Our very own Homebrew Forums have always been the place to be to find homebrew apps for the Palm Pre. It's a great place for troubleshooting, asking questions, and discussion. Browsing.... Not so great.
So we've been coding our little heads off and although there's a rough edge here and there, we're happy to present...
The PreCentral.net Homebrew Apps Gallery
You can sort through apps, rate them, filter or click on tags (see them in the sidebar of the main gallery page), and yes, download the apps.
If you're new to homebrew apps, here's the deal. They are all essentially Beta apps presented for testing and edification. Some are free and will be forever, the rest are free but just during the Beta period. Many of them will hopefully make their way into the official App Catalog (at which time, we'll pull them from our gallery, obviously).
If you've never installed homebrew apps, it's getting easier by the day. For your first install, you just use WebOS Quick Install. Then you'll want to use it to install fileCoaster. With fileCoaster, you can paste any link to a Pre app and it will download and install it. Heck, we've made a mobile version of the Homebrew App Gallery to make it even easier.
Just remember there's plenty of 'Beta' to go around here, so pardon us (and then tell us) if you kick a tire and it goes flat. Keep on heading into our homebrew forums to talk to the developers, but now there's a nice way to gaze upon Homebrew Apps. Even if you're not part of the 65% of our readers who have tried Homebrew, the Gallery gives you a hint of what may be coming to the official App Catalog.
Developers, want to add your app to the gallery? Just ask!
Comments
Rock on!!!! Precentral, you are the best!
http://digg.com/gadgets/New_Homebrew_App_Gallery_for_the_Palm_Pre_PreCen...
Excellent - good work Dieter and crew!
PreCentral.net f*ck yeah!
nice. i need some time to actually play with more of these apps.
Niiiiiiiiiiiiiice, excellent work. precentral.net you are the best
This is AWESOME! Is there any way the mobile/Pre version can also be sorted by most recent update as well? THANKS!
Looks like its working now!!! SWEET! Just added the mobile site to my launcher! ;)
wow you guys are doing a great job on all of this.
Wow this is crazy how fast homebrew is taking off!!! File coaster, than PreLoad, now this!
Palm has been on the news a lot for suspect build quality, stock issues and many other things involving the Pre...
I wouldn't doubt to see some news start up here soon about all the activity in the HomeBrew community!!! This is really awesome, great work PreCentral
*Slow applause gradually getting faster & louder as I slowly stand to my feet*
Homebew guys are rocking. To bad Palm can't get more apps ready. I guess if they have something to do with food they will.
Well Palm is more concerned with quality control issues so I doubt they will be putting up a lot of beta apps. That's the whole point of the beta/homebrew community. The thing I like is that Palm doesn't make you do any funky jailbreaking in order to install homebrew. This platform is eminently hackable.
Yeah, but there are plenty of "official" palm apps that act like betas. SplashID/Missing Sync anyone? Palm should be a little worried that Homebrew may become the defacto app store if they don't get on the ball and better support some of their star developers.
It would be nice if there was a way to sort/filter by whether or not root is required. The field is present within app description pages, but would be nice to have in list view.
Not being ungrateful! Just a suggestion. This is excellent work.
Thanks Pre Central.
Thanks Pre Central.
AWESOME, Nice WORK!!!!
Insanely cool. Many thanks.
Sweeeeeeet. This is the final tipping point to get me to start using homebrew.
Awesome. So do the download links inside each one of those update to the latest version from the threads?
You guys rock Dieter! Thanks!
Thank you. I've been waiting for this for so long.
PreCentral, you are amazing!
Now if it only it could remember my sort options after clicking the back button.
Insanely cool. Many thanks.
This looks awesome. I will definitely be using this addition to Precentral. However, I have one problem:
Could somebody please helpe me with the Copy+Paste part in order to download the apps on the device?
I understand that in order to copy and paste you select the text, tap top left of screen, edit, then copy+paste into another app like fileCoaster, but this is not working for me.
Could somebody pleaes help?
Thank you.
actually Filecoaster is smarter than that. Once you have copied something. When you are in Filecoaster and have the filed selected just shake your phone and it will paste what ever you had copied. THATS IT! to clear the field shake the phone again, THATS IT!
Shake it up baby, now.
Ok, the shaking to clear the input screen is Uber Cool. This is still my favorite homebrew application... :)
Thanks for putting this together - it's a great step forward for the Pre community.
I would like to make one point though - part of our effort is to legitimize the practice of installing applications outside of the app store. It should be a viable alternative for people to install applications either way and will only benefit the community because of the more open playing field.
So using the term "homebrew" I think damages that effort. It doesn't really mean anything either, since just about every app is "homebrewed." It just makes it sound like we're a bunch of rebels on the fringe doing some kind of quasi-acceptable thing. I think it would be great if we could just refer to the sections as applications.
Thoughts?
I like the name home brew its new and I think it fits whats going on. As I entered Linux for the first time I definitely felt I was on the fringe and there are many people who will not even touch some of this stuff. The name was developed and is recognized by the community so I think we should keep it. At least the name isn't Jailbroken.
Homebrew is not a bad word. As used here, it is consistent with it's historical precedent. For example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homebrew_Computer_Club
I also am having the same copy/paste problem as West3man above as well. When you select the download url, it turns yellow, but when I open the context menu and hit edit, all of the copy/paste functions are grayed out and unavailable, even though though the url text is highlighted in yellow and would appear to be selectable.
