Minimal CMake app for Windows (Microsoft Store)

A simple CMake project to build, package, bundle and sign a minimal app for Windows, ready for uploading to the Microsoft Store as a Windows 10/11 PC app.

The app itself is based on a minimal sample provided by Microsoft.

How to build and install

I have provided:

• MakeSelfSignedCertificate.ps1: a script to generate a local self-signed certificate. You need a local certificate to be able to install the app on your local Windows PC just like it was installed via the Microsoft Store app.
• cli_build.bat: a build script that uses CMake 3.24+, Ninja and Visual Studio (2022 Community).

Create a local self-signed certificate for code-signing

To prepare the app for the Microsoft Store, or to install it on your local machine, you'll need a private certificate key to code-sign the app.

For local installation, we're using a self-signed certificate.

1. Run PowerShell as Admin.
2. Navigate to the source folder (that contains this file).
3. Enter .\MakeSelfSignedCertificate.ps1.
4. You will be prompted for a password. Choose your own but make a note of it.
5. Check that the certificate files have been created in your source folder.
6. Check that the certificates have been installed by running the Windows certificate manager.
   • Go to Settings > Manage User Certificates; or Win + R, certmgr.msc.
   • Look in Personal > Certificates for CMake.Experiment.Certificate.
   • Look in Trusted Root Certification > Certificates for CMake.Experiment.Authority.
   • These don't auto-refresh. Use F5.

Build and install

You can use your own build script if you wish and your own choice of compiler, CMake & Ninja. However the script provided will exactly replicate my approach.

To use the script, you need to have Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 (Community edition) installed, which itself provides CMake & Ninja. If you have a different version or edition of Visual Studio, edit the path in line 5 of the script.

1. Open the Visual Studio command prompt. (This must match the version & edition in the script.)
2. Navigate to the source folder (that contains this file).
3. Enter cli_build.
4. You will be prompted for the PFX_SIGNATURE_KEY. Enter the filename of the private certificate key. (It will be LocalCMakeExperimentKey.pfx if you used the script above).
5. You will be prompted for the PFX_PASSWORD. Enter the password associated with the private certificate key.
6. The script will:
   • create a Release build of the app in the folder build-Release,
   • install it into subfolder build-Release\install,
   • create a 64-bit package in subfolder build-Release\packages,
   • bundle that into build-Release\CMakeAppForMSStore.appxbundle,
   • and code sign the bundle.
7. Double-click the bundle at build-Release\CMakeAppForMSStore.appxbundle to install it.
8. Either launch the app from the installer or close the installer and launch it in from the Start menu.