Introduction

A Client Package is an installer that is specifically designed to fit in for a given target handset.

For a Symbian device one will obtain a .sis (2nd edition) or .sisx (3rd and 5th editions) file.

Client package creation is a 2 / 3-step process:

• Configuration
• Packaging
• (only applicable to 3rd and 5th editions) Signing

Prerequisites

Application configuration can be accessed from the Service > Service Settings > Application configuration tab in Workbench Developer.

In order to customize an application one will need to specify:

• Standard settings, i.e. application UID (see below), application name, application id, application version, application icon (see requirements below)...
• (optional) Advanced settings, i.e. screen orientation changes handling...
• (optional - only applicable to 3rd and 5th editions) Signature (see procedure below), i.e. all parameters (certificate, key, password...) to get the application signed

UID

One will need to retrieve a UID from the [Symbian Signed Portal]. In order to get the UID one needs to be a registered user on Symbian Signed http://www.symbiansigned.com. Once one has registered and logged in click on "UIDs" and then "Request" on the left navigation bar. Select the Protected Range Request link.

Icon

Prior to Symbian 9 (i.e. applicable for 2nd Edition)

The application icon must be a BMP icon + mask, 42 x 29 pixels, 4096 colors maximum.

Symbian 9 (i.e. applicable for 3rd and 5th Editions)

The application icon must be a SVG icon and be compliant with SVG Tiny 1.2, containing no animation.
The icon must be a full SVG icon, do not embed a PNG bitmap in SVG content.

Signing

Prior to Symbian 9 (i.e. applicable for 2nd Edition)

Not required.

Symbian 9 (i.e. applicable for 3rd and 5th Editions)

Packaging an application for testing purpose requires a private key and a certificate downloaded from TrustCenter (aka publisher ID, 200 USD). This is limited to 1000 devices.

Packaging an application for commercial purpose the application must adhere to a series of functional and performance tests, whether passed by the developer (Express Sign 20USD) or by a Testing House (Certified Sign). This requires a publisher ID.

    Publisher ID

The Publisher ID verifies the application’s author to the test-house, and authenticates the Symbian application for use by end users and smartphones.

Go to the TrustCenter website (link), and purchase a Symbian Publisher ID. Price is 200 USD for one year. One will be asked to enter detailed information about the company. During the process a pair of private/public keys will be generated (locally on the system). One will also have to send documentation that proves the existence of the company.
This is a [link] to a complete step-by-step guide (source : developer.symbian.org).
At the end of this procedure one will be in possession of a .KEY file (the private key), and a .CER file (binds the public key and the identity). This is the Publisher ID. Keep those files safe and private.

    IMEI list

The International Mobile Equipment Identity or IMEI is a number unique to every device. It can usually be found printed inside the battery compartment of the device. It mayalso be displayed on the screen of the device by entering *#06# with the keypad (source : wikipedia).
The IMEI list is needed to create a developer certificate request.

    Developer Certificate

To enable developers to deploy applications for testing or for other limited purposes (including beta testing or field trials), Symbian Signed provides a restricted form of signing based on Developer Certificates (DevCert for short). Applications signed with a Developer Certificate are only installable on the devices for which the certificate is granted, based on device IMEI. (source [developer.symbian.org])
In order to create the certificate, one will have to register to a Symbian Signed account and to download a tool named DevCertRequest. Basically one will have to make a Certificate Request (.CSR file) then upload it to the Symbian portal that in return will generate a developer certificate (.CER file). One can use this certificate to sign the application for testing. This is a [link] to a complete step-by-step guide (source : developer.symbian.org).

This certificate will allow us to install the application on up to 1000 handsets.
In order to create it

• Run the DevCertRequest program.

• In the step 2 specify the Publisher ID .cer and .key.
• In the step 3 add all the capablities.
• In the step 4 add all the targeted devices IMEIs.

• Next one will have to upload the Certificate Signing Request (.csr) file to the Symbian Signed Portal. Go to the portal, sign in, and select the OpenSigned>Request link. Fill in the form.

One will receive a mail with a link to the Developer Certificate (.cer) and will have to save it in his system. Used together with the private key one will be able to sign the application.

Packaging

Wizard

Application packaging can be accessed from the Service > Create Client Packages menu option in Workbench Developer.

In order to package an application one will need to specify:

• Targeted device(s), i.e. select all devices the application is supposed to support
• Application configurations, i.e. all defined configurations (as defined in the Prequisites section above) can be set / updated here
• Rich Media Server information, i.e. required parameters to access Streamezzo Rich Media Server instance if any (i.e. if the application contains server-side scenes)
• Output, i.e. output folder and pattern (this last parameter is mandatory in case multiple devices are selected for packaging, as each application installer will need to be dumped in a separated and identified folder, inside the output folder)

Once the "Finish" button is pressed, all requested client packages will be generated for each selected device.

If specified in the configuration, the application will be automatically signed.

The progression of the client packages creation can be followed in the Client packages creation view.

Once a client package has been created, its output folder can also be accessed from here.

Ant task

Some operations as accomplished above with the wizard can be performed relying on an Ant task, which is usually comfortable to reiterate a client package creation in a given configuration (i.e. selected devices, configuration, output...) in a 1-click operation.

In order to do this one can follow those steps:

• Create an Ant build file
• Open it in the Workbench Developer editor
• Right-click in the editor area and select Wizards > Create client package target
• Follow the same wizard steps as detailed above; once the "Finish" button is pressed, the Ant build file will be automatically filled accordingly (instead of really creating the client package(s))

The obtained Ant task looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> My description

The Ant build file can then be dumped in the Ant view and executed from here.

The progression of the running Ant task can be followed as successive logs in the Console, ending with message "BUILD SUCCESSFUL" in case it succeeded.

Distribution

Once properly packaged and signed, a Symbian application can be distributed OTA by any applicable mean, i.e. FTP, Provisioning Server...