diff --git a/src/makeReleaseMain.cpp b/src/makeReleaseMain.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e20bf2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/makeReleaseMain.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,187 @@
+#include "CommandLineParser.hpp"
+#include <filesystem>
+#include "ss.hpp"
+#include "config.hpp"
+#include <stdexcept>
+#include <iostream>
+#include <memory>
+#include <array>
+#include "unistd.h"
+#include "UpdaterSecurity.hpp"
+#include "Updater.hpp"
+#include <fstream>
+
+using namespace std;
+namespace fs = std::filesystem;
+
+std::string getVersionString()
+{
+    std::string displayVersion = PROJECT_DISPLAY_VERSION;
+    auto npos = displayVersion.find_last_of('-');
+    if (npos == std::string::npos)
+    {
+        throw std::runtime_error(SS("PROJECT_DISPLAY_VERSION does not contain a '-' character." << displayVersion));
+    }
+    std::string releaseKind = displayVersion.substr(npos + 1);
+
+    return SS(PROJECT_VER << "-" << releaseKind);
+}
+
+std::string psystem(const std::string &command)
+{
+    std::string cmdRedirected = command + " 2>&1";
+    std::array<char, 128> buffer;
+    std::string result;
+    std::unique_ptr<FILE, decltype(&pclose)> pipe(popen(cmdRedirected.c_str(), "r"), pclose);
+    if (!pipe)
+    {
+        throw std::runtime_error("popen() failed!");
+    }
+    while (fgets(buffer.data(), buffer.size(), pipe.get()) != nullptr)
+    {
+        result += buffer.data();
+    }
+    return result;
+}
+
+using namespace pipedal;
+
+void SignPackage()
+{
+    auto versionString = getVersionString();
+    cout << "Processing release " << versionString << endl;
+
+    // build/pipedal_1.2.49_arm64.deb
+
+    fs::path packagePath = SS("build/pipedal_" << PROJECT_VER << "_arm64.deb");
+    packagePath = fs::absolute(packagePath);
+    if (!fs::exists(packagePath))
+    {
+        throw std::runtime_error(SS("File does not exist: " << packagePath));
+    }
+
+
+    // sign the package.
+    // gpg --armor --output "$filename".asc -b "$filename"
+    cout << "--------------------------------------------------------------" << endl;
+    cout << "Signing the package" << endl;
+    cout << "--------------------------------------------------------------" << endl;
+
+    std::string signCmd =
+        SS("/usr/bin/gpg --yes --default-key " << UPDATE_GPG_FINGERPRINT2
+                                               << " --armor --output " << packagePath << ".asc"
+                                               << " --detach-sign " << packagePath.c_str());
+    int result = system(signCmd.c_str());
+    if (result != EXIT_SUCCESS)
+    {
+        throw std::runtime_error("Failed to sign package.");
+    }
+
+    cout << "--------------------------------------------------------------" << endl;
+    cout << "Building a test keyring." << endl;
+    cout << "--------------------------------------------------------------" << endl;
+
+    fs::path keyringPath = fs::absolute("build/gpg");
+    fs::path keyPath = fs::absolute("config/updatekey2.asc");
+    fs::remove_all(keyringPath);
+    fs::create_directories(keyringPath);
+    std::ostringstream importCommand;
+
+    importCommand << "/usr/bin/gpg  --homedir " << keyringPath.c_str() << " --import " << keyPath.c_str();
+    int rc = system(importCommand.str().c_str());
+    if (rc != EXIT_SUCCESS)
+    {
+        throw std::runtime_error("Failed  to create test keyring.");
+    }
+
+    cout << "--------------------------------------------------------------" << endl;
+    cout << "Verifying signature" << endl;
+    cout << "--------------------------------------------------------------" << endl;
+
+    // verify the signature.
+    // warnings are unavoidable as there's no way to create a root certificate without
+    // an elaborate manual procedure.
+    cout << "Warnings are expected, since there's no convenient way to install a " << endl;
+    cout << "trusted certificate authority in the Updater keychain." << endl;
+    std::string verifyCommand = SS("/usr/bin/gpg --verify --no-default-keyring "
+                                   << "--homedir  " << keyringPath.c_str()
+                                   << " --armor " << packagePath << ".asc " << packagePath.c_str());
+    auto output = psystem(verifyCommand.c_str());
+    cout << output << endl;
+    auto npos = output.find("Good signature from \"" UPDATE_GPG_ADDRESS2 "\"");
+    if (npos == std::string::npos)
+    {
+        throw std::runtime_error("Signature validation failed.");
+    }
+    npos == output.find("using RSA key " UPDATE_GPG_FINGERPRINT2);
+    if (npos == std::string::npos)
+    {
+        throw std::runtime_error("Signature validation failed.");
+    }
+    cout << "Signature check succeeded." << endl;
+    cout << "--------------------------------------------------------------" << endl;
+    cout << "Validating signing procedure" << endl;
+    cout << "--------------------------------------------------------------" << endl;
+    // Actually a test to make sure that signature checks fail on a modified binary.
+    // Calling the test "Testing signature failure" is a more disconcerting than it needs to be.
+    // Just one last sanity check before letting this procedure loose in the world.
+
+    // create a bad test file.
+    fs::path badPackage = "build/gpgtest/bad_package.deb";
+    fs::create_directories("build/gpgtest");
+    fs::remove(badPackage);
+    fs::copy_file(packagePath, badPackage);
+    {
+        std::ofstream f;
+        f.open(badPackage, ios_base::out | ios_base::ate);
+        if (!f.is_open())
+        {
+            throw std::runtime_error(SS("Can't open " << badPackage));
+        }
+        f << "Bad stuff.";
+    }
+
+    // verify the signature.
+    {
+        std::string verifyCommand = SS("/usr/bin/gpg --verify --no-default-keyring "
+                                       << "--homedir  " << keyringPath.c_str()
+                                       << " --armor " << packagePath << ".asc " << badPackage.c_str());
+        auto output = psystem(verifyCommand.c_str());
+        auto npos = output.find("BAD signature from ");
+        if (npos == std::string::npos)
+        {
+            throw std::runtime_error("Signature validation succeeded when it should not have.");
+        }
+    }
+    cout << "Test succeeded." << endl;
+}
+
+void GenerateUpdateJson()
+{
+    cout << "--------------------------------------------------------------" << endl;
+    cout << "Validating signing procedure" << endl;
+    cout << "--------------------------------------------------------------" << endl;
+    // Actually a test to make sure that signature checks fail on a modified binary.
+    // Calling the test "Testing signature failure" is a more disconcerting than it needs to be.
+    // Just one last sanity check in the
+    std::filesystem::path workingPath = fs::absolute("build/updater");
+    Updater::ptr updater = Updater::Create(workingPath); // do NOT start it. We'll do the github request on the current thread.
+    std::string packageName = SS("build/pipedal_" << PROJECT_VER << "_arm64.deb");
+
+    // pipedal_1.2.3_arm64.deb
+    UpdateStatus updateStatus = updater->GetReleaseGeneratorStatus();
+    updateStatus.AddRelease(packageName);
+}
+int main(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+    CommandLineParser commandLine;
+    try
+    {
+        SignPackage();
+    }
+    catch (const std::exception &e)
+    {
+        cout << "ERROR: " << e.what() << endl;
+        return EXIT_FAILURE;
+    }
+}
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