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pleno-vue/docs/ios-device-debug.md
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Jeppe B 8ddac065c6 Guard iOS debug signing with live CORS (#181)
Verify the stable API and exact Capacitor iOS CORS contract before signing device-debug IPAs, with regression coverage and troubleshooting guidance.
2026-07-20 14:37:17 +02:00

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# Cable-Connected iPhone Debug IPA Runbook
This runbook covers development-signed iOS builds installed from an Ubuntu
workstation over USB. It is separate from the public App Store release path in
`docs/app-store-release.md`.
The device build is deliberately a second app:
- Debug bundle ID: `io.truckwash.app.debug`
- Debug display name: `Truck Wash Debug`
- Production bundle ID: `io.truckwash.app`
- Capacitor/Android app ID: `io.truckwash.twa`
- API: `https://api-v2.truckwash.io/master/api`
Installing or uninstalling the debug app must not replace or remove the
production app. The debug workflow builds the Vue application in production
mode against the stable API; it does not use Vite's development `/api` default
or a live-reload server.
## What Ubuntu Can And Cannot Do
The current Ubuntu workstation already has `usbmuxd`, the libimobiledevice
utilities, and `ideviceinstaller`. The current iPhone has previously been
trusted and paired. Run the repository doctor before every install because the
phone can still be locked, trust can be reset, or Developer Mode can be off.
This workflow supports:
- Inspecting pairing, activation, lock, Developer Mode, and install-service
readiness.
- Installing and upgrading a valid development-signed IPA.
- Reading filtered device syslog and copying crash reports.
Apple does not provide Xcode, LLDB device debugging, or Safari Web Inspector on
Linux. `CAPACITOR_DEBUG` and `get-task-allow` make the IPA suitable for a
development device, but they do not create an official Linux LLDB or WebKit
debugger. Use a physical Mac with Xcode/Safari for breakpoints or Web Inspector.
Use TestFlight or a physical Mac if a new or beta iOS release is incompatible
with libimobiledevice; never weaken device security or signing validation as a
workaround.
## One-Time iPhone Preparation
1. Connect the iPhone directly with a data-capable USB cable.
2. Unlock the phone and keep it awake. Tap **Trust** if iOS asks whether to
trust this computer, then enter the device passcode.
3. On iOS 16 or newer, open **Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Developer
Mode**, turn Developer Mode on, and accept the restart. iOS 15 does not have
this setting and the helper does not require it there.
4. After the restart, unlock the phone, confirm **Turn On** in the Developer
Mode prompt, and enter the passcode again.
5. Reconnect the cable and run the doctor described below.
Developer Mode is an iOS security control and cannot be bypassed from Ubuntu.
If the Developer Mode setting is absent, connect the phone once to a physical
Mac and use Apple's supported Xcode or Apple Configurator device preparation,
then return to Ubuntu after the phone has restarted and Developer Mode is on.
Trust, pairing, and Developer Mode can be cleared by device resets, iOS updates,
or privacy/location resets. Repeat these steps if the doctor reports that the
previously working device is no longer ready.
## Apple Developer Setup
This requires the paid Truck Wash ApS Apple Developer team and a user permitted
to manage certificates, identifiers, and devices.
### Register the device and debug App ID
1. Connect and unlock the iPhone, then get its UDID locally with
`idevice_id -l`. Treat the full UDID as sensitive operational data: do not
commit it or paste it into ordinary build logs.
2. In Apple Developer **Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles -> Devices**, add
the iPhone using that UDID.
3. Under **Identifiers**, create an explicit App ID for
`io.truckwash.app.debug`.
4. Enable only capabilities required by the current Xcode project. Do not copy
unrelated production entitlements into the debug App ID.
### Create the certificate and development profile
1. Create a dedicated **Apple Development** certificate for CI device-debug
signing. Keep its private key under the team's normal credential controls.
2. Export the certificate and private key together as a password-protected
`.p12` file.
3. Create an **iOS App Development** provisioning profile that selects:
- App ID `io.truckwash.app.debug`
- The dedicated Apple Development certificate
- Every approved physical test iPhone, including the cable-connected device
4. Download the `.mobileprovision` file.
5. Confirm the profile has not expired, includes the intended device UDIDs, and
grants `get-task-allow=true`. An App Store or ad-hoc profile is not valid for
this workflow.
