[07:41] <dholbach> good morning
[10:32] <jgdx> popey, hey, question: I have a couple of testers of an app I've made, and every update is difficult to distribute manually. I'd like to use the store, but it's also very alpha. What can I do?
[10:34] <popey> jgdx: yeah, we don't have a beta store yet, I don't know where it is on the radar - JamesTait / beuno will know more
[10:35] <jgdx> popey, you're saying distribute manually until…
[10:35] <popey> yeah, there's no other solution right now
[10:35] <popey> (that I know of)
[10:35] <JamesTait> We kind of sort of almost do have a beta store.
[10:35] <jgdx> JamesTait, do tell
[10:35] <jgdx> what kind of sort of
[10:37] <JamesTait> "Channels" is what you need, but I'm not sure if all the parts are completely in place yet. The index certainly supports it; myapps has some support, as you've probably noticed from the new UI.
[10:37] <JamesTait> I don't think devices have any support just yet.
[10:38] <JamesTait> jgdx, is this a phone app?
[10:38] <jgdx> JamesTait, yup
[10:39] <JamesTait> And who are your beta testers, and how are they downloading your packages?
[10:39] <JamesTait> I mean, you don't have to name them...
[10:40] <JamesTait> But are they just helpful members of the community, Canonical employees...?  It makes a difference because some of the myapps UI isn't fully exposed yet, AIUI.
[10:40] <jgdx> JamesTait, helpful members on rc-proposed :)
[10:43] <JamesTait> Awesome. ☺   I don't think there's an easy way to do it on the device quite yet, because I'm fairly sure devices are not yet channel-aware.
[10:45] <JamesTait> But you can certainly publish your beta to the beta channel, and it will be downloadable, but they'll need to sideload it.  There'll be no automatic updates yet (see above).  So I'm not sure if that gets you any further than you already are?
[10:45] <jgdx> not sure what sideload is in this context?
[10:46] <JamesTait> Rather than install via the Store scope, download it and pkcon install-local ...
[10:46]  * JamesTait remembers he needs to update get_click.py to be channel-aware as well.
[10:48] <jgdx> okay, yeah, that doesn't get me any further. But it's nice to know that it's not possible yet.
[10:51] <JamesTait> I think, in summary, we have at least a first iteration of a channel-aware store, but no channel-aware clients.
[10:58] <JamesTait> Ah, it looks like myapps only makes the stable channel available yet anyway.