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Main forum => GLBasic - en => Topic started by: ampos on 2010-Jul-27

Title: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: ampos on 2010-Jul-27
First, thank you for this great language, and the multiplattform support.

I come from Blitz3D, and I am planning to make the jump to GLB, so I can code something to iPhone.

My question comes from the fact that I have no Mac, and I (really) dont want to buy or install it on my PC.

Can I make games on GLB and make them "iPhone ready" without a PC?

I know I have to sign with Apple to be able to sell them, but first, I have to have a game.ipa!
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: Ozden79 on 2010-Jul-27
You need to have a MAC as the output GLBasic creates is an XCode project which you need to compile under MAC.
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: ampos on 2010-Jul-27
Oh, and...

Is technically posible, if I made a game, create the XCode, and sent it to some GLB-Mac user to compile, sent me back the "exe" and later me sent the "exe" to appstore?

Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: Ozden79 on 2010-Jul-27
Technicly, yes... :)
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: MrTAToad on 2010-Jul-28
The main problem would be all the silly security certificates that would be needed...
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: matchy on 2010-Jul-28
Yes technically, it's possible if the "compiler" (GLB Mac user) has access to "developer" (GLB non Mac user) development/deployment certificates and provisional file creation to sign the binary file package (not exe/ipa).  ::)

Realistically the glb-mac user needs to test on an iPhone as the simulator does not work with glb-xcode.



Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: ampos on 2010-Jul-28
I dont know any single user with a Mac, and for me it would be a real pain in the ass to fight with MacOS install on my current computer, install SDK and so on, just to make a iPhone app...
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: matchy on 2010-Jul-28
Have you got a game design?  ::)
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: bigsofty on 2010-Jul-28
I could not find an efficient, worry free method of doing this and believe me, I tried!  :P
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: ampos on 2010-Jul-28
Quote from: bigsofty on 2010-Jul-28
I could not find an efficient, worry free method of doing this and believe me, I tried!  :P

Are you telling me I should get a MacOS? I though it was as easy as finding here some Mac user, sent him the xcode and to get back a "exe" for iphone...

I really have not anything now, I just find GLBasic last week, but I dont want to start programming and/or buying GLB if I can not find a way of getting exe/ipas for iPhone...
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: okee on 2010-Jul-28
The easiest option is buy a second hand macbook/mac mini, you could get a mini for €200 -250
i picked up a macbook for €320 (2007) model, works great and I have windows xp installed
on a bootcamp partition. It won't be a complete waste of money as they make great
windows machines if you're not Mac OSX orientated.
Both OS's work great on it. There probably are ways you can get away without buying
a mac but honestly the hassle and inconvienence it's gonna cause you won't be worth it in
the end, I spent about ....oh a week solid trying to get my lenovo set up as a hackintosh and
just gave up in the end.
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: shawnus on 2010-Jul-28
I spent
- £525 on a second hand MacBook
- £60 on GLB Pro (I think, cant remember)
- then another £125ish on an ipod touch (to test as the simulator does not work with the GLB project)
- followed by another £30 on snowleopard
- followed by another 5Gb in downloads to the latest versions of xcode & snowleopard
- and of course $99 to apple
- an undisclosed amount to Mr Ian Thompson for a superb app!!

and shortly several hundred pounds in analysts fees for psychiatric treatment relating to personality disorders caused by undue stress in relation to having to suffer the code signing/ provisioning/development/distribution/keychain/binary submission extravangaza Apple insists on to distribute apps. Joke, kind of. However I am sure it will all be worth it in the end, but my app is still stuck 'in review' & has been for a few days...

looking forward to doing it all again though!

Cheers, Shawnus
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: Manu Segura on 2010-Jul-28
Quote from: ampos on 2010-Jul-28
Quote from: bigsofty on 2010-Jul-28
I could not find an efficient, worry free method of doing this and believe me, I tried!  :P

Are you telling me I should get a MacOS? I though it was as easy as finding here some Mac user, sent him the xcode and to get back a "exe" for iphone...

