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Welcome to the Karoo-App-Sideloading wiki!

This project contains a set of scripts that I created that can be used to both backup and restore sideloaded applications on the Hammerhead Karoo bike computer. When done this way, the installation and setup of the Karoo after getting a new Karoo or a hard reset or a factory reset (setting menu) is far faster. And, in the case of apps whose datafiles you also backup should retain many of the preferences, maps and other data. Setting up a new or reset Karoo with side loaded apps will take just a few minutes and be much easier. For example, I am able to download the Osmand maps for three states plus the hillside, contours and world map files in well less than 5 minutes total.

This Bike computer is android based and, as such, will work with the Android developer tools and specifically the Android Deverlopers Bridge (hereafter, "adb").

Nothing on this site is either supported, endorsed or provided by Hammerhead. Use is at your own risk. This is provided solely for informtion purposes and is not presented as being bug free or being even good. All I can say that is that as I use them and make them work for my purposes, and I'm sharing them here with the idea that they are informational to others.

This set of scripts presumes you are on a mac, although being on a Win-doze computer is undoubtedly similar. I use a mac, so this is the context for this information.

On your Karoo, this presumes you have set it up in developer mode. You will need at least load a launcher and an appstore. I use Nova Launcher which is availble directly from their website. I also use APKpure's app store (also available as an apk directly from them) and Amazon's webstore which typically can be downloaded as an apk from http://www.amazon.com/androidapp on your device the first time. To do that, you will need to use the apkpure appstore and download Firefox and install it and then use that to access the Amazon website at the link above to get the amazon app store apk. Once that is done, you will never have to do this again since the list of apps on your Karoo will contain these apps and you'll be able to bulk load them in using the adb.

Once you have the Amazon app store installed, then install the ES File Explorer file manager app. This can be used to rapidly backup all your apks and put them in a directory for upload to your mac.

Once I get this more mature, I'll try and fill in the wiki with directions and pictures.

Right now, there are two shell scripts one each to backup andrestore or install.

Here is where you will find stuff.

1. Start by reading about how to side load apps on Karoo.. on how to make your Karoo more usable by side loading apps. This will also give you links to downloading the Android developers tools you will need for this.
2. Next, here is a discussion for how everything is set up.
3. Current Backup and restore scripts