1. Existing 1.1.1 or 1.1.2 jailbroken phone — early upgraders or new owners may consider this guide to downgrading 1.1.3
2. Installer.app (AppTapp by Nullriver pre-installed)
3. Possible disabling of Google Maps “Locate Me” feature
4. The usual fearless audacity to perform authorized operations on a licensed device.

Similar to the iPhone 1.1.2 jailbreak and earlier ones, the process involves patching the Apple firmware files and then flashing the phone. The controversy around jailbreaking ultimately centers around copyright and maybe even DMCA concerns. Obviously, this is a developing story, evolving the continuing saga of cat-and-mousing.

The Google Map Location feature that comprises the most useful feature of 1.1.3 may not be available with the jailbreak for SIM unlockers according to the early reports, so this may be a deal-breaker for aspiring jail-breakers/un-lockers. As always, if you don’t know the difference between jailbreaking and unlocking, then you either need to educate yourself or run, far away from this stuff. Perusing the comment chatter out there, many are experiencing difficulties with the jailbreak and compatibility concerns.

Assuming you’ve got a 1.1.3 iPhone and need to downgrade before jailbreaking, this process promises to be a confoundingly elaborate process, probably consuming several hours of your time. If you just need to jailbreak to 1.1.3, the process is probably fairly quick and painless.

Get the iPhone 1.1.3 jailbreak » All the usual warnings and disclaimers apply. We publish this information for editorial and historical purposes and not as evidence of our actions. We have not tested the downgrade or Nate True jailbreak.

Via Erica Sadun via Nate True via the Dev Team

Original iPhone hackster extraordinaire Nate True has used some undisclosed means to peek into firmware 1.1.3 and discovered essential file system structural changes that will allow Official SDK based third-party applications to run and install easily. Notably…

1. SpringBoard appears to display whatever is in the /Applications directory. Earlier firmwares used a .plist XML configuration file. Then, at 1.1.1, Apple dropped the editable text file in favor of a locked SpringBoard, which, in turn, was quickly hacked with SummerBoard and other unofficial apps for re-ordering and adding. Perhaps, the SpringBoard home screen is even more efficient at 1.1.3 in that it simply renders the contents of the /Applications directory.
2. Applications run as the user “mobile” instead of as “root” which clearly sandboxes official apps and resolves numerous security concerns with opening up the platform for third-party development.
3. Preference files are stored in the “mobile” user directory (/var/mobile) instead of the “root” user directory (/var/root), a natural extension of implementation #2.

Via Nate True at cre.ations.net

Further consideration yields the basic assumption that Apple can release the SDK, and even launch titles from third-parties that will effortlessly install into iPhone 1.1.3 without additional updates required. The iPod Touch update purchased via iTunes is probably the essence of what’s to come.

The burning question remains, however. Will the jailbreak scene still thrive after officialization commences? What about the magnificent Nullriver AppTapp Installer? And the further exploits of his majesty Nate True?

It was a fun ride, and we certainly garnered a small portion of the incredible Google search term traffic related to iPhone hype in 2006. I’m afraid we’ll be waiting out the dark period until February 2008, when the official SDK is released and a new generation of extensibility emerges for Touch applications. We also anticipate a significant iPhone firmware update at MacWorld 2008 in January to tide us over. Not to mention all the brouhaha that will sound out when the 3G version hits the streets.

In short, the jailbreak process became too arduous and the reliability of some common applications became dubious. Naturally, this is no surprise, given the fact that Apple had no reasons to support these endeavors. Indeed, the post-SDK era will involve mediation through digital signatures, and the indy iPhone developer market will writhe in pain. But, if it means that applications will be sturdy, well designed, and accountable to performance and efficiency standards, we have to admit that it’s probably worth it, having learned the hard way. When it comes to a mobile phone, the basic functions are more crucial than on a desktop or laptop computer. Things like basic communications capabilities really do, just have to work.

With an 1.1.3 update rumored to be hitting the servers this week sporting voice recording and disk mode storage, the jailbreak process promises only to get more arcane.

Patience Required, Running 3rd Party Apps on iPhone OS X 1.1.2 possible.

Is Apple is winning the cat and mouse game against pre-SDK application development, despite best efforts on behalf of the dev community?

Our testing reveals that incremental downgrades towards 1.0.2 and then back up to 1.1.2 indicate success. Employ the TIFF exploit in 1.1.1 via Jailbreakme.com in Mobile Safari; Use AppTapp [in Tweaks (1.1.1)] to install the “OktoPrep” package prior to upgrading to 1.1.2; and finally run the Conceited 1.1.2 Jailbreak kit (Java .jar on Mac, Batch .bat on Windows).

That means that if you’ve upgraded or buy a new iPhone during the 1.1.2 release phase, you’ll need to follow an absurd downgrade-upgrade sequence:

1. Downgrade to 1.1.1
2. Downgrade to 1.0.2
3. Upgrade to 1.1.1
4. Jailbreakme
5. AppTapp
6. OktoPrep
7. Upgrade to 1.1.2

Disclaimer & Warnings

Some users may have luck skipping the 1.0.2 downgrade, mileage will vary. This information carries the usual caveats: These modifications may void your warranty, implied support by Apple and who knows what else. An iTunes-based Restore does not fully erase your iPhone and return it to its 100% pristine state from the factory. Indeed, preference files remain between restore and updates, from third-party apps. Use at your risk.

