#Tishadow installation guide and usage tips & tricks
This is a guide on how to install TiShadow and various tips and tricks that help in TiShadow usage. Initial idea was to have a point of reference for myself. But it grew and grew to the point it might be quite useful to more people. If you would like to add anything to this document please feel free. If you have a question or find something difficult to follow - please let me know.
- Super quick deployment
- Full install
- Using with multiple emulators/simulators
- Using with single emulator/simulator
- Using Controller
- Automation with Grunt/Supervisor
- TiShadow with Sublime Text 2
- Troubleshooting
- Resources
Super quick deployment procedure for the itchy fingers aka tl;dr (requires at least TiShadow v2.4.3). If you are not interested in the full process but just want to quickly check it out, please follow instructions below:
If you already have Node.js and npm installed on your system you are minted. Follow steps below.
If you do not have Node.js, you have to install it (see the section Install Node.js and npm).
###1. Install TiShadow. In terminal window type:
npm install -g tishadow
or, if your system complains about access rights, type
sudo npm install -g tishadow
You will be asked for your password, then TiShadow should be installed on your machine. To verify the installation type:
tishadow -v
Your version should be at least: 2.4.3
###2. Use express mode to checkout your app Inside terminal, navigate to Titanium project folder you would like to test, then type:
for Android emulator
titanium build -p android -T emulator --shadow
for iOS simulator
titanium build -p ios -T simulator --shadow
This should compile your app, run the TiShadow server in the background, create the appified version of your app and push it to the emulator.
###3. Edit source code. Make changes in your source code and save them. Go to the emulator and see the app changing in front of your eyes. Enjoy.
End of tl;dr
OSX and Ubuntu Go to http://nodejs.org/ Click big green 'Install' button, download package.
OSX Install it by double clicking.
Ubuntu 12.04 Extract it to a folder somewhere. Open that folder in the terminal and type:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y python-software-properties python g++ make
These two above will update packages info for your system and install necessary packages for node install. Now compile and install NodeJS in your home folder.
./configure --prefix=$HOME
make
make install
OSX and Ubuntu
Once the installation finishes, open terminal window and verify node installation by typing node -v (you should see node number like v0.10.21), type npm -v (again you should see the numer like 1.3.11).
If both commands gave you numbers everything is ok, go to point 3. If not, something went wrong. Check the Troubleshooting section of this document.
OSX and Ubuntu using npm
sudo npm install -g tishadow
From git (not tested on Ubuntu)
sudo npm install -g git+ssh://git@github.com/dbankier/TiShadow.git
Test the install
tishadow -v
###Setup with Titanium studio
Disclaimer - my Ti Studio 3.2.0 did not allow me to build the TiShadow app, so this part is theoretical - YMMV So before I write something sensible here - you might want to check second part of this tutorial: TiShadow – Getting Started pt.2
Awaiting content
###Setup TiShadow app project in terminal (CLI)
Create a project folder for your TiShadow app (like a regular Titanium project) using your favourite file manager or terminal.
Mine folder is in: $HOME/Titanium_Studio_Workspace/tishadowapp
Navigate to your newly created folder (e.g cd $HOME/Titanium_Studio_Workspace/tishadowapp)
Inside that folder type:
tishadow app -d ./
The -d ./ means create the app project in the current folder.
You should be asked about the app id (just like when you create your normal Ti project). Type something like this:
Enter app id [com.yydigital.tishadowapp]: com.test.tishadowapp
After pressing enter/return you should see:
[INFO] Creating new app...
And once the project files have been created you should be back at the prompt.
If you see red error message like this:
[ERROR] You really don't want to write to the current directory.
That means you probably forgot to add -d ./ or -d nameofthedirectory to your tishadow app command.
To verify that everything went fine check the contents of the folder either in you file manager or typing ls. You should see folder structure similiar to this:
Resources manifest modules platform tiapp.xml
###Build TiShadow app for the platform of your choice
Open terminal window if it is not already opened. Navigate to the folder with your TiShadow project (e.g. $HOME/Titanium_Studio_Workspace/tishadowapp) and using titanium command line tool compile it.
OSX and Ubuntu type (instead of titanium you can also use short version ti:
IOS
titanium build -p ios -T simulator
Optionally you might also add -Y iphone or -Y ipad to target specific simulator. By default it should build to iPhone simulator.
Android
titanium build -p android -T emulator
If you have more than one Android emulator configured you might add -C nameOfYourEmulator
If you are stuck at [INFO] Waiting for emulator to become ready you might try manual method from the Troubleshooting section.
If you would like to know more about building options type titanium build -h in terminal.
The above should compile and build your TiShadow app and put it on the emulator of your choice.
##Start TiShadow app and TiShadow server
Start TiShadow server This could not be easier. In the terminal window type:
tishadow server
You should be greeted with something like [DEBUG] TiShadow server started. Go to http://localhost:3000. We will talk about debug Controller in a moment.
Start TiShadow app
TiShadow server is running, and presuming you have successfully build your TiShadow app and deployed it to the emulator of your choice, all you need is to touch the TiShadow app icon to start it.
The app will ask you about the connection to the server.
IOS
You can type your computer IP (e.g. 192.168.1.10 or localhost address 127.0.0.1), IOS simulator should work fine with both.
Android
You need to give it a real IP address (e.g. 192.168.1.10), otherwise the app will not see the server.
Both
Once you provide the app with the server address and click connect, the app should connect to the server and on the bottom of the screen there should be connected message.
