Debugging native iOS apps, on mac machine in the cloud, through local USB

Question

I would like to prototype some ideas for iOS apps, but I don't have a Mac machine. (also my machine is with AMD processor which makes setupping a vm an issue, I couldn't resolve)

So, my only option (apart from getting a Mac) is to rent a Mac machine in the cloud (macincloud is what I am headed for).

I would like to debug an app (native, not web) running on an iPad, I've connected to my local Win7 machine.

Is there a way to enable/share my USB's to the remote Mac, so that Xcode can detect my device and allow debugging of the app?

Answer 1

For those coming here from google, this is now possible with a couple different solutions as described on the macincloud site:

https://support.macincloud.com/support/solutions/articles/8000007775-test-apps-on-physical-ios-devices-connect-a-device

For true local device debugging, USB Gate is their recommended solution.

Answer 2

For this you need a tool to share your USB over the internet. Maybe you could try http://www.eltima.com/products/usb-over-network-mac/ or http://www.net-usb.com

But you probably need admin rights which you won't get with macincloud. Maybe you could try a different provider like http://xcodeclub.com

Also inn the FAQ of macincloud:

How can I easily test my apps on my own iOS hardware using MacinCloud service?

Although it is not possible to make the remote Mac server aware of your iOS devices that are connected to your local computer, there is a workaround:

We highly recommend developers to utilize the free service provided by TestFlightApp.com, which allow you to easily provision your iOS device for development and distribute your app to iOS devices for testing.

Please visit TestFlightApp.com for more informations. You will need to sign up for a free developer account on their website to utilize the service.