Storing apps on the SD card WITHOUT Aerize Card Loader

[digitalb0y]

Here's an alternative to Aerize Card Loader (although not quite the same, as this trick won't leave an icon in your apps list between uses).

I just created a self-contained version of the Google Mobile app for demonstration purposes. You can find it attached in the .zip file at the bottom of this post. Just unzip it and store the folder on your SD card. To install the program, navigate to the folder and run 'setup.jad' and when you're done using it, rollover the icon, click the menu button and select delete. The installer will still be on your SD card, ready to go the net time you want to use the program.

HOW TO CREATE A LOCAL COPY OF AN OTA INSTALLER PACKAGE:

1. Go to the OTA addess of the app you want to store. It should be a file with the extension .jad. Save the .jad file to your hard drive and open it in a text editor, such as notepad.
2. You may want to clean up the code so it's easier to read. In the Google Mobile example I created, the line breaks were not properly rendered, and a blank box character showed up in place of each line break, so text didn't wrap. I replaced the boxes with real line breaks and what I had left was very easy to read and edit. See the post after this one for the finished .jad file.
3. Look for the URLs for each .cod file that the program will be looking for. Download each of those .cod files to a folder at the same level as the .jad file you're editing. I chose to name this folder cod.
4. Change the URL for each .cod file to the new path you created. Ex:

   http://m.google.com/search/download/binaries/L1/3.3.38/BlackBerry-46/GoogleSearch-6.cod

   becomes:

   cod/GoogleSearch-6.cod

5. Save your new .jad file and drop it into a folder that also contains the subfolder where all your downloaded .cod files are stored. Move this entire folder onto your SD card, navigate to it from your BlackBerry and run the .jad file.
6. When you're done using the app, uninstall it. It's still on your SD card for the next time you need it. Done.

You can test this with the radio off if you want to make sure it's not still trying to grab any portion of the app from the server. Sure, there are lots of people who would rather pay $10 than go through this, but I'm not one of them. I think it's nice to have a universally recognized local version of the apps I run that don't require extra software to use. For the most part, I just keep browser bookmarks to OTAs handy anyway, but when I'm doing a lot of up/downgrading of the OS or find myself unsure about whether to keep an app installed, I'll throw a copy like this onto the SD card and I can reinstall it whenever I want.

NOTE: This works for MOST apps, but not ALL. For example, the Facebook app at http://mobile.blackberry.com does not appear to be a simple .jad file and I haven't yet figured out where the .jad or its dependent files are stored.

[digitalb0y]

Here's the full text in my .jad file if anyone wants it:

