HOW-TO:Install an add-on from a zip file on ATV2

This page explains how to transfer and install an Add-On from a zip file on XBMC for iOS. The process makes use of SFTP to transfer the files between your PC or Mac, and an ATV2. Instructions on how to do this using two different open-source programs are given below. Note that Cyberduck is not available on Linux.

Transfers using Cyberduck
Cyberduck is free and open source file transfer software. It is available on Windows and Mac OS X. Follow the steps below to use Cyberduck for file transfer.


 * 1) Download and install the Cyberduck client program from the Cyberduck website.
 * 2) Find and make a note of your ATV2's IP address. You can find this by exiting XBMC, and in the normal ATV2 menu go to Settings -> General -> About. Then look for "IP Address" and use the numbers listed there. It will be something like 192.168.1.3, or something similar that has 4 groups of numbers.
 * 3) Open Cyberduck and click on the "Open Connection" button in the top-left corner of the window.
 * 4) Enter the following information into the relevant boxes, and then click the "Connect" button.
 * Drop down menu: select "SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol)" from the list.
 * Server: enter the IP address of your ATV2 (e.g. 192.168.1.3)
 * Username: mobile
 * Password: alpine (this is the default, if you've changed the password then enter whatever you changed it to)
 * example:
 * Cyberduck_connect.jpg
 * 1) If a dialogue box pops up stating "unknown host key for [IP address]" then check the box next to "Always", and then click the "Allow" button.
 * 2) Navigate to the folder
 * 3) Transfer the add-on zip file into this folder by dragging and dropping from an Explorer/Finder window*.
 * 4) In XBMC go to the Add Ons manager and choose to “install from zip”
 * 5) Select the “Home Folder”
 * 6) Find and select the zip file you want to install
 * 7) Done!
 * 1) Done!

''* NOTE: if you find, in step 7, that you cannot upload the file, try logging in again using the username “root”. After you have completed the transfer SSH into your ATV2 (UN: root, PW: alpine) and run the following command to restore file permissions'' chown -R mobile:mobile /private/var/mobile/Library/Preferences/XBMC/userdata

Transfers using FileZilla
FileZilla is free and open source file transfer software which is available on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. Follow the steps below to use FileZilla for file transfer.


 * 1) Download and install the FileZilla client program from the FileZilla website.
 * 2) Find and make a note of your ATV2's IP address. You can find this by exiting XBMC, and in the normal ATV2 menu go to Settings -> General -> About. Then look for "IP Address" and use the numbers listed there. It will be something like 192.168.1.3, or something similar that has 4 groups of numbers.
 * 3) Open the FileZilla client and input the following information into the boxes near the top of the FileZilla window:
 * Host: enter the IP address of your ATV2 (e.g. 192.168.1.3)
 * Username: mobile
 * Password: alpine (this is the default, if you've changed the password then enter whatever you changed it to)
 * Port: 22
 * 1) Hit the "Quick Connect" button. If a dialogue box pops up which states that "The server's host key is unknown", just check the box next to "Always trust this host, add this key to the cache", and then click "OK"
 * 2) The files and folders on your ATV2 should now be listed in the "Remote site" frames on the right-hand side. The frames on the left-hand side contain the files, folders, and drives on the computer you are working from. It should look like this:
 * FileZilla_connected.jpg
 * 1) Navigate to the folder
 * 2) Transfer the add-on zip file into this folder by dragging and dropping from the left-hand panels, or from an Explorer/Finder window*
 * 3) In XBMC go to the Add Ons manager and choose to “install from zip”
 * 4) Select the “Home Folder”
 * 5) Find and select the zip file you want to install
 * 6) Done!
 * 1) Select the “Home Folder”
 * 2) Find and select the zip file you want to install
 * 3) Done!

''* NOTE: if you find, in step 7, that you cannot upload the file, try logging in again using the username “root”. After you have completed the transfer SSH into your ATV2 (UN: root, PW: alpine) and run the following command to restore file permissions'' chown -R mobile:mobile /private/var/mobile/Library/Preferences/XBMC/userdata