I really have not anything now, I just find GLBasic last week, but I dont want to start programming and/or buying GLB if I can not find a way of getting exe/ipas for iPhone...

Anyway, would you release an iPhone app without testing it on a real iPhone?

Performance, controls, etc... Looks too risky.

Good luck with your project!
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: ampos on 2010-Jul-28
Quote from: Manu Segura on 2010-Jul-28
Quote from: ampos on 2010-Jul-28
Quote from: bigsofty on 2010-Jul-28
I could not find an efficient, worry free method of doing this and believe me, I tried!  :P

Are you telling me I should get a MacOS? I though it was as easy as finding here some Mac user, sent him the xcode and to get back a "exe" for iphone...

I really have not anything now, I just find GLBasic last week, but I dont want to start programming and/or buying GLB if I can not find a way of getting exe/ipas for iPhone...

Anyway, would you release an iPhone app without testing it on a real iPhone?

Performance, controls, etc... Looks too risky.

Good luck with your project!

LOL, no, I have iPhones 3G and 3Gs!
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: trucidare on 2010-Jul-29
its possible to let another one compile your app and create an ad hoc version, which you can simply drag & drop to your itunes and it will be installed after you put your device to sync.

Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: ampos on 2010-Jul-29
Quote from: trucidare on 2010-Jul-29
its possible to let another one compile your app and create an ad hoc version, which you can simply drag & drop to your itunes and it will be installed after you put your device to sync.

Is that a question or an affirmation?
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: trucidare on 2010-Jul-29
an answer for the question if its possible to develope and test without mac.
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: matchy on 2010-Jul-29
Ad-Hoc provisions are for development testing, so if you can send and test on selected iPhones (via email). Deployment provisions are for the App store.
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: trucidare on 2010-Jul-29
thats i said :D
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: matchy on 2010-Jul-29
I'm starting to feel the initial provisioning and certificate process headache again.  :puke:  :D
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: Kitty Hello on 2010-Jul-29
Yes. Ad-Hoc distribution is headache. For me anything with code sign is.  :puke:
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: MrTAToad on 2010-Jul-29
Had a questionnaire from Apple about the iPhone Developer Program - filled it in with a moan about the need  for all the code signing needed...
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: shawnus on 2010-Jul-29
So did I. My suggestion was for Apple to offer code signing etc as a managed service for a premium subscription (since they already have my details) - I'd happily pay for this (depending on the cost obviously) to let me concentrate on the essentials ie product development, marketing, etc.

'building for distribution' on a PC takes 30 seconds (just save as self contained exe) whereas with Apple its taken so far many, many hours!

Cheers, Shawn
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: Kitty Hello on 2010-Jul-29
@shawnus - exactly what I wrote them!!!
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: trucidare on 2010-Jul-29
Why the provisioning is a problem for all of you :D i have no problem with it.
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: MrTAToad on 2010-Jul-29
It takes ages - first you need to wait a day to get the initial certificate.  And if you want to do publishing of any sort, you've got another lot to deal with.
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: matchy on 2010-Jul-30
It's very easy to slip up the process during certificate and provisional file creation, especially the first time learning the system and with step instructions.
Title: Re: programing to iPhone with no Mac... possible?
Post by: shawnus on 2010-Jul-30
I think there may be a gap in the market here for someone who can troubleshoot provisioning issues!

Before I finally knuckled down & got over my own I had previously tried to contact iphone developers here in N Yorkshire to assist- there were only 3 'viable' companies. After describing the problem 2 said they could not or did not have the expertise to help. The 3rd chap I got hold of was able to help (he teaches iphone development at Leeds Uni) but charges £1400 per day, broken down in hour blocks.

He was going to do it remotely using Skype + screen sharing - all free to set up he said. We did not get as far as a PO / specific quotes for time - he reckoned 2 hours, so I dont know how that would have been managed (I guess some downpayment followed by settlement of balance upon successful resolution).

Anyway, a quick trawl through iphone dev forums reveals many people in similar predicaments so those feeling entrepreunerial / altruistic...