MIDlet-Install-Notify: http://m.google.com/search/install?dc=gorganic&signed=true&deviceId=BlackBerry.46&ver=3.3.38
MIDlet-Name: Google Mobile App
MIDlet-Version: 3.3.38
MIDlet-Vendor: Google
MIDlet-Jar-URL: GoogleSearch.jar
MIDlet-Jar-Size: 573304
Manifest-Version: 1.0
MIDlet-1: Google Mobile App,logo80x80.png
MIDlet-2: Google Mobile App autostart,logo80x80.png,auto-start
MIDlet-Icon: logo80x80.png
MIDlet-Data-Size: 505000
MicroEdition-Profile: MIDP-2.0
MicroEdition-Configuration: CLDC-1.0
RIM-COD-Creation-Time: 1237504646
RIM-COD-Module-Dependencies: net_rim_cldc,net_rim_os,net_rim_bbapi_browser,net_rim_bb_framework_api,net_rim_bbapi_invoke,net_rim_bb_browser_field_api
RIM-COD-Module-Name: GoogleSearch
RIM-COD-SHA1: a3 3a 48 c4 b8 b3 f0 e9 f2 20 20 12 6e c7 27 45 ba 85 b3 7b
RIM-COD-SHA1-1: 04 64 af 6f 45 eb 3e 82 ce b6 d7 25 c5 a1 85 16 d8 35 e8 44
RIM-COD-SHA1-2: 63 0c 59 47 c1 5c f0 46 cb cc 63 3c 43 bd d6 31 8e ff 84 e5
RIM-COD-SHA1-3: 3b fe d8 d1 0a a5 db 6a 33 0f e6 07 de 0d 97 ab 9c 0f 3a 68
RIM-COD-SHA1-4: d5 00 2a 4e 34 96 44 1c d3 f8 0c 11 f3 7e 32 fb c1 a3 53 94
RIM-COD-SHA1-5: 94 bc 86 9c f4 55 a8 54 a4 c6 82 5c cf cd 5b f1 d0 10 9e 49
RIM-COD-SHA1-6: d7 59 6d 10 15 f7 a1 a9 a3 35 77 f0 97 42 de e4 8f 09 ed 45
RIM-COD-SHA1-7: 24 c9 c4 0f b7 92 0f f4 d2 45 61 86 7d a1 1e 6d 87 a4 7c 7d
RIM-COD-SHA1-8: 75 ad 06 dd 84 7c 45 ab 2f 1a 80 69 37 d1 68 17 0a 93 9d 49
RIM-COD-SHA1-9: 6b 48 d2 4e 55 90 34 08 20 a7 5d 55 ed 13 e2 8f 9a 28 a2 07
RIM-COD-SHA1-10: 61 bc c0 f9 f8 7c 93 c3 ee b5 8d 23 8b a4 61 d4 9e b5 a4 52
RIM-COD-Size-0: 67284
RIM-COD-Size-1: 69704
RIM-COD-Size-2: 74824
RIM-COD-Size-3: 75584
RIM-COD-Size-4: 70388
RIM-COD-Size-5: 79680
RIM-COD-Size-6: 54528
RIM-COD-Size-7: 39688
RIM-COD-Size-8: 59544
RIM-COD-Size-9: 58564
RIM-COD-Size-10: 30448
RIM-COD-URL-0: cod/GoogleSearch.cod
RIM-COD-URL-1: cod/GoogleSearch-1.cod
RIM-COD-URL-2: cod/GoogleSearch-2.cod
RIM-COD-URL-3: cod/GoogleSearch-3.cod
RIM-COD-URL-4: cod/GoogleSearch-4.cod
RIM-COD-URL-5: cod/GoogleSearch-5.cod
RIM-COD-URL-6: cod/GoogleSearch-6.cod
RIM-COD-URL-7: cod/GoogleSearch-7.cod
RIM-COD-URL-8: cod/GoogleSearch-8.cod
RIM-COD-URL-9: cod/GoogleSearch-9.cod
RIM-COD-URL-10: cod/GoogleSearch-10.cod
RIM-MIDlet-Flags-1: 0
RIM-MIDlet-Flags-2: 3
AltArrowKeys: 117,104,106,107
AltNumberKeys: -9999,119,101,114,115,100,102,122,120,99,97,113
BackKey: -9991
ClearKey: -9997
DistributionChannel: gorganic
DownloadLocale: en
ERROR: ${JAD-I18N.J2ME_NOT_SUPPORTED_ERROR}
LeftSoftKey: -9992
MaxFlashSize: 500000
MenuKey: -9995
PlatformID: BlackBerry-46
ReverseSoftkeys: false
RightSoftKey: -9993
SelectKey: 10
TalkKey: -9996
UseNativeCommands: true
UseNativeMenus: true
UseNativeTextButtons: false

[Michael Hepples]

Excellent work. Thanks.

Never have seen much of a need for Aerize either, but I'll probably try this just to see if I can make it work.

[digitalb0y]

Another tip:

You may have noticed that if you go to m.google.com from say, Firefox, you aren't given the option to download the jad file. This is because the site correctly detects that you are not viewing the page on a BlackBerry.

You know how there's that handy option in the BB browser settings to emulate Firefox when you want a page to load the same way it would in a real browser? Well, here's how to emulate a BlackBerry browser from within Firefox:

1. Download and install the following firefox add-on: User Agent Switcher
2. Paste the following code into a text editor:

   <useragentswitcher><useragent description="Internet Explorer 7 (Windows Vista)" useragent="Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0)" appname="Microsoft Internet Explorer" appversion="4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0)" platform="Win32" vendor="" vendorsub=""/><useragent description="Netscape 4.8 (Windows Vista)" useragent="Mozilla/4.8 [en] (Windows NT 6.0; U)" appname="Netscape" appversion="4.8 [en] (Windows NT 6.0; U)" platform="Win32" vendor="" vendorsub=""/><useragent description="Opera 9.25 (Windows Vista)" useragent="Opera/9.25 (Windows NT 6.0; U; en)" appname="Opera" appversion="9.25 (Windows NT 6.0; U; en)" platform="Win32" vendor="" vendorsub=""/><useragent description="BlackBerry9000" useragent="BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.247 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102" appname="Browser" appversion="4.6.0.247" platform="4.0.0.206" vendor="Research In Motion" vendorsub=""/></useragentswitcher>

   Save it as an xml file and import it into the plug-in using the Import button.
3. Select the BlackBerry9000 user agent from the list of available user agents. The icon for the plugin should turn green.
4. Go to Google Mobile and enjoy the same links you'd see if you went there from your BlackBerry Bold's browser.
5. Click on the download link for the Google Mobile App to download the .jad file I started with in the first post of this thread.

