Errors with Browser

Help with Errors

If you get an error when building with a browser, use this page to figure out what to do.

If you are still unsuccessful, then post your request for help along with your GitHub username. Mentors can go to your public GitHub repository, check the status and then view your log files directly.

• Do not copy from the log file and post the words
• Do not take a screenshot of what you think is an error
• Just post your username and the name of the app you are trying to build

Username, Not Pictures

If you've been around the DIY community for a while, you know the mantra about screenshots. Well, when using a browser to build, screenshots are close to useless.

All that is needed to assist is your GitHub username.

But first - try to diagnose it yourself using this page.

Most Common Mistakes

These are some of the most common errors to date.

1. You made a spelling error when adding Secrets
   • Each secret must be spelled exactly the way it is presented in the instructions
   • If you are using an automatic translation, please keep an original page open too and copy from it to make sure there are no spelling errors in the secret name
2. You did not add the App Group Identifier to all 4 of the required identifiers in this step: Add App Group to Identifiers
3. You used a smart editor instead of a text-only editor to save your information
   • It only takes one letter to be changed from lower-case to upper-case by your smart editor to ruin your day
   • The alpha-numeric values used for GH_PAT, FASTLANE_ISSUER_ID and FASTLANE_KEY contain both upper and lower-case characters and all the values are case-sensitive
4. When saving TEAMID, you typed what you thought you saw instead of using copy and paste
5. You skipped running one of the actions
6. You need to sign a program license agreement or update a credit card at Apple Developer
   • Be sure to read Misleading Error Message

If you are running development code, skip ahead to Preview for Next Version.

Misleading Error Message

If there are Apple Developer agreements you have not accepted, you may get errors when you try to Build that indicate your Apple Secrets are incorrect even if they are not.

• The misleading message tells you that one or more of these: FASTLANE_ISSUER_ID, FASTLANE_KEY_ID or FASTLANE_KEY is not correct
• Check your Apple Developer account for agreements first, before trying to fix those
• If you previously built successfully - it is almost certainly the agreement
• It can take 15 minutes to an hour after the agreement is signed before it can be used

If you need detailed instructions, click on this Apple Program License Agreement Help Page.

You can also get this message if the credit card used to purchase the Developer account is not current, e.g., no longer valid or expiration date has passed.

One user reported: The expiration date on the credit card used for auto-renew of my developer account was updated and the value in the Apple account did not match the new one. After updating my account with the new expiration date - Browser Build succeeded again.

Find Your Error

For Version 3.2.3 and earlier - later versions have an improved method for display errors.

There is a separate section for each step in the process. First, you must follow the Examine the Error instructions to view the record of the failed action. Then go to the section for the Action you were trying to complete to look for possible error strings to copy into the search box.

1. Action: Validate Secrets
2. Action: Add Identifiers Errors
3. Action: Create Certificates Errors
4. Action: Build Loop Errors before a successful build
5. Repeat Build Loop Errors after a successful build

If you discover a new error, please reach out to help us update the documentation.

Examine the Error

It doesn't matter which action you are running; after the action completes, you will either see a green check mark for success or a red x mark for failure. The graphic below shows an example for the Add Identifiers action.

If you click on the action name, it opens a secondary screen as shown below.

Click on the top link to view the record of the failed action as shown in the graphic below. You will be pasting strings into the search box (highlighted with a green rectangle) to look for a documented error. Please read the instructions below the graphic.

• Paste in a possible error string (copy it exactly); repeat until you find a match
• If the possible error string is found - follow the directions for that error
• Still stuck?
  • Post for help including your GitHub username
  • With that, mentors can diagnose your problem - or at least make a good guess at what you need to try
  • Please do NOT post a screenshot

Where to find my GitHub username?

You can find it:

• either in the URL of your fork of Loopworkspace, after github.com in between the forward slashes (/). https://github.com/username/Loopworkspace

• or on the GitHub website

  

  

As your GitHub username is case-sensitive, use copy and paste.

Action: Validate Secrets Errors

To generate the graphic below, some items were deliberately set to be incorrect in the Secrets list. Representative error messages are shown when running the validate secrets action.

Action: Add Identifiers Errors

Use the Examine the Error instructions to find your error message.

There are two errors that we are familiar with at this point. Look for text matching what is listed below and view what has caused this error to be seen.

Error: credentials missing / invalid

Copy the words on the line below and paste them into the search function for your action log.

