As a "User" level jailbreaker, what NOT to do

[brayhite]

Just wondering at a minimal level, what should be completely avoided to keep my iPhone running smoothly and, obviously, to avoid bricking my phone?

I created a backup so I can always restore. But I read about people modifying files, etc. and as a completely new guy at this, I want to know what to completely avoid if I decide to start manipulating file names and stuff to customize the appearance and getting to know my iPhone.

 

[awadeee]

I believe that with the "User" level selected, Cydia blocks out certain apps and tweaks that may harm the device if used incorrectly. Basically they idiot-proof it. The only thing I would watch out for is: Change your root password if you install OpenSSH, or people could get into your iPhone and do malicious things.

 

[heisenberg123]

Just wondering at a minimal level, what should be completely avoided to keep my iPhone running smoothly and, obviously, to avoid bricking my phone?

I created a backup so I can always restore. But I read about people modifying files, etc. and as a completely new guy at this, I want to know what to completely avoid if I decide to start manipulating file names and stuff to customize the appearance and getting to know my iPhone.

technically its close to impossible to "brick" it with software you can always restore when things get messy

research tweaks before installing them, if you see good reviews from multiple people its probably stable and safe

i would use winterboard for theming untill your comfortable knowing what files to replace to theme without winterboard

 

[IrishVixen]

If you want to stay safe--Don't load sources other than Cydia's default. You can't get into too much trouble with those. And if you're going to load others anyway, research them first to make sure they're not carrying pirated material. Some pirate repos apparently can't even be removed, they're a pretty common cause of problems with Cydia, and while they do carry some legitimate stuff (MobileTerminal comes to mind), that stuff is nearly always available through a less dicey source.

Don't bog your phone down with every tweak and theme under the sun. The more you add to it, the more likely you are to stumble across conflicts between them. (That said, I have 133 packages on my phone right now according to PkgBackup--yikes! But added slowly, one tweak at a time, and researched first, I rarely have any trouble with mine and it's not running slow.)

As iisforiphone said, stick with Winterboard for theming for now. And don't delete anything--RENAME it by adding a few characters to the front of the filename, then add in your replacement file if needed. I can't believe how many people screw their phones up by outright deleting things the phone requires to work.

 

[brayhite]

Are there any rather awesome tweaks and themes that my User level status won't let me see? I'm not talking about too detailed, but the lock screen modifications and the status bar modifications are what I'm interested in the most.

 

[griffsterb]

I believe that with the "User" level selected, Cydia blocks out certain apps and tweaks that may harm the device if used incorrectly. Basically they idiot-proof it. The only thing I would watch out for is: Change your root password if you install OpenSSH, or people could get into your iPhone and do malicious things.

What is root password exactly? I installed OpenSSH yesterday, so I want to make sure my phone is secure...

 

[IrishVixen]

Are there any rather awesome tweaks and themes that my User level status won't let me see? I'm not talking about too detailed, but the lock screen modifications and the status bar modifications are what I'm interested in the most.

If those are what you're interested in, nah. You should be able to see anything you need. But the best of those often don't make it into Cydia--you'll need to download them directly from forums like this one or MacThemes or whatever dBar is calling themselves this week. Themes like that are installed manually; some people use SSH, some (like me) use apps on the computer such as iPhoneExplorer or PhoneView and a cable to transfer files to the right folder on the phone.

 

[heisenberg123]

Are there any rather awesome tweaks and themes that my User level status won't let me see? I'm not talking about too detailed, but the lock screen modifications and the status bar modifications are what I'm interested in the most.

no you will be able to get all the tweaks and themes you see people showing off on youtube and such with "user" as your level

some tweaks are on sources other than the default ones that come with cydia but usually were you seeing those tweaks being reviewed they usually tell you if you need to add a specific repo to find it

 

[brayhite]

If those are what you're interested in, nah. You should be able to see anything you need. But the best of those often don't make it into Cydia--you'll need to download them directly from forums like this one or MacThemes or whatever dBar is calling themselves this week. Themes like that are installed manually; some people use SSH, some (like me) use apps on the computer such as iPhoneExplorer or PhoneView and a cable to transfer files to the right folder on the phone.

I'm using iPhone Explorer now. Are there any guides that detail exactly how to change wallpapers, icon sizes, different icons from different themes, etc.? I know there are stickied threads, and I look through them, but generally the first post is really basic and you have to dig through the 50+ pages of people saying "Thanks!" to find where someone went into a little more detail.

So call me lazy, but as soon as you show me the guide, I promise I'll bookmark it and never ask about it again

 

[awadeee]

Don't bog your phone down with every tweak and theme under the sun. The more you add to it, the more likely you are to stumble across conflicts between them. (That said, I have 133 packages on my phone right now according to PkgBackup--yikes! But added slowly, one tweak at a time, and researched first, I rarely have any trouble with mine and it's not running slow.)

THIS. Especially if you're using an iPhone 3G. Themes absolutely kill it.

What is root password exactly? I installed OpenSSH yesterday, so I want to make sure my phone is secure...

Root password is the password that allows you to get inside your iPhone through SSH.

By default, the username is root and the password is alpine. You want to change your password so that people cannot enter your phone through SSH and mess with stuff.

 

[brayhite]

THIS. Especially if you're using an iPhone 3G. Themes absolutely kill it.



Root password is the password that allows you to get inside your iPhone through SSH.

By default, the username is root and the password is alpine. You want to change your password so that people cannot enter your phone through SSH and mess with stuff.

Right, I plan on deleting themes as I replace them. Not keeping them on my phone (or at least not keeping a lot on them). Are there any official jailbreaking apps/themes review section either via Cydia or online somewhere? I didn't see any type of review thing for Cydia apps. Just wondering. I have the assumption that if BigBoss hosts it or if poetic_folly made it, it must be safe lol. I have no idea how good of an assumption that is, but it hasn't failed me yet.

 

[awadeee]

Right, I plan on deleting themes as I replace them. Not keeping them on my phone (or at least not keeping a lot on them). Are there any official jailbreaking apps/themes review section either via Cydia or online somewhere? I didn't see any type of review thing for Cydia apps. Just wondering. I have the assumption that if BigBoss hosts it or if poetic_folly made it, it must be safe lol. I have no idea how good of an assumption that is, but it hasn't failed me yet.

BigBoss is a safe repo as it comes stock with Cydia. I sincerely do not believe that there would be anything on there that could harm your iPhone.

 

[FAII]

Right, I plan on deleting themes as I replace them. Not keeping them on my phone (or at least not keeping a lot on them). Are there any official jailbreaking apps/themes review section either via Cydia or online somewhere? I didn't see any type of review thing for Cydia apps. Just wondering. I have the assumption that if BigBoss hosts it or if poetic_folly made it, it must be safe lol. I have no idea how good of an assumption that is, but it hasn't failed me yet.

AFAIK, having themes on your iPhone/iTouch and not using them does nothing. It's the equivalent of storing a lot of music on it. As long as your HDD isn't full, it doesn't really matter.