Sideloading

Sideloading lets you install a service from a .s9pk file without using any registry. This is useful when testing a service in development, installing a service that is not listed on any registry, running a second copy of a service, or if you prefer to eliminate the Marketplace as a point of trust.

How to Sideload

1. Click Sideload in the top navigation bar.

2. Click the drop area to select a .s9pk file from your file system, or simply drag and drop the file into the drop area.

3. Review the package details and click Install, Update, or Reinstall.

Keep the browser tab open while the file uploads. Large files and slow connections can take several minutes; follow progress in Services. If the upload fails, StartOS shows an error message.

When you sideload from the command line with start-cli package install --sideload, installation errors appear in the command’s progress output. Very long messages are shortened safely to fit the progress stream.

Obtaining .s9pk Files

A .s9pk file can be obtained in several ways:

• From a developer — A service developer may share .s9pk files directly via chat, email, or a download link.
• From a GitHub release — Many open source services publish .s9pk files as release assets on GitHub.
• Build from source — If the service is open source, you can clone its repository and build the .s9pk yourself. See the Makefile Build System guide for instructions.