We need to create an app manifest file, as per https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/msix/desktop/desktop-to-uwp-manual-conversion. NB : the Application Id="[xxx]" has some weird constraints. NB : unless otherwise specified, the following is run under the cmd terminal, not powershell
Build with : C:\Qt\5.15.1\msvc2019_64\bin\qmake.exe "C:\Dev\video-simili-duplicate-cleaner\QtProject\app\app.pro" -config release nmake nmake clean # to remove all the leftover files and keep only executable
Prepare all dependencies for packaging : C:\Qt\5.15.1\msvc2019_64\bin\windeployqt.exe --no-compiler-runtime --release "C:\Dev\release\release\Video simili duplicate cleaner.exe"
Option --no-compiler-runtime is because when distributing through the MS Store, the vc redistributables are made available when specified in the appmanifest, as per https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/msix/desktop/desktop-to-uwp-prepare "Your app uses a VCLibs framework package". To check the version needed, go into the developer machine and check under C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Community\VC\Redist\MSVC see what version to use, and therefore make sure the minversion specified in the appmanifest is below the required version. However for testing, in a clean machine not via the store, these redistributables need to be installed for the app to launch. On the target test machine, run vc_redist.x64.exe copied over from C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Community\VC\Redist\MSVC\14.29.30036
Copy app manifest and icons referenced in the manifest into folder within which is the executable, then package all : MakeAppx pack /d release /p "Video simili duplicate cleaner.msix"
See https://docs.microsoft.com/fr-fr/windows/msix/package/create-app-package-with-makeappx-tool for more information
NB : to check what was put into the package, we can simply unpack it to a folder : MakeAppx unpack /v /p "Video simili duplicate cleaner.msix" /d "extracted-package"
(PowerShell)Create certificate : New-SelfSignedCertificate -Type Custom -Subject "CN=4718DAC3-F3E7-40DE-AF8E-C3EB08A4F6AB" -KeyUsage DigitalSignature -FriendlyName "CertifVideoSimili" -CertStoreLocation "Cert:\CurrentUser\My" -TextExtension @("2.5.29.37={text}1.3.6.1.5.5.7.3.3", "2.5.29.19={text}")
(PowerShell) Export the certificate which is apparently needed later
$password = ConvertTo-SecureString -String <certificate password> -Force -AsPlainText Export-PfxCertificate -cert "Cert:\CurrentUser\My\<certificate hash>" -FilePath C:\Dev\CertifVideoSimili.pfx -Password $password
Sign the package :
SignTool sign /fd SHA256 /a /f C:\Dev\CertifVideoSimili.pfx /p <certificate password> "Video simili duplicate cleaner.msix"
See more info in https://docs.microsoft.com/fr-fr/windows/msix/package/sign-app-package-using-signtool
Now import the certificate to the computer's trusted certificates, with "Manage computer certificates", go to Trusted People part, click on certificates, and "Action", "All Tasks", import -> then select the exported certificate file, and import it.
Then we can run the package to install the app. If wanting to upload to windows store, do not sign the package before uploading.