Apple iPhone School » RiP Dev

RipDev Says Goodbye to the iPhone Community

Brooke — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:14:28 +0000

If you have been around the jailbreak scene for any length of time, you are probably familiar with the RipDev. They have brought us some amazing applications over the last two years including; Installer, Kate and Icy. According to a recent announcement on their website, they are saying goodbye to the iPhone community.

The announcement makes me a little sad. Ripdev, and their applications, have been a huge part of the jailbreak community. Below is what they have to say.

Good Bye

It’s been a great two years, but unfortunately, the time has come for Ripdev to close its doors. There are many reasons for this, most of which we probably will never disclose (unless we are forced to). The important thing is that due to circumstances we will likely be unable to support the titles we have created over the years further. They will be perfectly operatable on the firmware versions they were created for, and you will be able to download and use them — but they will no longer be supported and updated (except for i2Reader Pro that is not being developed by us and that will be kept in sync with its App Store version). We will, of course, transfer the licenses to the new devices — just email us. Our Cydia repository will be operational until at least next year, so be assured that the products you liked and paid for will be available for you to (re)install.

Icy, our lightweight DPKG installer, is now available in source form under MIT license. You’re free to do whatever you want with it. It would be nice if someone picks up the project…

It was a honor to be in the iPhone jailbreak community, and we are proud that we have certainly made a ripple or two. Farewell!

You can see the original post HERE.

Ripdev No Longer Supporting Installer

Brooke — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:20:27 +0000

Ripdev has recently announced that is no longer going to be supporting Installer. Below is what they have to say:

“Today, a new iPhone OS, 3.0 has been released. This is obviously a big and long waited for update for all iPhone users. And we believe, it is about time to officially announce that we are discontinuing support of Installer platform for iPhone and iPod touch.

Over past 1.5 years when we were involved in the Installer project (first in 3.x versions, then in 4.x), a lot of things has happened and we believe it’s time to unify the installation platform for the iPhone — and clearly, over the past year this is DPKG, thanks to tremendous effort of Jay Freeman and his Cydia. We have also dropped our two cents by providing our own themeable and lightweight DPKG installer tool, named Icy.

So now you have a choice, which tool to use — and no matter what you choose, it will be compatible with each other. We obviously cannot speak for Jay, but we will do our best to make sure two products play nicely together.

The Installer 4 repositories we manage will be running until July 1st, 2009, then they will be discontinued and brought offline. So if you wanted to get something that is only available in the Installer — this is the time to do so.

We would like to take the opportunity and say “thank you” to everyone who has contributed and supported Installer project in any way. You rock.”

I honestly haven’t used Installer for quite some time so this doesn’t come as too much of a surprise to me but, I know that a few of you still use it. It does make me a little sad because Installer is what started it all back in the day. The very first article we ever wrote on this site, on September 19, 2007, was about Installer. *tear

Let me know in the comments how you feel about this.

You can check out Ripdev’s original post HERE.

Dev Team Repo Update

Brooke — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 05:55:07 +0000

Available In: Cydia

Price: Free

Doug and I have noticed in recent days that the Dev Team’s repo, that we had manually added to Cydia, was not working and we were not able to download the newest version of yellowsn0w. Well, it seems that they have released a new source via Cydia. So, no more adding the source manually…just open Cydia and install the Dev-Team source package. When you install the source, you are then able to install the new version of yellowsn0w, 0.9.7, which is compatibly with the “pwned 2.2.1 system (not baseband). Again remember 0.9.7 yellowsn0w DOES NOT WORK WITH 2.2.1 (02.30.03) directly – you need to be running a ‘pwned’ version of 2.2.1 which didn’t upgrade the baseband during the restore/upgrade.”

Installer 4.0 Repo Structure

Brooke — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:31:16 +0000

The RiP Dev blog has posted an article describing how repos will be structured in Installer 4.0. The majority of us probably will not be extremely interested in this information but, if you have a repo that you would like to have in Installer 4.0, you will definately want to check it out. Below is a snippet of the article. You can get the full article HERE.

Installer 4 uses the new repository structure which is aimed at minimizing the traffic for both repo owner and the user, as well as expands the standard a little bit. It is still good old plists, but for the repo owner perspective, you don’t really have to mock with them… at all :)

Here’s how it works. Each package (a .zip file) now must contain a .plist file inside describing the package – including install/uninstall scripts, description, version, identifier, dependencies, and so on. It may also contain a png icon to be displayed as the package icon in the Installer.

When the repository owner puts the file in the repository directory tree (in the appropriate folder for the category), the repository engine does the rest – automagically extracts the plist (and the package icon) from the package archive, parses it, puts in the appropriate places and gets it ready to be served to Installer.

I have finished the repo engine code (it uses PHP) and is currently going to give it a test run for a few days internally, then we’ll put it in the public domain to re-use and abuse, along with a more detailed instructions on the package structure and plist keys (they are mostly the same).

