Create App Bundles

This topic provides details on how to build and update app bundles and upload them to Air Vantage to deploy on your target.

Build App

Apps are uploaded to AirVantage as a special zip file containing the app binary update pack and an XML manifest. Both are generated by mkapp when the app is built. To combine them into a zip file for AirVantage delivery, use the av-pack tool.

Code sample:

$ mkapp -t wp85 helloWorld.adef
$ av-pack -u helloWorld.wp85.update -b _build_helloWorld/wp85 -t abcCo.jsmith.helloWorld

mkapp builds the helloWorld app for the wp85 target. The update pack file helloWorld.wp85.update and the AirVantage manifest file manifest.app are generated. The manifest.app file is generated under the builds working directory (e.g., ./_build_helloWorld/wp85).

av-pack packs these two files together and sets the apps type to abcCo.jsmith.helloWorld. The apps type must be a globally-unique app type identifier, unique among all apps in all companies anywhere on AirVantage.

Best Practices in uniquely naming type identifiers:

  • Include a unique identifier for your company name to prevent naming conflicts with other companies in the world.
  • For developers apps, include the developer's name to prevent conflicts with other developers in the same company.

If no type is specified the type defaults to: appName-legato-application.

The output for this sample is helloWorld.zip. and is located in the build root.

If your target device has been configured for app signature checks or to accept only encrypted apps, you must use your signing/encryption tool to sign the .update file and then pack it with av-pack instead. Don't sign or encrypt the manifest.app file, or the final .zip file, as AirVantage won't be able to read them.

$ mkapp -t wp85 helloWorld.adef
$ cat helloWorld.wp85.update | myAppSigner > helloWorld.wp85.signed
$ av-pack -f helloWorld.wp85.signed abcCo.jsmith.helloWorld _build_helloWorld/wp85

See Uploading Apps/Systems to upload your Application Bundle to your device through Air Vantage.

Copyright (C) Sierra Wireless Inc. Use of this work is subject to license.