Base64-encode both files without line wrapping before adding them to GitHub. On
Ubuntu, for example:
```sh
base64 -w 0 TruckWashDebug.p12 > TruckWashDebug.p12.base64
base64 -w 0 TruckWashDebug.mobileprovision > TruckWashDebug.mobileprovision.base64
```
Store the encoded values in GitHub immediately, verify one successful build,
then securely remove the local `.p12`, profile, encoded copies, CSR, and any
other private-key intermediates that are no longer required. Never commit
signing files or their encoded contents.
## GitHub Environment And Dispatch Approval
Create a repository environment named `mobile-device-debug`. Store the debug
signing configuration only in that environment. Required environment reviewers
are not available for this private repository's current GitHub plan, so the
manual `workflow_dispatch` inputs are the signing approval boundary.
Restrict the environment's custom deployment branches to the exact `master`
branch. The checked-in workflow also refuses any other workflow ref. This keeps
signing secrets behind the reviewed workflow on `master`, while `source_ref`
can still select a separately inspected same-repository commit to build.
Add these environment variables exactly:
- `APPLE_TEAM_ID`
- `IOS_DEBUG_BUNDLE_ID=io.truckwash.app.debug`
- `IOS_DEBUG_API_URL=https://api-v2.truckwash.io/master/api`
Add these environment secrets exactly:
- `IOS_DEBUG_CERTIFICATE_BASE64`: base64 of the password-protected `.p12`
- `IOS_DEBUG_CERTIFICATE_PASSWORD`: password used to export the `.p12`
- `IOS_DEBUG_PROVISION_PROFILE_BASE64`: base64 of the development
`.mobileprovision`
- `IOS_DEBUG_ALLOWED_UDIDS`: newline-delimited UDIDs for every device that the
profile is expected to contain
The workflow generates and masks a new random password for its temporary macOS
keychain on every run. Do not create or store an
`IOS_DEBUG_KEYCHAIN_PASSWORD` secret.
Do not reuse the `mobile-store-production` distribution secrets. The debug job
must use an Apple Development certificate and iOS App Development profile; the
existing `io.truckwash.app` App Store workflow remains unchanged.
The person dispatching a run must inspect the intended commit first. Do not
dispatch when:
- The exact 40-character SHA is not the branch, tag, or commit intended.
- The source comes from a fork or another repository.
- The requested change is not appropriate to sign for a physical device.
- The signing profile is expired or no longer covers the intended device.
The workflow independently resolves `source_ref` inside this repository and
requires it to equal `expected_sha`. It also requires the exact typed
confirmation `SIGN IOS DEBUG IPA`. A missing/mismatched SHA or confirmation
stops the unprivileged resolver before the environment signing secrets are used.
## Build And Download A Debug IPA
1. Open **Actions -> iOS Device Debug IPA -> Run workflow** and keep **Use
workflow from** set to `master`.
2. Inspect the intended commit and copy its complete 40-character SHA.
3. Enter `source_ref`. It may be a branch, tag, or commit in this repository and
defaults to `master`.
4. Enter the complete SHA as `expected_sha` and enter the exact confirmation
`SIGN IOS DEBUG IPA`. Submitting these inputs is approval to sign that source.
5. The resolver pins `source_ref` inside this repository and verifies it equals
`expected_sha`. A mismatch stops the run before signing.
6. Wait for the signed macOS job to finish. It builds a Debug archive against
`https://api-v2.truckwash.io/master/api`, exports it with method
`development`, validates the embedded profile and app identity, and never
uploads the result to App Store Connect.
7. Download the `truck-wash-debug-<version>-<12-character-SHA>` GitHub Actions
artifact for the run. Keep its same-prefix `.ipa`, `.dSYM.zip`,
`manifest.json`, and `SHA256SUMS` together in one directory.
8. From that directory, verify the download before connecting it to a device:
```sh
sha256sum --check SHA256SUMS
```
Do not install an artifact after a checksum failure. The manifest records the
source ref and SHA, build/run numbers, bundle identity, stable API, minimum iOS,
Xcode/Capacitor versions, signing method, and provisioning-profile expiration.
