The link to webosdoctorp100ewwsprint.jar seems to be down now. I guess Palm removed it. Is there another link to the image?

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http://palm.cdnetworks.net/staging/r...0ewwsprint.jar

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Thank you!

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Hi guys,

Very good ideas.

I am happy with whatever you guys think.

I will add one more command line switch to Pretool that will disable developer mode on the Pre.
That way I think we have covered all bases.

I also have good ideas on how to do app removal so I might add that do we can remove any application or just remove the HomeBrew app.

I will start working on an MSI install for my tool (which includes drivers) and Java.

Did anyone test the "Pretool -drv" command? Did the drivers install??

The only concern I have with a Homebrew app on the Pre (which is a very good idea!) is if Palm are unhappy with the application they may start to blacklist it etc. Not sure if that is possible but worth thinking about.

Hopefully I will have an installer in the next 12-36 hours...

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Link fixed in my instructions. Sorry about that!

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Ok,

Here we go again.

Requirements:

Java (Version 1.5 or higher)
webosdoctorp100ewwsprint.jar (http://palm.cdnetworks.net/staging/r...0ewwsprint.jar)
PreTool0.5.zip (PreTool 0.5.zip - Windows Live)

Instructions:

Download PreTool0.5.zip and extract the contents to a folder.
Copy webosdoctorp100ewwsprint.jar to the same folder.

You should now have in that folder:
InstallApp.Bat
InstallAppDEV.Bat
PreTool.bat
PreTool_0.5.jar
webosdoctorp100ewwsprint.jar

CHANGES SINCE 0.4
======================
Enable PreBrew (Pre Homebrew). This creates "/media/internal/applications" and "/media/internal/IPKs". /etc/palm.luna.conf is updated to include "/media/internet/applications" in its Application Path
Disable developer mode.
Remove installed Homebrew application. (only those stored in /media/internal/applications)
List installed Homebrew applications. (only those stored in /media/internal/applications)

USAGE
======================
PreTool EMU -i myapp.ipk (Installs myapp.ipk on emulator)
PreTool USB -i myapp.ipk (Installs myapp.ipk on Palm Pre)
PreTool EMU -l (List installed PreBrew applications.)
PreTool USB -l (List installed PreBrew applications.)
PreTool EMU -r com.myapp (Removes myapp on emulator.)
PreTool USB -r com.myapp (Removes myapp on Palm Pre connected via USB.)
PreTool EMU -c COMMAND COMMANDARGS (runs a command on emulator)
PreTool USB -c COMMAND COMMANDARGS (runs a command on Palm Pre connected via USB)
PreTool -d (Disables Developer Mode.)
PreTool -PreBrew (Enables PreBrew.)
PreTool -drv (Checks for Novacom drivers and installs if neccessary.)

So I think now we can create an MSI which:

Installs Novacom drivers.
Prompts to connect Pre.
Enables PreBrew mode. (create dirs and modify luna.conf)
Install Home Brew browser application (when one is made, anyone??)
Then disable developer mode.
Optionally creates a shortcut on the desktop to drag and drop IPK's on.

Thoughts?????

Tomorrow night ill start looking at the MSI. Hopefully I get some feedback on the above options. What do you think xorg??

If we get the MSI going maybe we can look at a homebrew browser app for the pre.

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Stupid question from a person who thinks this thread is chinese to me for the most part.. And I don't speak chinese.

Can't you create an app that recognizes or allows you to select a file and do the install and just send it to our phone as a image file name? This would only make onetime install through the sdk way then allowing users to use the app with a email send like before.. ?

Nevermind. I'm an idiot.

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greg, did some testing...

The -drv option works if the webdoctor jar already exists. The novacome drivers loaded. However if they are already loaded and I run the scripts, it hangs for a while then eventually quits.

For some reason your install script sees 0 devices even though the Windows device manager shows that the Novacom device exists. It could be this laptop as it is being flaky with usb devices in general. I'll try another laptop when I get a chance (that worked with your older scripts).