More on Jailbreak OS X 1.1.2

The downgrading process involves:

1. Obtain the Apple firmware files (no longer as easy to get directly from Apple)
2. Ensure firmware files have .ipsw extension (not .zip)
3. Enter Recovery mode (DFU)
4. Use iTunes to Option (Shift) – Update and choose appropriate firmware package
5. Endure with patience
6. Trick out of Recovery mode (with iNdepenence)

The tricks of doing this efficiently involve:

• Learning some nuances to getting into the proper recovery mode
• Then, how to get out of it; let iNdependence sit for a minute connected!
• Disable sync of your iTunes media and then re-syncing when you’re done, to save time during the restore.
• Kill the iTunes Helper process (Activity Monitor on Mac, Task Manager on Windows), preventing the auto-connect between iPhone and iTunes.
• Let iTunes re-activate your phone (if you’re on AT&T), at the right moment
• Or use iNdependence or the Conceited tools to activate,
• Or use the secret keypad code sequence (see Conceited Tools README) to sneak into Safari to use Jailbreakme, (without AT&T)
• Re-install your custom app selections with AppTapp
• Re-apply your SummerBoard mod,
• Re-order the icons through Customize,
• Re-install your NES ROMs with SFTP/SSH or the new Bonjour/AppleTalk file-system mount method

The site modmyiphone.com changed its name and domain services to modmyifone.com per the legal request of Apple counsel. This is significant only in that we’re surprised it took Apple this long to drop the hammer on the trademark infringers, especially after its fiasco with Cisco over the name iPhone in the first place.

This episode echoes what happened to a popular MINI Cooper enthusiast forum site when BMW sicked its legal on minicooperonline.com which forced it to change its name to northamericanmotoring.com in a bitter surrender.

The moral of the story is that it’s not a good idea to ever develop a web property using an obvious trademark. Legal precedent is now deeply in the favor of trademark holders. Gabriel Bridger got it right the first time when he named his famed MINI blog motoringfile.com in light of the “minicooperonline” controversy.

It’s never been easier to install custom applications

You can now jailbreak your iPhone or iPod touch to install third-party applications with extraordinary ease. Visit the URL pictured above with your Mobile Safari and in an instant your device’s file system will be opened and the AppTapp Installer will appear on your Springboard after a restart.

Via Erica Sadun at TUAW — Instant Jailbreak for iPhone and iPod Touch

If you’re new to all of this, check out Erica’s advice for where to go from here.

This method supersedes all previous methods, including our own process← that we document in meticulous detail, now deprecated in favor of using AppSnapp. Interestingly, this method uses the TIFF Exploit of Mobile Safari to open up the lockdown of the system, and then does Apple the favor of patching the security hole!

See the Instant One-Touch Jailbreak Method as a simple alternative to what’s described in detail below. It takes advantage of the TIFF Exploit in Mobile Safari to jailbreak simply by visiting a site. It then patches this scary loophole after installing the Nullriver AppTapp into your Springboard.

Original Post

We threatened to write this tutorial, and our own experimentation with AppTapp 3 beta on the latest firmware and the ensuing customizations like SummerBoard and Customize on iPhone 1.1.1 forced us to become very familiar with all the nuances of compatibility and the absurd downgrade-to-upgrade process. We’ve published our meticulous notes as a PDF guide where you too can install native third-party apps and customizations without using the command-line, as long as you comply with the following requirements:

• AT&T customer. No SIM unlocks.
• Mac. Intel or PowerPC. No Windows, but the iNdependence tool can be substituted for the PC equivalent.
• OS X 10.4.10 — Leopard support untested.
• iTunes 7.4.2
• iPhone 1.1.1 and 1.0.2 firmwares
• Novices, beginners, newbies welcome — patience required
• Experience modders may adapt this guide for other platforms, scenarios

Download the PDF guide which includes download links to the required tools, including iNdependence 1.2.4 (.dmg), the iPhone 1.0.2 firmware files (.ipsw) and the Nullriver AppTapp installer (.zip). Folks may groan about the PDF document as opposed to universal HTML formatting, but be assured that the PDF contains screen shots of crucial dialogs and is as detail-oriented as they come. It’s probably the best step-by-step tutorial out there at the moment. In the spirit of full disclosure though, it’s fifty steps long, but does not require any command-line. We’re not sure if this is step forward or backward, but it’s a reliable, well-tested method, either way.

Important notes that deserve republishing outside of the PDF guide:

1. Do not install both Trip1PogoStick and SummerBoard on 1.1.1 — you’ll get startup freeze (stuck on Apple logo), especially if you’ve used previous 1.1.1. upgrade methods, including iNdepenence 1.2.2. and/or Trip1Prepz. We made this mistake and that’s what inspired us to start fresh and document every step for you. Use iTunes to restore to a fresh 1.1.1 state if this occurs.
2. Do not install the 1.1.1 tweaks with SummerBoard. They are not compatible SummerBoard and Customize and will screw up your Springboard forcing to to restore to 1.1.1 and then start the 50 step process all over again. We attempted this and ended up with a blank Springboard, no icons, and no phone functionality. This is the closest we’ve come to a brick, yet, in all our of hacking tests.
3. Do not follow any of these steps and discard this document immediately if you are not prepared to void your warranty and any obligation of Apple or AT&T to support you in these endeavors. They have clearly stated that these modifications are in violation of their use agreements. In fact, it is not yet easy to even truly make a factory fresh iPhone, without any trace of third-party modifications, in the event that you might want to return your device. Although using third-party applications is far less risky than unlocking your firmware to run on other networks beyond AT&T, it’s still considered an unauthorized activity. No warranties are implied by these instructions. You follow these steps at your own risk as assume all liabilities herein. If you have any reservations about these activities, delete this document and forget about iPhone modding. We have no responsibility for your actions and provide this information for academic research purposes only.

Once installed, you’ll enjoy SummerBoard and its themes and customizations as well as the Customize program, albeit buggy on 1.1.1, does allow icon ordering. Anal Retentive iPhone Hackers rejoice! Note that the vertical flicking of SummerBoard on 1.0.2 is replaced with the horizontal paging that you may have already experienced on early versions of 1.1.1 exploits.