Authentication credentials are missing or invalid

The full error looks like this:

Authentication credentials are missing or invalid. - Provide a properly configured and signed bearer token, and make sure that it has not expired. Learn more about Generating Tokens for API Requests https://developer.apple.com/go/?id=api-generating-tokens`

This can be caused by an error in the value (or spelling) of one of these keys:

• FASTLANE_ISSUER_ID
• FASTLANE_KEY_ID
• FASTLANE_KEY
• GH_PAT

Use a Text-Only Editor

If you used a "smart" editor when saving your Secrets in an archive file before pasting them into the repository Secrets, it might have changed a lowercase letter to an uppercase letter.

If even one character is capitalized when it should not be, you will not succeed at the Add Identifiers step.

Error: Invalid curve name

If you see:

invalid curve name

This was caused by an error in the format of the value entered for the FASTLANE_KEY.

Make sure you copy in a text editor from the first hyphen to the last hyphen.

Action: Create Certificates Errors

Use the Examine the Error instructions to find your error message.

Error: Wrong TEAMID in Secrets

Copy the words on the line below and paste them into the search function for your action log.

error: No profile for team '***' matching 'match AppStore

If that phrase is found, then:

• You probably do not have the correct TEAMID entered in your Secrets
• The rest of these instructions assume:
  • You have already created a Loop App in the App Store with that incorrect TEAMID
  • This is true if you completed the steps after running Action: Add Identifiers and before Action: Create Certificates

Follow these steps:

Open each link below in a separate tab

It is best to open each link below in a separate tab so you can return to this list and keep using the links in each step.

1. Delete all the identifiers that you can, following the steps in Configure to Use Browser: Delete Identifiers

   • Delete all the other identifiers first, then try to delete the Loop identifier with the wrong TEAMID
   • It is fine to just ignore identifiers with the wrong TEAMID, but do not use them

2. Enter your TEAMID correctly in the repository Secrets

   • Make sure you use copy and paste from your Apple Developer Membership page for that TEAMID.
   • Follow the update instructions here (this example is for GH_PAT, you'll do the same but for TEAMID) Update Secrets

3. Run Action: Configure to Use Browser: Add Identifiers again

4. Follow all the steps in this section with the correct TEAMID Configure to Use Browser: Configure Identifiers for Loop but when you get to the Configure to Use Browser: Create Loop App in App Store Connect, you need to return to this page and follow the instructions below to remove the app and add a new one.

The first time through, you created an app with a Bundle ID that does NOT include your TEAMID.

You will remove that app and create a new one.

Remove App with Incorrect TEAMID

Go to App Store Connect / Apps and follow the numbered steps in the graphic below.

1. Find the Loop app you created earlier and click on it
2. On the left side, under General, click on App Information
   • Confirm that the value listed under Bundle ID is the incorrect one
   • The Bundle ID says: com.NOT_YOUR_TEAMID.loopkit.Loop
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and tap on Remove App
4. The dialog box, similar to the one in the graphic below, should appear and you tap Remove
   • After the App is removed, you'll see a very similar screen, where you can tap on Restore App
5. But since you want that App removed, tap on Apps at the very top of the screen and proceed to the next step

That App with the wrong Bundle ID remains in the App store but it is hidden so it won't confuse you.

Add App with Correct TEAMID

Now click on the Add Apps button or the (plus sign) if you have other apps in the App Store.

Follow the Configure to Use Browser: Create Loop App in App Store Connect directions with these additions:

• You must come up with a new name for your Loop App
• Triple-check that the Bundle ID you choose is for Loop and contains your TEAMID, it should look like: com.TEAMID.loopkit.Loop
• You must come up with a new SKU for your Loop App (try 1234, if you used 123 before)

Create Certificates

You should be able to continue with the Configure to Use Browser Steps to Create Certificates and then proceed from there with Build Loop and keep going.

Error: Missing Repository Access

Copy the words on the line below and paste them into the search function for your action log.

Error cloning certificates

The full error looks like this:

Error cloning certificates repo, please make sure you have read access to the repository you want to use

or

Error cloning certificates git repo, please make sure you have access to the repository - see instructions above

If you see this phrase, the fastlane package that is utilized during the 3. Create Certificates action cannot access your repository to create certificates for your Loop app. This is due to insufficient repository access rights that were not granted during the creation of your GH_PAT token.

To fix this error:

• Open this link: https://github.com/settings/tokens/
• Here you will see your personal access token (Fastlane Access Token) that was created during Configure to Use Browser: Setup GitHub: Create GitHub Personal Access Token
• Note that Tokens (classic) is highlighted in the menu on the left
• Click on the token name (should be bold, blue Fastlane Access Token ) to open its detail page
• None of the checkboxes under Select Scopes will be checked – this is what's causing the issue.
• Add a check beside the workflow permission scope (the graphic does not match the words, you want to use workflow to get both repo and workflow scope)
• Scroll all the way to the bottom and click Update token (it's a long way, ignore all other settings, do not check anything else)

After you have clicked Update token you should see the token overview again with the message Some of the scopes you’ve selected are included in other scopes. Only the minimum set of necessary scopes has been saved. (You can dismiss the message using the X near the upper right side if it appears).

