"Off Market" installation? (not strictly B4A)

[boten]

When downloading an app from the Android Market, the app is first downloaded and then automatically installs itself.

What is the "mechanism" behind it?

I want to put an app on a private web page, but when I put a link to the apk, something like:

<a href=myapp.apk>Download</a>

and access it from the phone and click the link the file is downloaded to the phone (stays on the "download" folder). Only when I click the notification area (on the file name) it asks to be installed.

Is there some HTML code to cause the file to be installed after downloading?

 

[Erel]

You should configure your server mime list and add "application/vnd.android.package-archive" for apk extension.

 

[boten]

it's a private page, not a private server, so i tried adding .htaccess file to the folder i have access to (where the .html and .apk reside) , not much difference, still just D/L.

the line in .htaccess is:

AddType application/vnd.android.package-archive .apk

 

[Kevin]

it's a private page, not a private server, so i tried adding .htaccess file to the folder i have access to (where the .html and .apk reside) , not much difference, still just D/L.

the line in .htaccess is:

AddType application/vnd.android.package-archive .apk

Is it a site running on a shared server using cPanel?

If so, you should still be able to configure it.

1) Log into cPanel
2) Under Advanced, click on Mime Types. If you don't see it, type mime into the "find" area on the cPanel main page.
3) Enter the mime type and extension into the boxes.

If you don't have a cPanel account or your site is hosted on a server that doesn't allow any configuration such as this, then you might be out of luck unless you want to contact the hosting company and request the change. Some are willing to make changes like this and others not so much.

 

[boten]

:signOops::signOops::signOops: I guess I'm out of luck - hosted on a server that doesn't allow configurations like this. Well, most of android users are smart enough to click the D/L'ed file to install

 

[corwin42]

Normally you can tap on the downloaded file in the notification bar after download and then Android asks if it should install the file. So I think this is really not a big problem for Android users.

 

[boten]

....I think this is really not a big problem for Android users.

Right. That's what i meant by "smart enough"