How to Acquire Your Symbian Smartphone’s Certificate (.cer) and Private Key (.key) from OPDA

Nokia Symbian Certificate Closed since June 23, 2011^{[Updated August 25, 2011]}

Bad news are aplenty for Symbian users these days, the latest one being that OPDA (and countless similar sites) has stopped working since June 23, 2011 to give them an IMEI-specific cer/key file, required to sign an unsigned app sis/sisx file. This is because some now rules and procedure is used by Symbian certification.

The following article is a step by step picture guide on how to acquire the certificate and private key for your Series 60 Smartphone using OPDA free service.

This article describes how to sign/unsign S60 Symbian SIS/SISX package files with your own certificate signature using SISContents by Aquarius.

The prerequisite to signing S60 Symbian applications (.SIS/.SISX files) is to have both your phone’s certificate (.CER) and private key (.KEY) files in hand.

One of the reliable free services around to obtain your CER/KEY is using cer.opda.cn service.

Step by Step Picture Guide

View screenshots album here.

Here’s your comprehensive step by step guide on obtaining your OPDA CER/KEY:

Step 1: Opening cer.opda.cn in Chinese Browse http://cer.opda.cn/, so it shows the website in Chinese.
Step 2: Changing cer.opda.cn’s Language to English Click on the UK flag on the upper right corner, so it changes the language to English.
Step 3: Register Click on “Register” on the upper right corner, so it shows the registration form.
Step 4: Registration Data Entry Fill in your desired username, password, email, and the CAPTCHA, and click “Submit and register.”
Step 5: Registered Successfully If your information is correct, it should display “Registered successfully.”
Step 6: Login Now it will automatically redirect you to the login form.
Step 7: Login Data Entry Fill in your username and password, and click “Login.”
Step 8: Login Successfully If your information is correct, it should display “Login successfully.”
Step 9: Certificates Table Now it will automatically redirect you to your empty certificates table. Click on the “Apply cer” button.
Step 10: Apply for Certificate Now it shows apply for certificate form.
Step 11: Apply for Certificate Data Entry Fill in your cellphone brand/model, its IMEI (dialing *#06# on your cellphone), and a short remark of your phone, and click “Submit application.”
Step 12: Operation Successfully If your information is correct, it should display “Operation successfully!”
Step 13: Applying State Now your certificates table contains your S60 Smartphone’s certificate in “Applying” state.
Come back in a while (a few hours or more), and follow steps 1 and 2. Then click on “Login” on the upper right corner, so it shows the login form. Now follow step 7 to login.
Step 14: Normal State Now if the certificate is ready, the state should be changed from “Applying” to “Normal”.
Step 15: Download CER file Click on “.cer” to download your phone’s certificate.
Step 16: Save As CER File Save the certificate, selecting a proper filename with “.cer” extension.
Step 17: Download KEY file Click on “.key” to download your private key.
Step 18: Save As KEY File Save the private key, selecting a proper filename with “.key” extension.