Installer 4.0 Update

Brooke — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 03:28:10 +0000

Even though the jailbreak for firmware 2.0 is now available, if you choose to upgrade and jailbreak…you will not see much. The only thing available in the jailbreak is Cydia with a few applications like OpenSSH. You will not even see Installer yet. Below is what the RiP Dev blog has to say about the progress of Installer 4.0.

As you surely know by now, Pwnage Tool 2.0 is out. And for now, it has no Installer 4.0 in it.

This is because we have decided to not release an undertested product into the wild – we don’t want any mess on the phone this time. So Installer 4.0 will come out soon… as soon as we’re confident it functions properly, we will release it – and trust us, we are not going to delay it for a long time.

Meanwhile, all of the popular tools that can’t get to App Store for various reasons will have to be redone for firmware 2.0 – mostly because the inner workings of the system (in large, the way user interface works) have changed a lot since 1.1.x, so it will take some time for the authors to update and test their stuff. We expect the Installer to be ready by the time there’s something to offer you.

A lyrical off-topic. Why Big Bear in the post title and what the heck has it to do with the rest? :) The answer is simple – every iPhone OS release has it’s own codename (the name of the volume on the disk image file containing firmware files). 1.1.4 used to be LittleBear, and 2.0, you guessed it, is BigBear. :)

Now what about Kate? It is 90% ported to 2.0 as of now and we are finishing the remaining work and then testing it – so expect it to be out for Installer 4.0 in a week or two. Of course, you will not have to purchase it again if you already did (and if you have changed your iPhone to 3G model, email our sales department and they will arrange the license transfer for you).

Thanks for your patience and support!

Installer 4.0 Running on Firmware 2.0 (Updated)

Brooke — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:01:53 +0000

Since we are on the topic of jailbreaking firmware 2.0, I thought I would also mention that we do not have to worry about Installer not being able to run in firmware 2.0 (which is good because if Installer didn’t run on firmware 2.0 there would be no point in jailbreaking)!! RiP Dev has been giving us quite a bit of information in the last few days on what the new Installer version 4.0 will entail. And, because none of the previous applications available through the Installer will run on firmware 2.0, they have made quite a few changes to the Installer application. The following information is directly from the RiP Dev blog and it is quite the read. So, you will want to sit back and take a deep breathe before you start this one.

This post has been updated to include Part 1, 2 and 3 from the RiP Dev blog.

Part #1
I am fairly sure you are all excited with the newly opened App Store (just like I am). I’ve already purchased a bunch of applications (and of course, downloaded a few for free), and I must say big “thank you” to both Apple for rolling out such a system and to the developers who put a tremendous effort into creating all these applications.

However, as you may (or may not) know, certain tools will never make it to the App Store. One example would be our own Kate, or IntelliScreen, or a bunch of others that do not wish to adhere to the strict artificial limits set to the applications for the App Store – because many of these limitations are, in fact, aimed at protecting Apple’s advantage at deploying certain new products on the iPhone, and not at the “performance and memory usage monitoring” as it is officially called.

Either way, the Installer.app will continue to evolve. In fact, the new version, 4.0, is in the final stages of development. We expect it to stay the premier tool for installing applications that do not present in the App Store, giving you best of both worlds – as it will peacefully co-exist with the existing App Store. I will publish short facts about what’s new in the Installer 4 – and, to predict some questions as to “when will it be available”, I will say – immediately or shortly after the iPhone Dev Team releases new PWNAGE.

Today’s focus is on the repository format. As you know, for Installer.app to work, it has to contact one or more repository servers – most of which are maintained by third parties. The format of the repository didn’t change since version 1.0 of Installer, and we have decided to take the opportunity and change that (since none of the software created for 1.1.4 will work on 2.0 anyway). There was two main issues for the “old” repositories: bandwidth and troubles with the compatibility. Let me elaborate.

Bandwidth usage. Whenever Installer.app on your iPhone (or iPod touch) was refreshing a source, it was fetching the whole repository listing, which can be quite large (for example, for Ste packaging it’s currently around 700 Kb). Of course, this consumed bandwidth on your end, as well as repository owner’s end – and multiplied by the number of the iPhones around, this could easily be hundreds of gigabytes of data per day.

Second issue was compatibility. You never was sure whether the package you’re downloading was going to work under your particular firmware version. Many package authors have worked around this by presenting the alert sheet to the user after the package was downloaded – which is not the optimal solution.

The new repository format solves both issues. First, it downloads much more compact packages listing from the server, resulting in over than 3 times less bandwidth. And second, the script behind the repository is smart enough to filter the packages based on the firmware version you’re using and only give you the packages that can be installed there. Nice, isn’t it?

Part #2

As promised, I am continuing telling about the new Installer.

Previous Installer had another one major technical issue – it was using Property Lists (plist) files to store the database of available and installed packages. While this was very convenient for us (as programmers) as reading and writing to it required almost no effort, there was numerous complications caused by this design decision.

