General Paranoia over non-official repos

[dasx]

Hey there.
I sometimes find myself wanting to install some tweak but not doing it due to the need to add repos. Last example TinyBar. Wanted to give it a try, but saw it's not in the official repos so... backed off.

Am I being paranoid? Why aren't these tweaks into the official repos? Actually, what's the deal between official and non-official repos?

Thanks!

 

[Menneisyys2]

Hey there.
I sometimes find myself wanting to install some tweak but not doing it due to the need to add repos. Last example TinyBar. Wanted to give it a try, but saw it's not in the official repos so... backed off.

Am I being paranoid? Why aren't these tweaks into the official repos? Actually, what's the deal between official and non-official repos?

Thanks!

1, basically, piracy repos won't (can't) install malware on your device, unless you manually let them "update" stuff on your iDevice. (It's very easy to disguise malware as an updated, say, system app by giving it the same package ID as that of the original and bumping the version number.)

2, I would, nevertheless, stay away from pirate repos. Purchase the tweaks you use - keep the JB scene alive.

3, non-pirating repos are very common for quick(!) distribution - no BigBoss time overhead, you can promptly release your new stuff. I too have one. So does f.lux. Or Elias Limneos. The latter uses it only for the, at least according to him, legally questionable Audio / Call Recorder not to have problems with the BigBoss folks.

 

[dasx]

1, basically, piracy repos won't (can't) install malware on your device, unless you manually let them "update" stuff on your iDevice. (It's very easy to disguise malware as an updated, say, system app by giving it the same package ID as that of the original and bumping the version number.)

2, I would, nevertheless, stay away from pirate repos. Purchase the tweaks you use - keep the JB scene alive.

3, non-pirating repos are very common for quick(!) distribution - no BigBoss time overhead, you can promptly release your new stuff. I too have one. So does f.lux. Or Elias Limneos. The latter uses it only for the, at least according to him, legally questionable Audio / Call Recorder not to have problems with the BigBoss folks.

I pay for my apps and tweaks. I mean cases like the example I mentioned, TinyBar. (Another one that comes to mind is StatusBarFix2...).

I somehow have the impression that a tweak that comes from a non-official repo is more likely to cause me problems of any kind.

That's the feeling I'd like to get rid of. lol

 

[Menneisyys2]

I pay for my apps and tweaks. I mean cases like the example I mentioned, TinyBar. (Another one that comes to mind is StatusBarFix2...).

I somehow have the impression that a tweak that comes from a non-official repo is more likely to cause me problems of any kind.

That's the feeling I'd like to get rid of. lol

Basically, devs use private repos for quick (e.g. bugfix) distribution or for apps that are updated so often (for example, every single day) that continuously updating them would be frowned upon by the owners of "big" Cydia repos. (They, unlike Apple's AppStore, need to manually manage new stuff. Think of having to do that every single day for a given tweak...)

I wouldn't be afraid of these repos (unless they're pirate ones, of course).

 

[thelatinist]

I think you are wise to be wary of "unofficial" repos, but there are cases when I will use one. One such case is Ryan Petrich's beta repo, from which I have installed the beta of his tweak "FlipControlCenter" -- but I do that with the awareness that it's beta software and the confidence that I know how to fix my phone if a bug should **** things up. I might also install an urgent bugfix release from a dev's personal repo if it were a dev I trusted.

Perhaps it is a prejudice, but I would be wary of a release-version tweak that was released only on a private repo, since there is no good reason I know of not to submit to BigBoss'.

 

[pickaxe]

Just to set things straight, any repo can install malware on your device - Cydia has root permissions and I highly doubt Saurik implemented any sort of safeguards.

 

[darricksailo]

I think you are wise to be wary of "unofficial" repos, but there are cases when I will use one. One such case is Ryan Petrich's beta repo, from which I have installed the beta of his tweak "FlipControlCenter" -- but I do that with the awareness that it's beta software and the confidence that I know how to fix my phone if a bug should **** things up. I might also install an urgent bugfix release from a dev's personal repo if it were a dev I trusted.

Perhaps it is a prejudice, but I would be wary of a release-version tweak that was released only on a private repo, since there is no good reason I know of not to submit to BigBoss'.

in the iOS 6.x days, fakeclockup wasn't in beta (as far as i'm aware of when I found out about it and installed it) and it was never submitted to bigboss

 

[bandofbrothers]

Well so far ive had no issues with the dev's private repo and tinybar.


If the devs gave a trial period for their tweaks a great number of people would not use the shady repos.
{all been said before}

Many use them to trial tweaks first, then delete the cracked version and pay for the tweak.