It intentionally does not contain device UDIDs or secrets.
Artifacts are retained for seven days. Keep the zipped dSYM with any crash
report from that build so a Mac/Xcode crash-symbolication path remains
available.
## Ubuntu Device Commands
Run commands from the repository root. The npm interface is:
```sh
npm run mobile:ios:device -- <command>
```
If the npm wrapper is unavailable, use the equivalent direct entrypoint:
```sh
node scripts/mobile/ios-device.mjs <command>
```
The helper uses USB devices only. With one connected iPhone, omit `--udid`.
With multiple devices connected, provide `--udid ID`; the command fails instead
of guessing. Normal output redacts full UDIDs.
### Check readiness
Unlock the phone and run:
```sh
npm run mobile:ios:device -- doctor
```
The doctor verifies required host commands, USB discovery, pairing, activation,
unlocked state, Developer Mode, and installation-proxy access. Resolve every
reported failure before attempting an install.
For a specific connected device:
```sh
npm run mobile:ios:device -- doctor --udid DEVICE_UDID
```
### Install or upgrade
Keep the downloaded artifact files together and run:
```sh
npm run mobile:ios:device -- install ./truck-wash-debug-VERSION-SHA.ipa --manifest ./manifest.json
```
The helper requires and verifies `SHA256SUMS` and the complete workflow
manifest, then inspects the IPA and its embedded profile. It rejects missing or
mismatched artifact metadata, the wrong repository/source/API/bundle/executable,
an App Store/ad-hoc or expired profile, `get-task-allow=false`, a profile
missing the connected UDID, or an invalid app payload before calling
`ideviceinstaller`.
If `io.truckwash.app.debug` is absent, the helper installs it. If it is already
present, the helper upgrades it and confirms the resulting version/build on the
phone. It never uninstalls or replaces `io.truckwash.app`.
Launch **Truck Wash Debug** manually from the iPhone Home Screen. Keep the phone
online for the first launch so iOS can perform Apple's PPQ validation for the
provisioning profile. A firewall, DNS filter, VPN, or captive portal that
blocks Apple's validation service can prevent a correctly signed development
app from opening.
### Collect filtered logs
Start logging, then reproduce the issue on the phone:
```sh
npm run mobile:ios:device -- logs
npm run mobile:ios:device -- logs --output ./truck-wash-debug.log
```
The debug executable is deliberately named `TruckWashDebug`, distinct from the
production executable. The helper verifies that exact name and filters
`idevicesyslog` output for it. It streams child-tool output through UDID
redaction; `--output` files are written by the helper with mode `0600` after
redaction. Logs should make it possible to correlate the app with its source SHA
and stable API target without exposing signing secrets or full device IDs.
### Copy crash reports
Create a destination directory and copy reports from the phone:
```sh
mkdir -p ./ios-crashes
npm run mobile:ios:device -- crashes ./ios-crashes
```
Crash retrieval always keeps the original reports on the iPhone. Preserve the
matching IPA manifest and dSYM with each report.
### Remove only the debug app
Uninstall requires the exact debug bundle ID as typed confirmation:
```sh
npm run mobile:ios:device -- uninstall --confirm io.truckwash.app.debug
```
The helper refuses to remove the production bundle or any other bundle ID.
## Adding Devices And Renewing Signing
A provisioning profile is a snapshot. Registering another iPhone in Apple
Developer does not update an already downloaded profile.
When adding a device:
1. Obtain its UDID locally and register it in the Apple Developer portal.
2. Regenerate the `io.truckwash.app.debug` iOS App Development profile with the
new and existing approved devices selected.
3. Replace `IOS_DEBUG_PROVISION_PROFILE_BASE64`.
4. Add the UDID to the newline-delimited `IOS_DEBUG_ALLOWED_UDIDS` secret.
5. Dispatch a new build; an existing IPA does not gain access to the new device.
Monitor the profile expiration recorded in each artifact manifest and the Apple
Development certificate expiration in the portal. Before either expires,
create/renew the signing material, regenerate the profile, replace the affected
GitHub secrets, and prove the result with a new build and real-device install.
Revoked or expired signing material invalidates later installation and can stop
an already installed development build from launching.
