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I have read for several days different guides, posts and tutorials regarding Android publishing. They all state that you can use the Android Market or it implies what I will call "local" publishing either for test purposes or not wanting to publish to the word. What I haven't seen is the "local" publishing approach defined anywhere. Can someone clarify how to get a developed app onto physical hardware "locally"?

For reference sake, I am using Eclipse 3.6.1 and OS 2.3 SDK/ADT. I see the compiled apk file from my AVD testing.

Additionally, are all the certificates and signing action necessary for Android Market publishing necessary for "local" publishing to install correctly on the device?

macombej
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In order to install apps from places other than the market, you need to enable that in Applications settings - allow unknown sources.

With the debug tools installed, you can install an apk from the command line by saying adb install my.apk.

You can also download an apk from a website, or email attachment, or post it in an alternate market.

For those cases, it needs to be signed with a key, but it doesn't need to be a release one, so the debug one that eclipse uses is fine.

Cheryl Simon
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    It should be added that some carriers (well, AT&T) blocked "side-loading" of apps, i.e. the "allow unknown sources" option on some phones. – EboMike Dec 23 '10 at 21:53
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To clarify and apply details to Mayra's comment, here are more detailed instructions for noobs like me 8^P

I did have to set my application settings to "allow unknown sources"

I connected my phone to my computer.

After XP opened the connection as an USB mass storage device, I could simply copy my .apk file to the SD card (which will be the drive name loaded against the USB mass storage device).

I went into the file, phone file app on the phone and selected the app.apk file and install.

Pretty simple.

As Mayra mentioned the debug tools, I didn't have to do anything as this seems to be the default setting. When I attached my phone to the PC, it gave me an option to turn off debug, but I ignored it. Everything worked out fine!

macombej
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