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There is another choice for iOS -- register as a developer, and build and install the software yourself. There's even a third party that is automating much of

There is another choice for iOS -- register as a developer, and build and install the software yourself. There's even a third party that is automating much of this process, because this is a hole that Apple will have a hard time closing. The AltStore does not require a jailbreak: https://www.engadget.com/2019/09/26/altstore-alternative-ios-app-store/ https://www.engadget.com/2019/09/26/altstore-alternative-ios...

xmprt 7y ago
That's against TOS and it's something that Apple is trying to fix. This is not a solution. It's a hack.
TaylorAlexander 7y ago
Doesn’t this require the person building the code to own a Mac, a potentially expensive computer? Also I recall that years ago there was a $100 fee to register as an iOS developer, though I’ve no idea if that continues to be the case.
- GordonS 7y ago
  Yes, it does require access to MacOS, and payment to Apple to register as a dev - even aside from having to build apps yourself, this is not a reasonable solution to escaping the walled garden
  - monocularvision 7y ago
    It doesn’t require a Mac or the $99 developer fee. You can use a free developer account and a non-Mac as the server.
    - GordonS 7y ago
      Maybe we're talking about 2 different things here; to build for iOS, you need Xcode, and for Xcode you need MacOS and a dev subscription.
- Wowfunhappy 7y ago
  Yes, it still costs $100 per year, or else your apps expire after seven days and you can only have three (AltStore hacks notwithstanding—those will get closed soon I’m sure). There are ways to sign apps without a Mac/xCode, namely Cydia Impactor. But Apple has very purposefully made this impractical for every day use.
  - fernandotakai 7y ago
    and the cost of a macbook. for some people, it's a given. but if you live in a 3rd world country, a macbook can cost as much as a car. it's just not viable.
    - Wowfunhappy 7y ago
      Again, you don’t actually need a Macbook, you can use Cydia Impactor on any Windows or Linux machine.
      - moron4hire 7y ago
        How do you build the IPA without Xcode? Hell, whatever that process is, I might even use it in a Mac (if I had one), just because I have Xcode so much.
        kelnos 7y ago
        If you're ok trusting a third party (such as an alternative app store), they can build it, send you the binary, you sign it (on Windows or Linux), and install it on the phone.
        Wowfunhappy 7y ago
        If the actual goal is to sideload—which is what was being discussed—you don’t need to compile anything. You’d download a prebuilt but unsigned IPA, and then use Cydia Impactor to sign it with your developer certificate.
    - matwood 7y ago
- morpheuskafka 7y ago
  There is a $99 fee for the Apple Developer Membership. A Mac is only needed to run Xcode, which is Apple's IDE+toolchain for iOS/macOS/etc development. If you want to build from source, you do need a Mac. If you want to install a precompiled app (.ipa file) you can use Windows or Linux.

xmprt 7y ago

That's against TOS and it's something that Apple is trying to fix. This is not a solution. It's a hack.

TaylorAlexander 7y ago

Doesn’t this require the person building the code to own a Mac, a potentially expensive computer? Also I recall that years ago there was a $100 fee to register as an iOS developer, though I’ve no idea if that continues to be the case.

GordonS 7y ago
Yes, it does require access to MacOS, and payment to Apple to register as a dev - even aside from having to build apps yourself, this is not a reasonable solution to escaping the walled garden
- monocularvision 7y ago
  It doesn’t require a Mac or the $99 developer fee. You can use a free developer account and a non-Mac as the server.
  - GordonS 7y ago
    Maybe we're talking about 2 different things here; to build for iOS, you need Xcode, and for Xcode you need MacOS and a dev subscription.
Wowfunhappy 7y ago
Yes, it still costs $100 per year, or else your apps expire after seven days and you can only have three (AltStore hacks notwithstanding—those will get closed soon I’m sure). There are ways to sign apps without a Mac/xCode, namely Cydia Impactor. But Apple has very purposefully made this impractical for every day use.
- fernandotakai 7y ago
  and the cost of a macbook. for some people, it's a given. but if you live in a 3rd world country, a macbook can cost as much as a car. it's just not viable.
  - Wowfunhappy 7y ago
    Again, you don’t actually need a Macbook, you can use Cydia Impactor on any Windows or Linux machine.
    - moron4hire 7y ago
      How do you build the IPA without Xcode? Hell, whatever that process is, I might even use it in a Mac (if I had one), just because I have Xcode so much.
      - kelnos 7y ago
        If you're ok trusting a third party (such as an alternative app store), they can build it, send you the binary, you sign it (on Windows or Linux), and install it on the phone.
      - Wowfunhappy 7y ago
        If the actual goal is to sideload—which is what was being discussed—you don’t need to compile anything. You’d download a prebuilt but unsigned IPA, and then use Cydia Impactor to sign it with your developer certificate.
  - matwood 7y ago
morpheuskafka 7y ago
There is a $99 fee for the Apple Developer Membership. A Mac is only needed to run Xcode, which is Apple's IDE+toolchain for iOS/macOS/etc development. If you want to build from source, you do need a Mac. If you want to install a precompiled app (.ipa file) you can use Windows or Linux.