Furthermore, it is recommended that AppTapp 3.0 beta run on iPhone firmware 1.1.1, so if you’re a 1.0.2 hold-out, you’ll need to consider taking the plunge. If you’ve already upgraded to 1.1.1 and have not yet jailbroken and installed AppTapp, methods are readily available via search and usual enthusiast sites. In the meantime, we are considering working on We’ve written [and have since, deprecated!] a detailed tutorial that guides someone through that process while we wait for Nullriver to release the Installer installer for AppTapp 3.0 for iPhone 1.1.1, and any comments urging us to spend the effort would be most appreciated.

It’s going to be very interesting to see how Nullriver’s efforts fare in light of Apple’s recent revelation that a Touch SDK (iPhone and iPod touch) will be released to developers in February 2008. Either Apple will characteristically buy them out and perhaps absorb AppTapp into the official native distribution system (à la CoverFlow), deploy their own superior version of an iPhone installer system, or let AppTapp live and let live. Only time will tell. But we do applaud Nullriver’s fierce achievements in setting the bar high for pre-SDK native iPhone development and UI design.

For those who cannot wait for an AppTapp 1.1.1 Update

See our Install AppTapp 3.0 beta in iPhone 1.1.1 without Command Line tutorial←

Certainly, at this moment, we can only assume that Nullriver is busy updating their AppTapp installer to integrate the revised jailbreak and install procedure required with the iPhone 1.1.1 software update. Only in the past few days have the new symlink technique tools been released in beta. Ironically, you use AppTapp in the process of preparing your iPhone 1.0.2 to update to 1.1.1 and then apply another third-party hack to get around the recent lockdown of the SpringBoard, which no longer uses the DisplayOrder.plist file to determine the visibility and ordering of icons on the main menu, rendering SummerBoard obsolete in favor of another hack which allows horizontal-style scrolling to add more icons.

What you’ll lose with 1.1.1

By gaining the 1.1.1 features such as the WiFi Music Store, Home button double-click shortcuts, and space-bar double-tap for a period feature, among other minor tweaks, you will lose certain things you might have enjoyed under 1.0.2 and under, with the third-party applications and enhancements. This includes losing the ability to order the icons in the SpringBoard with rSBT, applying SummerBoard themes, and perhaps most critically for some, the ability to create custom ringtones. iPhone 1.1.1 requires a strange ring tone file format (.m4r) and tools to create these files don’t seem to be available, yet. This is especially disappointing as it effectively eliminates your ability to create sound effect ringtones, or install the brilliant Cellphone sound that’s found deep the iLife sound library. Why does Apple think we only want musical ringtones? What if customers find them dreadfully annoying, and would prefer a simple ring that sounds like a cellphone, such as the one featured on the original iPhone TV commercials!

Update requirements

Once a step-by-step procedure was published by iPhoneAlley, we decided we would take the plunge and see if it works, rather than wait it out for Nullriver to release their elegant “next-next” wizard that handles the process easily and command-line free in a single fool-proof method that minimizes opportunities for error. We can confirm with amusement that, indeed, the 1.1.1 software update does allow third-party programs to be installed. Although the process is different, it’s not really any more or less scary than the original manual method we used before AppTapp was released with its novice-ready installation. In fact, the tools and methods have actually evolved since, and someone who fits the following profile could consider doing this also:

1. Have a Macintel (no PowerPC or Windows support at this time)
2. Have an AT&T account (no unlocked SIMs; free/open source unlocking tools aren’t ready yet)
3. Have about 30 minutes of patience to follow directions very carefully
4. Have some experience with AppTapp, Terminal, SSH and SFTP
5. Don’t mind potentially voiding your Apple warranty

Disclaimer, Warning, Caution

If you don’t qualify with all of the above conditions, you should definitely either wait for Nullriver to update AppTapp for 1.1.x, or think again about your inclinations to modify your iPhone.

Otherwise, all the usual warnings and disclaimers apply: Do this at your own risk. We assume no liability. Future updates from Apple are almost certain to close whatever loopholes were discovered at this point. Third-party applications make modifications to your iPhone, such as write preference files, that an Apple support technician might be able to detect, even after performing a Restore.

Further clarification

We followed iPhoneAlley’s step-by-step instructions, which are adequate for those of us that fit somewhere between a command-line hacker and a novice. The process takes about 30 minutes and seems to be reversible with the described downgrade feature. It’s important to make the clear distinction between “unlocking” and “jailbreaking,” the former is a far more risky endeavor where you modify the deep innards of the device to allow SIM cards and service providers other than AT&T. Inoperable bricked phones have been reported with the 1.1.1 in this case. Jailbreaking is simply opening up the iPhone’s file system to allow read and write access to allow the installation of third-party software and other customizations. Unlocking and 1.1.1 upgrades is probably still too risky at this point, while jailbreaking seems to be fairly safe.

Lean Machine

It’s worth noting that there are only two third-party applications that we ended up installing on our newly upgraded 1.1.1 system: NES and Chat. All the other programs are basically proof-of-concepts, raw experimentations, non-essential and easily forgettable. However, retrogaming and a genuine IM client, two things that might never be officialized by Apple (via AT&T) are considered indispensable additions to sorely lacking features of the factory feature set: games and IM.

UPDATE October 20, 2007

It turns out that the release of iNdepenence 1.2.2 was probably premature, as a later, greater version (1.2.4) emerged on October 18 that resolves some key issues with 1.2.2, that include how the Springboard is handled. Anyone who used 1.2.2 (us!) could have either used some patches released to resolve issues, or end up starting the whole restore, downgrade, exploit, upgrade, re-install process all over again. We’re compiling a tutorial and notes as we go through it. Stay tune for a posting on the subject.

