Install the client on an iOS mobile device
We can install the mobile client, or any signed application marked with the installer flag, on the iOS mobile device by entering the access URL in the browser, entering the credentials, and completing the required steps.
Important: To install applications on iOS devices, we must first configure the Application Center server with SSL. See Configure Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). For experts
The ibm.appcenter.ios.plist.onetimeurl JNDI property of the IBM Application Center Services controls whether One-Time URLs are used when the mobile client is installed on an iOS mobile device. Set this property to false for maximal security. When we set this property to false, users must enter their credentials several times when they install the mobile client: once when they select the client and once when they install the client.
When we set the property to true, users enter their credentials only once. A temporary download URL with a cryptographic hash is generated when the user enters the credentials. This temporary download URL is valid for one hour and does not require additional authentication. This solution is a compromise between security and ergonomy.
The steps to specify the ibm.appcenter.ios.plist.onetimeurl JNDI property are similar to the steps for the ibm.appcenter.proxy.host property. See Defining the endpoint of the application resources.
Install the mobile client on an iOS device is similar to installing it on Android, but with some differences. The installer is automatically launched directly after download. Your user name and password credentials are requested for almost all the installation steps.
- Start the browser on the mobile device.
- Enter the following access URL in the address text field: http://hostname:portnumber/applicationcenter/installers.html
Where hostname is the address of the server and portnumber is the number of the port where the Application Center is installed. Your system administrator can provide this information.
The Application Center also provides an alternative URL for installing the client on a mobile device: http://hostname:portnumber/applicationcenter/inst.html. The page of this URL works better with some older or some nonstandard mobile web browsers. If the page installers.html does not work on the mobile device, we can use inst.html. This page is provided in English only and is not translated into other languages.
- Select an item in the list of available applications to display the application details.
- Tap Install Now to download the mobile client.
- Enter the credentials to authorize the downloader transaction.
- To authorize the download, tap Install.
Figure 1. Confirm app to be installed
- Enter the credentials to authorize the installation.
If we entered valid credentials, the browser will close and we can watch the download progress.
Install an application on a device requires a provisioning profile that enables the application to be installed on the selected device. If we accidentally try to install an application that is not valid for the device, iOS version 6 or earlier gives an error message. Some versions of iOS 7 might try to install the application in an endless loop without ever succeeding or indicating any error. The application icon that shows the progress of the installation appears on the home screen, but, because of the endless loop, it is difficult to delete this application icon to stop the endless loop. A workaround is to put the device into Airplane mode. In this mode, the endless loop is stopped and we can delete the application icon by following the normal steps to delete apps on iOS devices.
Parent topic: The mobile client