{"record":{"id":"8e95a9cd552adfbd","repo":"tauri-apps/tauri","slug":"key-generation-aborted-unable-to-find-the-private","errorCode":null,"errorMessage":"Key generation aborted: Unable to find the private key","messagePattern":"Key generation aborted: Unable to find the private key","errorType":"exception","errorClass":"tauri_cli::error::Error","httpStatus":null,"severity":"error","filePath":"crates/tauri-cli/src/signer/sign.rs","lineNumber":84,"sourceCode":"      \"TAURI_PRIVATE_KEY_PASSWORD\",\n      \"TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY_PASSWORD\",\n    )\n  });\n  options\n}\n\npub fn command(mut options: Options) -> Result<()> {\n  options = backward_env_vars(options);\n\n  options.private_key = if let Some(private_key) = options.private_key_path {\n    Some(std::fs::read_to_string(Path::new(&private_key)).expect(\"Unable to extract private key\"))\n  } else {\n    options.private_key\n  };\n  let private_key = if let Some(pk) = options.private_key {\n    pk\n  } else {\n    crate::error::bail!(\"Key generation aborted: Unable to find the private key\");\n  };\n\n  if options.password.is_none() {\n    println!(\"Signing without password.\");\n  }\n\n  let (manifest_dir, signature) =\n    sign_file(&secret_key(private_key, options.password)?, options.file)\n      .with_context(|| \"failed to sign file\")?;\n\n  println!(\n           \"\\nYour file was signed successfully, You can find the signature here:\\n{}\\n\\nPublic signature:\\n{}\\n\\nMake sure to include this into the signature field of your update server.\",\n           display_path(manifest_dir),\n           base64::engine::general_purpose::STANDARD.encode(signature.to_string())\n         );\n\n  Ok(())\n}","sourceCodeStart":66,"sourceCodeEnd":102,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/tauri-apps/tauri/blob/52e4b6e71d8632a7e648f866c442e287ecddee34/crates/tauri-cli/src/signer/sign.rs#L66-L102","documentation":"`tauri signer sign` needs your updater private key. It reads `--private-key-path` (or env TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH), else takes `--private-key` (env TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY; legacy TAURI_PRIVATE_KEY/TAURI_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH still honored). If after all of that no key is present, it aborts before signing.","triggerScenarios":"Invoking `tauri signer sign <file>` with neither -k/-f flags nor any of the TAURI_*_PRIVATE_KEY(_PATH) environment variables set; or setting the password var but forgetting the key var; or a typo'd env var name in CI.","commonSituations":"CI jobs where secrets were not injected; local terminal missing the exported env vars from .zshrc; migrating from deprecated TAURI_PRIVATE_KEY vars and dropping them before adding the new ones.","solutions":["Pass the key explicitly: `tauri signer sign -f ~/.tauri/myapp.key <file>`.","Or export the env var: `export TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY=$(cat ~/.tauri/myapp.key)` (or TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH pointing at the file).","If you have no key yet, generate one: `tauri signer generate -w ~/.tauri/myapp.key`.","Print env presence (never the value) to debug CI: `[ -n \"$TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY\" ] && echo set`."],"exampleFix":"# before\ntauri signer sign ./target/release/bundle/macos/MyApp.app.tar.gz\n# error: Key generation aborted: Unable to find the private key\n\n# after\ntauri signer sign \\\n  -f ~/.tauri/myapp.key \\\n  -p \"$TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY_PASSWORD\" \\\n  ./target/release/bundle/macos/MyApp.app.tar.gz","handlingStrategy":"validation","validationCode":"#!/usr/bin/env bash\n# Fail fast with a clear message before invoking the signer\n: \"${TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY:?set TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY or pass -k/-f}\"\ntauri signer sign \"$@\"","typeGuard":null,"tryCatchPattern":null,"preventionTips":["Store the key in CI secrets and map it to TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY (not the deprecated TAURI_PRIVATE_KEY).","Use `:?` shell parameter expansion to fail with your own message when the secret is absent.","Reference secrets by name in logs; never print the key itself."],"tags":["tauri-cli","signer","updater","private-key","ci"],"backgroundTag":"missing-signing-key","analyzedSha":"52e4b6e71d8632a7e648f866c442e287ecddee34","analyzedAt":"2026-08-20T13:59:20.734Z","schemaVersion":2},"datasetVersion":"2026-08-31T19:17:28.585Z"}