UPDATE October 15, 2007

A new version of iNdependence was release today (v1.2.2) on Google code which supports Jailbreak on 1.1.1 firmware. It includes a special UI to perform and prepare for the 1.1.1 update which is not indicated in the iPhoneAlley step-by-step guide that we followed. Any users that have not yet updated form 1.0.2 to 1.1.1 should read the included Help documentation to learn the best method of preparing for 1.1.1 and then using their post 1.1.1 upgrade procedures available in the Firmware tab of this program. If you updated to 1.1.1 from 1.0.2 before this was released, you may need to downgrade with it, and then re-update to allow the ability to perform jailbreaks in the future. In the procedure outlined by iPhoneAlley, you really only get a one-shot-deal to jailbreak, so this new method is clearly preferred. We’ll comment on our experience preforming the downgrade and then re-upgrade using the new version of iNdependence.

UPDATE October 16, 2007

Some experiences in using iNdependence 1.2.2 to manage the migration to iPhone 1.1.1 while preserving AppTapp and jailbreak access (not SIM unlocking) follow. The built-in Help provides the step-by-step directions, however, it still needs some work, as it confusingly refers to itself in a circular fashion. We would still recommend waiting for Nullriver to release AppTapp for 1.1.1 if you’re at all weary of needing to carefully follow an arcane set of instructions or avoid using the command-line altogether. This update to iNependence achieves jailbreaking capabilities on the new firmware, but that’s about it.

Helpful Hints

Things to watch out for, not well documented in the built-in Help, when working with iNdependence 1.2.2 and the 1.0.2 to 1.1.1 upgrade process with jailbreak:

• The built-in Help documentation does not cover how to install AppTapp. However, you can use iNdependence or an SFTP client like CyberDuck to copy the Installer.app file found within the AppTapp installer package. Once copied, you can SSH into your 1.1.1 iPhone and trigger launching it via the command-line. Then you can enter the conceited software beta installer link into your MobileSafari, adding the required Trip1PogoStick hack, to allow the 1.1.1. SpringBoard to display programs, including Installer. Refer to the iPhoneAlley tutorial steps that cover these aspects, and ignore the steps that are covered by the new iNdependence method, which precludes the need to preform the installation of the Trip1Prep step. That seems to be the symlink trick that allows the 1.1.1 upgrade, but iNdependence handles that during its Pre-1.1.1 and Post-1.1.1 steps. On the iPhoneAlley tutorial, they say not to use iNdependence or use the traditional AppTapp installation. Although true in the case of the AppTapp installation, this tutorial needs to be updated to account for the reality that iNdependence has since been updated, and can be used to update to 1.1.1, in fact, offers a preferred method which retains the jailbreak. By following the iPhoneAlley method, you lose the jailbreak after completing the upgrade. It’s gotten very confusing, indeed. Apple is doing an excellent job of altering the infrastructure just enough to disrupt our efforts significantly.
• Be sure to kill the iTunes Helper process using Activity Monitor. Otherwise, iTunes will launch during many of the required reboots, and could interfere with the crucial timing of the re-activation.
• Temporarily deactivate your media syncing in iTunes, especially if you have downgrade. This will save you lots of time as the iPhone gets “erases” and re-built. Re-check the boxes for your songs, photos, videos, etc. after the process has been completed and sync up.
• We discovered the hard way, that you really want to let iTunes perform the Activation, rather than use iNdependence. It appears that if you use iNdependence to activate the phone and then deactivate it, iTunes does not appear to successfully re-activate, and thus you become dependent on iNdepedence. Yikes!
• Although the built-in Help claims that your YouTube will be fine during this process, we found that it did not work after the process. Fortunately, we easily found this reference, where you can download the appropriate security key files and upload them to the correct place on your iPhone file system (/var/root/Library/Lockdown/), and this seems to restore YouTube functionality.
• You’ll need to re-sync one additional time after the process is complete to get your Apple iTunes Music Store account properly associated with your WiFi Music Store in order to purchase music on the iPhone.
• Don’t forget to change your SSH passwords from the defaults, to help prevent getting truly hacked by a malicious user on some WiFi network. iNdependence does make it easy to change these passwords in the SSH tab.

Indeed, we could work on a write-up that combines the best of what’s offered on iPhoneAlley and the iNdepenence built-in Help, but by the time we finish that, Nullriver might have their brilliant AppTapp Installer updated, and then, like before, it’ll be a waste of time, thankfully. It’s very likely that some other passionate modder has beat us to the punch, by now.

Hyperbole Essay Muses a Protestant Split Over Jesus Phone

Release a breakthrough product, ready the defenses. Slash prices within 60 days of its release. Pre-test an elaborate consumer store credit program. Maintain control of user experience, revenue streams, and product integrity. Expedite firmware drops to shore up security against an unpredictably vigorous, yet independent, and ingenious rogue software design movement. Monitor ensuing online chatter and surveil the field, ready to deploy assets.

Such is the life of Applists, at the brink of factioning off into a ruthless, fringe element, no longer allegiant to Pope Jobs. These followers protest, disillusioned with the rejection of their effusive prayers and deeds in the name of the product’s church. Emblems of the faith, splendid exemplars of user interface mantras led by installers as elegant as “undocumented features,” spreading customizations and innovations of every whim as if Gnostic Gospel. Each passionate shortcoming of the breakthrough product, much hyped, yet still maligned beyond nitpick, had been redeemed, by painstaking devoted minds, dedicated to unlocking the mysteries of the revolutionary creation, without manual, in disobedience to advice and guidance.

