quick update on test binaries

[Dirk Hohndel]

> On May 8, 2020, at 11:19 AM, Chirana Gheorghita Eugeniu Theodor <office at adaptcom.ro> wrote:
> 
> ios still does not have an update

I haven't found a way to automate that. I'm sure it exists, but as far as I can tell it is:

- start build on the one machine that has the keys
(sit around for ~3 minutes)

- open that build in Xcode, Archive it 
(sit around for another ~3-4 minutes)

- click on upload, click on Next on half a dozen dialogs, each time with a certain wait time
(now wait for the upload to complete, initial processing to complete... 2 to 10 minutes, sometimes longer)

- open a web browser, log in, do the 2FA dance, accept another agreement on tax payments in in Southern Nirvana and the change to discount rules for central south Faringistan - even though you have ZERO paid apps, then agree to the 214 page privacy policy that changes approximately every 9 days and that you can't accept until you SLOWLY scrolled all the way to the bottom

- navigate to the right screen again
- confirm that this still doesn't export weaponizable encryption technology
- submit for external testing

Now my work is done - average wall clock time spent ~30 minutes, but some days considerably longer, 99.99% of which is waiting and cursing

A random time interval later, this becomes available to testers.
Every time the version number is increased (so after every release) that typically takes 36-72 hours. Randomly it will take 12+ hours. But if version number is the same, most of the time it's just a few moments / minutes.


So yes, I am always behind on making iOS test binaries available. Because it's such an intentionally f-ing tedious process, such a waste of time, and (as I'm sure you can tell) it makes me SO ANGRY.
Oh, and every 365 days I get to pay $99 for the personal enjoyment to be allowed to do that. But I'm sure that price will increase any day now.

Anyway. I wrote this email during a couple of the "sit around" breaks in the list above. We are now in the "wait for the upload" stage and since this is the first 3.0.6 app we'll enter the wait typically 36-72h stage, soon.

/D

PS: I forgot to insert the "randomly be forced to update Xcode, update your OS, buy a new Mac, sacrifice a chicken or goat" stages that are also sprinkled into the process...
PPS: also forgot the "randomly one of the three different certificates that you need in the process expires and the automatic update fails and you manually reset it which resets all of your other certificates and then you end up doing a fresh macOS reinstall to get back to a working state" stage