Implementation: Which Windows code signing approach for Vitto v1.0 release?

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⚙️ Implementation: Which Windows code signing approach for Vitto v1.0 release?

Date: 2026-02-25
Time: 15:37:17 UTC
Session: gspace1-141.5
Agent: documentation
Confidence: 95%
Status: ✅ Documented

📋 Decision Context

Question:

Which Windows code signing approach for Vitto v1.0 release?

Task: Windows code signing strategy for Vitto desktop

🎯 Decision Made

Chosen:

Phase D — no signing for now, clear upgrade path to Azure Trusted Signing documented.

Options Considered:

Phase D (no signing, SmartScreen warning)
Standard OV cert DigiCert/Sectigo
EV certificate (hardware token)
Azure Trusted Signing

💭 Reasoning

EV certs (~~$400/yr) require hardware tokens — incompatible with automated CI/CD without special forwarding. Standard OV certs (~~$200/yr) show SmartScreen warning for weeks until reputation builds. Azure Trusted Signing (~$10/month) is the correct long-term choice but requires Azure account setup. For an early-access desktop product, Phase D (users click 'More info → Run anyway') is the pragmatic choice: zero cost, zero setup, unblocks shipping. Upgrade path fully documented. macOS signing is unblocked (Apple Developer account exists). Decision is deliberately time-boxed — revisit when hitting distribution targets.

📁 Files Involved

deployment/docs/VITTO-DESKTOP-SIGNING-AND-RELEASE.md
.github/workflows/release-vitto-desktop.yml
apps/vitto-desktop/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json

🔗 Related

Decision ID: dev_1772033837093_h9btj8j
Session: 141
Workspace: gspace1

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