Today the mark is 1.1.1 vs. 1.0.2 — those who have crossed over towards Applist orthodoxy and those resistant, not yet yielding, making due without holy sanctions, verified creed. Perhaps it’s the attraction of a more personal relationship with the Godhead, the sacred code, Kabalah’s sublime intertextual numerology, the open principles of touch-based human interface guidelines and their applications, Gnostic texts canonized by Memex. This divine intimacy of the populace is too much for the orthodoxy to stomach, unmediated transgressors. Only deep within the Vaticanal campus of Cupertino, could the details of iPhone be realized and celebrated through masses. Or could they? The orthodoxy obediently applies edicts from axis mundi, replete with sharia, releasing newly inscribed sacraments of commerce, and trivial revisions to interface ritual, all as sacrifices to the Godhead in the name of stablity, security, and eschatology. The reformists resist the superficialities of bug fixes, feature tweaks, and new revenue streams in favor of purist pursuits of homebrewed exchange and unmediated gadgeteering.

Watch the iPhoneDev splinter group, the prophets Erica Sadun, and her followers, all Digging, the global audience, Natetrue and Nervegas and Nightwatch, all the great disciples of the tripartite theory of Jobs, Ives, and Schiller; now splintering off into a Protestant reformation, rejecting the hegemonies, the hierarchies, the corporate religiosity that puts shareholder before stakeholder, priest before parishoner, mission before congregation, partner before customer, policy before press, business before pleasure.

Other churches reap followers by addressing the misgivings of these loud voices, the difficult choice of switching allegiances, and selecting new identities could be the most drastic reaction to the Applist inquisition. Once dedicated followers, so-called fanboys, mavens, influencers, the variously labeled, occasionally ridiculed, persecuted acolytes of American design purity, objects painstakingly assembled by Chinese workers, clothed in their consumer best, they are lovingly delivered to lavishly spoiled consumers, whose lives change instantly, noticeably, invisibly, despite clear markings and insignia.

Needless to say, we aren’t the only ones jolted into a state of doubt, of second-guessing, a crisis of faith. Our iPhones remain 1.0.2, our AppTap apps continue to dance upon our SummerBoard with a flick, semi-useless, yet somehow indispensable reminders of cherishing the essentials of open, of freedom, of flexibility. We remember not to take for granted the simple joys of the original Applist congregation, enabled to seek more personal relationships with what the breakthrough product enables, beyond expansion and customization: retrogaming, instant messaging, operating systemics, electronic literature, voice recordings, recreation, media redistribution, virtualization, and location-based positioning.

The factionalization inevitably reflects the disconnect between the hierarchy and its Diocese. Cupertino must enforce and enrich its control and influence over the essential elements of its worldview, the device software. There are specific fiduciary duties towards contractual partners and shareholders that assess profound regard in refocusing the consumers attention towards revenue streams and away from endeavors that distract from ongoing tithing. Yet the followers, in their humanistic zeal for coming to know the the device software more intimately, more greatly, more intrinsically, unlocked an interconnection that may not have even been intended for mere mortals. This Pandora’s box exemplifies the detachment of the Tripartite from its congregation. Such a clearly precedented trait of Applists was forgotten, and now fracturing ensues.

Will devotees of Apple fracture into subservient and subversive sects, now prompted to select allegiances?

Firmware Update Unsettles

The long awaited firmware updated is released today. We’ve speculated its identifier as iPhone 2.0 and other possibilities, but the important thing is that new features and capabilities are added for free to expand the software offerings of iPhone. Certainly, not everyone will be 100% impressed with what’s been added today, as you can only please most of the people some of the time.

Early reports suggest that this update does not break or “brick” when applied to a device with un-authorized third-party applications, especially using AppTapp. However, early reports suggest that the installed applications are wiped out as the fresh OS install essentially reformats and reinstalls. If you’re insistent on preserving your third-party apps, it’s advisable to wait for Nullriver to release a new AppTapp tested with 1.1.1 support before launching forward with the update. However, bricking is likely with SIM unlocks. Certainly, the comment streams will be awash with controversy.

Nullriver Software releases full GUI iPhone Installer

iPhone enthusiasts and novices rejoice as the first native application installation software is released allowing you to install and maintain 3rd party iPhone applications in a user-friendly, graphical interface. Multi-step command-line hacking is no longer required to get programs installed into your iPhone. A natural Mac installer automates the process of getting the installer set up on your iPhone. Enjoy the beta before it goes shareware, as widely anticipated. This makes our own step-by-step guide← and countless others somewhat obsolete!

Download AppTapp Beta →

• Introduction↓
• Getting Started↓
• How to install NES Game ROMs↓
• How to get sound working in NES↓
• How to get PICO working in iPhone Remote Terminal↓
• How to change the SSH root password↓
• How to Remove (Uninstall) applications↓
• How to Find your iPhone’s IP Address↓

Introduction

This guide is written for Mac users who are not familiar with using UNIX, but are very interested in getting third-party applications installed into the Springboard home screen of their iPhone (not Safari web apps). There are several guides and wiki sites out there at the moment that detail this process. This guide has not yet been updated for firmware 1.1.1 and only applies to 1.0.2 and under until it is updated. In the meantime, iPhoneAlley offers one of the first step-by-step guides for the recently announced 1.1.1  third-party application installation technique. It is not meant for novices, but could  be what you’re looking for.

Since the original posting, installing native iPhone applications has become easier than ever, thanks to the amazing Nullriver software Installer. → It gives you a beautiful iPhone style multi-touch interface to install emerging 3rd party applications handling all the tricky stuff for you. Furthermore, it automatically checks for updates and makes sure you can keep up with the rapid pace of development. It is already clear that the Nullriver Installer is going to fuel the growth of this exploding scene.Nullriver has created AppTapp, a Mac and Windows graphical wizard← to get you started automated script that allows you to bypass all the instructions on this guide! You will need to issue a single command in Terminal, and so the gentle primer to using that below may no longer be required since this installer installer (I know, unfortunately, redundant, but true) handles everything and gets you started. An open source alternative to Nullriver Installer has emerged called Breezy that I’ll be testing a reviewing. Clearly, Nullriver is bound to be one of the first commercial (shareware) programs available for the native iPhone application market, eventually. Apparently, Nullriver and the PXL package development group are joining forces to bring aspects of open source to AppTapp.