NOTE: for next release or if using the dev branch - you want GH_PAT to have repo, workflow scope. So click on the workflow scope now and save yourself a step later.

Create Certificates

You should be able to continue with the Configure to Use Browser Steps to Create Certificates and then proceed from there with Build Loop and keep going.

Error: Could not create

Copy the words on the line below and paste them into the search function for your log file.

Could not create another Distribution certificate

The full error message is:

Could not create another Distribution certificate, reached the maximum number of available Distribution certificates

These steps are needed to make room for a Certificate:

1. Delete an old Distribution Certificate
   • Apple limits you to two Distribution Certificates
   • Use this link to view your Apple Developer Certificates
     • Carefully examine the Type column - do not delete a Development Certificate
     • If you accidentally delete a Development Type certificate associated with an Xcode build for your Loop app - it will stop working and you will be very sad
   • Click on the oldest Distribution Certificate and revoke it
     • You will get an email informing you the certificate was revoked
2. To create a new Certificate:
   • Return to GitHub and your fork
   • Run the Action: Create Certificates
3. You are now ready to run the Action: Build Loop

But what about TestFlight builds?

Previous builds using this method that are already in TestFlight are not affected by deleting the Distribution Certificate.

Error: Could not decrypt

Copy the words on the line below and paste them into the search function for your log file.

decrypt the repo

The full error message is:

Couldn't decrypt the repo, please make sure you enter the right password

If you know you entered the incorrect MATCH_PASSWORD in your repository Secrets, go and fix it now and try again.

Otherwise, you need to follow the steps to Reset Match-Secrets.

Action: Build Loop Errors

Run Create Certificates First

You must run Action: Create Certificates before attempting to run Action: Build Loop

Use Examine the Error

• Click on the Action log on GitHub
• There may be a series of green items followed by a red one
• Click on the red item to view the error
• Use the search function in this log to locate your error using one of the strings below

For each section below, copy the phrase into the search function of the log. If you find it, solve that error. If not, move on to the next one.

Could not find an app on App Store Connect

Copy the words on the line below and paste them into the search function for your action log.

Could not find an app on App Store Connect

If that phrase is found, then:

• Make sure you completed the Create Loop App in App Store Connect Step

  • Once you've resolved that step, run these Actions again:
    • Create Certificates
    • Build Loop

• This can also be caused if you correctly created the Loop App but entered an incorrect value for the TEAMID.

  • If you have the incorrect TEAMID, check this link: Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles for entries with the incorrect TEAMID embedded
  • For example, if your TEAMID is 0123456789, but you entered 000123, you may see both of these in your identifiers list
    • com.0123456789.loopkit.Loop
    • com.000123.loopkit.Loop
  • Delete the "bogus" identifier version, fix your TEAMID and rerun all three steps:
    • Add Identifier
    • Create Certificates
    • Build Loop

Error: Provisioning Profile

Copy the words on the line below and paste them into the search function for your action log.

error: Provisioning profile "match AppStore

If that phrase is found one, or more times, it means you missed a step when configuring the Loop identifier or missed associating your Loop App Group with one or more identifiers.

For example, if you see:

error: Provisioning profile "match AppStore com.***.loopkit.Loop" doesn't include the com.apple.developer.usernotifications.time-sensitive entitlement.

Go back to First-Time: Add or Review Configuration for Loop Identifier and make sure you enabled the Time-Sensitive notification for Loop.

For example, you might see:

• error: Provisioning profile "match AppStore com.***.loopkit.Loop.SmallStatusWidget
• error: Provisioning profile "match AppStore com.***.loopkit.Loop.statuswidget
• error: Provisioning profile "match AppStore com.***.loopkit.Loop.Loop-Intent-Extension

Return to Add App Group to Other Identifiers and fix the missing items.

You must create certificates again before you can build Loop:

• Action: Create Certificates
• Action: Build Loop

A new one cannot be created because you enabled

Copy the words on the line below and paste them into the search function for your action log.

