Xcode fails with "Code Signing" Error

Richard Stelling picture Richard Stelling · Dec 19, 2012 · Viewed 34.9k times · Source

Alternate Titles

(to aid search)

  • Xcode 'CodeSign error: code signing is required'
  • Xcode: iPhone app codesign error
  • /usr/bin/codesign failed with exit code 1
  • Jenkins fails with Code Sign error
  • Command-line build fails with "provisioning profiles not found"
  • Archiving Xcode project fails with provisioning error
  • Missing signing certificates in Xcode

Symptoms

The issue manifests it's self in one of several ways:

  • Running your app on a device results in an error referencing "code signing" or "expired signing certificates"

  • Building from the command line (or using a continuos integration system, such as Jenkins) fails with a error similar to this:

      Check dependencies
      Code Sign error: No unexpired provisioning profiles found that contain any of the keychain's signing certificates
    
  • Archiving an app fails with "code signing" or "expired signing certificates" where a run or build work correctly.

Often the project may have several configurations and sometimes only a subset will fail. Deleting and regenerating provisioning profiles has no effect.

Answer

Richard Stelling picture Richard Stelling · Dec 19, 2012

CODE_SIGN_IDENTITY verification script.

Often in set ups that use version control the project.pbxproj can be merged in such a way that two CODE_SIGN_IDENTITY lines can be inserted. This seems to cause Xcode problems under certain situations (like command-line builds or archiving).

A tell-tail sign is lines similar to this in the project.pbxproj file (right-click on the project and select "Show Package Contents…")

"CODE_SIGN_IDENTITY[sdk=iphoneos*]" = "iPhone Developer";
CODE_SIGN_IDENTITY = "iPhone Distribution";

Deleting one of these lines will let you select the correct value in Build Settings and the project should once again build correctly.

I have created simple script to help diagnose this issue it can be found here: https://github.com/rjstelling/Xcode-Project-Validate