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Two Major Cydia Hosts Shut Down as Jailbreaking Fades in Popularity (macrumors.com)

Posted by msmash on from the end-of-an-era dept.

Joe Rossignol, writing for MacRumors: ModMy last week announced it has archived its default ModMyi repository on Cydia, which is essentially an alternative App Store for downloading apps, themes, tweaks, and other files on jailbroken iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices. ZodTTD/MacCiti also shut down this month, meaning that two out of three of Cydia's major default repositories are no longer active as of this month. ModMy recommends developers in the jailbreaking community use the BigBoss repository, which is one of the last major Cydia sources that remains functional. The closure of two major Cydia repositories is arguably the result of a declining interest in jailbreaking, which provides root filesystem access and allows users to modify iOS and install unapproved apps on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. When the iPhone and iPod touch were first released in 2007, jailbreaking quickly grew in popularity for both fun and practical reasons. Before the App Store, for example, it allowed users to install apps and games. Jailbreaking was even useful for something as simple as setting a wallpaper, not possible on early iOS versions.

4 of 90 comments (clear)

  1. my decline reason by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I stopped jailbreaking when ios incorporated enough of the features I wanted.

  2. Superuser access by nightfire-unique · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Alongside net neutrality, laws should exist that dictate no owners of general technology devices can be artificially/intentionally restricted from accessing any part of their device.

    I don't mean "thou shall include a JTAG port and dongle" .. I mean that it becomes illegal to import for commercial sale any device that the manufacturer/reseller has locked down for the sole purpose of excluding access to tinker.

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    A government is a body of people notably ungoverned - AC
  3. Re:people that want to be able to control their ph by Just+Some+Guy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    iphones primary user base is people that barely know how to install an app

    Stop. Just stop right there. The primary user base is people who don't want to have to know how to install an app. Everyone here on Slashdot should be able to do that stuff with zero problems, but even a huge percentage of us here simply don't want to. I spend enough time fighting computers at work, thanks.

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    Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
  4. Re:Android too by r_naked · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Rooting has faded on Android for the same reason as iOS -- damn near impossible, or completely impossible on most carrier branded phones.

    Thank you Qualcomm. The QSEE (Qualcomm Secure Execution Environment) has pretty much ruined rooting when combined with Android TrustZone and SELinux. They pulled fastboot a while ago, and it is just a matter of time before all carriers do OTA upgrades and they pull firmware update / download mode.

    There just really aren't any attack vectors anymore.

    I am telling anyone that wants to root to buy a phone from a developer friendly OEM like OnePlus or Razer.

    --
    -- http://anonet.org -- The internet the way it was meant to be. Check it out, you may be surprised.