LocalBar 2

For BB10 please use BarInstall.

Install BAR files directly from your BlackBerry PlayBook. Well, not directly, because (unlike the first localbar), this time you will need a proxy. You can use your BlackBerry smartphone as a proxy, or you can install a proxy software (Squid, tinyproxy, privoxy, etc) in your Desktop (or router), any proxy software is fine if it supports HTTPS.

An Android phone can also work as a proxy.

UPDATE: New LocalBarProxy 1.1.0 for BlackBerry has been confirmed to work on 9800 (thanks to Del Simmons for testing). NOTE: version (1.0.0) of LocalBarProxy is confirmed not to work in 9800 (and probaby some other BlackBerry model). I have confirmed that it works on my 9650, and some have reported that it works in 9900. I will work on a fix (possibly this weekend).

Here is a demo video showing the use of localbar2. Note that the "installing 0%" can take a long time if you are using your BlackBerry smartphone.

checkout my shareware TinyController. Control your BlackBerry smartphone from Windows/OS X Desktop using USB, Bluetooth or WIFI (free 14 days trial). You can use BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) From Desktop PC or Mac OS X.

and my small (0.99 USD) games for PlayBook:

Four Colors. Paint colors so that neighboring areas have different colors. Based on Four Color Theorem. You can try the free Four Colors Lite.

Baby Coloring Book. Simple coloring book for babies/toddlers. You can try the free Baby Coloring Book Lite.

Or just be nice and register DropBox with my referral.

Downloads

LocalBar2 (PlayBook side):

localbar2.bar

If somehow you don't get a bar file from the link above, it may got autoextracted or autorenamed by your browser or utility apps that you have. Download this zip version instead, and unzip it, the password is localbar. The password is to prevent auto extraction.

localbar2.bar.zip

LocalBar Proxy (BlackBerry side):

LocalBarProxy (OTA Install)

LocalBarProxy (Manual/Desktop Install)

If you don't own a BlackBerry, try to find a proxy software for your desktop or other devices.

First Install

You need to sideload LocalBar using your PC/Mac. There are many guides on the Internet. Here is one fof them:

http://forums.crackberry.com/blackberry-playbook-f222/side-load-playbook-apps-windows-619796/

Next time when the upgrade of this app is available, you can install the upgrade directly from PlayBook using this app.

Guide

You MUST enable development mode before installing the apps (you should have done this step when you sideload LocalBar.

[[!img Error: Image::Magick is not installed]]

You will need to grant some privileges to this app after first install.

[[!img Error: Image::Magick is not installed]]

How to use

You can place your BAR files anywhere in your PlayBook, this app will search for all bar files in the device. There are three installation modes:

Install using proxy to current playbook

To install to the current playbook using proxy. You need:

To be connected through WIFI
To have Development Mode enabled
A proxy server (you can use a BlackBerry smartphone with OS 5.0 or later residing on the same wifi network, or you can use any HTTPS proxy in your local network)

If you are using BlackBerry as your Proxy, you will see a message when running LocalBarProxy: "Started at 192.168.0.165:12000" (the address will not be the same, depends on your network). If you see "Stopped: ERROR", just exit, and re run LocalBarProxy. Type in that address (192.168.0.165:12000) in the "Proxy Address" Field in your PlayBook.

Install to current playbook on rooted device

Actually I haven't test this one yet. It supposed to work if/when we can root OS 2.0

Install to other PlayBook

Just fill in the IP address of the other PlayBook, and the other PlayBook's password (Note: target playbook must be in development mode).

In case of error

In case of error, but you are sure that your password is correct:

Try pressing the "install" button again. I am not sure why some request are rejected (but somehow doesn't reduce the "Failed Attempt" count)
Try disabling and reenabling development mode
Try restarting your PlayBook

Why do I need a proxy?

It will be easier to explain it using pictures.

You can install bar files from your computer. This is used by developers to test their software.

But a playbook is also a computer, so it should (and it could) be able to install things to itself (this is what the previous version of localbar did):

Well, RIM decided to block that

Note that you can still Install from your computer. That means with software such as remote desktop or SSH Client, you can connect through your computer, and ask your computer to install stuff to your playbook.

Thats great, but then you still need a computer just to install something in your playbook. The main role of the computer here is so that the playbook will "see" that the connection comes from outside the playbook itself.

We could replace the computer with any device that can forward a connection back to the playbook. For example: a BlackBerry smartphone.

The BlackBerry smartphone acts as proxy. In fact, you can use any proxy software for your Desktop, Router, etc.

Also note that a playbook can install a software to another playbook. Perhaps you want to install an app for your parents when you visit them, or share your brand new apps to your friends in a BlackBerry meetup

or checkout my shareware TinyController. Control your BlackBerry smartphone from Windows/OS X Desktop using USB, Bluetooth or WIFI (free 14 days trial).

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Links: localbar playbook