How To Make your own OTAs with Dropbox

[SCrid2000]

So I wanted to make an OTA download for my app backups, but I couldn't find a good tutorial on how to do it. But after some messing around, I realized it's super easy, so here's the instructions on how to do it.

You'll need the following things:
DropBox Account
Dropbox Program (optional)
BBhybrids Tool or BBSAK (to get .cods and to create the .jads)

UPDATE: Here's an app to get the .jad and .cods easily, it's called OTA Downloader.
There's a version in Mobihand, this is an older version but it works better for this (the newer version makes it so you have to use the app to install stuff, the old version here creates a working jad to upload to your dropbox.
http://bb.ibnux.net/OTAdownloader/v1...loader_145.jad

1. Register for a free DropBox account. If you don't have one, sign up here: Sign up for a FREE Dropbox Account
Full disclosure: That link will give me (and you ) an extra 250 mbs in addition to the free 2gb.


2. (Optional) Download the Dropbox program. You can upload your files via their website, but it's far easier to download the program. My instructions here are also going to be assuming you're using the program, so you'll have to figure some stuff out on your own if you don't.

3. Get the .cod files for your app. This can be done by extracting them from your BlackBerry with BBSAK (BlackBerry Swiss Army Knife) or by downloading them with the BBTweaks tool (BBHybrids Tool (Public Version) - Downloads - BBHybrids Forums).

4. Create a .jad for each app. This can be done with either the BBHybrids tool or BBSAK.
NOTE: if any of the .cods are over a certain size, you'll have to unzip them using a program such as 7zip and create the jad for the .cod files which are inside the .cod.

5. Put the .jad and .cod files for each app into its own individual folders.

6. Load each of these folders into the Public folder of your dropbox.

This is what it looks like in Linux, it'll look slightly different in windows but the basics are the same.

7. Right click on the .jad of the app you want to create an ota for. Navigate to Dropbox, then Copy Public Link


8. That's it, you created your OTA!
You can paste the link wherever you wanted to save it.
In the tutorial I created an OTA for a Zelda game, you can test the OTA here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11819743/Zel...20Beta%204.jad

This worked for me on OS6, and some for some friends on OS5. I've heard that you need a script or something before but this worked perfectly and easily for me.

DISCLAIMER: this obviously could be used to create OTA links for paid apps. Please don't share OTA links for paid apps with other people, if devs don't make money they'll stop developing apps for BlackBerry, and none of us want that. These instructions are intended for people to create OTA backups for apps they own or apps they create for public use.

[SCrid2000]

PS - Mods, feel free to move this to the How To section.

[pug.country.kennels]

Thankyou for this tutorial.

Could some-one please make secondtab ( a free dl at app world) available for us who cannot get to app world.

[BiG BaLLA 923]

Wow! this is so cool, today they released a new version for blackberry too, day just keeps getting better. I'm going to start using dropbox again. Thank you!

[SCrid2000]

I'll be uploading an OTA for BB Protect with dropbox later

[wu-wei]

Originally Posted by SCrid2000

I'll be uploading an OTA for BB Protect with dropbox later

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11307286/Bla...%20Protect.jad

[smroark]

I think this should be in the How to but maybe add the complete process of making a jad out of the cod files? (I dont know how much actually goes into this process)

[SCrid2000]

There could be a whole tutorial on that alone. Maybe I'll write it up. But if you use the bbhybrids tool it's pretty easy.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[mDRagOn-]

Very nice, now I just have to find my thinking cap to try it out.

Mahalo
Wayne N. Davis (waydavis) on Twitter

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[wnm]

Great idea and nice explanation. Here's the next step. Create a document (email, Outlook Note) to store all your app names, registration codes and links. I'm going to use an Outlook Note that will update any changes each time I sync my BB with Outlook.

Any time you need get an app back just go to you're document and the link and Reg. code are right there.

Here's what my Note will look like:

[wnm]

Scrid,

I just noticed that you have an old link to the BBHybrids Tool.

Here's the new link:

BBHybrids Tool (Public Version) - Downloads - BBH-Plus Forums

[SCrid2000]

Lol, they update it all the time and every update is a new download link, the old one will work Thanks tho. The important part is the dropbox bit anyway right?

[wnm]

Originally Posted by SCrid2000

Lol, they update it all the time and every update is a new download link, the old one will work Thanks tho. The important part is the dropbox bit anyway right?

Yeah it's a great idea.

[SCrid2000]

Originally Posted by wnm

Great idea and nice explanation. Here's the next step. Create a document (email, Outlook Note) to store all your app names, registration codes and links. I'm going to use an Outlook Note that will update any changes each time I sync my BB with Outlook.

Any time you need get an app back just go to you're document and the link and Reg. code are right there.

I originally planned to do this with notepad. If rename the .txt to .html and put the document into your public folder, you can easily view the download links for all your apps with your browser.

[vaffluence]

This is quite nice. Thanks for the useful tips. Guess I have to start backing up online with this method.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com