Ste Packaging

… and the repository still exists.

After Apple released the 2.0 firmware and App Store last summer, the vast majority of the apps I hosted went to App Store when they were rewritten for the new firmware. It left me virtually nothing to host.

I don’t fault the developers for moving to App Store. Most of what I hosted were simple applications that easily fell within Apple’s acceptability guidelines and could thus be hosted by them. Not only that, but instead of only being available on devices that were jailbroken, they were now available on all devices. And last, but not least, they could be paid for their application, too. If I’d been a developer, I’d have likely done the same thing.

There are still a handfull of apps that I host and I’ve been telling folks about updates to them via Twitter and Facebook. I’ll go back to mentioning them here too, now.

On a personal note, I’m still looking for a job. If you need any remote UNIX/Linux system administration work done, please keep me in mind. The little bit of consulting I did last year, along with the ad revenue and donations I get from running this repository, kept me from losing my home. I can’t thank everyone enough for that.

If you’re a developer and need your app hosted, there are several good repositories but I would ask you to consider hosting with me. I still provide quality packaging and hosting, as I’ve always done, along with acceptance testing, live download statistics (in Cydia), etc.

One thing I don’t do any more is package and host applications in Installer.app on the 2.0 (and later) firmware. The quality of Installer.app, compared to Cydia, was deplorable when it was rewritten for the 2.0+ firmware. I and the other major repository managers tried to work with them to see it improve and refused to host anything (or much anyway) for it until it got better. Rather than work with us, they cut off all communication with us and, in my case, dropped me as a Community Source. Oh well. In my opinion, Cydia is far better than Installer.app and it’s developer actually cares about the needs of Cydia’s users as well as the repository managers that package for it. I really can’t say enough about the quality and quantity of his (saurik - Jay Freeman) work - the young man is amazing. Anyway, if you need quality hosting, in Cydia, I would be most happy to do that for you.

-ste

Since a fix for WeDict blowing up doesn’t seem to be coming anytime soon, I’ve decided to minimize the pain incurred when it does.

In addition to reworking the packages so they can be used by either WeDict or WeDict Pro (with only one copy of the files, to save space), I will also be writing a separate script, to be packaged as an app, that you can run to “fix up” your dictionaries after WeDict blows up. So, all you’d have to do is reinstall WeDict and run this script and all your add-on dictionaries will be back, without having to redownload and reinstall them. Thanks to tjcarter for the idea and code contribution.

I hope to get to this in the next few days. When done, it’ll take longer to reinstall WeDict, than it does to get your dictionaries back. :)

-ste

A quick update on the status of my dictionary packages …

• I’m testing a new package from saurik (Jay Freeman) that appears to fix the problem of WeDict becoming unable to open after a reboot of the device with any of my dictionary packages installed. I have rebooted many times now, as well as added and removed dictionaries, and it just keeps on working. Assuming the package doesn’t break anything else, he’ll release it soon and it will likely be part of a future cydia/apt update. I found it wouldn’t make my already broken WeDict start working, but after I reinstalled WeDict it worked as expected. Yay! (Note: this is not a WeDict-specific fix and the app is not touched at all. It’s a more lower-level and generic fix than what was needed for this one application.)
• I’m working on redoing the dictionary packages so that they will install and work with either the free or pro versions of WeDict. The idea is that when you install the package it will only install the files once, but they will be available in whichever version you have installed at the time (including both). Stay tuned.

-ste

UPDATE: Sadly, after a day of working fine after many reboots, WeDict once again failed to open. Checking syslog, I find that the SpringBoard now believes WeDict to be an “untrusted” app and therefore refuses to run it. Sigh.

I just wanted to let you know that I’m still here and still ready to host your applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

I still have an Installer repository that serves the needs of the many users who have not upgraded their devices to the 2.0+ firmware. I’m beta testing the new Installer 4 and its repository code, for the 2.0 firmware and, while not ready for primetime just yet, it will be ready soon enough. I’ll be happy to host your 2.0+ firmware apps in it.

I also have a Cydia repository that currently serves users of both <=1.1.4 and 2.0+ firmware. Right now, I only have a few packages for 2.0+ however, as a large number of the apps I host for <=1.1.4 have moved to App Store for 2.0+. Additionally, many of the packages I hosted for <=1.1.4 have been orphaned by apps that moved to App Store (think all my dictionary, pronunciation and book packages).

Whether or not I have hosted for you in the past, I’d like to host for you now.

The jailbreak community isn’t going away and neither am I.

Let’s work together, eh?

-ste

Calling all users!

Now that the 2.0 firmware and App Store are out, many of the applications I am hosting for 1.1.4 and earlier have moved to App Store and will therefore not be available in my Cydia or Installer repositories for 2.0.

There are a huge number of people who have not upgraded their devices to 2.0 however and they are still downloading packages from me. That’s great and I plan to continue supporting them. However, I want to get rid of stuff that need not be hosted any more, either because it no longer works or is just something that no one really wants.

So, I’m asking you, the users who haven’t upgraded to 2.0, to email me (ste AT psmxy DOT org) (don’t post comments to this as I’m still trying to deal with the 100s of spam comments I’ve been flooded with) with what you think should be removed from the 1.1.4 and earlier repo. For you 2.0 users, I’l like to hear from you too. Please let me know what apps I host for 1.1.4 and earlier, that you cannot find in App Store or in my 2.0 repo that you really want and I will contact the developer and ask them what their plans are.

Please put “Cleaning house.” in the subject of your email, so I’ll be sure to spot it. Thanks!

-ste