[milominderbinde]

Have you been holding off downloading Homebrew Apps, Patches, and Tweaks?

If you have held off, would you try out these new instructions we are working on?

How to: Homebrew Apps, Patches, and Themes

Jason Robitaille has refined the steps greatly. We want the best instructions possible to go along with the simplified steps.

We are trying to get as much feedback as we can for this new set of instructions, especially from first time users. Is there anything that we are assuming you would know that is not clear? How can we improve?

If you are an old hand, we need your expertise!

Thanks,

- Craig

[milominderbinde]

OK, I will take this to mean all is well?

- Craig

[bonfilio]

I'd be interested to try.. I haven't really looked into it at all yet - do you break the ability to install official updates? I mean.. if you're mucking about w/ the OS...

Normally I'd be all over hacking this thing to bits, but just got it and w/ 1.3.1 out soon, not sure if I should wait until after.

[Conor]

I'm only holding off because 1.3.1 is imminent.

I've got plenty installed, I'm just not adding to my modifications.

[wicketr]

I'd be interested to try.. I haven't really looked into it at all yet - do you break the ability to install official updates? I mean.. if you're mucking about w/ the OS...

Normally I'd be all over hacking this thing to bits, but just got it and w/ 1.3.1 out soon, not sure if I should wait until after.

No. The homebrew apps don't affect it at all. The patches could affect it, but as long as you uninstall them, then you will be 100% fine. Uninstalling a patch is as about as easy uninstalling a Palm application.

1. WebOS Quick Install: Safe
2. Preware: Safe
3. Homebrew Apps: Safe
4. Patches: Can be safe as long as you uninstall them before updating.

If you get Preware installed, you will truely begin to despise the official Palm Catalog. It is so inferior in every way possible. Get to step 3 and if you feel the least bit adventurous then go for #4.

[DeveloperDavid]

The Novacom did not install properly. I guess it is because I am using Win 7 64bit. When I went into tools then options and then attempt novacom reinstallation it brought me to special instructions on how to install on win 7. The only problem there is that while Orca downloaded and installed fine, the link for the WebOSDoctor recovery rom was a dead link. Not sure what to do now.

[NoResults]

Just received by pre today and am charging the battery and will activate it tomorrow and plan on following your instructions as above as this is truly my first smart phone. Thanks for all the advise from all on this forumn.

[cas_esq]

The Novacom did not install properly. I guess it is because I am using Win 7 64bit. When I went into tools then options and then attempt novacom reinstallation it brought me to special instructions on how to install on win 7. The only problem there is that while Orca downloaded and installed fine, the link for the WebOSDoctor recovery rom was a dead link. Not sure what to do now.

You google webOSDoctor.

[DeveloperDavid]

Oh nevermind. Post 147 had a link to the newer zip file with the novacom 64 installer. I got it to install and have the soft keyboard now!! You guys might want to include more detail on installing on 64bit w7 systems. Here is a link to the thread with the good driver. Post 147. Hope this helps.

[cas_esq]

Oh nevermind. Post 147 had a link to the newer zip file with the novacom 64 installer. I got it to install and have the soft keyboard now!! You guys might want to include more detail on installing on 64bit w7 systems. Here is a link to the thread with the good driver. Post 147. Hope this helps.

Oh, you mean my post 147? Glad it helped you.

[VickMackey]

Why? So i can un-install these patches and tweaks everytime an update is released? Who has time for that?

[BMIC50]

Why? So i can un-install these patches and tweaks everytime an update is released? Who has time for that?

Or who has the tolerance to live with a Pre without these valuable tweaks?

Regarding the instructions, they seem to be well-documented and easy to read. Of course, I have been tweaking since nearly the beginning, so my opinion may not be what youre asking for. But since I help all of my non-technical friends/family, this is what I do to set theirs up.

[RC46]

I have held off on patches and themes because they create incompatibility and endless threads of people needing to DR their Pre's because they are clueless.

Homebrew apps are another story. I have been enjoying them since day one and they do not create any incompatibility issues and I have never needed to DR my Pre.

[rkkeller]

To the person a couple posts above, uninstalling the tweaks takes 1-3 minutes depending on how many you have installed and which ones need to reboot your phone.

I uninstalled all my old ones and only installed the ones found in Preware so I can uninstall without having to hook to a computer.

I could not live without them, Yahoo IM, landscape mode, etc...

[stevied3]

this is probably a stupid question but what is the difference between Preware and WebOS quick install? Does one have an advantage over the other one?

[punzada]

this is probably a stupid question but what is the difference between Preware and WebOS quick install? Does one have an advantage over the other one?

WebOS quick install downloads & installs software/patches (including preware) from your PC to your phone.

Preware is an application on your phone that lets you download & install software/patches on the device itself without the need of a PC.

You need to use WebOS quick install to get preware on there in the first place, but once that is done if you like the Preware application you never have to hook your phone to the PC again for homebrew.

[stevied3]

ah...thanks Punzada! I think I'll give this a shot!

[cas_esq]

this is probably a stupid question but what is the difference between Preware and WebOS quick install? Does one have an advantage over the other one?

There are a number of differences, but the most obvious is that WebOS Quick Install requires (1) a USB connection to your Pre and (2) that your phone be in Developer Mode. Preware, after installation using a USB connection, installs and uninstalls software over the air (OTA). Many people like the convenience of OTA install and uninstall, but WebOS QI is not obsolete. Many people prefer it, and some patches (particularly patches in development) have not been packaged for installation with Preware. In that instance, WebOS QI can install the patch so that you can test it out.

[cas_esq]

You need to use WebOS quick install to get preware on there in the first place, but once that is done if you like the Preware application you never have to hook your phone to the PC again for homebrew.

In addition to installation using WebOS Quick Install, Preware has its own installer available at Index of /. Instructions here: Application:Preware - WebOS Internals.

[brandoncjr]

I had a bunch of patches not too long ago, but then I noticed some of them (LED notification and battery percent) made the battery drain faster and I feel some other ones like 4x4 icons made it lag more. I even think tbis one theme I had prevented my GPS from locating me so I decided to hold off on patches for awhile. The process of installing and uninstallinf is really easy, but they're just not for me I guess.