How to create Windows Store APPX in Delphi with USB token?

[Sherlock 666]

This is a crosspost from the german DP.

Short question: How can I create an APPX using Delphi, when I have no means of accessing the PFX from the Certum Token?

The Delphi options for distribution type "ad hoc" require a pfx file. What to do?

[Patrick PREMARTIN 89]

Hi

 

If you want to publish your APPX or MSIX file to Microsoft Store, you don't need to sign it. For Ad-Hoc deployment it's an other problem.

 

At this time RAD Studio can only sign programs and create signed MSIX/APPX files only with a PFX file. Embarcadero has not integrated the tokens or cloud certificates but some issues are opened on the quality portal.

 

You have a few solutions if you want to distribute programs by yourself with or without creating an APPX/MSIX.

 

To solve this problem for me I've created Exe Bulk Signing (available from GetIt) and DProj 2 Windows Setup projects (available in shareware or open sourced from GitHub). The first one manage the signing. The second one use Inno Setup and Exe Bulk Signing to package and sign a 32 bits and a 64 bits installer from the deployment wizard options in your project.

 

Of course you can use many other packaging solutions to create a setup.exe program or an APPX/MSIX depending on the software used.

 

[Vincent Parrett 783]

You can use the makeappx tool to create your appx file

 

For signing with the Certum token, take a look at Signotaur - this will get around the token password prompts. You can set it up as a post build option on the release config in Delphi if you don't have a proper build or CI process.