Getting an AIR certificate
In case you didn’t know Adobe is running a great program where they offer you a free one year certificate with Thawte for signing your Adobe AIR applications (worth 300 USD) — the only thing you need to do is submit your unsigned AIR application to the AIR Marketplace and be among one of the first 135 to do so.
I did just that and submitted the VideoSnapshot application I built a while back — low and behold I got an email letting me know how I could redeem the certificate.
After filling out the application form on the Thawte site and it has gone through the verification process you’ll get an emali telling you that you can download your certificate. Interestingly you’ll need to use Firefox when you apply or want to install your certificate.
When you click on the fetch certificate button the certificate will install itself into Firefox and when you go to Preferences > Encryption and View Certificates you’ll be able to see it listed under Your Certificates.
The only thing you now need to do is select it, and choose to backup which then prompts you to save it and give it a password. It is that very certificate file on your hard drive that you’ll use when exporting your Adobe AIR application, just browse to it and specify the password you provided when backing it up from Firefox.
Now rather than that big red exclamation mark during the install process, you’ll see a yellow one and your name will be shown as the verified publisher identity.
Think its definitely worth doing…
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So, you finally got the certificate. Only took Thawte 3 days
Anyway, installing a certificate through a browser is often the easiest way. I’m not sure if Safari handles it. I seem to recall that IE on a PC will also let you install certificates.
Also: see that “backup” button? Do it.
It appears that receiving a certificate requires that you provide a business license, as I received a notice that they won’t simply issue certs. to individual developers without one.
Josh, Thawte has a “private certificate” programme. I don’t know exactly how it works, but it’s a sort of sponsorship programme.
One can become a Thawte agent by signing up a certain number of people. You have to find a Thawte agent to get a personal certificate. I wish I could remember the procedure. An ex-colleague of mine was one of those Thawe agents …
nvm. It ’s not a “real” certificate.
https://www.thawte.com/secure-email/personal-email-certificates/index.html
Peter,
Glad you finally got your cert. it took me a good long time of back and forth with Thawte as well. I also got my cert via submitting through the AIR Marketplace. I highly recommend developers take advantage of this amazing offer. These certs would usually cost $300 American.