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signercli -install / -uninstall

Windows DLL Installation and Removal Command Reference​

1. Overview​

The signercli -install and signercli -uninstall commands are used to install or remove required DLL files for code signing on Windows systems.

These DLLs are required to enable:

  • Native Windows code signing
  • Integration with Certchip cryptographic providers
  • Access to OTP key and signing functionality

Platform Note

These commands are Windows-only and are not supported on Linux or macOS.

2. Command Usage​

signercli -install
signercli -uninstall

3. Description​

Install (install)​

  • Copies required DLL files to the Windows system directory
  • Enables system-wide availability for code signing operations
  • Triggers a User Account Control (UAC) prompt

Uninstall (uninstall)​

  • Removes previously installed DLL files from the system directory
  • Cleans up system-level signing components
  • Also requires administrator privileges

4. Administrator Privileges​

Both commands require Administrator rights.

Behavior:

  • A UAC prompt is displayed when the command is executed
  • The operation will fail if elevated privileges are not granted

5. Installed Files (Windows)​

The following files are installed or removed from the system directory:

C:\Windows\System32\otpkey.dll
C:\Windows\System32\Certchip.dll

These libraries are required by the Certchip signing infrastructure.

6. Examples​

Install DLLs (Administrator Required)​

signercli -install

Remove DLLs (Administrator Required)​

signercli -uninstall

7. Platform-Specific Notes​

Windows​

  • DLLs are installed to C:\Windows\System32
  • Required for native Authenticode signing
  • Administrator privileges are mandatory

Linux / macOS​

The -install and -uninstall commands are not supported.

Instead:

  • Copy required shared libraries to the system library path, or
  • Configure the library search path using environment variables

Examples:

# Linux
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH

# macOS
export DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/lib:$DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH

8. Typical Use Cases​

  • Initial setup of a Windows signing workstation
  • Preparing Windows build agents for CI/CD
  • Troubleshooting missing DLL or provider errors
  • Cleaning up signing components during uninstallation

9. Security Considerations​

  • Only trusted administrators should install or remove system DLLs
  • Installed DLLs affect system-wide behavior
  • Ensure DLL versions match the signercli version in use
CommandDescription
signercli -signSign files using installed DLLs
signercli -verifyVerify signed binaries
signercli -versionShow CLI version information

11. Summary​

The signercli -install and signercli -uninstall commands provide a controlled and secure mechanism for managing required Windows DLLs, enabling:

  • Proper operation of Certchip code signing
  • System-wide signing support on Windows
  • Clean installation and removal workflows

These commands should be used only when configuring or maintaining Windows-based signing environments.