On the .msi Windows Installer for the drop file (SDK mimic), ideally it would do the following...
- extract your jar/bat files
- download/install Java if needed (run with /passive mode to only show progress, not options)
- download webdoctor.jar
- (prompt with webdoctor license agreement saying it is intended for restore only. if user continues using for other purposes, it is at their own risk and not of the install author.)
- run pretool -drv (install novacom drivers if needed)
- create a link to desktop to install.bat ("Drop File Here To Install Pre App".bat link)

Also, great start on the method of potentially using some time of Homebrew Installer app.

Palm has changed the link to the webosdoctor a couple times. A way to keep on top of this could be for the .msi installer to point to a website that is a redirector to wherever the webosdoctor's new home is. That way only the redirector site has to be changed and not the installer package. If all fails, .msi installer would direct user to manually download webosdoctor.

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greg_roll,

Great Job on the Installer. Just tested your code on Windows XP machine. Works as described.

Here were my steps:
1) PreTool.bat -drv
2) PreTool.bat USB -i {ipk file}

The only difference I experienced from xorg is your script does find the device.

Thanks - Steven

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Regarding a homebrew browser / installer application, I can/will create the web service side of this if others will help with the development of the actual Mojo application for the Pre. I think there should be some kind of a web service behind it to allow on-device browsing and OTA installing of the homebrew apps that are available, but the application should also be able to run stand-alone (without the web service) to just install the ipk files straight from /media/internal/applications or whatever we decide on. Of course web service based browsing begs the question of who hosts and manages the web service and database. We would need to come to a community consensus on how to handle that. I think making it as open and decentralized as possible is the best way to go, with the goal to not have too much control or dependency on any one single person, but at the same time have some kind of peer-review system to make sure that nothing malicious/illegal/etc gets distributed via this system. We want the end users to be able to trust that the content they get from the homebrewers is safe and won't compromise their device.

I think it would also be nice if there were an interface to browse / enable / disable the various tweaks within this theoretical homebrew application as well, but that may prove to have it's own set of technical issues (perhaps requiring rooting, etc. making it not-user-friendly). Some great work has been done to make the process of applying tweaks/patches simple and reversible by the guys in #webos-internals. See: http ://predev.wikidot.com/applying-patches

Anyways, maybe I'm reading too much into this, but I just thought I'd throw my thoughts out there, along with the offer to develop a web service / api for the homebrew browser / installer app.

I'm interested to hear everyone's thoughts.

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Hi xorg,

Thanks for the testing. Not sure why it didnt find your device. I am pretty much relying on the webosdoctor novacom code to find it for me.

I will have another look at the -drv option to see if I can get detection of if the drivers are installed. I will also make sure webos.jar is available before trying the install command.

I will start work on the MSI tonight and hopefully post something soon.

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Evan, yeah, that's the kind of dialogue I'm looking for. A homebrew installer app that allows OTA installation would be ideal. There could be a Homebrew Catalog type service that has 'trusted' apps, monitored and reviewed by the community. And then have an independent drag/drop install method to allow anything to be installed.

Need more input from the developer community.

In addition to installing 'apps', greg's pretool could be used to push/run 'modules' that make system level changes, automated rooting procedures that are just as easy to trigger for end users as installing an app.

IE, a developer could create a module to turn off the shutter sound on the camera. The module is a script written to sed/awk through the procedure as describe in the dev wiki page. The user would download the 'module'. drop it on greg's pretool and it would apply the changes automatically. Sound cool? The possibilities of easy user config would be endless... anything that is posted on the dev wiki could be made into a module that any user can apply just by drag/drop.

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I think the problem was with that laptop. I'll be testing on another laptop soon (and under VMWare).

Edit: Doh! I didn't have Pre in Dev mode. The drivers loaded fine with the -drv command and the install worked, manually. But for some reason drag/drop isn't working. The InstallApp.bat can't find the PreTool.bat, even if I hardcode the path. Weird.

