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signercli

Command Line Interface – Full Command Overview​

1. Overview​

Certchip Signer CLI (signercli) is a cross-platform command-line tool for:

  • Code signingㄹ
  • Document signing
  • Certificate and key management
  • Signature verification
  • CI/CD automation

It is designed to work with the Certchip Signer Server and supports:

  • API-key–based automation
  • SSH-key–based user authentication
  • HSM-backed and software-based key storage
  • Cross-platform execution (Windows, Linux, macOS)

2. Version Information​

Certchip Signer CLI v0.1.20
Cross-platform code and document signing tool

3. Command Usage​

signercli [command] [options]

  • Commands may be:

    • A file path (implicit signing)
    • An explicit subcommand (e.g. cert, privkey)

  • Global options apply to all commands

4. Top-Level Commands​

CommandDescription
<file>Sign a file (EXE, PDF, documents, scripts, etc.)
-loginAuthenticate using SSH key or username
-logoutLogout and revoke authentication token
-verifyVerify a file’s signature
-configManage signing profiles
-codesign-listList available code-signing certificates
-codesign-idGet or set the active code-signing certificate
-codesign-certExport code-signing certificate PEM
-codesign-setSet private key password
-certCertificate management (Signer-compatible)
-cert-distAutomated certificate distribution (Let’s Encrypt SSL)
-cert-apiFull certificate management via API key
-privkeyPrivate key management via API
-pubkeyPublic key management via API
-csrCSR generation via API
-installInstall system DLLs (Windows only, admin required)
-uninstallRemove system DLLs (Windows only, admin required)
-helpDisplay help information
-versionDisplay version information

5. File Signing (Implicit Command)​

If the first argument is a file path, signercli automatically enters signing mode.

Examples​

signercli myapp.exe
signercli document.pdf
signercli script.js -hash-only
signercli file.exe -profile myprofile

Supported targets include:

  • Windows executables (.exe, .dll)
  • PDF documents
  • Script and binary files
  • Hash-only signing for detached workflows

6. Authentication Commands​

6.1 Login​

signercli -login <server_url> <username>

or using an SSH key:

signercli -login <server_url> -key ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Optional:

-include-chain

Authentication features:

  • SSH-key–based authentication
  • Token-based session management
  • Compatible with role-based access control

6.2 Logout​

signercli -logout

  • Revokes the active authentication token
  • Terminates the session immediately

7. Signature Verification​

signercli -verify <file>

Verifies:

  • Signature validity
  • Certificate chain
  • Timestamp (if present)

Example:

signercli -verify file.exe -format table

8. Configuration Management (config)​

The -config command manages signing profiles, which store:

  • Server host
  • Authentication method
  • Default options

Examples​

signercli -config
signercli -config list
signercli -configset default -host https://server.com
signercli -config delete myprofile

Profiles are commonly used in:

  • Multi-environment setups
  • CI/CD pipelines
  • Multi-tenant signer servers

9. Code Signing Shortcuts​

These commands provide legacy and convenience shortcuts for code signing.

CommandDescription
-codesign-listList code-signing certificates
-codesign-idGet or set active code-signing certificate
-codesign-certExport code-signing certificate PEM
-codesign-setSet private key password

Internally, these commands map to -cert and -privkey operations.

10. Certificate and Key Management​

CommandPurpose
-certCertificate lifecycle management
-cert-apiAPI-key–only certificate management
-cert-distAutomated SSL issuance (Let’s Encrypt)
-privkeyPrivate key management
-pubkeyPublic key management
-csrCSR generation

These commands are designed for:

  • Automation
  • Server-to-server integration
  • HSM-backed workflows

Detailed documentation for each command is provided separately

(e.g. signercli -cert Reference).

11. Platform-Specific Commands​

Windows Only​

signercli -install
signercli -uninstall

  • Installs or removes system-level DLLs
  • Requires Administrator privileges
  • Used for native Windows signing support

12. Global Options​

Output Format​

-format classic | json | table | csv

Examples:

signercli -config list -format json
signercli -verify file.exe -format table
signercli -logout -format csv

Logging Levels​

LOG_NON  – No logging
LOG_ERR  – Errors only
LOG_WRN  – Warnings
LOG_INF  – Informational
LOG_DBG  – Debug output

13. Documentation Reference​

Official documentation:

https://certchip.com/signer/help/how-to-use-signer.html

14. Summary​

signercli is a unified, enterprise-grade signing CLI that supports:

  • File signing and verification
  • Certificate and key lifecycle management
  • Software and hardware HSM integration
  • Secure CI/CD automation
  • Cross-platform operation