13 - Packaging, Signing, and Release
Shipping desktop software requires platform-specific packaging and trust setup.
Packaging targets
| OS | Common formats |
|---|---|
| Windows | MSI, NSIS |
| macOS | .app, .dmg |
| Linux | AppImage, .deb, .rpm |
Signing essentials
- Sign binaries/installers
- Use trusted certificates
- Keep private keys out of source control
Example release pipeline
- Build matrix (Windows/macOS/Linux)
- Run tests
- Build signed artifacts
- Publish checksums + release notes
- Attach artifacts to release