<p>I have spent four weeks on making an automated ios deployment to testflight working.</p>
<p>Heres what I have learned.</p>
<h2 id="heading-tools-and-versions">Tools and versions</h2>
<p>Install rbenv on your runner. Trust me. I got version 1.2.0</p>
<p>Then I installed ruby version 3.2.0 via rbenv.</p>
<p>Then fastlane. This might be interesting according to some issues.</p>
<p>Fastlane version 2.219.0</p>
<h2 id="heading-get-an-api-key">Get an API Key</h2>
<p>Get the appstore connect api key and store it in the gitlab ci secrets.</p>
<p>We will then echo it into key.json.</p>
<h2 id="heading-gitlab-runner">Gitlab runner</h2>
<p>Set the CreateSession to true in the launchsettings of the runner. This is because we need access to the keychain.</p>
<h2 id="heading-keychain-stuff">Keychain stuff</h2>
<p>Keychain is the main problem with all of this. Its such a big problem and hard to understand why something fails.</p>
<p>But to get things as stable as possible we will always create a new keychain. At every run well import our certificates at start.</p>
<p>Lets talk about match.</p>
<p>Match init. Create a match file, setup the git storage with credentials so that it wont fail. Don‘t rely on inputs from the cli.</p>
<p>Match should work without passing credentials to stdin.</p>
<h2 id="heading-issues">Issues</h2>
<h3 id="heading-could-not-download-wwdr-certificate">Could not download WWDR certificate</h3>
<p>This apparently can happen sometimes. Try it again.</p>
<p>Do not rely on the default keychain</p>


I have spent four weeks on making an automated ios deployment to testflight working.

Heres what I have learned.

## Tools and versions

Install rbenv on your runner. Trust me. I got version 1.2.0

Then I installed ruby version 3.2.0 via rbenv.

Then fastlane. This might be interesting according to some issues.

Fastlane version 2.219.0

## Get an API Key

Get the appstore connect api key and store it in the gitlab ci secrets.

We will then echo it into key.json.

## Gitlab runner

Set the CreateSession to true in the launchsettings of the runner. This is because we need access to the keychain.

## Keychain stuff

Keychain is the main problem with all of this. Its such a big problem and hard to understand why something fails.

But to get things as stable as possible we will always create a new keychain. At every run well import our certificates at start.

Lets talk about match.

Match init. Create a match file, setup the git storage with credentials so that it wont fail. Don‘t rely on inputs from the cli.

Match should work without passing credentials to stdin.

## Issues

### Could not download WWDR certificate

This apparently can happen sometimes. Try it again.

Do not rely on the default keychain

Fastlane ios and gitlab ci - read this

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