Wednesday, January 14, 2026, 12:00 noon, CST (UTC−6:00) Download .ics

Special Topic:
Advanced Application Signing – Milan Adamov

As developers of applications that run on Macs and Windows machines, we have to play by the rules of each of the platforms. Both operating systems are constantly improving security, and part of tightening down the system is requiring applications to be signed by registered developers. This way the OS can deter potentially harmful softwares from being downloaded or running on your system.

Application signing is close to be mandatory on macOS already, and Windows is becoming stricter with every release. Apple made the signing process pretty straight-forward on macOS and really cheap. Microsoft is catching up with the introduction of Azure trusted signing about a year and a half ago. Both of them offer a convenient signing process that can be easily automated.

In this demo, Milan Adamov will demonstrate how can you setup and use both of the singing services manually on a local computer and as well via Github actions worklows. It might be worthwhile to review his last demo to be able to follow this one in step… Master Action Building with GitHub – Milan Adamov

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Signing presentation materials

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If you cannot attend the live Zoom meeting, no worries!  A recording will be posted to the 4DMethod Youtube channel after the meeting ends.

Quick recap

Milan provided a comprehensive overview of Azure’s certificate signing process and demonstrated how to set up and manage code signing through Azure and GitHub Actions. He explained the technical steps involved in signing and distributing software applications across different platforms, including the complexities of Windows and macOS processes. The team discussed the use of Azure for certificate management and the implementation of GitHub Actions for automation, with Milan offering to provide private training on these capabilities.

Summary

Azure Code Signing Process Overview

Milan explained the Azure certificate signing process, demonstrating how Azure automatically generates and manages certificates for code signing. He outlined the steps needed to set up Azure code signing, including creating a signing account, configuring certificate profiles, and installing necessary tools on Windows. Milan also discussed the process of using GitHub Actions for signing, emphasizing the importance of registering the application and obtaining client IDs, tenant IDs, and client secrets. He advised creating a virtual machine dedicated to signing to avoid complications with certificate selection and provided links to helpful tutorials for further guidance.

Software Signing Automation Process

Milan demonstrated the process of signing and distributing software applications across different platforms, focusing on GitHub Actions for automation. He explained the steps for signing applications on both macOS and Windows, highlighting the complexities involved in the Windows process due to the need for specific tools and scripts. Milan also discussed the use of Azure for certificate management and the creation of a PowerShell script to streamline the signing process on Windows. The team discussed the implications of region restrictions for public applications and the challenges of managing software updates across different platforms.

GitHub Actions for Windows Applications

Milan demonstrated GitHub Actions for building and signing Windows applications, showing how it automatically caches and manages Microsoft SDK tools. He clarified that Azure handles certificate management and explained that while InstallAware uses PFX files for 3-year trust, these are not needed for Azure-signed applications. Brent encouraged attendees to reach out to Milan for private training on GitHub Actions and signing processes, noting Milan’s extensive experience in implementing these capabilities.