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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, including Signed by, and click Install, Update, or Reinstall. If no key trusted for packages in Trusted Keys signs the package, a warning appears and you must confirm the risks before installation starts.

Signed by lists the signing keys declared by a v2 package, including its supplemental records. View all opens any keys hidden by the preview, and selecting a key opens the same details and trust controls as the Marketplace. A key included in a file is not automatically trusted. The preview matches keys without verifying signatures; StartOS verifies the uploaded file against the matching keys before installing it. Unreadable supplemental records produce a warning and are ignored. A false signing claim cannot bypass signature or file-integrity checks.

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. CLI sideloads require a key trusted for packages in Trusted Keys unless you explicitly supply --trust; signatures and file integrity are verified in either case.

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.