Using ActiveSync (CEAppMgr) with signed .cab files fails

[Guest]

Apologies if this is not the correct place to post this message. I wasn't
sure where to post it.

What am I doing wrong?

I'm using CEAppMgr, along with the required ini file, to install a Windows
Mobile 2003 app onto my Smartphone. Within the build environment, I am
creating a cab file for my app. Using a batch file, for now, I call CEAppMgr
passing in the ini file that knows of the cab I've created. It works great!

The problem: To enable my app to install and run on 'all' Smartphones, I
intend to sign the cab. For testing purposes, I am currently signing the cab
with one of the Test Certs. The problem is, that when I sign the cab,
CEAppMgr will no longer install my application. I turned on the simple
debugging supported by CEAppMgr and found that the cause is that the file
size embedded into the cab, no longer matches the actual file size (because
of the digital cert).

Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a workaround or a better (more
correct) way to do this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Robert Levy [MS]]

Your explanation of why this happens is right on. We documented this
recently in the Windows Mobile Platform Migration FAQ. Unfortunately,
there's not really a good solution... at least not one I'm happy with.

To help alieviate the problem, we made a change in Active Sync 4.0 so that
now when it sends a signed CAB to legacy Pocket PC devices (WM 5.0 Pocket
PCs support signed CABs) it first strips off the signature. This is a
perfect solution if your users are all running Active Sync 4.0 and are only
installing your app through Active Sync. But, that's probably not a common
scenario so you'll have to provide two CABs. 1) a signed version for Pocket
PC 5.0+ & all versions of Smartphone and 2) an unsigned version for previous
versions of Pocket PC.

-Robert Levy
Program Manager, Windows Mobile Developer Experience

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the info...

Unfortunately, I am developing for the Smartphone platform, so providing an
unsigned cab is not going to be a viable solution (in all cases). I suppose I
can simply provide a signed cab, but then users will have to download it to
their device manually, or OTA. I believe I also need the cab signed (along
with all assemblies for Mobile2Market. Bummer...

Can't you just slip me that patch that doesn't check the file size ?