A new one cannot be created because you enabled

If that phrase is found with lines similar to the following:

[31mA new one cannot be created because you enabled `readonly`
[31mProvisioning profiles in your repo for type `appstore`:
[31m- 'AppStore_com.NOT_YOUR_TEAMID.loopkit.Loop.statuswidget.mobileprovision'
[31m- 'AppStore_com.NOT_YOUR_TEAMID.loopkit.Loop.SmallStatusWidget.mobileprovision'
[31m- 'AppStore_com.NOT_YOUR_TEAMID.loopkit.Loop.mobileprovision'
[31m- 'AppStore_com.NOT_YOUR_TEAMID.loopkit.Loop.LoopWatch.mobileprovision'
[31m- 'AppStore_com.NOT_YOUR_TEAMID.loopkit.Loop.Loop-Intent-Extension.mobileprovision'
[31m- 'AppStore_com.NOT_YOUR_TEAMID.loopkit.Loop.LoopWatch.watchkitextension.mobileprovision'

This tells you, the Bundle ID you selected in First-Time: Create Loop App in App Store Connect does NOT have your TEAMID embedded in the name.

Once you have created an app in the App Store that is not based on your TEAMID, you cannot delete it, but you can Remove it (i.e. hide it so that it is no longer visible on this page and you don't accidentally click on it).

1. Open this link: App Store Connect / Apps to view your apps; log in if needed.
2. Find the App with the wrong Bundle ID and click on it
3. On the left-hand side, click on App Information (under General)
   • Confirm the Bundle ID listed does not include your TEAMID
   • Scroll all the way to the bottom
   • Tap on Remove App
   • New dialog window appears, select Remove

At this point, get your correct TEAMID, fix your Secrets file to have the correct TEAMID and then return to First-Time: Configure Secrets. This time you will be updating TEAMID in the repository secret list.

Repeat Build Loop Errors

This section is only for people who have successfully built using GitHub Build Actions.

Use the Examine the Error instructions to find your error message.

Could not install WWDR certificate

Assuming you have successfully built using the Browser-Build / GitHub method before:

• If the details show this message, Could not install WWDR certificate, make sure your Apple developer account is in good standing and that there are no agreements that need to be accepted
• Sometimes this is a sign that Apple did not respond to a request, this failure happens in the first few minutes
  • Repeat the build and it should be fine the next time

Reset Match-Secrets

This is not the first thing to try, but sometimes it is the best approach.

There might be several reasons to do this:

• You tried to build with GitHub Browser Build earlier (before the directions were improved) and were not successful
• You lost your MATCH_PASSWORD and want to build one of the Other Apps
• You thought you entered the correct MATCH_PASSWORD but you are getting Error: Could not decrypt

These steps are needed to reset your Match-Secrets:

1. Delete your Match-Secrets Repository
   • Instructions to delete a repository are found at GitHub Docs
2. Create a new private Match-Secrets Repository
   • main branch: follow the directions First-Time: Create Match-Secrets
   • dev branch: the Action: Validate Secrets automatically creates a new private Match-Secrets repository if you don't have one
3. In your fork of LoopWorkspace:
   • Run the Action: Create Certificates
   • If this fails, click on this link for the most likely Error: Could not create
   • If that doesn't help, check all your Secrets and try again
4. You are now ready to run the Action: Build Loop

Other Apps

All DIY iOS apps that have an associated GitHub Browser Build method require the same 6 Secrets.

If you add an app to your GitHub username (by forking the repository and adding Secrets) and then build it, it encrypts your Certificate using MATCH_PASSWORD.

If you already have the other apps configured and then you delete Match-Secrets and add a new one, you will need to run Create Certificates for each app before the next time you build each app - go ahead and do that now so you don't forget.

Preview for Next Version

Error annotations are available for Version 3.3.0 and later. These were contributed by community volunteers along with the improvements to enable automatic updates and automatic builds.

Examine Annotation

If a GitHub Action fails, you will see a clear notification.

First consider the following results from the GitHub Action: 1. Validate Secrets.

Your screen may look similar to the graphic below. The name in parentheses refers to the branch used to develop these wonderful messages. Yours may be (dev) or (main), once 3.4.0 is released.

But there are so many reasons why this could happen. The first step is to click on the link highlighted by the red rectangle in the graphic above. This opens a new detailed view. The GIF below shows two different error messages. The first frame shows the error in the Annotation box at the bottom (you may need to scroll down to see this), and you may need to click on "Show More" to see the full message as seen in the second frame. The third frame of the GIF shows a different message. Each one these messages is designed to make it easier for you to diagnose your own problem.

Notice that GitHub Action: 1. Validate Secrets is broken into three jobs each of which will either pass and show a green check or fail and show a red check. The secrets are validated with each action, so you will see this a lot.

For example, the graphic below shows a failure of GitHub Action: 3. Create Certificates .

This is an example of a message that is not terribly descriptive - which is why it is shown here. In this case, you can click on just the one job that failed. There will be less to sort through to find your error. The most likely reason for this error is Error: Could not Create.

If you run across an error that does not have a nice message, be sure to post as discussed in Help with Errors. You may be contributing to future improvements for this process.