This guide also addresses some of the most frequently asked questions that I’ve been seeing in the comments and threads. Most of them, I’ve also had myself at some point during this process. This guide is the result of working through these challenges, doing the research, trial-and-error. It may try your patience, but be reassured that it’s all very possible, and the hardest part is just getting set up. This guide relies on some of the excellent guides that have emerged at ModMyiPhone.com, but attempts to update, augment and clean up things.

Contributions

It is my hope that this helps out the iPhoneDevTeam by fulfilling the overwhelming need to teach so many new users basic UNIX and other tricks to get these mods working. Instead of wasting time teaching newbies the basics, these amazing folks can stay focused on delivering us amazing new tools to make the most of our beloved devices. Consider this my donation to the cause.

Disclaimer and Warning

If you run into problems during modding, such as losing sync capabilities with iTunes, you will need to go through the Restore process through iTunes, which should make your phone factory fresh, but you will lose your customizations. Hopefully, this guide will help you quickly rebuild your mods, in case that happens.Set aside several hours to go through everything in this guide. However, when you’re done, you will have a nice setup for enjoying third-party iPhone applications.

Of course, this guide is provided AS IS, and use it at your own risk. I do not condone, endorse or warrant any of the actions suggested here. You are advised that altering the software on your iPhone is consideration a violation of the legal agreement you enact with Apple, and hence, they will no longer be obligated to support you. This means that you will likely void your warranty.

Modding from iPhone 1.0.1 to 1.0.2

If you have made modifications prior to the iPhone 1.0.2 software update, it is strongly recommended that you:

1. Sync to iTunes to backup your settings
2. Choose “Download” instead of “Download and Install” when prompted to update your iPhone to 1.0.2
3. Run a restore process, which will reset your phone to factory settings. Then only things you should lose are your voicemail password and WiFi access point passwords. Everything else, including SMS and Notes should be restored and you’ll have iPhone 1.0.2
4. Re-sync to iTunes. Quit iTunes and then run the Nullriver Installer script (the included README file gets you going)
5. Install Launcher, through Installer on the iPhone
6. Proceed to install items such as BSD Subsystem and OpenSSH, and then you’ll be in good shape to get NES, Lights Off and many of the other great tools and programs emerging.

Getting Started

Refer to this handy Glossary by Erica Sadun to have some of the common terms of iPhone modding translated into plain language.

1. Get comfortable with Terminal

Open what’s called a UNIX shell by finding /Applications/Utilites/Terminal on your hard drive and practice using some basic commands. If you’ve used Terminal before, you can skip this step.You’ll need to issue lots of these commands during the process, so it’s worth understanding the relationship between the command-line actions and the equivalent familiar actions that is second nature when clicking around in the Finder.Try out these commands, hitting enter after each line. See if you can figure out what’s going on.

lscd /lscd /var/root/lscd ../../cd /usr/ls -lacd ~

cd means change directory. ls means list the files in the directory, with -la you get all the file information and show hidden files also. This is what’s happening behind the scenes when you click on icons and folders in the Finder. Note that ~ means your user’s home directory.Tip: If you’re ever lost in the Terminal file paths, you can always drag-and-drop a file from the Finder into the Terminal and it will convert the path for you.

2. Get started with iActivator

http://www.modmyiphone.com/wiki/index.php/Getting_Started_iPhone_ModdingFollow the detailed guide on this page, which includes download links. In this step, you’ll create a local “phonedmg” directory on your Mac’s user account, download the restore files from Apple, and go through the “jailbreak” process, which makes your iPhone writable. You’ll always need to go back to jail to make it work with iTunes. If you have any trouble with iActivator, or it suddenly becomes unavailable for download, you can perform a jailbreak in Terminal on the command-line.

3. Install iPHUC

http://www.modmyiphone.com/wiki/index.php/Installing_iPHUC_iPhoneThis process is complicated, requiring several programmer’s tools and libraries including XCode from Apple, the MacPorts open source kit and others. All of it is free and open source, and this tutorial does take you through each step very carefully. iPHUC is required to install SSH, which will allow you to copy and manage files on your iPhone much more elegantly. Luckily, you only have to go through this and the next step once. Seriously, this is the most elaborate step, but you’ll only have to go through it once.

4. Install SSH

http://www.modmyiphone.com/wiki/index.php/Installing_ssh_on_iPhone_using_iPHUC_in_OS_XFortunately, after completing this next step, you’ll be able to easily install a more robust version of SSH, with a better security setup, as you’ll create unique security keys for your device. In addition, it is strongly recommended that you change your root password after you’ve gotten things in order. This may help prevent an attack on your phone by a malicious program that looks for iPhones with SSH enabled on public WiFi networks. Be aware that by enabling SSH, you are making your device prone to malicious attacks by downloading software that may contain malware or worse. In other words, by enabling SSH, you open the possibility of allowing software to connect to servers behind the scenes. This could involve allowing your private data being sent to servers without your explicit knowledge, or worse. There were many reasons why Apple removed SSH from the iPhone’s UNIX system in the first place. But keep things in perspective — you probably have SSH enabled on your Mac right now and so you’ve been living with these risks all along. When you realize you can wirelessly connect to your iPhone from anywhere and transfer files and do other powerful things, you’ll appreciate the potential that you’ve unlocked.

5. Install Installer.app (aka AppTapp)

http://iphone.nullriver.com/beta/Note: Nullriver’s AppTapp no longer requires the manual command-line installation detailed below, instead offering a GUI wizard style installer for Mac and Windows. This installation occurs over the USB dock cable, so if would like to install over wireless.Once you install this, adding and updating software becomes very elegant and easy. However, the documentation for this is very poor, assuming you are already familiar installing programs manually. Unfortunately, this is probably the best app to install first if you’re a newbie! Here are detailed steps, assuming you have already completed the installation of iPHUC and SSH, above.

