Distributing and autostarting SIS app

[jappit]

Hi,

I'm not a Symbian expert, and I would like to know if this process is possible, on S60 3rd FP2:

* installing a SIS app on an external memory
* inserting this memory on another phone, this app should start automatically, and, if phone is rebooted, restart automatically each time
* each time it starts, the app should launch an exe and then quit immediatly, so that the user will have no notice of this app running
* the launched exe should remain running in background for an undefined time

Is this possible? Am I missing something?

Any help would be highly appreciated!

Thanks,
Pit

[truf]

Thats possible, but check that.

Especially

Another problem is that the startup service monitors all launched applications, and displays a warning message to the user if the application is terminated within 5 seconds after launching it. In order to avoid the unwarranted warning, the application must wait at least five seconds before attempting to exit.

[ltomuta]

Not possible.

Hi,

I'm not a Symbian expert, and I would like to know if this process is possible, on S60 3rd FP2:

* installing a SIS app on an external memory

No problem here.

* inserting this memory on another phone, this app should start automatically, and, if phone is rebooted, restart automatically each time

If all goes well the applications is installed in the new phone and its icon (if one provided) shows-up in the menu. The application does not autostart and cannot ad itself to the autostart list therefore it will not start on the next (re)boot.

* each time it starts, the app should launch an exe and then quit immediatly, so that the user will have no notice of this app running4
* the launched exe should remain running in background for an undefined time

Is this possible? Am I missing something?

Any help would be highly appreciated!

Thanks,
Pit

Why use a launcher. If you manage to start one application keep it running.

Generally speaking your entire scenario is a bit suspicious. What are you really trying to achieve?

[jappit]

Hi Itomuta, thanks for the detailed explanations. I've got some doubts:

1) What you say is that, if I install the app on a memory card and use that memory card in another phone, it is impossible to make that app start automatically? If so, is there another way to make a preinstalled app autostart (on memory card insert and on phone reboot)?

2) About the exe launcher, I would use that to start a process that the user should not see in the active applications list. Is there a way to "hide" a normal application from that list?

3) As an alternative, could I add, via a SIS application, an EXE to the auto startup list?

4) Last question: if there is not a way to autostart a memory card preinstalled app, would there be a way to autoinstall a sis that is placed on the external memory, and then make it start automatically?

Thanks again,
Pit

[truf]

There is a workaround to autorun applications from external memory. Refer to TSS000339 - Enabling auto-startup for applications preinstalled in external memory (e.g. MMC). But it's should be runned once to patch itself. Also that can be done for 2nd ed with .mdl . I never try recognizers on 3rd, but they mentionined in Symbian Signed Test Criteria 3.0.1 in Submission Criteria.

Illegal recognizer usage for auto-start
Only applicable for:-

S60 3rd Edition applications

If the file is present the developer
must also declared upon submission
that they do NOT use recognizers to
achieve auto-start functionality, but
rather that recognizers are included for
other (legitimate) purposes.

If the file is not in place and the
application starts at device boot then it
is safe to assume that the application
does not use a supported method to
start at the device boot and this case
must be failed.

[ltomuta]

Hi Itomuta, thanks for the detailed explanations. I've got some doubts:

1) What you say is that, if I install the app on a memory card and use that memory card in another phone, it is impossible to make that app start automatically? If so, is there another way to make a preinstalled app autostart (on memory card insert and on phone reboot)?

No. No application can autostart by itself, there has to be another application on the phone to start it (or obviously the user can trigger that). There is one such starter application but it only starts trusted 3rd party applications that have been added to the start-up list. Your application will be installed on the new phone but in is not on that phone's startup list nor can it add itself there.

2) About the exe launcher, I would use that to start a process that the user should not see in the active applications list. Is there a way to "hide" a normal application from that list?

Assuming that you solve the autostart problem the exe that you start can be directly the daemon, without a launcher utility. An exe is an exe, nobody cares if it has a GUI or not, if it is a daemon or a demon .

3) As an alternative, could I add, via a SIS application, an EXE to the auto startup list?

Not without user interaction. See the TSS000339.

4) Last question: if there is not a way to autostart a memory card preinstalled app, would there be a way to autoinstall a sis that is placed on the external memory, and then make it start automatically?
Thanks again,
Pit

A sis file can stay forever on the memory card if the user (or some other application) does not initiate the installation. On install it can register itself for autorun (if Symbian Signed) but only on the phone where it was installed. TSS000339 uses this.