How to distribute compiled Windows 8 Metro applications without the Windows Store?

Question

I'm just wondering if there is a way to pack the Windows 8 Metro app to distribute it to other users with Windows 8 preview installed? It would be nice to let someone just download and install, instead of requiring them to install VS'11 Preview and compile the code itself in order to test / use the Windows 8 Metro application that I created.

Is there a way to distribute the compiled Windows 8 Metro application to test other users since the Windows Store is not online yet?

This is likely to be useful for testing Metro apps on non-working machines, even after the Windows Store lives on.

Answer 1

For each machine that wants to install the application, a developer license is required. See this page for more details.

When your application is ready:

• select Store-> Create App Package
• Select Create a package that will only be used locally.
• Follow the instructions

This will create the package in any folder that you specify. You should be able to copy this to another licensed developer machine and install it.

The directory will contain the Add-AppxDevPackage batch file. By launching the application, it will install the application. It must be running as an administrator.

Answer 2

Distribution of applications outside the repository is possible after meeting the conditions listed in this MSDN article. It also covers the process of installing the application using PowerShell. Although this looks rather complicated, note that MSI works great in Windows 8 applications, so you can probably attach the installation process to one small installer.

From the article

• Windows 8 Enterprise Edition is required and must be joined to the domain, and the Allow all trusted applications to install option must be set for the domain.
• for Windows 8 Professional and Windows RT or a device that is not connected to the domain, you must buy the product activation key for side loading from Microsoft
• the application must be signed with a key that the computer trusts

Once you purchased the product key for side loading from Microsoft, add the product key for the download:

>Slmgr /ipk <sideloading product key> 

To enable side loading, enable the following guide:

 >slmgr /ato ec67814b-30e6-4a50-bf7b-d55daf729d1e 

To add an application , from powershell hint :

 >add-appxpackage C:\app1.appx –DependencyPath C:\winjs.appx 

Windows 8.1 Update

According to recent announcements from Microsoft, the next update for Windows 8.1 will allow all devices using the Pro version to download applications without an activation key for side loading . So far, this has been the case only for the Enterprise version. Remember that the machine must still be part of the AD domain. In addition, if you are still using the previous version, but you are part of any of the following programs:

• Corporate agreement
• Enterprise Subscription Agreement
• Admission to educational decisions (as part of student and school agreements)
• School enrollment
• Choose and choose plus

You will be granted rights to download the company, starting from May 1, 2014. Otherwise, you can still get sick, but you will need to buy a side load activation key for $ 100 (which is a one-time payment for an unlimited number of devices).

Answer 3

If I correctly call from a white document, the Windows 8 Metro app can only be installed by consumers from the App Store.

However, for developers (as Stave Rowe explains), there will be a provider method, as well as the ability for corporations to directly install the Windows 8 Metro application, I expect the corporate method will be used using Active Directory (group policy), but may be limited to some editions of Windows 8 .

Answer 4

You can redistribute the Windows 8 application package and deploy it using the Side download process

Refer to this link for more information about loading on the sides of http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh852635.aspx