hBasic > hSuite > Keystores

hSuite
Keystores Explained
Keys
Why the keys ?
Keystores Where we put the keys
Creation
Keystore and Key Creation
Why two keys ?
Upload Key vs Distribution Key.
Recommendation
Let's just keep it simple
Keys
If you are developing for Google Playstore, your app must be signed for uploading and for distribution.
You can choose to use the same key for both operations or to use separate keys.

Keystores
Keys are kept inside keystores. Each key has an alias (to identify it).
You can keep both keys inside the same keystore, or you can have one key per keystore  (recommended).

Keystore Creation
hSuite accepts JKS or PKCS12 keystores from other apps or created by hSuite.
JKS is the old type (recommended) and PKCS12 is the one Oracle is pushing. (Oracle owns java).
Google accepts both types.

hSuite is able to create new keystores since v3.10 (Utils > New Keystore).
Each new keystore will last almost a thousand years. After creating a keystore keep it safe and never forget your password.

A keystore must have a password. So must each key inside the keystore.
For PKCS12, the passwords must be the same. JKS can have differing passwords.
hSuite recommends to choose JKS with the same password for keystore and keys.

Upload Key vs Distribution Key.

Upload Key
The Upload key is the key you normally input when building your app. At the end of an hSuite compilation your app is signed with the upload key. You upload your signed app and that's it.

Google advises that you sign your bundles for upload with a different key than the distribution key. I previously recommended this too. But actually it is a lot simpler to use the same key (which Google also allows) and this is my new recommendation.

Distribution Key
When it's time to release your app, Play Console will ask you for your distribution key.

A) If it's the same as your upload key, just say so and continue.
or
B) If it's not, you will have to download Google's PEPK Tool by following Play Console's instructions to encrypt and upload your key for Google to manage. Since I've never done this, hSuite has no support here.

hSuite Recommendation.
Keystore organisation is quite important because it will affect all your app access on Play Console for the future. Although the final decision is up to you; To Keep things simple here are my recommendations;

Choose JKS
Use the same password for keystore and key
Have only one key per keystore
Use only one keystore for both Upload and Distribution.

-End.


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