Question

This is my section of permissions of my manifest:

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
 package="com.adelco.ventamovil"
android:versionCode="1"
android:versionName="1.0">
<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="8" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"></uses-permission>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INSTALL_PACKAGES"></uses-permission>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.DELETE_PACKAGES"></uses-permission>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"></uses-permission>

But when I try to install the package, the wizzard only shows the Internet and Write External Storage permissions.

The DDMS perspective throws this warning message when I install the application:

03-28 10:48:36.627: WARN/PackageManager(144): Not
granting permission android.permission.INSTALL_PACKAGES to package
com.adelco.ventamovil (protectionLevel=3 flags=0xbe44)

03-28 10:48:36.627: WARN/PackageManager(144): Not granting permission
android.permission.DELETE_PACKAGES to package com.adelco.ventamovil
(protectionLevel=3 flags=0xbe44)

What is happening here….?

Thanks!!

Answer 1

Sorry,

Install, delete packages are system permissions. You won’t be able to obtain them unless your app is signed with the device’s platform certificate (which is impossible unless you have access to the manufacturer’s signing cert).

As you can imagine, that’d be a serious security problem if an arbitrary application could silently install other applications.

The best you can do is send the user to the package install page and let them take action if they wish. Take a look at this action intent you can send to start this process for install,

http://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/Intent.html#ACTION_INSTALL_PACKAGE

and for uninstall,

http://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/Intent.html#ACTION_UNINSTALL_PACKAGE