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jailbreaking a 3gs?

excalibur313

excalibur313

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 7, 2003
780
5
Cambridge, MA
Hi Everyone,
I was planning on going in the next few days to get an iphone 3gs from an apple store. I definitely want to use pwnage tool or something similar to jailbreak it. I heard that certain versions of the iphone software render the 3gs unable to be jail broken. Is this true and do I need to be careful about the possibility of buying a 3gs that I can't jailbreak?
Thanks!
Stephen
 
Is this strictly a software thing or is it something in the hardware itself? Does it let you downgrade with the 3gs so I could just take it to an earlier version of the OS?
 
excalibur313 said:
Is this strictly a software thing or is it something in the hardware itself? Does it let you downgrade with the 3gs so I could just take it to an earlier version of the OS?
Click to expand...

Apple needs to sign/verify the firmware in order for you to restore, and right now, they are not signing 3.1.2. They only sign the latest firmware (3.1.3 now). So, unless you have your SHSH files saved somewhere, you cannot downgrade.
 
Even if you could find one with 3.1.2 it likely will have the new rom which means you'll be able to only do a tethered jailbreak. In other words, the first time your battery runs down or you turn it off and then back on it will be bricked and go into recovery mode. You'll have to tether it back to your computer and jailbreak it again.
 
stockscalper said:
Even if you could find one with 3.1.2 it likely will have the new rom which means you'll be able to only do a tethered jailbreak. In other words, the first time your battery runs down or you turn it off and then back on it will be bricked and go into recovery mode. You'll have to tether it back to your computer and jailbreak it again.
Click to expand...

Please do not use the term 'brick' incorrectly. Such a phone is not 'bricked,' nor does it have to be jailbroken again; it is simply unable to boot the modified firmware without an external signal to bypass the security checks in the bootrom.In fact, a phone that can "go into recovery mode" is, by definition, not bricked. 'Brick' and 'jailbreak' have very specific meanings, and neither of them applies to this situation.
 
excalibur313 said:
Is this strictly a software thing or is it something in the hardware itself? Does it let you downgrade with the 3gs so I could just take it to an earlier version of the OS?
Click to expand...

Software thing.
You cannot downgrade any 3GS model to anything but the latest firmware.
Apple has a new security measure thru itunes that checks the firmware version before it lets you install it.
 
Thanks for all of your responses, this is very useful. Does this problem also apply with iphone 3g? If itunes is prohibiting you from installing lower versions of the operating system, can't you just do the install through pwnage tool or something like that that doesn't force you to use itunes or is it a problem with the baseband or some piece of firmware? Would it still do this even if I had an older version of itunes?

In its current state do the tethering modifications work at least or is that prohibited too? I saw this post from about 6 months ago where it worked, but I have no idea if it was fixed:
http://theappleblog.com/2009/06/22/iphone-3g-s-enable-tethering/

EDIT: I was reading through the tethering guide in this forum and it states that pwnage tool allows jailbreaking of 3.1.3. I wonder if people have had luck with that.
 
excalibur313 said:
Thanks for all of your responses, this is very useful. Does this problem also apply with iphone 3g? If itunes is prohibiting you from installing lower versions of the operating system, can't you just do the install through pwnage tool or something like that that doesn't force you to use itunes or is it a problem with the baseband or some piece of firmware? Would it still do this even if I had an older version of itunes?

In its current state do the tethering modifications work at least or is that prohibited too? I saw this post from about 6 months ago where it worked, but I have no idea if it was fixed:
http://theappleblog.com/2009/06/22/iphone-3g-s-enable-tethering/
Click to expand...

Only on 3GS models. 3G and 2G you can downgrade with no probs.
Pwnage tool creates the IPSW but you still need itunes to install it. Its a check that apple does before it allows a device like the 3GS to restore to a specific firmware.
No, tethering will not work on a stock iphone unless its JB or it has firmware version 3.0.1
 
Okay, great thanks a lot. I have one final question: Will this all be eventually rectified when apple releases the new version of the operating system and the dev team jailbreaks 4.0 or is this likely a permanent thing? Since I am mostly doing this for tethering, I was thinking about getting the 3gs so it wouldn't overheat as much, but maybe it is wiser to get the 3g since the 3gs currently wouldn't be able to tether anyway.
 
excalibur313 said:
Okay, great thanks a lot. I have one final question: Will this all be eventually rectified when apple releases the new version of the operating system and the dev team jailbreaks 4.0 or is this likely a permanent thing? Since I am mostly doing this for tethering, I was thinking about getting the 3gs so it wouldn't overheat as much, but maybe it is wiser to get the 3g since the 3gs currently wouldn't be able to tether anyway.
Click to expand...

Yes, hackers have multiple exploits in their hands that are holding off to release untill 4.0 goes public.
I wouldnt suggest you getting a 2 year old 3G iphone at the moment when the next iphone is just around the corner.
Either grab a 3GS or hold off for the new one to be released.
 
thelatinist said:
Please do not use the term 'brick' incorrectly. Such a phone is not 'bricked,' nor does it have to be jailbroken again; it is simply unable to boot the modified firmware without an external signal to bypass the security checks in the bootrom.In fact, a phone that can "go into recovery mode" is, by definition, not bricked. 'Brick' and 'jailbreak' have very specific meanings, and neither of them applies to this situation.
Click to expand...

