a games engine. You may want to look into web apps using frameworks like Sencha Touch Mobile
Unity: http://unity3d.com/
Sencha Touch: http://www.sencha.com/products/touch/
If you value your time, buy a Mac! I don't know enough about Linux development options to offer a viable solution, but it seems the proposed methods involve some pretty roundabout work. If you plan on seriously writing and selling iPhone apps, I think you could easily recoup the cost of a Mac Mini or Macbook. :-)
You will never get your app approved by Apple if it is not developed using Xcode. Never. And if you do hack the SDK to develop on Linux and Apple finds out, don't be surprised when you are served. I am a member of the ADC and the iPhone developer program. Trust, Apple is VERY serious about this.
Don't take the risk, Buy a Macbook or Mac mini (yes a mini can run Xcode - though slowly - boost the RAM if you go with the mini). Also, while I've seen OS X hacked to run on VMware I've never seen anyone running Xcode on VM. So good luck. And I'd check the EULA before you go through the trouble.
PS: After reading the above, yes I agree If you do hack the SDK and develop on Linux at least do the final packaging on a Mac. And submit it via a Mac. Apple doesn't run through the code line by line so i doubt they'd catch that. But man, that's a lot of if's and work. Be fun to do though. :)