Code Signing Certificates

There are different certificate types. The type you choose depends largely on the nature of the end-user software that will be using your signed code.

• Java applets for the Java 2 plugin
• Java applets for Navigator/JVM 1.1.x
• Java applets for MS
• a ".cab", ".exe", or ".dll"
• an Office 2000 Macro
• Navigator/JVM 1.1.x and Internet Explorer objects
• everything
• Apple content
• a Marimba Channel

I want to sign Java applets for the Java 2 plugin, what do I use?

I want to sign Java applets for Navigator/JVM 1.1.x, what do I use?

I want to sign Java applets for MS, what do I use?

I want to sign a ".cab", ".exe", or ".dll", file what do I use?

I want to sign an Office 2000 Macro, what do I use?

I want to sign Navigator/JVM 1.1.x and Internet Explorer objects, what do I use?

I want to sign everything, what do I use?

I want to sign Apple content, what do I use?

I want to sign a Marimba Channel, what do I use?

Please Note:

* You can use Sun Java JDK 1.2.x just as long as you use the copy of keytool that ships with Sun Java JDK 1.3.

** Plugin 1.2.2: You have to use version 1.0, version 1.1, or version 1.2 of signtool if you want to sign Java applets for any version of the Java 2 Plugin prior to version 1.3. Also note that only version 1.2.2 and above of the plugin supports Netscape Object Signing (signtool). Please note that Netscape does _not_ support Signtool 1.0, 1.1, and 1.2 - if you don't already have it you'll have to get it from someplace other than www.netscape.com. Try comp.lang.java.security. Plugin 1.3: You can use any version of signtool if you are aiming your code at version 1.3 and above of the Java 2 plugin.

*** There are certain limitations regarding the CA roots that the Java 2 plugin can access. This is true for both methods of Java 2 applet signing.

See Sun's website for details

**** Multi-Purpose Certificates: When we use the term "multi-purpose certificates" we refer to any of the following certificates: Netscape Object Signing, Microsoft Authenticode, Apple Code Signing, and Marimba channel signing certificates. These certificates can each be converted from one type to the other. If you have an Authenticode certificate, you can convert it to a Netscape Object Signing certificate, and visa versa.

For more information please look at our documentation.

Office 2000 requires that the certificate and private key be installed in the Windows registry. Our request process gives you two choices for the way in which the key pair is stored. One, is in the registry. The other is to store the certificate in an .spc file and the private key in a .pvk file. Microsoft provides a tool that will import the .spc and .pvk into the registry so getting the key pair in file format is not a problem. It is also easier to backup a .pvk file than to backup a file in the registry.

The choice is yours.