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androidapkkeystore

Can keytool be used to rebuild a keystore

This SO thread describes a simple way to automate the creation of a Keystore for signing apps.

echo y | keytool -genkeypair -dname "cn=Another, ou=MyUnit, o=MyCompany, c=US" -alias MyApp -keypass kpi135 -keystore /my.keystore -storepass ab987c -validity 9999

This works perfectly. From my understanding it is not possible to simply recreate the same keystore. I tried doing this by executing the above command twice, albeit with different names and then doing a binary file comparison. Sure enough the two files were not the same.

However, this is purely an empirical result. Am I write in thinking that once you have generated a keystore to sign and release an Android app you hold on to it for dear life since it cannot ever be recreated which then stops the app from being updated?

Solution

  • Am I write in thinking that once you have generated a keystore to sign and release an Android app you hold on to it for dear life since it cannot ever be recreated which then stops the app from being updated?

    Yes.

    Some links for reference