Why does the LG App URL change from ZIP to IPK?

What is the difference between the ZIP and IPK formats?

The LG webOS Signage platform is capable of running applications packaged in two different formats:

1. ZIP format - a legacy format that is supported on all generations of the platform from webOS 1 through to the current webOS 4.1 series of displays.
2. IPK format - a newer format supported by webOS 3.0 models and above only. The IPK format builds on top of the ZIP format and applications packaged this way have additional capabilities that they can take advantage of.

Should my display be using the ZIP or IPK URL and package type?

If your display is a webOS 1 or 2 LG signage display then it will always use the ZIP URL and package type as these older generation displays do not fully support the IPK format.

If your signage display is running webOS 3 or newer then it will automatically switch to the IPK URL and package type when Signagelive runs for the first time. This process ensures that your display can take full advantage of the additional capabilities that are available to IPK packages.

What additional capabilities are available in the IPK format?

The IPK format provides additional capabilities for developers to package background services within their applications. These capabilities have allowed us to add support for advanced features such as multi-player media synchronization in newer generation displays that support the IPK format.

On newer webOS models why do we not install the IPK format directly?

We decided to maintain one unified set of installation instructions for all webOS displays to ensure the installation process is as simple and consistent as possible.

When following our unified installation instructions for LG displays you will be installing the ZIP package which is supported across all generations. When the application runs for the first time it will automatically update the application to the IPK format if it is supported. This transition from ZIP to IPK is seamless to the end-user.

Why do the URL and package type change in the SI Server Settings?

When the application transitions from ZIP to IPK, the SI Server Settings are automatically updated to reflect this change. The Application Type is changed to IPK and the URL is updated to point to the IPK file.