Can't Export Release Build for AIR app...

[Laurence MacNeill]

Flash Builder 4.7 won't let me export a release build for any AIR apps at all...

It started when I wanted to make some changes to an old AIR app.  Couldn't even run it in the debugger, so I updated the AIR SDK (using instructions found here: http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-builder/kb/overlay-air-sdk-flash-builder.html   and here: http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/multi/how-overlay-air-sdk-flex-sdk.html )

So after doing all that, and making some other changes, I finally got my AIR app to run in the debugger in Flash Builder 4.7.  Made the changes I wanted to make, then tried to Export Release Build...  Kept giving me a "Password Incorrect for this certificate" error whenever I tried it -- but it would never let me enter a password.  I went to Project | Export Release Build, and on the first screen there, I would click "Next" and it would jump straight to compiling, skipping over the screen where you're supposed to be able to enter the certificate info and password.

Figured maybe because it was an old AIR project, that was causing the problem.  So I started a brand new AIR project -- very simple one with just a <s:Label> inside a <s:WindowedApplication>.  Went to Project | Properties | Flash Builder Packaging and created a brand-new self-signed certificate (which seemed to work) but again upon trying to export the release build, it wouldn't let me get to the screen where you enter the password.  Clicking "Next" from the first screen on Project | Export Release Build just jumps straight to compiling and (of course) it gives me the Incorrect Password error, because it never gave me a chance to enter the password.

So what is going on here?  Why can I not export any release builds for any AIR projects?  This is extremely frustrating -- Flash Builder 4.6 never gave me these kinds of problems.  What can I do to fix Flash Builder 4.7 so it will work properly with AIR projects?

Thanks,

L.

[iBr3nt]

Hi,

I think something's wrong with either your FB 4.7 installation, or how you updated the AIR SDK. I just walked through the exact steps you listed (except I already had the AIR SDK overlayed) and I can build a desktop AIR app without issue. I get prompted for the password and everything.

I wish I had a better answer, but I'd suggest uninstalling and re-installing FB 4.7, be sure to remove preferences as well. Then before you update the AIR SDK, try building an AIR app with the base SDK that's included in 4.7. If you can get it to compile and prompt you for the password, then it's the way you overlayed the SDK that's messed something up.

Make sure you download the correct AIR SDK that's specific to Flex. On this download page: http://www.adobe.com/devnet/air/air-sdk-download.html is a reference in small print that says: Note : Flex users will need to download the original AIR SDK without the new compiler. Mac Windows. Make sure it's that version of the SDK (without the ASC 2.0 compiler). Then try overlaying the SDK again and see if that works.

I can definitely confirm that what you are experiencing isn't the norm, and that you can get the latest AIR SDK to work with FB 4.7

Good luck!

iBrent

[Laurence MacNeill]

What OS are you runing?  I'm on a Windows Server 2003 machine...  I did have trouble installing Flash Builder 4.7 at first -- I wound up having to delete all the Adobe stuff entirely from the "C:\Program Files (x86)" folder before it would install, but after I did that, the install seemed to go OK...

I also have ColdFusion Builder 2 installed as a plug-in to the standalone Flash Builder 4.7 that's on my machine...  Could installing ColdFusion Builder have messed up Flash Builder somehow?

As far as downloading the correct SDK, I did download both the "compiler" version and "non-compiler" version.  I put the compiler version into the "C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Flash Builder 4.7\eclipse\plugins\com.adobe.flash.compiler_4.7.0.349722" folder, and the non-compiler version into the "C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Flash Builder 4.7\sdks\4.6.0" folder.  That seemed like the right thing to do -- seems to make sense that the "compiler" version of the SDK should go into the folder that has the word "compiler" in it, and the "non-compiler" version of the SDK should go into the folder with the regular Flex SDK.  Did I assume incorrectly?

L.

[Laurence MacNeill]

Oh, and if I uninstall/reinstall FB 4.7, how do I make sure to remove the preferences like you said?  Aren't the preferences stored with each project?  Won't those preferences be re-imported when I import my old projects back into FB 4.7?

[Laurence MacNeill]

I uninstalled Flash Builder 4.7, selecting Remove Preferences when I did the uninstall.  Made sure "C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Flash Builder 4.7" and "C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\ColdFusion Builder 2 Plugins" folders were both completely deleted.

I rebooted the computer, then re-installed Flash Builder 4.7.  First thing I did after the install was complete, I opened FB 4.7 and created a brand-new AIR project.  Tried to export it, and same old, same old...  Still can't enter the password for the certificate...

