iAppCat.com

This website allows you to search through all of the availble sources and combine them into one source you can manage online. You just search for an app or source title and add it. Then you add your a custom made source just for you with all the once you chose. You can even manage them from your iPhone online. If you find a new source you can submit it and they will test it and add it. Some questions I have with this is if you install an app and then go back to tell a friend source you got it through, will it show the 1 custom source you added or the correct one? And if there is something new out from a source do I have to wait for iAppCat.com to add it to their site before I can find it? I guess there is only one way to find out :) Here’s a video demo by ipodtouched.net.



How to Make Your Own Repo Source for Your IPod Touch/iPhone – video powered by Metacafe

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Comments

  1. That is amazing. You do not have to re-type all your sources if you restore or something. :)

  2. so are they isolating single apps from sources, downloading them all and linking them anew? I want to create my own source, but i want to have it forever, even if the original sources would go down for some reason and all apps would be “lost”.

  3. 2Douglas:
    1. The custom source made with iAppCat can be shared freely. So Your friend and Yourself will be seeing the same app list once added it to installer. The native source the app came from can be found in the iAppCat directory.
    2. All sources are constantly reindexed (once per hour at the moment). So the new apps show up at iAppCat very quickly. But You still have to add them to Your custom repository manually.

    2Norman:
    iAppCat does not relink the packages in the custom repos so they are downloaded with Installer.app from the native repos they come from.

  4. Thanks guys, very useful.

  5. All apps not showing up under the category I named it to, why is that? I did a refresh and under install and categories my “DJ’s Repo” only has 2 apps out of 60+ listed.

  6. I know iPod Touched.

    The guy had recommended a similar site to be earlier – http://repo.sc

    On that site also you can do the same thing. It has all the same features too.

  7. 2 DJ: Try to look for them under the Update/Uninstall tabs – maybe they are already installed.

  8. MikeJones says

    This is a great site/application. I’ve been using it for about 4 weeks and LOVE it.

    This really eliminates the 45 minute refresh of sources; because when you find the cool programs that they list here, then head over there and search it up; you can just add it to your own repo. One Source refreshes a lot faster than 180.

    I thought you guys would’ve been on this by now; otherwise I’d have tipped you off sooner.

  9. http://www.repo.sc is so very much better (:

    • MikeJones says

      I’m curious – what would make it better or worse?

      Not trying to be sarcastic; but does the repo.sc have more sources to search for apps from? or does it load faster?

      I’m just trying to figure it out; because I haven’t heard of this other personal repo option, but I can’t really think of what would make one better than the other.

    • First and foremost, thank you for mentioning my site, Crypt :)

      On to the discussion on what could make it better or worse… Since I am the developer of repo.sc, I am going to be a bit biased, but I’ll try to be fair ;)

      To start off, I’ll list what I think my site is better on:
      1) I retain exact structure of the Installer source from the original source. End users get exactly what was delivered by the original source. As such, things are still organized in their original categories. With iAppCat, they’re consolidated into one category. Personally, I think this makes navigation, searching, and working on the Installer part much easier. It also reduces the risk of a bad Installer source due to bad “edits”. I actually sat down and worked out some neat little algorithm with Saurik (Java dev) and Ste (Ste Packaging) to make sure that I deliver the source to you in its latest and most accurate form, so the only error that can possibly occur is if the source is originally error’ing (or you’re using an incompatiable firmware version).

      2) The personalized repo link from iAppCat is rather long… it is iappcat.com/r/userid where as my links are much shorter: repo.sc/username (unless you have a very long username that you’re not already fond of typing on your iPod/iPhone). Not a whole lot more can be said about this as it is a one off thing, and can even be done via payload in JailBreaking process.

      3) Ability to add multiple packages quickly. Due to popular request, I added the “Add / Remove All” feature for categories. This adds everything from that category at the time for you automatically. So for big categories like games, you don’t need to click 100 times to add all of them. iAppCat, last I checked, does not offer this, and requires multiple clicks to add the packages. This can make setup process require much much more time to complete… But it is a one off kind of thing unless you’re adding and removing things non-stop ;)

      4) Package recommendation, and community descriptions. I’ve been putting this one on back burner due to my graduation project for university, but it will be completed in the weeks to come after next week (when I’m done with school for good). A new feature I’m implementing is community descriptions and package recommendations for individual packages. This will allow users to comment and rate packages, so people knows what package does what, and what not. If you’re very lost and confused about the description I just wrote, check out this dummy page that I’ve built to express the idea: http://static.touchtoolset.com/MockUp_Details2.htm

      There will also be other social / recommendation type of things to be added, but information on those aren’t made available to public just yet because they’re not quite ready yet ;)

      Now, pro’s of their service:
      1) Ability to browse at a source level. When I designed repo source, it is designed in such a way so that the end user can “forget about the sources”. I only keep track of the latest version of the software in the database, and allow the system to “forget” older packages from different sources. This is done so that there won’t be duplicate entries in the system (IE: search > psx4all, and you might find tons of kiddie googlepage sources hosting the package because appearently it is cool to steal), and end users don’t accidentally select two of the same packages, and in turn create an endless update loop in Installer. Though, I must say, to be able to browse by source is pretty darn cool. Unfortunately, due to my system design, I don’t think I can implement something like that any time too soon.

      2) Ability to add sources to their system automatically. I do it manually here, and only approve things that will work stable, or have been known to be around for some time. Beta and unstable ones are often omitted to prevent problem like the random 13 yr old thinking it is cool to delete files with Installer. It also prevents things like people not respecting private beta rules and share zodttd’s private beta repo. This is a trade off which is not that great… but I guess its a different point of view; I respect developers, so they continue to develop adds, where as iAppCat gives more options to the users, so they can have things they want in one centralized place.

      3) A good looking web page. Let’s be honest here, I am a geek; I can’t draw stickman even if my life depends on it. As such, I’m rocking the default vBulletin skin. On the other hand, iAppCat dev is awesome, and created a simplistic yet clean design. If you’re big on visual appeals, here’s the big one for ya.

      With that said, I’d say both are pretty cool services. But since I’m developer of Repo Source, I’m biased, and I like my service better. At end of the day, both sites make Installer run faster, and there’s not a whole lot of difference between them. And sorry for the wall of text I’ve created :)

    • Andy, sorry, but the first item of Your list is not right. Aggregation of all the packages into a single category is an option not activated by default.
      By the way, I already own repo.in domain to make my links shorter ;)

  10. alex_dlc says

    typos: Then you add your (a) custom made source just for you with all the (once) you chose

  11. This is a awesome way to be able to save ur sources and later jailbreak to new versions. Then easly go back add ur custom source and be done within min.

    Thank you,

    Question! Will it keep track of my apps so if there is a newer one that comes out (upgrade) will it notify me?

    • MikeJones says

      it will Definitely update you….they appear as updates just like from any other source

  12. I have my allready, if anyone want to add my source,

    http://www.iappcat.com/r/5445

    and gona show a new Categorie +Segal

  13. atrophic says

    I find iAppCat to work great. I didn’t try repo.sc but I’m sure it’s much of the same. I will say that I emailed iAppCat with a bug report and it was fixed in a matter of hours.