1. Download Installer.app ZIP file from Nullriver, unzip, and move into your local “phonedmg” folder with your usual drag-and-drop Finder interactions. Make this folder, if necessary: ~/phonedmg/Applications/
2. Shut down iTunes, and use Activity Monitor to quit iTunesHelper. (see iActivator guide for details, it should be familiar from step #2 above)
3. Open iActivator, and do a Jailbreak
4. Open Terminal on your Mac
5. Find your iPhone’s IP address↓: iPhone > Settings > WiFi > blue-arrow on current network > 10.0.1.4 (sample address)We’ll use the IP address 10.0.1.4 in this guide. Your IP will probably vary, so remember to replace it with yours each time you see in the code examples.
6. Type (replacing with your iPhone’s IP address)

ssh -l root 10.0.1.4

7. When prompted, enter default password (unless you’ve already changed it)

dottie

8. Type (hitting return after each line):

       cd /Applications    mkdir Installer.app    cd Installer.app    exit

9. Type:

       cd ~/phonedmg/Applications/Installer.app

10. Type: (replacing your IP address)

    scp * root@10.0.1.4:/Applications/Installer.app[password "dottie"]

11. Type: (replacing with your IP address)

        ssh -l root 10.0.1.4    [password "dottie"]    cd /Applications/Installer.app    chmod +x Installer    chmod +x ditto    exit

12. Hold down Sleep button and slide power off. Restart iPhone
13. The Installer widget icon should appear in the Springboard. Use it to install the available packages, especially, Launcher, BSD Subsystem and Open SSH. You’ll probably find dozens of interesting native applications to try, all of them constantly being updated and easily maintained with Installer.
14. You’ll always need to be jailbroken to allow Installer to write to the iPhone file system. Keep this in mind if you get any installation errors when using Installer.

How to install NES Game ROMs

Game ROMs are .nes files. Note: No one is going to tell you how to obtain these files. Learn about what ROMs are on NerveGas’s NES project page.

1. Make sure iPhone is jailbroken
2. Copy ROMs to ~/phonedmg/var/root/Media/ROMs/NES on your local drive. (Create directories if necessary)
3. Open Terminal and type (as always, replacing with your IP address):

        ssh -l root 10.0.1.4        [password "dottie"]        cd /var/root/Media        mkdir ROMs        cd ROMS        mkdir NES        exit        cd ~/phonedmg/var/root/Media/ROMs/NES        scp * root@10.0.1.4:/var/root/Media/ROMs/NES        [password "dottie"]

1. Restart iPhone, games should appear in NES

How to get sound working on NES

UPDATE September 1, 2007

Nervegas’ NES app no longer requires further hacking to get the sound to work as of its version 1.0 release, so you can disregard the tutorial below, as it is now obsolete.

Erica Utility Method — UPDATE August 26, 2007

If you install the Erica Utilities package with apptapp Installer from Nullriver, you already should have the command to disable and en-enabled the system sound, which allows the NES sound to work. You can also manually install the Erica command-line utilities if you don’t use apptapp. Use Mobile Terminal and type:

sound no

When you’re done playing NES, return to Mobile Terminal and re-enable the system sounds, so important things like calls will work:

sound yes

The program gives you textual confirmation of sound status. This new method is much easier than the old method

Manual Method

At the time of this writing, sound support was very glitchy, but may be improving with the rapid updates of NES.app thanks to the hard work of NerveGas. Although having sound is very appealing, if you have difficulties with this step, realize that it may not be worth the trouble.

1. Make sure iPhone is jailbroken
2. Create a text file in your local drive here: ~/phonedmg/var/root/.profileDon’t use TextEdit. Download TextWrangler or TextMate if you don’t have a true plain text editor.
3. Contents of .profile text file should be:

    # Aliases    alias pico='pico -w'    alias rm='rm -i'    alias ssh='ssh2'    alias nosound="launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/coreaudiod.plist"    alias sound="launchctl load /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/coreaudiod.plist"    # User specific environment    PATH=$PATH:/sbin:/usr/sbin

4. In Terminal:

       cd ~/phonedmg/var/root    scp .profile root@10.0.1.4:/var/root/.profile

5. Make sure ‘login’ is present in ‘/bin’

   cd /bincurl http://iphone.natetrue.com/login

6. Make sure you installed MobileTerminal with Installer by Nullriver
7. Restart iPhone, as needed. Unplug earbuds.
8. Open Terminal on iPhone and type:

   nosound

9. Go Home, and Launch NES. Sound should work.
10. When you’re done playing, dont’ forget to return to Terminal on iPhone and type:

sound

11. Regular sound functions should be restored

How to get pico (text editor) working on iPhone Remote Terminal:

pico is a very basic text editor that works in the Unix command line. Although it would be cool to be able to edit files in Mobile Terminal, this is actually more useful for the occasions when you have connected into your iPhone via SSH on your Mac Terminal and want to make an edit to a configuration file directly.I haven’t been able to get pico working on the Mobile Terminal, on the iPhone itself, but through an SSH session on your Mac it works well. It appears that it’s a problem with the Mobile Terminal application, rather than with the UNIX configurations. Recent updates to the Mobile Terminal native application suggest that we are very close to being able to enable pico on the iPhone directly. However, there will be tricky interface issues to contend with because the iPhone keyboard lacks essential things like arrow keys. Running on your Mac Terminal, however, is useful to cut out the step of editing the text file on your computer and then needing to copy it to the phone.