Well if I'm away from my home towers traveling and have to reset (restart) the phone in order to get a proper signal - which AT&T advises you to do when you are roaming - and then the phone goes into recovery mode and is unusable then to me it is bricked. The phone will be useless until you can tether it to your computer and run ra1n again.
 
stockscalper said:
Well if I'm away from my home towers traveling and have to reset (restart) the phone in order to get a proper signal - which AT&T advises you to do when you are roaming - and then the phone goes into recovery mode and is unusable then to me it is bricked. The phone will be useless until you can tether it to your computer and run ra1n again.
Click to expand...

Bricked temporary but not permanently though ;)
 
Applejuiced said:
Yes, hackers have multiple exploits in their hands that are holding off to release untill 4.0 goes public.
Click to expand...

So this has definitely changed from "probably when iPad 3G is released" to "probably when iPhone OS 4.0 is released"?
 
To the OP

I'm not sure waht country you live in, I live in Canada (Southern Ontario) and I was in the market for a 3Gs just two weeks ago, and I went on a "hunt" to find one with an old baseband...

I searched high and low and I finally found the iPhone I was looking for (wish it was just 16Gb instead of the 32 Gb little too much for me) but I am happier than ever having a brand new, shinny, black, jailbroken 3Gs...

here's the link to my thread:


https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/888121/

if you read a few posts, you'll get all the info about what you need and how to look for it and where (granted you live in Ontario) might be a little different where you live. Anyway I can tell you it takes about 2 days of your time, (collectively) and you can try your luck, who knows...and as far as tethering goes, I found out recently you CAN do internet tethering on the 3Gs with Rogers ( depends on Carrier) I guess.
 
stockscalper said:
Well if I'm away from my home towers traveling and have to reset (restart) the phone in order to get a proper signal - which AT&T advises you to do when you are roaming - and then the phone goes into recovery mode and is unusable then to me it is bricked. The phone will be useless until you can tether it to your computer and run ra1n again.
Click to expand...

No, it is not bricked. It is in a boot loop.

'Brick' has one and only one meaning. In order for a phone to be 'bricked' it must have had an unrecoverable failure. That means that it will never work again. Ever. If it will be possible ever to restore your phone to working condition, then it is not bricked. For practical purposes, an iPhone is not bricked as long as it is possible to put it in DFU mode and restore it to official firmware -- and that does cannot happen to a 3G or 3GS (and even most 2Gs) short of hardware failure.

A phone in a recovery loop is no more 'bricked' than a phone with a dead battery. In either case, it is a simple matter to get your phone running again, whatever the temporary inconvenience.

Don't be one of those people who misuses technical terms in a misguided attempt to sound knowledgeable; invariably it will have the opposite effect. Using the term 'bricked' as a synonym for "not working" reveals ignorance, not knowledge, because it simply doesn't mean that.
 
Again about jailbreaking with iboot 359.3.2

I want to thank thelatinist for his ability of synthesis.

I have few questions about jailbreanilg 359.3.2's phones.
Premise:
at the moment it is possible to tethering-jailbreake a 359.3.2 iboot iphone. After done so, the iphone can only be booted by pc bypassing the iboot process.
Question:
is it possible to restore the iphone to the original condition (un-jailbroken) with the possibility to boot it normally?
in case yes, which is the most "linear" procedure to use?


thelatinist also well explained how the hack of old iboot was done: you crash the iboot and inject some small code that, eventually, bypass the check of the OS version.
Question: is it the new code rewritten in the rom? in case no, how can be the process be repeated at each boot?

very much appreciate your help.

Donyk :cool:
:apple:
 
donyk said:
I want to thank thelatinist for his ability of synthesis.

I have few questions about jailbreanilg 359.3.2's phones.
Premise:
at the moment it is possible to tethering-jailbreake a 359.3.2 iboot iphone. After done so, the iphone can only be booted by pc bypassing the iboot process.
Question:
is it possible to restore the iphone to the original condition (un-jailbroken) with the possibility to boot it normally?
in case yes, which is the most "linear" procedure to use?


thelatinist also well explained how the hack of old iboot was done: you crash the iboot and inject some small code that, eventually, bypass the check of the OS version.
Question: is it the new code rewritten in the rom? in case no, how can be the process be repeated at each boot?

very much appreciate your help.

Donyk :cool:
:apple:
Click to expand...

If you restore the phone to Official Apple firmware, it will boot normally (chose set up as new, not restore to backup)
 
Thanks dhlizard.
I am quite new to it so my question is: is it the official iphone os stored somehow in the phone? If so what is the exact procedure to load it back?

In case not, I guess I should do some sort of backup of OS before jailbraking it. Is there a "linear" way to do it? :cool:

Thanks again.

D
 
donyk said:
Thanks dhlizard.
I am quite new to it so my question is: is it the official iphone os stored somehow in the phone? If so what is the exact procedure to load it back?

In case not, I guess I should do some sort of backup of OS before jailbraking it. Is there a "linear" way to do it? :cool:

Thanks again.

D
Click to expand...

Just plug the phone into iTunes and hit the restore button.

If you restore it to 3.1.3, it will install a new unlock-able baseband.

And if it is a 3GS and you restore to 3.1.3, you cannot re-JB until new tools are released.
 
dhlizard said:
Not sure I understand your response ? Tethering or tethered jailbreak ?

Tethering requires a jailbroken phone.
Click to expand...


Sorry for my english.
What I mean is that my phone has new iboot, therefore I can only JB in tethered mode.
So I suppose that in case I jailbreak it in tethered way and after I restore it, then I can re-jailbreak it in the same tethered way.
Am I correct?

Thanks
 
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