What is the easiest way to test/debug Symbian applications on the phone?

Question

I am currently experimenting with programming for my Nokia 5800 XpressMusic (running Symbian 9.4). Setting up the development environment (Carbide C++) was already a huge pain, but now that I am actually able to build something the pain doesn't stop! It seems there is an incredible overhead involved when you actually want to test an application on the phone. But I really hope somebody more experienced than me knows some easy way to do it.

If I understood right every application has to be signed. I can sign applications myself, so this is not a problem and it seems to work fairly well. But then it seems not all capabilities are available if I do this, and the one I need is amongst them. So now I have the option to buy a publisher ID to get a developer certificate (current cost: 200$ - no thanks) or I have to upload the application every time to symbiansigned! Every time I change the code and want to test on the phone I have to upload the thing using a stupid web form!

But now I was excited to find that you can do some remote debugging stuff with a thing called TRK (maybe this spares me the signing?). I hoped that I could use this to connect Carbide and my phone. But this doesn't quite work. My phone doesn't show the application required for this connection although it installed properly. I had a look at the supported Symbian version number and it seems to be 9.2, so not mine :( Stuck again?

And the emulator is no option because it doesn't support sensors and cameras :(

So what am I doing wrong (and sure there must be something)? Is the only way to test my app on the phone to actually upload it every time, wait for it to getting signed, download it again, install it and test - just to see it didn't work and that I have to repeat this process over and over again?? PLEASE no...

Answer 1

follow the instructions here http://www.forum.nokia.com/Distribute/Packaging_and_signing.xhtml to get yourself a free certificate for 5 testing devices, then you can use this certificate to sign your applications directly without using open sign.

Answer 2

When you use TRK, your application is still installed on the phone (in background, with so called silent installation API - by the way, you can use it too, but it's offtopic), because the only eligible way for a binary to get into the phone is the Installer Service. So you still need some certificate. All three options to get certificate mentioned here are ok, though the last, free one (from Mahdi Hijazi), I suppose, is the preferred. :)

Answer 3

Please go to

http://www.opda.net.cn/register.php

then apply for a OPDA Developer Certificate and download signer tool from the site and use it to sign your symbian applications.