## Troubleshooting
### No device, device locked, or installation proxy unavailable
- Use a direct data-capable cable and avoid an unreliable hub.
- Unlock the iPhone, keep its screen awake, reconnect it, and rerun `doctor`.
- Close other tools that may be exclusively interacting with the device.
- Do not repeatedly retry installation while the doctor reports a lock/service
failure.
### Pairing or trust failure
- Unlock the phone and accept the Trust prompt.
- If no prompt appears and `doctor` reports invalid pairing, use the explicit
repair guidance printed by the helper, reconnect, and confirm trust again.
- Device privacy resets and some iOS updates require a new trust decision.
### Developer Mode is disabled or absent on iOS 16 or newer
- Enable it under **Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Developer Mode**, restart,
and confirm after the reboot.
- If the switch is absent, use a Mac with Xcode or Apple Configurator for
Apple's supported one-time preparation. There is no Ubuntu bypass.
### IPA, profile, certificate, or UDID mismatch
- Confirm the IPA is from **iOS Device Debug IPA**, not **Mobile Store Artifacts**.
- Check `manifest.json` for `io.truckwash.app.debug`, development signing, the
intended source SHA, and a future profile expiration.
- Regenerate the development profile when a device was added, a certificate was
replaced, or the profile expired; then replace the GitHub secret and rebuild.
- Never suppress the helper's profile, entitlement, bundle, or checksum checks.
### App installs but will not launch
- Keep the phone online for Apple's initial PPQ validation.
- Check whether VPN, DNS, firewall, captive-portal, or device-management policy
blocks Apple developer-app verification.
- Confirm Developer Mode is still on and the certificate/profile has not expired
or been revoked.
- Collect syslog and crash reports before reinstalling so evidence is preserved.
### App reports `No response was received`
- Keep the API base set to `https://api-v2.truckwash.io/master/api`. The bare
`https://api-v2.truckwash.io` host is the public gateway, not the application
API base.
- Confirm `https://api-v2.truckwash.io/master/api/ping` responds before
investigating the device or app.
- Capacitor serves bundled iOS content from `capacitor://localhost`. The stable
API must return `Access-Control-Allow-Origin: capacitor://localhost` for that
exact origin, including authenticated preflight requests.
- The signing workflow checks API reachability and this CORS contract before
compiling or signing. If it fails, deploy the backend CORS policy fix before
dispatching another IPA; do not replace the API URL or use an unsupported
HTTP/HTTPS `iosScheme` workaround.
- An already-built IPA starts using a corrected server-side CORS policy without
modification. Build and install a higher version when recording a verified
device-test result for the fix.
### iOS beta or new major iOS version breaks device tools
- Record the device model, exact iOS version, helper error, source SHA, and IPA
checksum.
- Update libimobiledevice only through a trusted package/source and rerun the
doctor. Do not install arbitrary device images or disable signing checks.
- If compatibility remains broken, distribute through TestFlight or install and
debug from a physical Mac with a compatible Xcode version.
## Real-Device Acceptance Checklist
For the first setup, after signing changes, and after major iOS upgrades:
- `doctor` passes while the phone is unlocked.
- `SHA256SUMS` verifies and the manifest identifies the intended immutable SHA.
- **Truck Wash Debug** installs as `io.truckwash.app.debug` while the production
app and its data remain unchanged.
- Authentication, camera/QR permission, and foreground-location behavior work.
- Logs show the expected build/source context and stable API target.
- The debug app still launches and reaches the API after the cable is removed.
- A higher-numbered IPA upgrades the debug app without clearing its local state.
- Crash reports are copied without being deleted from the phone.
- The test record includes artifact checksum, source SHA, device model, iOS
version, outcome, and any residual iOS/libimobiledevice compatibility risk.
## References
- [Apple: enable Developer Mode on a device](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/xcode/enabling-developer-mode-on-a-device)
- [Apple: run an app on a physical device](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/Xcode/running-your-app-on-simulated-or-physical-devices)
- [Apple: register a single device](https://developer.apple.com/help/account/devices/register-a-single-device/)
- [Apple: create a development provisioning profile](https://developer.apple.com/help/account/provisioning-profiles/create-a-development-provisioning-profile/)
- [libimobiledevice project](https://github.com/libimobiledevice/libimobiledevice)