1. Make sure you’ve installed the BSD Subsystem, either with Installer.app, or manually. Using Nullriver’s Installer is by far the easiest way to get the BSD Subsystem, which in turn, help makes your iPhone work like a full-on computer.
2. Open Terminal, and type (replace with your iPhone’s IP address):

       ssh -l root 10.0.1.4    [password "dottie"]    mkdir /usr/share/terminfo    mkdir /usr/share/terminfo/76    exit    cd /usr/share/terminfo/76    scp vt100 root@10.0.1.4:/usr/share/terminfo/76/vt100    [password "dottie"]    ssh -l root 10.0.1.4    [password "dottie"]    csh    set term=vt100

How to change the SSH root password:

Since the root password “dottie” is now very public knowledge, it’s a security hazard to be walking around with SSH enabled on your iPhone, roaming around on public WiFi networks. You should change your root password once you’ve got the basics installed.

1. Visit this site to get your new root password encryptedhttp://iphone.simbunch.com/crypt.php
2. Make a backup of your original master password. In Mac Terminal, type:

   ssh -l root 10.0.1.4[password "dottie"]cp /etc/master.passwd /etc/master.passwd.bakexit

3. Optional: While you’re in there, consider changing your default shell to ‘bash’ from ’sh’ which will do a better job of honoring the changes to your .profile and other nice things. See this tutorial on the iPhoneDevWiki to change your default shell.
4. Copy the contents of the result of the password form on the above page into a new blank text file. Save it to your local drive at ~/phonedmg/etc/master.passwd
5. Upload it your iPhone. In Mac Terminal type:

       cd ~/phonedmg/etc    scp master.passwd root@10.0.1.4:/etc/master.passwd    [password "dottie"]

6. Restart your iPhone
7. In Mac Terminal, test the new password:

   ssh -l root 10.0.1.4

8. Enter your new password at prompt

How to Remove, (Uninstall) applications:

If you’ve installed a 3rd party application with Nullriver’s Installer, just use its Uninstall feature.If you need to uninstall by the command-line, follow this example where we’ll delete an installed application called Tetris.appThe trick is to go into the .app directory, and delete the files first, then go up, and delete the enclosing .app directory.

1. In Mac Terminal, SSH into your iPhone

       ssh -l root 10.0.1.4    [password]    cd /Applications/Tetris.app    rm *.*    cd ../    rmdir Tetris.app    exit

2. Restart iPhone. Application widget should be gone, no longer appearing on the Springboard.

How to Find your iPhone’s IP Address:

You need to be connected to a WiFi network.

1. At the Home screen…
2. Click Settings
3. Click WiFi
4. Click the blue arrow of the network you’re connected to
5. IP address is displayed

As companies embed full-fledged computers into consumer entertainment products, such as Sony PSP, Apple TV, and iPhone, and then proceed to lock them down to restrict their functionality in the name of stability and security, legions of enthusiasts heed the call to open them up again, to enjoy the computer hidden within.

At the time of this posting, iPhone Modding is very difficult for the inexperienced — not for the faint-of-heart or command-line averse. After a lot of trial-and-error and hours of research, we have installed some third-party standalone applications into the Spring Board (iPhone Home Screen). We can only assume that as modders enjoy more success, and more true third-party programs are written, more user-friendly applications will be released to streamline and simplify the process. That said, crude, but essential tools are starting to appear that allow a patient, persistent and somewhat fearless enthusiast to get started modding.

As you can see from the screenshot, the highlight of the modding is the installation of a Nintendo NES emulator which can put hundreds of games at your fingertips. Although, obtaining the game ROMs is of dubious legality, and the games lack sound and many have buggy graphics. The real lesson learned in this exercise is that there’s probably a very good reason why iPhone didn’t launch with any games — the multi-touch interface truly requires a comprehensive rethinking of game design and controls.

A Do-It-Yourself Work Ethic Required

Only recently, a step-by-step iPhone modification guide suitable for beginners→ emerged for getting started. Since, then, we’ve written our own guide← that consolidates and adds detail, especially for beginners. By far, most articles out there at the moment, assume you are familiar with UNIX and know about toolchains.→

At posting, the modding possibilities are nascent, including adding the following new applications and features into an iPhone:

• Custom ring tones
• Custom graphics and skins
• Screenshot tool →
• Sound recording application →
  
• Tetris →
• TicTacToe →
• Nintendo NES Emulator →

Where To Begin

The iFuntastic↓tool, while crude, is a good place to get started and become familiar with the Jailbreak process. → It’s helpful to install this first, as it does get you started with the ardous process of setting up the toolchain. Use iFuntastic to do simple, but high-impact modifications, such as alter the Spring Board (home screen), customize iPhone UI graphic files, and easily add custom ringtones. iFuntastic only supports Mac Intel machines at this time.

An essential alternative to iFuntastic is iActivator↓, which also peforms the Jailbreak process and manipulates the activation process, and works on Mac Intel and older PowerPC systems.

In addition, we figured out iphonedisk→, which mounts some parts of the iPhone file system as a network drive for easy drag-and-drop file installation.

But first, there are so many dependent programmer tools that must first be installed, including subversion and specialized iPhone modding tools like the unfortunately named iPHUC→. A decent guide for installing iPHUC→ is available.

The main key to gaining access to your iPhone is enabling SSH→, which allows secure command line access to the iPhone’s UNIX file system. However, this should be carefully considered, as enabling this feature certainly opens your iPhone up to future hackers who will now have a way into your handheld computer as you wander through open WiFi networks.

At the moment, the various executives at AT&T and Apple have nothing to worry about. This mod movement is restricted to the realm of enthusiasts. But it’s only a matter of time before refined GUI interfaces for iPhone customization and third-party application development and management emerge. Remember that modders got Windows to boot on the Mac Intel machines very quickly. Apple responded with Boot Camp offering native, official support to be offered in Mac OS X Leopard (10.5). It’s not a matter of if but when a truly open iPhone platform appears.

Doesn’t the iPhone look even better with a full set of buttons?