First, saving and loading property lists with the number of packages available across numerous repositories was long, simply because each property list file could get as large as 10-20 megabytes, and parsing that when Installer is starting up was not an instant operation. This problem was partially eliminated in Installer 3.1 and beyond when we have moved to binary format property list files from the plain XML – they take less space on disk and load and save faster.

Second, when the database with all available packages was loaded, it was kept in memory. The iPhone has strict rules about memory usage – so if you had too many sources or packages in the database, the Installer may have been closing due to not enough RAM conditions.

Third, searching through an array of, say, 1000 packages was slow – it had to run through all of them in memory one by one to find matches. Of course the ARM processor used in the device is fast, but either way that required time.

So Installer 4 uses sqlite database for all it’s stuff – which means indexing and searching is fast, the index is not loaded all in RAM and only accessed on demand. The startup is significantly faster because of that.

Next thing I am going to tell you tomorrow is how the packages itself have changed.

And to answer a common question, we’re getting there with the release – tomorrow the Installer may hit the private beta, depending on how well the work progresses.”

You can keep an eye on what is going on with Installer 4.0 on Rip Dev’s blog.

Part #3
First, we have added dependencies. This means that if a particular package requires, say, Jiggy Runtime, when you try to install it, the Jiggy Runtime will be installed too (if available). If it is not available, tough luck, you will not be able to install the package – but this is for your own safety. We really don’t want to support the mess on your iPhone (or iPod touch) so Installer will make sure you got everything installed correctly.

And second, the Installer is fully multithreaded now. Which means, sources refresh, package installation can now go in parallel (and in the background, so you don’t have to stare down that progress bar at the bottom of the screen). Moreover, you can now cancel any of the tasks.

Both of these things may sound obvious, and we’re not pretending we’re inventing something new – but, rather, adding the missing functionality into the Installer (at last).

Cheers! Back to Xcode now.

Backgammon 2.5

Brooke — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 05:18:44 +0000

The update to Backgammon 2.5 adds the application to the RiP Dev source. In doing so, the full version of the game is no longer available via a donation. The game now costs $9.00 USD. It does however come with a free 3 day trial. There are not any huge new features or visual changes to the application so, the main reason for the update is that you now have to purchase the full version of the application. However, if you have donated in the past for this application, you will receive an activation code in your email (without having to pay the $9.00). If you have not received your activation code and you have previously donated to Backgammon, you can email proof of payment to contact@adikus.com. Backgammon is available through the RiP Dev source.

Kate 1.3.1

Brooke — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:51:42 +0000

Kate (also known as Caterpillar) has been update to version 1.3.1. The update only adds one new feature to the application however, it does fix a few bugs and compatibility issue. The new feature is the ability to do a fast respring which means you are able to respring your SpringBoard without going to the lock screen (this will only work with firmware 1.1.3 and up). There is one bug fix that is really nice, Kate is now compatible with Dock, Screenshot and other similar applications. So, those of you who didn’t want to use Kate in the past because it was not compatible with Dock…you are good to go! Also, according to the developers of Kate, this will be the last update for 1.1.x firmware. Any future releases will only be compatible with firmware 2.0 (which only means we are getting closer! YAY!). Below is the complete change log via the developer. Kate is available through the Rip Dev source.

Mobile Enhancer:
    • New version works around the incompatibility issues with numerous products that have daemon applications that use UIKit, such as Dock, Screenshot, and others.
Smart Dialer:
    • Better detection of numbers prefixed with GSM codes.
    • Several fixes for better detection of numbers.
    • Fixed a potential crash when making a call while engaged in another phone call.
Settings:
    • Fast respring for 1.1.3+
FaceLift:
    • Fixed some potential problems while using themes.
Reminder:
    • Fixed a potential crash when all notifications are turned off.
EQ:
    • To conform to the rules, EQ module only works when the iPod EQ is turned on in the Settings.
    • No longer affects the ringtones because some of them were awfully distorted.

Pool 2.1

Brooke — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 13:42:41 +0000

The update to Pool 2.1 moves it to the RiP Dev source. In doing so, there have been a few changes. When you open the application, you will get a screen where you will get the options; Purchase, Activate or Trial. The Trial version only lasts three days…if you would like to play it longer than three days, you can purchase the application for $4.85. There is one new option in the Settings and that is the ability to turn on/off sound. The Settings are also set-up a little differently…which I personally do not like. I thought the previous versions was much cleaner.

The actual play of the game has not changed, though when you are in the application and select the back arrow you now have three options; Back to Main Menu, Setting (this is new) and Dismiss. Other than that, the developer says that he has Improved the AI algorithm, significantly improved the ball movement, fixed the bug that caused strange behavior of the ball near the pocket and fixed the “lost ball” issue. Pool is now available through the RiP Dev source.