Application:Preware

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Preware - Version: Alpha 0.5.0
(17 Aug 2009) (first public release)

Summary

Preware is a package management application for the Palm Pre. Preware allows the user to install any package from any of the open standard package repositories on preware.org (or any other location that hosts an open standard package repository). Preware relies on a custom written service developed from community research which allows the mojo app to talk to the built-in ipkg tool.

This application was the result of extensive community-based design in IPKG Service and Preware Design.

For application management, Preware can access more applications, and has more features, than any other on-device package installer.

And since it is open source, and has a completely open development process supported by a team of world-class WebOS Internals developers, it will continue to get better much faster than any other package management application.

Preware is the open application installer that has been written specifically to support a homebrew ecosystem where any developer can upload any application to any submission site, and that application can then be installed by any user. Developers no longer need to upload their applications to multiple submission sites, and users are no longer excluded from accessing applications from any open standard package repository.

Status

This is alpha software. Even so, it is at least as useful for managing applications as any of the other application installer utilities.

License

Please be aware that org.webosinternals.preware and org.webosinternals.ipkgservice are licensed under the GPLv2.

They cannot be used by a closed source application. If you want to use them in a non-GPLv2 but otherwise open source application, please contact the authors.

Operating notes

Recent enhancements

Filtering is now available on the list screens. Just start typing ...

Limitations

The Package Management Service does not yet handle postinst and prerm files, so you will need to continue to use the WebOS Quick Install tool to install advanced webos-internals packages that require commands to be run as the root user upon installation and removal. This limitation will be removed before the 1.0.0 release, and Preware will then be able to install any webOS application - even those that previously required root access.

Known bugs

No known bugs.

Installation

You do not need to access the Linux command line or "root your Pre" to install or use Preware.

Please use the WebOS Quick Install tool to install the Package Manager Service and the Preware application. You can find both of these in the WebOS Internals feed. Make sure you install the Package Manager Service first and the Preware application second, otherwise you will need to reboot your Pre after installation.

No other application installer tool is sophisticated enough to install the custom Package Manager Service that Preware requires.

Note that Preware works just as well on the Emulator as it does on a real device, and is installed in exactly the same way.

Updating

You should use Preware to update itself.

Removal

Please use the WebOS Quick Install tool to remove Preware and the Package Manager Service (in that order).

Repository

Preware is housed in the Applications section of the WebOS Internals git repository at http://gitorious.org/webos-internals/applications

Source code for the Mojo app can be browsed at http://gitorious.org/webos-internals/applications/trees/master/preware

Source code for the service can be browsed at http://gitorious.org/webos-internals/applications/trees/master/ipkgservice

For commit permission to the project, contact rwhitby on #webos-internals or email [support@webos-internals.org]

Alternative Installation (ADVANCED/CLI Method)

This method is for LINUX EXPERTS ONLY and depends on the ipkg.preware.org/feeds/preware repository. If you've already install Application:Terminal then please SKIP the first steps.

Setting up the repository

<source lang="text"> sudo su mount -o remount,rw / mkdir -p /var/etc/ipkg/ ln -s /etc/ipkg/arch.conf /var/etc/ipkg/ secho "src/gz all http://ipkg.preware.org/feeds/webos-internals/all" > /var/etc/ipkg/preware.conf echo "src/gz armv7 http://ipkg.preware.org/feeds/webos-internals/armv7" >> /var/etc/ipkg/preware.conf /usr/bin/ipkg -o /var update </source>

Installing via IPKG

<source lang="text"> ipkg -o /var install org.webosinternals.ipkgservice ipkg -o /var install org.webosinternals.preware sh /var/usr/lib/ipkg/info/org.webosinternals.ipkgservice.postinst luna-send -n 1 palm://com.palm.applicationManager/rescan {}

mount -o remount,ro / exit </source>