I've noted commentary in other forums that copy/paste functions are not available in the browser and this may be the issue.
I hope you've seen the answers to your question. Btw, I have no problems with copy/paste.
I'll agree with Sam1am1am regarding the terminology of "homebrew' from a marketing standpoint. I have plenty at least a couple of fellow church members who have bought the Pre. They are not power user geeks like me, just plain jane phone buyers, so when I say homebrew to them, they look at me like "what's that?". I think referring to these apps in a more mainstream way is a good idea to help make them as acceptable and mainstream as anything that comes from the app store direct and therefore give them wider currency.
Now, does anyone have an answer for this copy/paste problem?
Hi,
Try this: instead of using the menu to hit "copy / paste", try putting a finder on the gesture area and hit "c" for copy and "v" for paste.
Yeah I could never get copy/paste to work with the Edit Menu and then Copy/Paste... but the Gesture + C/V method works PERFECT! I use it all the time now!
I'm actually pretty surprised to see that this worked. Thank you!!!
I believe you just proved a point in why we should keep it called Homebrew, it got people talking! SWEET
When updating homebrew apps that are already on the device, does the new updated app replace the old app completely?
In some instances you might have an old and new copy, if the app id has changed. Just delete the only one. This is rare though. Most kept the same app id.
Definitely going to give this a try!
I didn't do FileCoaster cause I found the old way easier for me, lol.
This is an easier way to always be checking out the Homebrew Scene.
I hope this gets out to the "general public".
I mean, this is like 120+ apps, right?
I would like to see version numbers on the first screen of the app catalog, I think that is important since I've seen a few of the version change two or three times a day. I usually track by version number rather than by date updated. Other than that I can't express more my appreciation for the developers and Precentral for pulling this together. Don't forget to Donate!
I second that request.
Are the "Last Update" times really correct? Are they the last time the app has been updated with a new version, or the last time the app's thread has been updated with a comment?
These are currently when the app has been added to the gallery. There are some apps that have not been updated since much before that date. However, new updates will become valid as versions are pushed out.
Great job on the apps gallery.
I said this once already. but here it is again
actually Filecoaster is smarter than that. Once you have copied something. When you are in Filecoaster and have the field selected just shake your phone and it will paste what ever you had copied. THATS IT! to clear the field shake the phone again, THATS IT!
The shaking thing doesn't work for me. using v 1.0.0
Didn't realize it had been updated. No notification anywhere. The shake is really cool. Great idea dev.
OK, I did it, installed both webosquickinstall and filecoaster. Install instructions could use a little work but I got through it.
Downloaded a few apps to try out -- and they work!!
Congrats to the developers and precentral.
awesome. more reason to join Precenteal!! just kidding. it's join or die.
this is great precentral! thanks to all those responsible for making this happen
Is it missing a few apps or am i just not seeing them all? If so it there a reason they all are not on there yet? Awesome job BTW cant wait for this stupid 3rd party 6 month agreement I have with verizon to end so I can get my Pre and homebrew my ass away(or would it be homebrew my fingers away?)
I have the file coaster installed on my pre but when i go to precentral's mobile homebrew web site, i can highlight the download link but can not copy it to paste it into file coaster. Am i missing a step? The homebrew site states to copy and paste it into the file coaster app.
Got It! Put a finger on the gesture area and hit "c" for copy and "v" for paste!
Great job PreCentral.net!
Is there any way to include the app version on the summary pages? It would save me having to drill into each app to find out if it is newer than what I have.
http://www.precentral.net/homebrew-apps
Is there any way to include a Release/Change Note summary in app-specific page? It would save me having to go to the forums and dig through a thread to find out. Maybe a standard Homebrew App Release Note format would make it easier to extract?
Again, great job!
The Mobile gallery shows that last update of each app as today 8/5.
it would be really nice to see a version number listed on the main listing
Great job!
How about a navigation section at the top of the list as well as the bottom? (More important on the mobile site)
Let me say DAMN!!! Very very well done with the online version.
it would be good if they indicated "Rooting Required"
like in smaller red letters right under the name. just a simple indication
Excellent work, guys! I am very impressed!!!
In several ways, this is already better than the App Catalog on the Pre!
WOW!! I'm always excited to click on precentral.net's homepage to see what exciting new development there is and this by far is the best so far!! Thank you everyone @ precentral and to all the developers out there who pushed the demand so high to create this!!
Needs diggin:
http://digg.com/gadgets/New_Homebrew_App_Gallery_for_the_Palm_Pre_PreCen...
Man I am new to all this and it was so easy. I love this site and much respect to all the hard work people are putting in to all this.
Congrats! PreCentral rocks!
Thanks to Precentral.net, Jason Robitaille, whoever created the new filecoaster, and some perserverance, I'm now USING HOMEBREWS!! I'm particularly excited 'cause I'm completely new to mobile dev, and was scared to try. It was, erm.... easy, ;) considering I have zero experience with this stuff. Thanks to all the hard work guys!!!
Want to leave a comment? Register for free!
In an effort to reduce comment spam, you need to log in to comment. Registration is fast, free, and easy and gives you access to comment, discuss the Palm Pre on the largest Pre forums on the 'net, enter contests, and much more. Join now!