NOTE: This does not work for all websites. http://mobile.blackberry.com still gives me the links of the non-mobile version of the site, even though the pages are rendered the same way they would be on the Bold.

[F2]

Let me ask - the only lines you changed were:

"RIM-COD-URL-0: cod/GoogleSearch.cod
RIM-COD-URL-1: cod/GoogleSearch-1.cod
RIM-COD-URL-2: cod/GoogleSearch-2.cod
RIM-COD-URL-3: cod/GoogleSearch-3.cod
RIM-COD-URL-4: cod/GoogleSearch-4.cod
RIM-COD-URL-5: cod/GoogleSearch-5.cod
RIM-COD-URL-6: cod/GoogleSearch-6.cod
RIM-COD-URL-7: cod/GoogleSearch-7.cod
RIM-COD-URL-8: cod/GoogleSearch-8.cod
RIM-COD-URL-9: cod/GoogleSearch-9.cod
RIM-COD-URL-10: cod/GoogleSearch-10.cod"

You did not have to mess with any of the other stuff?

I have used a program called cod-loader to copy all my cod files for 3rd party apps to my computer. So I already have the COD files for various apps. Of course, one does have to make sure that you find all dependend modules using cod-loader - some don't always have revealing names.

Hey, using your method, could one also setup something on our own webpages and point the jad file there? Another way if the SD card goes boom!

Thanks for sharing.

Edited to add:

Okay, I already had a jad file or two hanging around so I peeked inside but I don't see what I'd call real urls for them. In the Quickpull example I placed a row of ****** above and below the only line that seems url-related. Is this an example of what you found with facebook?

"Manifest-Version: 1.0
MIDlet-Version: 2.0.12
MIDlet-Jar-Size: 40890
MicroEdition-Configuration: CLDC-1.1
MIDlet-Jar-URL: QuickPull.jar
RIM-COD-Module-Dependencies: net_rim_cldc,net_rim_bbapi_browser,net_rim_os
RIM-MIDlet-Flags-2: 3
RIM-MIDlet-Flags-1: 0
RIM-COD-Module-Name: QuickPull
RIM-COD-Size: 27680
MIDlet-Name: QuickPull
RIM-COD-Creation-Time: 1239111687
MIDlet-2: QuickPull Scheduler,,startup
MIDlet-1: QuickPull,../exit_70.png,
********************************
RIM-COD-URL: QuickPull.cod
********************************
MIDlet-Description: Quickly simulates a battery pull reset on your device.
RIM-COD-SHA1: 54 a0 60 f6 e7 28 e9 29 b4 cd 13 50 a4 12 15 85 8a da 7c 9f
MicroEdition-Profile: MIDP-2.0
MIDlet-Vendor: Steelthorn Software"

[digitalb0y]

I cleaned the rest of the stuff up and moved some stuff around, but I didn't make any real changes. Feel free to compare the jad as it comes off the Google site to the one I posted above. I'm playing with creating a jar file that might replace the folder full of .cod files, and it looks like perhaps some settings could be stored in the .jad file but I still don't know too much about that either. I know there's a lot more in that Google .jad than should be necessary to install the app! I'll keep playing and post my settings. As far as putting stuff up on your own server, I don't see why it wouldn't work. You'd need full http: paths to each cod but it should work fine I think...

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Tronyx]

digital:

Could you make this one solid post or a document so that I can ask ST79 to create a PDF from it for the site?

Chris

[digitalb0y]

Originally Posted by Tronyx

digital:

Could you make this one solid post or a document so that I can ask ST79 to create a PDF from it for the site?

Chris

Sure! Give me a day or two, though... I'm still teaching myself better ways to do it with apps that don't work exactly the same way as Google.

[jonboy666]

Dude thats your 666th post!!! Scary

[gunterulf]

Hi digitalb0y,
a landed on your excellent posts looking for a method / tool to install and use WeTravel.jar on a Blackberry curve 8310 with the

I managed to get it on the BB, however the attempt to install it by the Media application ended with....MIDlet-Install-Notify attribute is invalid.

Can you explain and advice.
Thanks
gunterulf

[SCrid2000]

Hope you get a response gunterulf, but this thread from may of last year.