Questions About Side Loading/Enabling Dev Mode

[Brew Swayne]

Hey guys, there's a couple of apps I use on my Android phone and/or tablet that I'd really like to install on my CB.  However, those select few apps are not available for my CB.  As far as I know, my only option is to enable dev mode so that I can side load apps.  I'm fairly tech smart/savvy but I'm definitely no expert, so I'd like to ask a few questions to makes sure that this is something I want to try.  

1.  My understanding is that by enabling dev mode, that many of the ChromeOS security features are removed.  Does this include browser security or is it just the system security (that blocks access to protected system/root files) that will be disabled?  

2.  When dev mode is enabled, what differences should I expect to see with the interface, if any?  

3.  I'm not looking to add Linux or do any of the crazy high-tech stuff that many of you tech gurus do, I just want to side load a couple of .apk files for apps that aren't available for my CB in the Play store, but other than that, continue to use my CB primarily for web browsing.  Is enabling dev mode the only/easiest way to accomplish this, or is there another way?  

Any input/feedback/words of wisdom are greatly appreciated.   

[Mike Frysinger]

(1) system security.  see this wiki for more details:

https://sites.google.com/site/chromeoswikisite/home/what-s-new-in-dev-and-beta/shell-acess-with-verified-boot

(3) currently you can't side load in verified mode, so yes, putting it into dev mode is the only way to side load atm.

-mike

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[Nom De Plume]

Does your Chromebook have the Play Store available? If so you can simply enable "unknown sources" in the Security menu. Search for Manage Android preferences from the Settings page.
I don't know that Developer mode is required for that. 

[Brew Swayne]

Yes, my CB does have the Play Store.  I did try going into Play Store settings to enable unknown sources, but nothing happens with I click on the toggle. 

My CB is an Asus Flip C100PA.  The Play Store is a Beta version, so maybe that's why it won't toggle on?  I'm not sure if newer or higher end CBs have a non-Beta version of Play available to them.  

[Brew Swayne]

Thanks Mike.  That helps, but admittedly, some of that is a bit Greek to me.  My (very limited) understanding of going into dev mode is that it's primarily for people who want to install a different OS on their CB...like Linux, which I'm definitely not wanting to do.  If I'm reading/understanding that article correctly, the instructions provided will allow me to enter dev mode but still retain the original ChromeOS and I can stay on the stable channel and will keep receiving regular ChromeOS updates.  Is that correct or am I way off base with that?   

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[Nom De Plume]

It appears that Developer mode may be a requirement for enabling Unknown Sources.

https://developer.android.com/topic/arc/sideload.html

Sorry to get your hopes up. I have only been in developer mode so it wasn't something I had to cope with.

[Mike Frysinger]

correct: while dev mode in many articles is discussed as a precursor to installing something other than CrOS, it is by no means limited to that.  you can use CrOS in dev mode the same as you do in verified mode (and i frequently do).

that wiki page steps you through things and provides some tips for keeping dev mode while not losing all the system security benefits.

-mike

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[Mike Frysinger]

we grok that dev mode isn't exactly desirable simply to be able to sideload apps, so this pain point is on our radar to address.  unfortunately i don't have a schedule to share publicly.  we have to balance competing requests (like enterprises/edus that don't want to let their users sideload at all).  it's doable, but it's not something we can full charge into.

sorry for the troubles.

-mike

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[Brew Swayne]

Ok, that all makes sense.  Yeah, pretty much every article I read about how to enable dev mode were also talking about changing the OS.  

Also, not sure if it was just a typo, but I'm not sure what you meant by: "we grok" that dev mode isn't desirable to sideload apps.  

Not sure if it makes a difference or not, but the method I intend to use to side load is Air Droid.  I've got the .apk for the app I want to load on my CB saved on my desktop computer.  I've used it to side load on my tablet and it's literally just drag and drop the file.  Any reason to think that the same method wouldn't work just as easily on my CB?  

[Mike Frysinger]

grok == understand

  https://www.google.com/search?q=Dictionary%20grok

i can see Air Droid working smoothly, but i could see it not.  test it out and let us know how it goes ? :)

-mike

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[Brew Swayne]

Ha....came in here for tech support, got a vocabulary lesson.  BONUS!  

Yeah, if I try it out, I'll report back with results.  Thanks for all the info.  

[Matthew Simmons]

Thanks for posting that, Mike. I'm a Windows developer that's spent the last two years developing a plan and the expertise to migrate our suite of apps from .NET to Windows. I'm also very interested in finding out when side loading will be enabled in the stable channel outside of developer mode. It's a great way for me to distribute my apps within the company without having to maintain a G Suite account. I'd love to give my company the ability to get rid of Windows desktops and replace them with Chrome Books.

Thanks again for the update. I'll be keeping my eyes open.

[Mike Frysinger]

if you have a company with Chromebooks that are enrolled, the admin can force Android apps to be installed automatically.  so you wouldn't need to sideload things in that case.

check out:

  https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/7131624

-mike

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[Brew Swayne]

Got really busy and haven't had a chance to try this yet, which might be a good thing because I did think of 1 other question here....

I have 2 user accts on the CB.  Both are mine.  If I'm logged into my primary acct and enable dev mode, will that impact the secondary account in anyway?  And can I still switch back and forth between the 2 accounts without any issue?  Thanks. 

[Mike Frysinger]

dev mode is a boot time state and has no relationship to user accounts.  multiprofile works fine in verified and dev mode.

-mike

On Mon, Sep 11, 2017 at 7:10 PM, Brew Swayne <wayne.a...@gmail.com> wrote:

Got really busy and haven't had a chance to try this yet, which might be a good thing because I did think of 1 other question here....

I have 2 user accts on the CB.  Both are mine.  If I'm logged into my primary acct and enable dev mode, will that impact the secondary account in anyway?  And can I still switch back and forth between the 2 accounts without any issue?  Thanks. 

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[DennisLfromGA]

Brew,

The only thing I'd add, and you may be aware of already, is switching to dev mode will wipe the stateful_partition so any user accounts & data like in Downloads, etc. will be removed.

You can add the accounts again of course after it's in dev mode and what you have chosen to sync will be restored.

~Denny

[El Do͞oderino]

I understand that you don't have a timeline, but can you say if it is even on the table atm for to unlock sideloading for stable channel?  

On Wednesday, August 30, 2017 at 2:38:18 PM UTC-5, Mike Frysinger wrote:

we grok that dev mode isn't exactly desirable simply to be able to sideload apps, so this pain point is on our radar to address.  unfortunately i don't have a schedule to share publicly.  we have to balance competing requests (like enterprises/edus that don't want to let their users sideload at all).  it's doable, but it's not something we can full charge into.

sorry for the troubles.

-mike

On Wed, Aug 30, 2017 at 2:21 PM, Nom De Plume <david....@gmail.com> wrote:

It appears that Developer mode may be a requirement for enabling Unknown Sources.

https://developer.android.com/topic/arc/sideload.html

Sorry to get your hopes up. I have only been in developer mode so it wasn't something I had to cope with.

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