Image Source: http://openclipart.org/detail/96253/access-by-skind
*This post has been updated from an earlier version to provide additional information for existing BlackBerry code signing key holders.
What if I told you that you no longer have to worry about backing up your BlackBerry 10 code signing keys, forgetting your signing password, remembering which computer you had your keys installed on, or waiting for signing keys to be emailed to you? Well I’m here to tell you just that. BlackBerry 10 code signing keys can now be replaced with a BlackBerry ID account to verify the author of an application. BlackBerry ID support is now included in the BlackBerry Native SDK, BlackBerry AIR SDK and Android tools (as well as BlackBerry WebWorks 2.0 SDK as of December 2013).*
This means you can configure a computer for signing by logging into BlackBerry ID. No more losing signing keys because you forgot to back them up. Forget your BlackBerry ID token password? Log into BlackBerry ID and create a new password. Need to configure a new computer for signing? Log into BlackBerry ID and download your BlackBerry ID token. The BlackBerry ID token does expire after one year, so once that happens, log into BlackBerry ID and download another BlackBerry ID token. Notice a pattern here? As long as you use the same BlackBerry ID, you’ll be able to continue to author upgrades for your applications. So how does all of this work?
For Existing BlackBerry Code Signing Key Holders
Your currently installed BlackBerry code signing keys will continue to function, but I recommend linking them to a BlackBerry ID account right away to take advantage of all the benefits outlined above. Your previous code signing keys will remain on your computer and will continue to work, allowing you to sign using older versions of our SDKs. In order to do so, log into BlackBerry ID to create a BlackBerry ID token, which is where you choose the password you’ll use when signing applications. Once you have the BlackBerry ID token, run the following command to link your currently installed BlackBerry code signing keys to your BlackBerry ID account:
blackberry-signer -linkcsk –bbidtoken <BBID Token CSK filename> -oldcskpass <Legacy CSK password> –bbidcskpass <BBID Token CSK password>
Replace “<BlackBerry ID Token CSK Filename>” with the path pointing to the BlackBerry ID token you downloaded, replace “<Legacy CSK password>” with your existing code signing key password and “<BlackBerry ID Token CSK password>” with the password you chose when downloading the BlackBerry ID token. It’s that easy.
For New BlackBerry Developers
If you’ve never signed a BlackBerry 10 or PlayBook application before, you can start fresh using your BlackBerry ID account. The BlackBerry Native SDK setup wizard will walk you through this process. If you are using one of our other development tools, log into BlackBerry ID to create a BlackBerry ID token and follow the steps in the links below to configure your computer for signing.
- BlackBerry Plug-in for Android Development Tools
- BlackBerry 10 SDK for Adobe AIR