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Hi xorg,

Phew! Glad it worked.

The only thought I have with the drag and drop is does any of the path to the folder contain spaces?

I have been testing in C:\users\greg\desktop\pretool and it works for me
But if you have it in "c:\some folder" you may have to put quotes around some part of it.
I can't think what part at the moment. If its hard coded in the PreTool.bat maybe in there.

When I get home tonight ill have a go and see if I can break it.

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Is anyone able to try...

PreTool -d (Disables Developer Mode.)

You will need to restart the Pre after this to see if Dev Mode is disabled.

PreTool -PreBrew (Enables PreBrew.)

Creates /media/internal/applications and /media/internal/IPKs
Modifies /etc/palm/luna.conf with an updated ApplicationPath to /meda/internal/luna.conf.

A backup is made to /etc/palm/luna.back

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I think the best solution would be to utilize the patch file method for the modifications / tweaks like the shutter sound, screen brightness, call times, etc. Then have greg's pretool do whatever needs to be done to the Pre to allow our Mojo app to download, enable, and disable the patches... I imagine a "catalog" of tweaks (patches), that can simply be downloaded OTA and toggled on/off... It should also have a global "disable all patches" for before running an update, and then the option to re-apply patches after the update is complete, assuming the update doesn't break any of the patches. Like I said, I'd be glad to build the server side / web service side for this.

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^I follow you now.

There are alot of ways this could take off now with greg's pretool and a consumer friendly front end in the works to push anything to the phone. Keep the ideas flowing. You ought to take off with your idea and see what comes of it.

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Sure thing. I will start developing the web backend / database / API (probably JSON) and just see what comes of it... If anyone is interested in starting the development of the front-end / Mojo app, either reply here, PM me, or ping me in #webos-internals. I'll post progress here or start a new thread when I have something significant... I'd like to hear feedback from others on my idea, too.

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Ok new version time...

Requirements:

Java (Version 1.5 or higher)
webosdoctorp100ewwsprint.jar (http://palm.cdnetworks.net/staging/r...0ewwsprint.jar)
PreTool0.6.zip (PreTool 0.6.zip - Windows Live)

Instructions:

Download PreTool0.6.zip and extract the contents to a folder.
Copy webosdoctorp100ewwsprint.jar to the same folder.

You should now have in that folder:
InstallApp.Bat
InstallAppDEV.Bat
PreTool.bat
PreTool_0.6.jar
webosdoctorp100ewwsprint.jar

CHANGES SINCE 0.5
======================
Enabling Homebrew checks if /etc/palm/luna.conf has already been modified. If it has been file is not modified.
All bacth files now check for Java and Webosdoctor.
Fixed version in Jar file.

USAGE
======================
PreTool EMU -i myapp.ipk (Installs myapp.ipk on emulator)
PreTool USB -i myapp.ipk (Installs myapp.ipk on Palm Pre)
PreTool EMU -l (List installed PreBrew applications.)
PreTool USB -l (List installed PreBrew applications.)
PreTool EMU -r com.myapp (Removes myapp on emulator.)
PreTool USB -r com.myapp (Removes myapp on Palm Pre connected via USB.)
PreTool EMU -c COMMAND COMMANDARGS (runs a command on emulator)
PreTool USB -c COMMAND COMMANDARGS (runs a command on Palm Pre connected via USB)
PreTool -d (Disables Developer Mode.)
PreTool -PreBrew (Enables PreBrew.)
PreTool -drv (Checks for Novacom drivers and installs if neccessary.)

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Hi xorg,

I had a look at the code for installing the novacom drivers. I am using the same function as the webosdoctor. I think they have not handed novacom being installed correctly. As this will only be done during the MSI install I think we can handle a pause while it figures itself out.

I was still unable to break the drag and drop install. I gave my folder a name with a space in it and it still worked. I don't know whats going on

On to the MSI now....

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