public abstract class ArticleDetail extends ArticleList
implements Editable, Deletable {
/**
 * @subject S710a + Unsigned Java Midlets = Frustration
 * @topics Toys Technology Java SE S710a
 * @permalink S710a__Unsigned_Java_Midlets__Frustration
 * @trackback http://www.hjsoft.com/blog/trackback/S710a__Unsigned_Java_Midlets__Frustration
 * @author john
 * @created 11/7/05 10:59:09 AM
 * @modified 11/7/05 4:58:08 PM
 */

I posted this message to the SonyEricsson forum at Cingular:

I'm in the process of writing a Java app for my phone, and I've also been trying to run a few free programs, such as midpSSH and GooglME. My S710a is giving me SecurityExceptions when these programs try to access network sockets or even send SMS.

I've come to understand that Cingular may have disabled access to these capabilities for unsigned java apps.

How can I bypass this security, so I can run my programs?

How can I install my own certificate authority, so I can sign my own midlets?

Or what's the cheapest way to get my apps signed? What about these other 3rd-party apps I'd like to use?

I upgraded from my T616 to get a socket implementation in J2ME, and in the process, I still can't access sockets and I've LOST access to SMS (for GooglME). I find this HIGHLY disappointing, and I'm really beginning to regret the purchase of this otherwise great phone.

I'm tempted to try getting it unlocked and unbranded just to see if it'll make those security restrictions go away.

Does anyone have any experiences, ideas, or leads on how to overcome this issue? Thanks.

Hopefully, someone will be able to help me out and make me happier to own this phone.

I've been reading elsewhere about signing MIDlets, and there seems to be many people who need to be able to do this. Are these security configurations really the norm these days? I'll have to go poking around Cingular's Developer site to see if I can learn an acceptable way to code and deploy fully functional J2ME applications.

public Comments displayComments() {
/*
 * elly
 * 11/23/05 12:50:12 AM
 * SSL
 */
John - I've been following the Midpssh certificate badness. I too have an s710a. My problem is with secure IMAP though - my phone won't let me connect to secure IMAP even though the signing authority IS GeoTrust. How can I find out what signing authorities my s710a trusts? How did you find this info out? I would *love* to know this info.

-elly
le@elly.org
/*
 * John Romkey
 * http://www.apocalypse.org/pub/u/romkey/
 * 1/8/06 10:54:57 PM
 * S710a and signed mdlets
 */
I ran into the same problem. There were a lot of rumors about it being Cingular's decision, but when I signed up for Sony Ericsson's (free) developer site, I found a lot of similar complaints there - and a response from SE that said basically:

SE does not allow unsigned code to send SMS or work with network connections (basically, these are things that can cost the user money). AND - you cannot update the code signing certificates on an SE phone. So you can't even sign your own midlets and install your own certificate. The only way to update certificates is a firmware upgrade. Those suckers are otherwise in there as they are, permanently.

As little as I want to defend Cingular, it's apparently out of their control and is a Sony Ericsson decision.

I think it's moronic. Great way to stifle development.
/*
 * "John Romkey"
 * http://www.apocalypse.org/pub/u/romkey/
 * 1/8/06 11:00:03 PM
 * Secure IMAP
 */
Elly -

I had similar problems getting my S710a talking secure IMAP to our server (which had a self-signed certificate).

The Java midlet code signing certificates are a different set of certificates than the SSL ones that IMAP is trying to use.

I wish I could tell you what I did but at this point I can't remember, except that I pulled down our self-made root certificate via the web and the phone automatically offered to install it (you can update SSL certificates, just not code signing ones).

Go to Connect / Internet Settings / Security / Trusted Certificate and this should list all the SSL certificate authorities that the S710a likes. Geotrust is in the list... I don't know why your phone wouldn't be liking their certificate.
/*
 * John Romkey
 * http://www.apocalypse.org/pub/u/romkey/
 * 1/8/06 11:02:55 PM
 * one last thing - cheap code signing
 */
I meant to include this before -

I haven't yet found a truly cheap way to do signed code on my S710a. The cheapest code signing certificates I've found are $199/year, from Thawte, if I recall correctly. Considering I can get an SSL certificate from registerfly for under $30, this seems pretty sad. I'm still looking.

My phone says it accepts

GeoTrust UTI
Thawte Premium
Cingular Prefered
Cingular Trusted
Trusted 3P

maybe I can get a cheap certificate through Cingular... I'll have to look into that. It is certainly to their advantage to help me do apps for the phone.

To the best of my knowledge, unlocking and unbranding your phone won't help, as the issue is really a Sony Ericsson one and not Cingular.
/*
 * John
 * http://www.hjsoft.com/blog/
 * 1/9/06 12:09:19 AM
 * cingular signing
 */
From the bit of reading I've done around the Cingular forums, I don't get the feeling that they only intend to sign applications to make them part of the official Cingular offerings which they sell through they're online store. I often see it mentioned in reference to the store. I still don't know what a developer is to do.

I did see that a friend's Siemens S66 works just fine on Cingular's network to run midpSSH and friends. He likes to poke fun at me by showing off his ssh connection to my computer on his phone screen. ;)
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