BB10 / PlayBook App Manager

for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox

Latest Version: 2.2
Designed by George J (jgc@gridbook.org)
Distributed under the Creative Commons BY-NC-SA License.
JavaScript libraries of SHA-512 and MD5 are originally implemented by Paul Johnston.

If you own a BlackBerry 10 or PlayBook device, and are seeking an easier and more efficient way to manage its apps, (like me, as a developer)

and if Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox is your favorite web browser, (like me, with a Chromebook)

and just by the way, have no love for Java, (my poor Chromebook won't run Java)

this is the one you're looking for. Screenshots come first:

• Why me? / What are the differences?

  1. {Progess bar + transfer speed + time remaining} keep you calm during installation.
  2. Cross-platform (Windows/Mac/Linux).
  3. Nothing else but the browser is required. Java Runtime Environment? .NET framework? Come on, forget the hassles and save time.
  4. Where're the apps that I just installed? Great, there are links to them that saved in logs. One simple click and the app is located and highlighted.
  5. Way easier to search, copy text, or print, which is benefited from the browser.

• Main Features

  1. Save your password in the browser for auto login (or not if you choose not to). Some tricks are done to save half of usual login time.
  2. List all the apps installed. Query run status, launch, terminate, or uninstall any individual app.
  3. Install apps by a queue. Multiple apps may be added to the queue by choosing files in a dialog or a simple drag and drop. Apps may be removed from the queue and installation may be aborted. Installation status is displayed in two steps: file uploading (to the BB10 / PlayBook) with a progress bar and the actual installation with echoed messages.
  4. Auto retry for any incomplete installation or uninstallation.
  5. Log and categorize all the results of installations. Locate each one of them by a simple click.

• License and Disclaimer

  • Distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License.
  • Software distributed "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, either express or implied warranty. You use at your own risk. The author will not be liable for data loss, damages, loss of profits or any other kind of loss while using or misusing this software.

• Installation for Google Chrome / Chromium

  Instructions

  1. Install Extension from the Chrome Web Store.
     
  2. On the popup page, fill in the hostname/IP of your BB10 / PlayBook, and follow the instructions on that page.

  Pros

  • Easy setup.
  • Better integration with the browser and thus more flexibility.
  • It will get auto updated when a new version is released.

  Cons

  • You have to click Proceed Anyway on the SSL certificate error page for the first use each time the browser starts. Although Chrome has an "--ignore-certificate-errors" switch, it's not recommended to use.

• Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Q: Where are the installation instructions for Mozila Firefox?
     A: Re-open this page using the browser you'd like to install BB10 / PlayBook App Manager on.
  2. Q: (Google Chrome) How can I get access to the options page again?
     A: Click the toolbar icon, or go to Settings » Extensions » BB10 / PlayBook App Manager » Options.
  3. Q: (Google Chrome) Why does the extension ask for permission to access data on "all websites"?
     A: Upon installation, the extension has no idea about which IP or hostname your device(s) has/have, so it has to tell Chrome that it needs such permission. After installation, the extension will never access any websites which does not match the IPs/hostnames set in the options page.
  4. Q: How can I get the hostname/IP of my BB10 / PlayBook device?
     A: Enable the Development Mode of your device first. Please be aware that the BB10 / PlayBook will reset itself to non-Development Mode after each reboot or 10 days, whichever comes first.
     
     • BlackBerry 10
       
       • IP Address: Go to Settings » About » Network » Wi-Fi or USB » IPv4. Warnings: 1. The IPv4 address should be written in dotted decimal notation. It does not include any slashes. 2. The IP address set in Development Mode may not work, so do not use it.
       • Hostname: This may not be supported in every network environment. But If the IP address of your BB10 device keeps changing, you may give it a try. Go to Setting » About & General » Device Name.
     • PlayBook
       
       • IP Address: Click the dev icon on top panel of main screen. It will display an IP usually in the form of 192.168.*.*, this is the wireless IP. For the physical IP via USB cable (169.254.*.*), go to Setting » Security » Development Mode » Development Address.
       • Hostname (the so-called Tablet Network Name): This is not supported in every network environment. But If the IP address of your PlayBook keeps changing, you may give it a try. Go to Setting » Storage & Sharing » Network Identification » Tablet Network Name.
  5. Q: Why the setup for Firefox is so complicated?
     A: Because this software was originally only a Chrome extension, and I don't have the time to create another complete extension for Firefox. However, you may do so by yourself if you would like to.
  6. Q: It keeps auto logining. / I am sure the password is correct, but I can't login.
     A: Make sure the device time and time zone are synced with your computer's.
  7. Q: How to make a donation?
     A: If you want to show your appreciation of my work, you may send money to jgc@gridbook.org via PayPal. Please choose Personal instead of Purchase. I don't really care about the amount of donation. Even a donation of one dollar will make me feel warm and fuzzy.

• Known Issues

  1. This software can multitask, but if you do something else, for example, launch another app, in the middle of the uploading of the installation of a large app, the progress bar will not be back again and there will be nothing appears in the output window until the uploading is finally finished. The problem is currently marked as Won't Fix, because it's not a big deal and I am just too lazy.
  2. Occasionally the page goes blank. Well, it's actually white, not blank, because all the page elements are still there. Just refresh and everything backs to normal. I test this software in Chrome mostly, so it must be some weird problems with Chrome. Correct me if I'm wrong.