Skip to main content
Sideloading deploys the channel directly to a Roku device over your local network. You need to do this for every development iteration before submitting to the Channel Store.

​
Prerequisites

  • Roku device on the same network as your development machine
  • make, zip, and curl installed (see requirements)
  • The device must be in developer mode (see step 1 below)

​
Enable developer mode

1

Enter the developer mode sequence on the Roku remote

With the Roku home screen open, press the following buttons in order:
Home × 3   Up × 2   Right   Left   Right   Left   Right
A developer settings screen will appear.
2

Enable developer mode and set a password

Select Enable installer and restart. After the device restarts, you will be prompted to set a developer password. Choose a password you can remember — you will pass it as ROKU_PASS in every make command.
3

Note the device IP address

The developer settings screen shows the device IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.100). You can also find it under Settings → Network → About on the Roku. Note it down as your ROKU_IP.

​
Install the channel

1

Run make install

From the project root, run:
make install ROKU_IP=192.168.1.100 ROKU_PASS=yourpass
This builds out/GlobalTV.zip first (running make zip automatically), then POSTs it to the Roku’s /plugin_install endpoint.
2

Check the result

The Makefile prints the result to the terminal:
>>> [install] Sideload en http://192.168.1.100...
>>> [install] HTTP 200
>>> [install] Resultado: Install Success
>>> [install] Listo. Revisar el Roku.
If the result is not immediately clear from the terminal output, open out/_install_response.html in a browser to see the full Roku installer response.
3

Verify on the device

The GlobalTV channel should launch automatically on the Roku after a successful install. If it does not, open the Roku developer dashboard at http://<ROKU_IP> to confirm the app is installed.

​
Install response meanings

ResponseMeaning
Install SuccessThe channel was installed and is ready to use.
IdenticalThe zip you uploaded is byte-for-byte identical to what’s already installed. No action needed.
Install FailureThe installation failed. Check out/_install_response.html for details.
After every sideload, review out/_install_response.html. Even a 200 HTTP response can contain an Install Failure message if the channel zip has a structural problem.

​
Troubleshooting

  • Confirm the Roku and your machine are on the same network segment.
  • Double-check the IP shown in Settings → Network → About on the Roku.
  • Try pinging the device: ping 192.168.1.100.
  • Some routers isolate devices on guest networks — use the main network.
The ROKU_PASS you passed does not match the developer password set on the device.To reset the developer password:
  1. Enter the developer mode sequence again (Home×3 Up×2 Right Left Right Left Right).
  2. Select Enable installer and restart.
  3. Set a new password when prompted.
Common causes:
  • manifest is not at the root of the zip (the Makefile handles this correctly — check that you are not using a custom zip command).
  • A required manifest field is missing or malformed. Run make check to verify.
  • The zip contains a file with a path that conflicts with Roku’s expectations.
Open out/_install_response.html in a browser for the specific error message from the Roku installer.
  • Make sure you are on the Roku home screen (not inside an app) when entering the sequence.
  • Press each button deliberately — the sequence is not a shortcut and must be entered exactly.
  • Some Roku models require the remote to be paired before developer mode can be enabled.

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us