macOS I lost my keys

[zeppenwolf]

I can't develop without codesign, and I can't codesign without the relevant key in my KeyChain.

But it's not there. And admittedly, it's probably me that deleted it, at some point, when things weren't working, and continued to refuse to work that I deleted everything with the attitude that I wanted to start from a tabula rasa.

Ok, so now I'm stuck not being able to compile without the key. And I honestly have no idea where I got the first key (which I must have deleted) in the first place. Where did it come from? How can I retrieve it?

 

[Senor Cuete]

I can't develop without codesign, and I can't codesign without the relevant key in my KeyChain.

But it's not there. And admittedly, it's probably me that deleted it, at some point, when things weren't working, and continued to refuse to work that I deleted everything with the attitude that I wanted to start from a tabula rasa.

Ok, so now I'm stuck not being able to compile without the key. And I honestly have no idea where I got the first key (which I must have deleted) in the first place. Where did it come from? How can I retrieve it?

Generally XCode manages signing certificates for you. See https://developer.apple.com/library...deSigningGuide/Introduction/Introduction.html. You can delete old signing certificates using your developer account and get new ones using XCode.

 

[zeppenwolf]

Generally XCode manages signing certificates for you. See https://developer.apple.com/library...deSigningGuide/Introduction/Introduction.html. You can delete old signing certificates using your developer account and get new ones using XCode.

I can't find anything in there that helps. It's not a matter of certificates, it's a matter of not having a private key.

 

[DeltaMac]

Does this developer forum answer help you?
https://forums.developer.apple.com/thread/92336

 

[zeppenwolf]

Does this developer forum answer help you?
https://forums.developer.apple.com/thread/92336

No, I don't think so. It's close tho. That guy couldn't use his key cuz he forgot his password, I think...

Me, I used to have a key in my KeyChain called "Mac Developer" that XCode needed to codesign, and it's not there now, and I can't find how to recreate it.

 

[chown33]

If you no longer have or know your private key, the only option I can think of is to revoke it and start over with a new private key.

See here, under the heading "Compromised Certificates":
https://developer.apple.com/support/certificates/


In the future, I recommend that you make a backup of the keychain file containing your private key and certificate, and keep it in a safe place. Preferably several safe places, i.e. multiple backups of the file, on different media, with long lifetimes.

You can make a new keychain file using the Keychain Access utility. You can then copy keys, certificates, etc. into that file.

 

[Senor Cuete]

Did you ever get this resolved?

Another suggestion: At would be very easy to restore any certificates, etc. to your key chain from a Time Machine backup.

 

[zeppenwolf]

Did you ever get this resolved?

Another suggestion: At would be very easy to restore any certificates, etc. to your key chain from a Time Machine backup.

Thanks everyone, it looks like I've dodged a bullet this time.

I don't use TM much, but I do have my drive partitioned into like 8 spaces: Data, which means all the documents I'm working on that I want backed up, Temp, which means all the stuff I'm working on that I wouldn't be much upset if I lost it, and then bootable drives, from Snow to Lion to Mountain to Mavericks...

Well, I thought I had lost my keys on all those drives, but double-checking, I found "Mac Developer" on my Mavericks bootable.. So I created a new Keychain file, as chown outlines, and I've been able to use that file on my other boots...

Phew!