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This is absolutely great and Riley Testut deserves a medal. However, I'm fully expecting Apple to pull some bullshit along the way, like either demanding Riley

This is absolutely great and Riley Testut deserves a medal. However, I'm fully expecting Apple to pull some bullshit along the way, like either demanding Riley stop supporting AltStore Server[0] or demanding he not distribute unsigned binaries period. Apple is hellbent on "containing" third-party distribution by any means necessary. They implemented frameworks for region detection specifically so the iPhone can stop complying and shut off your third-party apps if you travel. They tried to kick Tim Sweeney out of the app distribution market before he even began, for the crime of... opening his mouth[1]. Riley hasn't been as insubordinate as Tim, but he has actively been involved in app distribution, and that is even more of a threat to Apple than mean tweets. [0] A Windows/macOS application that resigns applications for sideloading and makes remote debugger requests to enable JIT on-device. It notably requires your iCloud password to get your signing certs, which almost certainly already violates something in Apple's terms even if it's otherwise entirely legal. [1] Casual reminder that the entire tech industry is opposed to freedom of speech, except when it's far-right radicals like Elon Musk trying to redefine freedom of speech as freedom of slurs.

extraduder_ire 3y ago
There's an app called reprovision that can do the signing on device. (it also needs to sign itself, so that uses up one of your free slots) IIRC, when I used it any icloud login worked for signing, not just the one tied to the phone.
jillesvangurp 3y ago
What Apple wants and what they get are two things. At this point, there's a significant risk that their attempts to contain this will backfire and will result in even more unfavorable rules. The mood here in the EU is not in favor of entertaining their bullshit. There is not a lot of sympathy for Apple here. Rulings against them are fairly uncontroversial. There's also the notion that the continued negative press around Apple's anti competitive behavior is going to have an effect on their competitive position. Iphone marketshare in the EU is much smaller than that in the US. They don't have as tight a grip on the market. Things like Facetime or Apple messenger aren't widely used because they don't work with other phones and lots of people have those, which makes using these apps impractical. And this stuff will likely spill over to other regions. Once Apple shows they can grudgingly behave a bit nicer in the EU, other countries are going to insist on the same. China already does that of course. Apple sells iphones there. But with a Chinese appstore, Chinese maps, and under very strict Chinese laws. And of course this stuff might eventually come back to the US where people might rightly wonder why they have to be nannied by Apple.

extraduder_ire 3y ago

There's an app called reprovision that can do the signing on device. (it also needs to sign itself, so that uses up one of your free slots) IIRC, when I used it any icloud login worked for signing, not just the one tied to the phone.

jillesvangurp 3y ago

What Apple wants and what they get are two things. At this point, there's a significant risk that their attempts to contain this will backfire and will result in even more unfavorable rules. The mood here in the EU is not in favor of entertaining their bullshit. There is not a lot of sympathy for Apple here. Rulings against them are fairly uncontroversial. There's also the notion that the continued negative press around Apple's anti competitive behavior is going to have an effect on their competitive position. Iphone marketshare in the EU is much smaller than that in the US. They don't have as tight a grip on the market. Things like Facetime or Apple messenger aren't widely used because they don't work with other phones and lots of people have those, which makes using these apps impractical. And this stuff will likely spill over to other regions. Once Apple shows they can grudgingly behave a bit nicer in the EU, other countries are going to insist on the same. China already does that of course. Apple sells iphones there. But with a Chinese appstore, Chinese maps, and under very strict Chinese laws. And of course this stuff might eventually come back to the US where people might rightly wonder why they have to be nannied by Apple.