Build native mobile packages from html/css/js app with PhoneGap Build cloud service

Note: PhoneGap and PhoneGap Build are going to be shut down

General idea

Startup with an html/js/css app. Build an APK from the front-end web app using PhoneGap Build cloud service. Unfortunatly Phonegap CLI fails for some weird reason, so the I had to manually zip it before posting it to the API (the API doesn’t fail but expects the zip up to where I got).

Phonegap Build account

Create an account in https://build.phonegap.com/.

Build android through dev API

Create PhoneGap Build config file in the app root folder containing all the html, css, js..

//config.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<widget xmlns   = "http://www.w3.org/ns/widgets"
    xmlns:gap   = "http://phonegap.com/ns/1.0"
    id          = "com.bustroker.notes"
    versionCode = "10"
    version     = "1.0.0" >

<!-- versionCode is optional and Android only -->

  <name>Bustroker Notes</name>

  <description>
      Personal memorandum.
  </description>

  <author href="https://www.bustroker.com" email="support@bustroker.com">
      Bustroker
  </author>

</widget>

Next zip up the folder containing the app plus config.xml, say as app.zip, and PUT the PhoneGap Build cloud.

curl -u PHONEGAP-BUILD-ACCOUNT-USER-ID -X PUT -F file=@app.zip https://build.phonegap.com/api/v1/apps/APP-ID

PHONEGAP-BUILD-ACCOUNT-USER-ID: the email used as user id for the account created in PhoneGap Build. APP-ID: the application id. Should be something like 4016017, and is found in https://build.phonegap.com/apps

Provide the password for the account when promped.

Download and install APK

Browse to https://build.phonegap.com/apps and use the QR code generated for your app to download APK to the mobile.