To be absolutely sure, switch to the terminal window with the TiShadow server running, and you should see info message:
[INFO] [iphone, 7.0.3, xx.xx.xx.xx] Connected
Where xx.xx.xx.xx will be your emulator/simulator IP address.
Well, now you are ready to push your test app to the TiShadow app.
##Using with multiple emulators To push your app to TiShadow, navigate to your app folder and type:
tishadow run
That's it! TiShadow should check for you if the project is classic Titanium or Alloy and will compile it accordingly. Then it will push it to the TiShadow server and the server will push it to all connected devices/emulators. Once the app is running inside the TiShadow you can make the whole process of testing your changes and deploying the app even snappier. Instead the command above, type:
tishadow run -u
That will skip the recompilation of the project and instead push only changed files.
##Using with single emulator
By default when you run tishadow run or tishadow run -u TiShadow is compiling your app for IOS and Android. If you want speed up the deployment process even more, or perhaps you are working only on a single platform, you can tell TiShadow to target only single system.
To do that you have to use -P flag (that is upper case 'P', unlike with titanium where it is lower case 'p' -p).
So, to target only IOS type:
tishadow run -P ios
and to target Android
tishadow run -P android
The above have also a benefit of deploying only to the emulator that is targeted with the -P option. So if you have connected Android and IOS emulators and tell TiShadow to -P ios it will push your app only to IOS device.
Feel free to mix it up with the 'update' -u option to make it run like a wind.
g
##Using Controller Awaiting content
##Automation with Grunt/Supervisor Awaiting content
##TiShadow with Sublime Text 2
If you use Sublime Text 2 you might try to streamline your workflof even more by using the ST2 Build option (cmd + b on a Mac, ctrl + b on a Linux machine).
Go to Tools -> Build System -> New Build System. That should open a new document with .sublime-build extension.
To create full build for iOS copy and paste this snippet:
{
"cmd": ["tishadow run -P ios"],
"shell": "bash",
"path": "/usr/local/bin/",
"working_dir": "$project_path"
}
Where cmd is the command that will be run in the console. You can alter it to match your needs (e.g. add -u option if you want to do just build updates instead of full builds, or spec if you run tests).
shell is the shell that will execute the command - bash should work almost everywhere.
path is quite important. It is the path to your NodeJS installation, without it your builds will probably fail (especially on OS X).
Last but not least working_dir is the path of your projects, leave it as it is, it will use the path of currently openend project.
Once all is set up as you want it to be, save the build file, give it a meaningfull name (but rather short, as the file name will be used in the Build System list to identify your build option).
Now chose your Build System form the list. Once you add any changes to your files press cmd + b or ctrl + b and ST2 should do the dirty work for you.
Ubuntu 12.04 Node install problem If 'make install' fails with an error like this:
OSError: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/usr/local/bin/node'
use:
./configure --prefix=$HOME
or sudo make install
TiShadow Ubuntu install problem TiShadow was installed properly by npm but typing it in terminal shows only:
-bash: tishadow: command not found
Check in your $HOME/local/bin, $HOME/bin or in /usr/local/bin if there is a link to tishadow module.
If not, locate your tishadow install files (usually in /usr/local/lib/node_modules/tishadow/cli/tishadow or ...)
and create a link
ln /usr/local/lib/node_modules/tishadow/cli/tishadow /usr/local/bin/tishadow
Emulator problems If you are not able to put your compiled TiShadow app on the emulator because the emulator starts too slowly and you see the following message: [INFO] Waiting for emulator to become ready [ERROR] Emulator failed to start in a timely manner
The current timeout is set to 120000 ms
You can increase this timeout by running: titanium config android.emulatorStartTimeout <timeout ms>
If you have not already changed the value of android.emulatorStartTimeout please do it, e.g
titanium config android.emulatorStartTimeout 300000
The line above should change the waiting time to 5 minutes
If the problem persists, and is with Android emulator try:
Go to your android sdk folder tools/ subfolder and type:
android avd
This should launch Android Virtual Device Manager (fancy name for emulator management). Start (create/configure) your emulator and wait until it is ready.
In a separate terminal window compile your TiShadow app for Android (-b means 'build only', without deploying it to the emulator)
titanium build -p android -b
If you have only one emulator running, type:
adb install /pathtoyourapp/build/android/bin/yourappname.apk
If you have more emulators running at once check for their names. Navigate to the android sdk folder platform-tools subfolder and type:
adb devices
That should give you a list of currently connected Android devices/emulators then use the name of the emulator you would like to target
adb -s emulator-5554 install /pathtoyourapp/build/android/bin/yourappname.apk
Do not close emulator. Start TiShadow server
tishadow server
Go to the emulator and start your just installed TiShadow app.
adb problems
If adb cannot find devices, or does not install an app on the emulator spitting out error message:
error: device not found
- waiting for device -
and the emulator is running, probably adb daemon died (remember kids a daemon is for life, not just for christmas). Try these two commands with a couple of seconds between them:
adb kill-server
adb start-server
If the resurrection was successful you should see something like the following message:
* daemon not running. starting it now on port 5037 *
* daemon started successfully *
##Resources in no particular order. Titanium Appcelerator great mobile development platform.
TiShadow Github page. You guys are stars!
Installing Node.js via package manager
Installing node.js from binary on Ubuntu
Stephen Feather TiShadow – Getting Started pt.1 TiShadow – Getting Started pt.2
Titanium API Documentation mountains of knowledge.