To test the webOS TV app on a LG TV one can use the Developer Mode app.
To use the Developer Mode app, the following should be ready in advance:
- LG TV (with webOS) connected with a network
- PC connected with a network and installed with webOS TV SDK
- LG Developer site account
[A] Install the webOS TV SDK v4.x
You will have to download the webOS SDK from the following page: http://webostv.developer.lge.com/sdk/installation and choose the Minimal Installer package
After the package is downloaded on your machine, unzip the downloaded installer package. Navigate to the unzipped directory and execute the installer executable file.
Perform the following steps:
1. Accept the license agreement.
2. Select the installation directory, view the components that will be installed, and click INSTALL.
3. On completing the installation, read the information on the screen, and click DONE.
Restart the system to ensure that the installation works properly.
[B] Preparing a Login Account
To use the Developer Mode app, you need to be a member of LG developer portal site. Please follow the below steps to create an account on the LG Developer site. If you already have an LG Developer site account, skip this section and go on to Installing Developer Mode App.
1. Go to the login page using your PC.
2. Select the CREATE ACCOUNT tab. The Select Country pop-up will be shown.
3. Select your country from the drop-down menu and click CONFIRM. You will be taken to the Accept Terms & Conditions screen.
4. Read through and accept our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy. Click AGREE to create your new LG Account.
5. Enter your email address as User ID, password, and date of birth. Select whether to subscribe to our mailing list, then click CONFIRM. We will send you a verification email to your address.
6. Click CONFIRM in the verification email to complete verification.
7. Once the Account Created screen appears, go to the developer forum again.
8. Click Sign In at the top right corner of the screen and sign in to LG Developer using your new LG Account credentials.
9. From the My Account screen, enter additional information required and click Save.
[C] Installing Developer Mode App
1. Turn on your LG TV and check if your TV is connected to a network.
2. Navigate to Settings – All Settings – General – Account Management
3. Sign in with your LG Developer account (created above)
4. Go to the LG Content Store.
5. Search for “Developer Mode” application
6. Select the Developer Mode app and click the Install button.
[D] Turning Developer Mode On
1. Run the Developer Mode app from the webOS TV Launcher.
2. Enter your email-based ID and password to LG Developer site (from point [B] above)
3. Click the Dev Mode Status button to enable the Developer Mode.
4. Set the Key Server to ON. The TV will reboot.
[E] Connecting TV and PC
1. Run webOS TV CLI – this will appear on your PC’s desktop.
2. Execute the command:
ares-setup-device script.
3. Then, select add.
4. Input the information of the target TV as below:
- Enter Device Name: webOSTV
- Enter Device IP address: 10.123.45.67 (enter here the IP of the TV)
- Enter Device Port: 9922
- Enter ssh user: prisoner
- Enter description: webOS test TV
- Select authentification: password
- Enter password:
- Save: Yes
5. After adding a device, check the result with the command below:
ares-setup-device -list
6. Click the Key Server button in the Developer Mode app.
7. Get the key file from the webOS TV with the following command:
ares-novacom –device webOSTV –getkey
8. There will be a command prompt to enter Passphrase. Enter the exact characters (case sensitive) as displayed on the TV screen.
9. Check the connection with the TV and PC with the following command:
ares-install –device webOSTV –list
[F] Installing a Web App on Target Device
Execute the following command to install the package file on the target. Input the name of the target and package file as parameters.
ares-install –device webOSTV ./path/to/com.yourdomain.app_0.0.1_all.ipk
Note: on the above command you will set the path to the ipk file; as example we have copied the ipk file on the following location: C:\webOS_TV_SDK\CLI\bin
so we will run the command:
ares-install –device webOSTV ./com.tikilive.app_0.0.1_all.ipk
[G] Launching a Web App on Target Device
Check the application that is installed on the LG TV by entering the following command:
ares-install –device webOSTV –list
Select the target device name and the application ID from the device and the application list, used during the installation phase, and enter them as parameters before executing the command as shown below:
ares-launch –device webOSTV com.yourdomain.app
Note: on the above command as example we will run the command:
ares-launch –device webOSTV com.tikilive
After executing the above command, you need to check whether the sample application started on the target device or not.
[H] Closing Web Application
Enter the names of the target device and application using parameters to close the currently running application, just as in launching the application.
ares-launch –device emulator –close com.yourdomain.app
[I] Removing a Web App
Use the –remove option of the ares-install command to remove the application. Enter the ID of the installed application using parameters. Execute the following command to remove the application installed on the target as shown in the following example.
ares-install –device emulator –remove com.yourdomain.app
[J] Extending Developer Mode Time
When you turn on the Developer mode, Developer mode app shows how much time have left of Developer mode (Remain Session). As you see, Developer mode enables for the limited time. If you want to extend the remaining time, click the Extend button. Then, the Developer Mode app will renew the time again.
Even the time has run out, you can extend the time with this button before TV power off.