sideload PRG file; no longer working

Sideloads still work, it's just that PRGs (whether installed from the store or sideloaded) are immediately moved into inaccessible storage on the watch. This started with music-enabled watches for music providers and other selected app types. In current watches, this happens with all app types.

Just keep in mind that the final name of the sideload will vary:

- If an app with same ID is installed from the store, the sideload takes on the randomly generated name of the store app (available in garmindevice.xml)

- If an app with same ID is not installed from the store, the original name of the sideload is preserved. (On some old watches, the name - minus .PRG extension - may be truncated to 8 characters.)

Also note that it's not currently possible to uninstall sideloads using the Connect IQ app. You have to use Garmin Express on PC/Mac.

The last one is really an annoyance! I don't know why they're doing steps backwards all the time...

Thanks!  That was helpful.  The fact that the PRGs are immediately removed is what was tripping me up.  The PRGs still go in the /Garmin/Apps directory (as stated in the documentation).  

flocsy🤠 said:

an annoyance

Lemme guess, as a linux user you're forced to run Garmin Express in wine or even worse, install Windows (shudder)

flocsy🤠 said:

I don't know why they're doing steps backwards all the time...

Just their way of showing love to the dev community!

Actually it's even worse: I was a Linux user, but now I use Mac. However the problem is not what I have to do to run GE, but rather what many people have to do BECAUSE they ran GE. It screws up things in the devices, or is just truck forever: https://forums.garmin.com/apps-software/mac-windows-software/f/garmin-express/362215/garmin-express-mac-v-7-20-0-0-stays-on-checking-for-updates

But even if GE would be the most user friendly and flowless app I wouldn't want to use it because it's not user friendly to connect your watch to the computer all the time. I sync with Garmin Connect at least once a day, and sometimes I also check for updated in Connect IQ. This is convenient. To be able to delete an ap installed on the device from Connect IQ would be very logical ANYWAY, even if it wasn't possible previously. But obviously it's even more missing now that we know it was there in the past.

The "funny" thing is we don't hear anything from Garmin, so we don't know:

- if they are aware of the problem

- if they think it's a problem (aka it's a regression/bug that they did accidentaly or they did it on purpose)

- if they will ever fix it

Opened a "bug": forums.garmin.com/.../bug-regression-can-t-delete-side-loaded-apps-from-connect-iq

flocsy🤠 said:

However the problem is not what I have to do to run GE, but rather what many people have to do BECAUSE they ran GE. It screws up things in the devices

Yeah there was/is also a bug where Express messes up your device's glance order.

flocsy🤠 said:

But even if GE would be the most user friendly and flowless app I wouldn't want to use it because it's not user friendly to connect your watch to the computer all the time. I sync with Garmin Connect at least once a day, and sometimes I also check for updated in Connect IQ. This is convenient. To be able to delete an ap installed on the device from Connect IQ would be very logical ANYWAY, even if it wasn't possible previously. But obviously it's even more missing now that we know it was there in the past.

I agree 100%, but it's funny how certain seasoned forum members (both in the CIQ and non-CIQ subforums) will suggest updating your device via Garmin Express as a workaround/fix for one error or another (*), completely ignoring the fact that even 10 years ago, most people preferred to use their phone for everything (if they even owned a computer.)

(* e.g. Having problems with CIQ settings? No worries, just ask your users to use Garmin Express!!!1!

Something isn't working right on your watch? Just update your device with Garmin Express!)

Personally I hate Garmin Express and avoid using it whenever possible (much like Eclipse.)

flocsy🤠 said:

To be able to delete an ap installed on the device from Connect IQ would be very logical ANYWAY, even if it wasn't possible previously

Playing devil's advocate, maybe Garmin figures that since you need a computer to sideload an app to a garmin device, then it's ok that you need a computer to delete a sideloaded app. (I don't agree with this, but it's somewhat logical, except ofc for the fact that the need to run Garmin Express is an additional requirement compared to just being able to access a device via MTP, given the fact that linux and Android devices can do the latter but not the former. The simplest explanation is Garmin doesn't really care about linux devs.)

If I side load an app to a friend's device then it might be stuck there forever. When he'll run out of space and has no computer then Garmin will tell him to factory reset the watch...

This would've been stupid anyway, but again: this worked, so this is a regression. Probably someone misconfigured a build. And maybe it's not hard coded and they could enable it with a server flag. A few days ago that's what they did to the jetlag thing in Garmin Connect.

flocsy🤠 said:

If I side load an app to a friend's device then it might be stuck there forever.

Yep. And if he wants to do "dev stuff" like adding a TXT or SET file, hopefully someone remembers the original name of the sideload. (To be fair, it's very unlikely to have a situation where you actually need the name of the sideload but you have no way of sideloading the app again after deleting it.)

This might be a newb question, but are Side-loads only doable on Eclipse now? I built my app on VS and can get it to run on the Simulator, but can never seem to get my watch to show up in Mac's Finder. 

The forum only has instructions for Eclipse...
https://forums.garmin.com/developer/connect-iq/w/wiki/4/new-developer-faq#app-settings 

Eclipse has been pretty much gone for a long time now.

You might want to check out the New Developer FAQ: https://forums.garmin.com/developer/connect-iq/w/wiki/4/new-developer-faq

The tricky part is if you have a mac and a device with music, as you won't see the Garmin without a 3rd party app to see the MTP file system.

Also on newer devices, after you copy the prg into apps, then unplug the garmin and plug it back in, you won't see the prg in apps anymore.  For security reasons, the prg files are hidden.