Any more ideas as to what might be going on here?  This is really crazy...

L.

[Guest]

I'm seeing the same problem, has just started happening in the last day or two. Using FB4.7 64-bit on Windows 7 64-bit. I had upgraded my Flex SDK to have AIR 3.6, as per documentation and using the non-compiler version. Export Release Build -> signed native installer -> next, changes to the window where you normally enter the certificate/password but the window is empty. Just has an error message at the top "Incorrect password for this certificate".

I completely uninstalled FB, including preferences and deleting its folder under Program Files. Reinstalled, made an empty Flex Desktop app and added the certificate under project properties. Using stock Flex SDK. Still seeing the same issue.

Found a workaround: build to an AIRI package - this completes successfully as it doesn't require a certificate. Then use ADT to package the .airi to a native installer. You need Java and ADT on your PATH (can find the ADT binary in Flash Builder). Then run the following from a shell: adt -package -storetype pkcs12 -keystore <.p12 certificate path> -target native <output .exe> <input .airi>. It should prompt you for the certificate password and create a native installer.

[ChivertonT]

Me too, Bulider 4.7 32bit on WinXP, AIR 3.4 and Apache Flex 4.9.1 - but looks like a Builder problem ?

[MartinDuparc]

Same issue here, and it started this morning. Nothing has been changed/updated.

Will have to use the terminal until it gets fixed...

FB 4.7, OSX 10.8.2

[Larry_Brouwer]

I just encoundered the same issues here. I'm in the process of upgrading from FB4PHP 4.5.1, and I installed FB 4.7 as a plugin to Zend Studio 10. All that went fine, and the release build was working with no issues until I allowed some updates to be installed last night.

I wanted to share that I just discovered if you change perspectives to "Flash Debug", it will create a release build just fine! Hopefully, this will help someone else.

[MartinDuparc]

Since Adobe does not seem to care, I switched to Intellij IDEA.

[Olvis]

I can confirm all the problems decribed with Flash Builder 4.7 and both AIR SDK 3.4 and 3.6. Sometimes it worked, most of the time not. Obviously the problem is that after a while you can no longer enter your password for the certificate. I cannot remember, if I ever entered it for a desktop project. Anyway, after a while you are not prompted to enter it. That's a fact.

By sheer accident I found out how you can make it work. It's not very nice, but it works for me. I used the same certificate for a mobile project deploying for Android. In this scenario you are always asked to enter the password in properties and it works like a charm. At this stage you can enable the checkbox "Remember password for this session" and afterwards it will also work for the desktop project, because you don't have to enter the password again (which of course you can't anyway). I guess that's the reason why it worked for me every once in a while. Whenever I worked on the mobile version first, I stored the password and the desktop version would work as well.

Maybe you can make it work by just creating a mobile dummy project so that you can enter the password once in every Flash Builder session and then work on your desktop project.

I think this is a embarrassing for Adobe and really annoying.

[cj_OCHWW · Accepted solution]

Was having the same issue and totally by accident (with a mix of frustration) i went to move the window and accidentally resized it...and low and behold the rest of the window content popped up as if it had a 'hidden' tag on it...a collueges had the same issue on both a windows and mac machine and it was resolved in the same way...i hope this helps someone...

[MartinDuparc]

I can confirm that cj_OCHWW's solutionj work. How stupid is this issue... I've switched to IntelliJ IDEA since I was not able to export a build.

[Laurence MacNeill]

YES!!!  This worked!!!  Finally, a solution!!  Thanks so much!!

L.

[davidgrishaver]

Same here fiddling with the window fixes.  In my case on OSX I clicked the green button twice.

[flashSpec]

resizing the window worked for me, too

[gammajack]

Here it is a year later and I ran into it as well. Rediculous bug Adobe! Why not fix this? Isn't quick fixes/updates supposed to be a benefit of my Creative Cloud subscription?

[ChivertonT]

Have you filed a bug ?

[RickAW]

Same problem, same bug. Resize window and fields appear. This is a pathetic bug to have not fixed. Flash Builder is the most frustrating application I've ever had to work with.

[StevenCalwas]

Resizing the window works for me, too.

Coming up on two years since this problem was first brought up, and still no word from Adobe, nor a Flash Builder fix or program update. All Adobe Flash Builder/AIR tutorial posts stopped completely in 2012.  It seems professionally immoral for Adobe to continue selling this technology after they have so clearly ceased supporting it. Hey, Adobe, should I expect to start seeing Director listed in my Creative Cloud app list?

[BOID]

6 years later, still the same bug