7 ms·

If you know how to use Xcode, you can install any software you like on iPhone, without Apple reviewing it, and without jailbreaking it.

likelynew 9y ago
When I first heard it, I thought it was a very big new that finally apple allowed to sign the apps for their devices without $100. Now I don't know why, I see almost no one is using it.
- wolfgke 9y ago
  I don't know the license terms, but I can imagine that there are some terms that disallow people to distribute apps for users to self-sign them on the web.
- eiz 9y ago
  Last time I checked the "free" provisioning profiles it generates are valid for something like 7 days. It's not really convenient for anything but experimenting with iOS development.
  - eugeniub 9y ago
    Plus you still can't do it if you don't have a Mac.
eddieroger 9y ago
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks this way - with a few exceptions, like SMS and phone cal handling, you can write an app to do anything on the iPhone if you're so inclined. There are always going to be the Power Users who want more out of the system but won't code, but my experience with my iPhone has been that if I ever ran up against a wall I wanted changed, I could write an app to do so, even if I didn't publish to the store.
- wolfgke 9y ago
  > you can write an app to do anything on the iPhone if you're so inclined. Is it now possible to allocate executable memory (e.g. for development apps or writing a JIT compiler)? Is it now possible to write apps that have root permissions?
  - eddieroger 9y ago
    Why would I want an app, even one I write, to have root permissions? Do you operate your computer as root all the time? I know I don't, if for no other reasons than I sometimes make mistakes, and I'd to write an app that can wipe out my phone just because I made a mistake.
    - wolfgke 9y ago
      > Do you operate your computer as root all the time? Not all the time, but sometimes - both under GNU/Linux and Windows - I want to/have to run an application with root/admin permissions.
      - Retric 9y ago
        That's often a sign of poor OS design not really a goal on it's own.
        wolfgke 9y ago
        You are not a hacker. :-(
        CamperBob2 9y ago
        There's definitely a vanishingly-small proportion of hackers around here, relative to the reputation the site tries to encourage. Lots of people who might be branded "prescriptive social engineers," but not many hackers.
        Retric 9y ago
sigjuice 9y ago
I have not looked at Xcode since the time it was a requirement to have a paid account to install apps via Xcode. I know this has changed in the last couple of years. Are there other restrictions on apps installed via Xcode today? E.g do they work for a limited time? Or work only on devices approved in some way? Thanks!
- saagarjha 9y ago
  If you have a free account, you can install an app from source and it will remain valid for 7 days.
  - Zak 9y ago
    That's obnoxiously short and probably intended to discourage people from using that as a distribution channel for developer-focused apps.
    - sigjuice 9y ago
      What is the validity for paid developer accounts?
      - saagarjha 9y ago
        Until your certificate expires, so a year.
    - saagarjha 9y ago
      That's the point. It's meant for testing your apps, not distributing them.
520794 9y ago
"If you know how to use Xcode..." Should be: If you can tolerate Xcode,...

likelynew 9y ago

When I first heard it, I thought it was a very big new that finally apple allowed to sign the apps for their devices without $100. Now I don't know why, I see almost no one is using it.

wolfgke 9y ago
I don't know the license terms, but I can imagine that there are some terms that disallow people to distribute apps for users to self-sign them on the web.
eiz 9y ago
Last time I checked the "free" provisioning profiles it generates are valid for something like 7 days. It's not really convenient for anything but experimenting with iOS development.
- eugeniub 9y ago
  Plus you still can't do it if you don't have a Mac.

eddieroger 9y ago

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks this way - with a few exceptions, like SMS and phone cal handling, you can write an app to do anything on the iPhone if you're so inclined. There are always going to be the Power Users who want more out of the system but won't code, but my experience with my iPhone has been that if I ever ran up against a wall I wanted changed, I could write an app to do so, even if I didn't publish to the store.

wolfgke 9y ago
> you can write an app to do anything on the iPhone if you're so inclined. Is it now possible to allocate executable memory (e.g. for development apps or writing a JIT compiler)? Is it now possible to write apps that have root permissions?
- eddieroger 9y ago
  Why would I want an app, even one I write, to have root permissions? Do you operate your computer as root all the time? I know I don't, if for no other reasons than I sometimes make mistakes, and I'd to write an app that can wipe out my phone just because I made a mistake.
  - wolfgke 9y ago
    > Do you operate your computer as root all the time? Not all the time, but sometimes - both under GNU/Linux and Windows - I want to/have to run an application with root/admin permissions.
    - Retric 9y ago
      That's often a sign of poor OS design not really a goal on it's own.
      - wolfgke 9y ago
        You are not a hacker. :-(
        CamperBob2 9y ago
        There's definitely a vanishingly-small proportion of hackers around here, relative to the reputation the site tries to encourage. Lots of people who might be branded "prescriptive social engineers," but not many hackers.
        Retric 9y ago

sigjuice 9y ago

I have not looked at Xcode since the time it was a requirement to have a paid account to install apps via Xcode. I know this has changed in the last couple of years. Are there other restrictions on apps installed via Xcode today? E.g do they work for a limited time? Or work only on devices approved in some way? Thanks!

saagarjha 9y ago
If you have a free account, you can install an app from source and it will remain valid for 7 days.
- Zak 9y ago
  That's obnoxiously short and probably intended to discourage people from using that as a distribution channel for developer-focused apps.
  - sigjuice 9y ago
    What is the validity for paid developer accounts?
    - saagarjha 9y ago
      Until your certificate expires, so a year.
  - saagarjha 9y ago
    That's the point. It's meant for testing your apps, not distributing them.

520794 9y ago

"If you know how to use Xcode..." Should be: If you can tolerate Xcode,...