Android Cookbook

Chapter 22. Packaging, Deploying, and Distributing/Selling Your App

22.1. Introduction: Packaging, Deploying, and Distributing

Ian Darwin

Discussion

The success of Android has led to a proliferation of application markets. But the official Android Market remains the largest marketplace for distributing your app, so we will cover that, along with information on preparing your app, making it harder to reverse-engineer, and other information you may need along the way.

22.2. Creating a Signing Certificate

Zigurd Mednieks

Problem

You want to publish an application, and you need a “signing key” to complete the process.

Solution

Use the standard JDK tool keytool to generate a self-signed certificate.

Discussion

Google has stated that one of its intentions with Android was to minimize the hassle of getting applications signed. You don’t have to go to a central signing authority to get a signing certificate; you can create the certificate yourself. Once you generate the certificate, you can sign your application using the jarsigner tool that comes with the Java JDK. Once again, you don’t need to apply for or get anyone’s approval. As you’ll see, it’s about as straightforward as signing can be.

In this recipe, you are going to create an encrypted signing certificate and use it to sign your application. You can sign every Android application you develop with the same signing certificate. You can create as many signing certificates as you want, but you really need only one for all your applications. And ...