Help understanding iOS deployment

[Graham Samuel]

I haven't put 'OT' on the subject because I think this should be on topic for any LC developer planning to deploy on iOS. I have been confused by the current discussion started by Bob Sneidar {"How to take a fairly good concept and jack it up badly"). I don't want to comment on Apple's policies (I'm too ignorant) but I do want to understand clearly how to deal with the following scenario. At the moment I am drowning in Apple documentation and Apple terminology - provisioning, certificates, profiles, requests, Team Agents (am I one?), etc. I have come to a grinding halt because what the Apple documentation says I should be seeing, I'm not seeing.

Anyway, suppose:

1. I develop an iOS app for a friend who had the business idea. I'm OK with this bit.

2. I reach the beta test stage and I want my friend to see the app. He is literally on the other side of the world. Can I send him a copy at this stage for him to load into his iPhone? I think I can if I have something called an iOS Distribution Certificate. My research with Apple shows that this is non-trivial as it means a request and presumably a response - and the docs I've see lead to references to Leopard, but I'm on Lion, and indeed although I can generate a request, I don't seem to be able to generate a recognisable Certificate, nor do any of my keys look as if they belong with any certificate. Does anyone know what to do, and if there are any gotchas?

3. Suppose we iterate to the point where we believe the app is useful: the next thing is to distribute it to a few people in the profession my friend is in, so that the rough edges can be knocked off. Presumably this is just an extension of (2) but I have to register (do I?) the serial numbers or whatever of the new devices.

4. Suppose we all think the thing is great but that it will never be the killer app, and indeed not more than 100 people will want to buy it (I use the number 100 because I think this is the ad hoc limit). Is it possible to get it out to up to 100 people without registering each and every device - and if not, do I have to maintain the list of devices?

I realise that I will probably have to slog through the Apple Provisioning Portal and the Apple Developer Forums to understand all this, but I could sure use a short cut - that is, if anyone has time to explain.

Hopefully

Graham