Sideloading Success!!

[reinbeau]

Finally I've succeeded in enabling sideloading, via this page. Thank you, whoever posted it here, I've lost track, but this method works.

After downloading Root Explorer I was offered another program, SQL Editor, I think - and that is what really ended up working, after I blew my first attempt. As long as you copy that file somewhere out of the branch of the tree it lives in you can edited it and then copy it back, overwriting the original. But don't take my word for it, I'm luck what worked for me worked for me! Follow the instructions above and you'll be sideloading all over the place.

 

[sremick]

That's the long, hard way.

An easier way is outlined in the Captivate FAQ (which is nicely linked in your signature):

Sideloading - CapFAQ

 

[reinbeau]

Your link to the Sideload Wonder Machine is broken - but I think that involved USB drivers, and my PC just won't allow the installation of them, so I had to find a way to do it without any of that. Dropbox is an easy way to get files onto my Captivate from my PC, so this worked beautifully for me.

 

[sremick]

Your link to the Sideload Wonder Machine is broken

Thanks for the heads up. They moved the link again. It has been updated.

but I think that involved USB drivers, and my PC just won't allow the installation of them, so I had to find a way to do it without any of that.

The SWM is only one of the methods outlined in the FAQ. At the bottom of that page I gave you is a second way which accomplishes the same as what you did, but with far fewer steps. It's effectively a "one click" to enable the installation of non-market apps.

 

[viny2cool]

i am using wonder machine and it works great. I still dunno why people are not able to connect USB successfully. I had problems before, but now its working good. Even new Kies verson is working good for me.

 

[peachpuff]

There's sideloading... and then there's wireless sideloading

 

[reinbeau]

Is that how you install any program you need to sideload or do you do that once and done? I'm done, I can scan the code and install anything now.

 

[sremick]

Is that how you install any program you need to sideload or do you do that once and done? I'm done, I can scan the code and install anything now.

The SWM method is used every time you want to load an app.

The OCD method is a one-time thing and from there on, once you have the apk on your phone (no matter how you got it there, including downloading from the browser), you can "install" it.

 

[reinbeau]

Well, as I said, the second involved USB drivers and I've given up on that. I learned doing it the way I did was how to use Root Explorer, how zip files worked, and how to use Dropbox, so all in all I'm a very happy camper. There are many ways to Rome.....

ETA: For the record, I've outlined what I did below (please follow the link and read the original method first). This method doesn't use USB drivers or any other connection between the phone and your pc other than Dropbox and Firefox, however, in the process, I discovered the usefulness of SQLite Editor, a program you can get in association with Root Explorer:

Can I suggest an even easier way of editing and manipulating the settings.db file? I used a combination of Root Explorer, SQLite Editor and Dropbox, modified from this link. You zip and copy settings.db from your Captivate to Dropbox, then you can edit it in Firefox, zip it, copy it back, and manipulate it from there - or I found I could copy the file to another folder I created (modified market), edit the file in there with SQLite, save the file and then copy it back to the original folder following their directions. The one thing you have to be careful of is making sure you're mounted R/W instead of R/O in Root Explorer or you'll get errors, something like 'permission denied'.

The Sideload Wonder Machine is nice, but I'm not always at my computer when I find something I want to try, this method made sideloading totally contained on the Captivate. I've also finally got the USB drivers working on my PC, so I can connect it, but this method works without all that fuss. And face it, if you're trying to enable sideloading you really ought to be able to safely manipulate files, so this whole experience is a great learning tool.

This will come undone if you have to factory reset your phone, unlike rooting, I've just had to do it again - hopefully you'll only have to do it once! Works a charm