Resources on provisioning and distribution

Is there any document that explains just what is going with your developer certificates and distribution certificates and .mobileprovision files and what not?

I'm able to follow the instructions on the site to make it work but I really have no clue why I'm doing each step. The iOS iTunes Connect doc on the site didn't seem to have any information on it (other than maybe steps on how to do it).

I'd like an explanation of what's actually going on and w开发者_JS百科hy I need each of those files and steps.

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Simply put, the iOS is designed to work with only signed code. The certificates that you generate is used to sign your binaries to run on the OS, and the provisioning profile provide iOS with the identity of your application as well as its expiration date (if any), so it knows that your application has been authorized to run on the iOS device by Apple.

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I also find it numbingly confusing... but the best I have found is here Apple Dev Guide re: Certificate Signing Request/Development Certificates and Provisioning Profiles. Although it is still lite on the why and how. Mostly gives Apple pretty tight control over distribution.

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The iOS Program User Guide is pretty thorough. (developer.apple.com -> iOS Provisioning Portal -> Program User Guide, top right)