2017 and Self-Signed Addin

[pball]

I knew 2017 would start warning about unsigned addins so I figured I'd self-sign my addin for our company use. I got everything working on my computer but this was after already allowing the addin manually after running Inventor 2017 the first time. A co-worker just installed 2017 along with my updated addin and certificate on their computer. Inventor still had a warning about the addin. I checked in the addin manager and it says the addin is signed.

Do the 2017 products ignore self signed certs?

[thom-g · Accepted solution]

I had the same problem and found this solution:

All you have to do is to install your certificate into the "trusted root" certificate store and into the "trusted publisher" certificate store. Both are required!

This must be done on every pc you would like to have your addin installed.

You could do this "by hand" with the management console as described >here<, or you could create a console application (this is what I did).

usage:

// install certificate
InstallCertificate(@"C:\path_to_my_certificate_file\certificate_filename.cer");

// uninstall certificate
UninstallCertificate(@"C:\path_to_my_certificate_file\certificate_filename.cer");

code:

// required usings

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates;



// then add the following methods somewhere in your console application


        /// <summary>
        /// install certificate on local machine
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="certfile">full path to certificate file</param>
        private static void InstallCertificate(string certfile)
        {
            try
            {
                X509Certificate2 certificate = new X509Certificate2(X509Certificate2.CreateFromCertFile(certfile));



                //
                // trusted root
                //



                // open certificate store
                X509Store store = new X509Store(StoreName.Root, StoreLocation.LocalMachine);
                store.Open(OpenFlags.ReadWrite);

                // get all installed certificates and search for the certificate to be installed
                bool IsCertificateAlreadyInstalled = false;
                foreach (X509Certificate2 c in store.Certificates)
                {
                    if (c.SubjectName.Name.Equals(certificate.SubjectName.Name))
                    {
                        IsCertificateAlreadyInstalled = true;
                        break;
                    }
                }

                // if certificate was found
                if (IsCertificateAlreadyInstalled)
                {
                    // certificate already exists
                    System.Console.WriteLine("certificate \"{0}\" is already installed in trusted root", certificate.SubjectName.Name);
                }
                else
                {
                    // certificate does not exist and could be installed
                    System.Console.WriteLine("certificate \"{0}\" will now be installed in trusted root...", certificate.SubjectName.Name);
                    store.Add(new X509Certificate2(X509Certificate2.CreateFromCertFile(certfile)));
                    System.Console.WriteLine("Installation was successfull!", certificate.FriendlyName);
                }
                store.Close();



                //
                // trusted publisher
                //



                // open certificate store
                store = new X509Store(StoreName.TrustedPublisher, StoreLocation.LocalMachine);
                store.Open(OpenFlags.ReadWrite);

                // get all installed certificates and search for the certificate to be installed
                IsCertificateAlreadyInstalled = false;
                foreach (X509Certificate2 c in store.Certificates)
                {
                    if (c.SubjectName.Name.Equals(certificate.SubjectName.Name))
                    {
                        IsCertificateAlreadyInstalled = true;
                        break;
                    }
                }

                // if certificate was found
                if (IsCertificateAlreadyInstalled)
                {
                    // certificate already exists
                    System.Console.WriteLine("certificate \"{0}\" is already installed in trusted publisher", certificate.SubjectName.Name);
                }
                else
                {
                    // certificate does not exist and could be installed
                    System.Console.WriteLine("certificate \"{0}\" will now be installed in trusted publisher...", certificate.SubjectName.Name);
                    store.Add(new X509Certificate2(X509Certificate2.CreateFromCertFile(certfile)));
                    System.Console.WriteLine("Installation was successfull!", certificate.FriendlyName);
                }
                store.Close();
            }
#if DEBUG
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                System.Console.WriteLine("Installation has failed");
                Console.WriteLine(ex.ToString());
            }
#else
            catch
            {
                System.Console.WriteLine("Installation has failed");
            }
#endif
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// uninstall certificate from local machine
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="certfile">full path to certificate file</param>
        private static void UninstallCertificate(string certfile)
        {
            try
            {
                X509Certificate2 certificate = new X509Certificate2(X509Certificate2.CreateFromCertFile(certfile));



                //
                // trusted root
                //



                // open certificate store
                X509Store store = new X509Store(StoreName.Root, StoreLocation.LocalMachine);
                store.Open(OpenFlags.ReadWrite);

                // get all installed certificates and search for the certificate to be installed
                bool IsCertificateAlreadyInstalled = false;
                int i = 0;
                foreach (X509Certificate2 c in store.Certificates)
                {
                    if (c.SubjectName.Name.Equals(certificate.SubjectName.Name))
                    {
                        IsCertificateAlreadyInstalled = true;
                        break;
                    }
                    i++;
                }

                // if certificate was found
                if (IsCertificateAlreadyInstalled)
                {
                    // certificate exists and could be uninstalled
                    System.Console.WriteLine("certificate \"{0}\" will now be uninstalled from trusted root...", certificate.SubjectName.Name);
                    store.Remove(store.Certificates[i]);
                    System.Console.WriteLine("Uninstallation was successfull", certificate.FriendlyName);
                }
                else
                {
                    // certificate does not exist and could not be uninstalled
                    System.Console.WriteLine("certificate \"{0}\" is not installed in trusted root", certificate.SubjectName.Name);
                }
                store.Close();



                //
                // trusted publisher
                //



                // open certificate store
                store = new X509Store(StoreName.TrustedPublisher, StoreLocation.LocalMachine);
                store.Open(OpenFlags.ReadWrite);

                // get all installed certificates and search for the certificate to be installed
                IsCertificateAlreadyInstalled = false;
                i = 0;
                foreach (X509Certificate2 c in store.Certificates)
                {
                    if (c.SubjectName.Name.Equals(certificate.SubjectName.Name))
                    {
                        IsCertificateAlreadyInstalled = true;
                        break;
                    }
                    i++;
                }

                // if certificate was found
                if (IsCertificateAlreadyInstalled)
                {
                    // certificate exists and could be uninstalled
                    System.Console.WriteLine("certificate \"{0}\" will now be uninstalled from trusted publisher...", certificate.SubjectName.Name);
                    store.Remove(store.Certificates[i]);
                    System.Console.WriteLine("Uninstallation was successfull", certificate.FriendlyName);
                }
                else
                {
                    // certificate does not exist and could not be uninstalled
                    System.Console.WriteLine("certificate \"{0}\" is not installed in trusted publisher", certificate.SubjectName.Name);
                }
                store.Close();
            }
#if DEBUG
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                System.Console.WriteLine("Uninstallation has failed");
                Console.WriteLine(ex.ToString());
            }
#else
            catch
            {
                System.Console.WriteLine("Uninstallation has failed");
            }
#endif
        }

(successfully tested with Inventor 2017 R4)

[pball]

Thanks for sharing this info. I updated my batch scripts I use to create a self extracting archive installer and to install the cert. I won't be able to do a real test until I update another computer to 2018.

[thom-g]

or try this:

- close Inventor 2018

- (re-)install the cert with your updated installer

- delete the the user setting file: "%AppData%\Autodesk\Inventor 2018\Addins\AddInLoadRules"

- start Inentor 2018

- open the Add-In Manager

- select your Add-In

- if the block option is disabled (greyed-out), everything is fine

let me know if it has worked...

[pball]

Well all is good with my addin, thanks. Autodesk still needs to sign their screencast addin though lol.