How to diagnose when package appears invalid?

Question

Using Xamarin, I'm rebuilding an app (on Win10). After the build completes, I right click on the Archive link in the Solution list. A new version is created. Then I click on Distribute, then Ad Hoc. Then click Save As and the APK is saved. BUT sometimes it doesn't ask me for the password. Then I copy it to the Android Download folder. Then I go to the Android device and click on the file. Mostly, it installs, but now it says "App not installed as package appears invalid."

How to fix this or how to further diagnose it?

Thanks. RON

And now it works. Oy veh! So instead of tracking down why calling one procedure causes the app to abend I'm spending my time just trying to get it to the device. — Ron, Dec 08 '22 at 22:10
And now it doesn't work yet again. My question is: How can I diagnose what is invalid? — Ron, Aug 19 '23 at 00:07

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 08 '22 at 21:48

apk won't be installed if isn't signed with any key, which is done in runtime during debug run, and when producing public APK you need to point on some keystore and enter its password

if you need to put some password when producing APK and this APK won't install only when your IDE didn't asked for this password - you probably produced not-signed-with-any-key APK. thats some problem in IDE, I can't help with that, but there are possibilities for "manual" signing APK and inspecting keys, which were used for signing APK (some referal)

I do sign it with a key. BUT sometimes I seems to skip this step. I don't try to install that version but instead redo it. All seems a bit flakey. — Ron, Dec 08 '22 at 22:58

How to diagnose when package appears invalid?

1 Answers1