SilverOTA

Getting Started ​

This guide will walk you through setting up SilverOTA in your React Native project.

Prerequisites ​

  • Node.js 18 or higher
  • React Native project (bare or Expo)
  • A SilverOTA account (sign up here)

Installation ​

1. Install the CLI ​

Install the SilverOTA CLI as a development dependency:

bash
npm install -D @silverbullet-ota/cli
bash
yarn add -D @silverbullet-ota/cli
bash
pnpm add -D @silverbullet-ota/cli

2. Login to Your Account ​

Authenticate with your SilverOTA account:

bash
npx silverbullet-ota login

This will:

  1. Request a device authorization code
  2. Open your browser for confirmation
  3. Store your authentication token securely in your system keyring

3. Initialize Your Project ​

Run the interactive initialization wizard:

bash
npx silverbullet-ota project init

The wizard will guide you through:

Step 1: Select Build Plugin

  • Choose Bare for React Native CLI projects
  • Choose Expo for Expo-managed workflows

Step 2: Install Required Packages The CLI will automatically install:

  • @silverbullet-ota/react-native - The React Native SDK
  • @silverbullet-ota/bare or @silverbullet-ota/expo - Build plugin for your workflow

Step 3: Select Organization

  • Choose which organization this project belongs to
  • If you only have one organization, it will be auto-selected

Step 4: Select or Create Project

  • Choose an existing project or create a new one
  • Projects group your deployments and manage versioning

Step 5: Configure API Keys

  • If no production API key exists, one will be created automatically
  • If multiple keys exist, you'll be prompted to select one
  • API keys are channel-specific and used for authentication

Step 6: Configuration File Created The wizard creates an ota.config.ts file:

typescript
import { configureOTA } from 'silverbullet-ota';
import { bare } from '@silverbullet-ota/bare';

export default configureOTA({
  projectId: 'your-project-id',
  apiKey: 'pk_your_api_key',
  build: bare({ enableHermes: true }),
});

Step 7: Package Scripts Added The following scripts are added to your package.json:

json
{
  "scripts": {
    "silverbullet:deploy:android": "silverbullet-ota deploy --platform android",
    "silverbullet:deploy:ios": "silverbullet-ota deploy --platform ios"
  }
}

Step 8: .gitignore Updated The .silverbullet-ota output directory is added to .gitignore

4. Configure Your React Native App ​

Add the SilverOTA SDK to your app's entry point (typically App.tsx or index.js):

tsx
import { SilverbulletOta } from '@silverbullet-ota/react-native';

function App() {
  return (
    <YourAppComponent />
  );
}

export default SilverbulletOta.wrap({})(App);

5. Set Your Channel (Optional) ​

By default, your app is configured to use the production channel. You only need to change this if you want to use a different channel (e.g., staging, beta, or a custom channel).

TIP

Skip this step if you want to use the production channel. It's already configured for you!

To switch to a different channel, run:

bash
npx silverbullet-ota channel set <channel-name>

For example, to use the staging channel:

bash
npx silverbullet-ota channel set staging

This command updates your native configuration files:

  • iOS: Updates Info.plist with SILVERBULLET_OTA_CHANNEL
  • Android: Updates strings.xml with silverbullet_ota_channel

WARNING

After changing channels, you must rebuild your native app! Channels are configured at build time and cannot be changed via OTA updates.

6. Deploy Your First Update ​

Deploy an update to your users using the convenient npm scripts:

bash
npm run silverbullet:deploy:ios
bash
npm run silverbullet:deploy:android

Or use the CLI directly with more options:

bash
npx silverbullet-ota deploy \
  --platform ios \
  --target-app-version 1.0.0 \
  --channel production \
  --message "Initial OTA deployment"

Verification ​

To verify everything is working:

  1. Build your app with the native code changes (channel configuration)
  2. Run your app on a simulator or device
  3. Make a code change (e.g., update some text)
  4. Deploy the update using the deploy command
  5. Restart your app - you should see the update applied

Next Steps ​

Now that you have SilverOTA set up, explore these topics: