Dev Guide

Follow the steps below to install the app on your personal Roku device. This will enable you to write code for the app, install the latest beta release, as well as provide app logs to the developers if you encounter a bug.

Developer Mode

Put your Roku device in developer mode. Write down your Roku device IP and the password you created - you will need these!

Clone the GitHub Repo

Navigate to where you’d like to install the app then copy the application files:

git clone https://github.com/jellyrock/jellyrock.git

Open up the new folder:

cd jellyrock

Install Dependencies

You’ll need node, version 16 at least.

Then, use npm to install dependencies

npm install

Method 1: Visual Studio Code

We recommend using Visual Studio Code when working on this project. The BrightScript Language extension provides a rich debugging experience, including in-editor syntax checking, debugging/breakpoint support, variable inspection at runtime, auto-formatting, an integrated remote control mode, and much more.

Install VSCode

1. Download and install Visual Studio Code
2. Install the BrightScript Language extension within VSCode in the Extensions panel or by downloading it from the VSCode Marketplace.

Usage

1. Open the jellyrock folder in VSCode

2. Press F5 on your keyboard or click Run -> Start Debugging from the VSCode menu.

3. Enter your Roku IP address and developer password when prompted

That’s it! VSCode will auto-package the project, sideload it to the specified device, and the channel is up and running. (assuming you remembered to put your device in developer mode)

Hardcoding Roku Information

Out of the box, the BrightScript extension will prompt you to pick a Roku device (from devices found on your local network) and enter a password on every launch. If you’d prefer to hardcode this information rather than entering it every time, you can set these values in your VSCode user settings:

{
  "brightscript.debug.host": "YOUR_ROKU_HOST_HERE",
  "brightscript.debug.password": "YOUR_ROKU_DEV_PASSWORD_HERE"
}

Example:

Method 2: Command Line

Workflow

Modify code -> make build-dev install -> Use Roku remote to test changes -> telnet ${ROKU_DEV_TARGET} 8085 -> CTRL + ] -> quit + ENTER

You will need to use telnet to see log statements, warnings, and error reports. You won’t always need to telnet into your device but the workflow above is typical when you are new to BrightScript or are working on tricky code.

Install Command Line Dependencies

You’ll need make and curl.

Build the package

make build-dev

This will create a zip in out/jellyrock.zip, that you can upload on your Roku’s device via your browser. Or you can continue with the next steps to do it via the command line.

Deploy

Run this command - replacing the IP and password with your Roku device IP and dev password from the first step:

export ROKU_DEV_TARGET=192.168.1.234
export ROKU_DEV_PASSWORD=password

Package up the application, send it to your Roku, and launch the channel:

make install

Note: You only have to run this command once if you are not a developer. The JellyRock channel will still be installed after rebooting your Roku device.

Bug/Crash Reports

Did the app crash? Find a nasty bug? Use this command to view the error log and report it to the developers:

telnet ${ROKU_DEV_TARGET} 8085

To exit telnet: CTRL + ] and then type quit + ENTER

You can also take a screenshot of the app to augment the bug report.

make screenshot

Committing

Before committing your code, please run:

npm run lint

And fix any encountered issue.