iPhone double header: First native IM client AND first native IRC released
Big news today on the iPhone development front. This morning brings the release of both a native instant messaging client and a native IRC client.
Apollo IM just entered Version Negative 1, an early beta release. It is available as well via Installer.app. Apollo IM has been developed by "Arminius" and offers iPhone-native instant messaging capabilities. Future releases will support file transfer as well as MSN/Yahoo/Jabber/Gtalk support.
"Pogi"'s iRCm provides a GUI-based Internet Relay Chat client for your iPhone. You can join channels, issue raw IRC commands and take part in conversations. iRCm is available for download at Google Code, and packages have been loaded for both Installer.app and PXL.
Both applications have been developed with Shimmer/PXL, the iPhone auto-updates library. Shimmer allows iPhone code to "call home" and update themselves when new versions become available. Both developers are looking for feedback and plan to use this update feature to allow the program to keep growing via its installed base.
If you're interested in developing for either application, pop over to Google Code and download the latest SVN. Both projects offer a great opportunity to get involved in open source.
Thanks to Dylan Kenney
Gallery: IRC and IM on iPhone
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
KeynoteKen said 10:18AM on 8-27-2007
Can we make sure that posts like this always have the HACKS tag? I very rarely complain about blog content as that stuff I don't want to read, I don't read. When I see an iPhone post, I immediately check the tags and I read if it doesn't say hacks. Since this requires you have a hacked iPhone, it should have that tag.
Thanks and great work on the blog!
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Vishal said 10:33AM on 8-27-2007
I think this is amazing, I just installed the installer.app yesterday (got it from macupdate), and it was totally seamless! kudos to you guys for all the hard work!
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Will Design for Food said 10:40AM on 8-27-2007
I hope the guys from Adium put one out. Adium on the iPhone would be sooo sweet.
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Nicholas said 11:04AM on 8-27-2007
Erica (or any other TUAW author knowledgeable on the subject), would you please address the privacy issues and safety concering "Installer.app". I am not very informed on what "running as root" means, but I believe it means a program having access to everything. I ask this because a couple days ago, I read this on an Engadget iPhone story "Why is Installer.app getting so much attention? Installer.app represents everything that is NOT open source.
The applications lead developer has done EVERYTHING he can to keep the open source installation apps from gaining popularity.
In addition to all that, running closed source apps on the iPhone is STUPID. If you people had any idea how dangerous that is, or how unsecure the iPhone's system is (EVERYTHING RUNS AS ROOT), you would NEVER trust a closed source app.
Please check out the alternatives to Installer.app, there are some great open source apps that work much better."
I would gladly hack my iPhone to get programs like AIM up and running, but please please PLEASE write a story about "Installer.app"'s safety so I know if I can ultimately install it or not. Thanks!
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Luigi193 said 11:04AM on 8-27-2007
Of course, we don't have FREAKING at&t OR T-mobile (or apple store for that matter) in Vermont...Cause we suck.
So I am stuck NOT having an iPhone... STILL! I am REALLLY considering getting one just for the features and to hack it, but i really wish verizon would work!!!
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Austin Wood said 11:17AM on 8-27-2007
works with my AIM accounts but not my dot mac account
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Nate said 11:20AM on 8-27-2007
Yeah, no .Mac support :'(
Hopefully they'll update it soon. And I
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mingistech said 11:22AM on 8-27-2007
Yea.. I see there is no .Mac support yet... too bad.
I can't get it to log into any of my AIM accounts though... it just locks up.
I guess that should be expected from a pre-beta.
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Carl Trimble said 11:21AM on 8-27-2007
I do not see either of them in the installer menu. Is there a walk through for the install of these and do I have to have my Mac or can I do it via the phone only?
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John Williams said 11:25AM on 8-27-2007
It would be nice if I could connect to any IRC server/channel.
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jgjay said 11:30AM on 8-27-2007
@5 - Incorrect, the iPhone has two users, 'root' and 'user'. From my understanding root is used by system processes whereas user is used for user processes and applications.
The issue is moot however has every iPhone has the same root password which is publicly known, so even a process running as user could gain root privileges.
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jgjay said 11:36AM on 8-27-2007
Forgot to add... since restoring an iPhone is so incredibly straight forward via iTunes the "security issues" with regards to running apps on the iPhone are exactly the same as on the Desktop.
If you don't trust the app, don't run it. Open source apps are inherently more trustworthy SO LONG as you build them yourself. Prebuilt binaries and closed source apps are inherently less trustworthy because you have absolutely no idea what they are doing.
All that said, I don't think there is much risk running any app on an iPhone. At worst you end up having to restore. So just make sure you sync regularly. :)
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Glen Goldsmith said 12:08PM on 8-27-2007
The whole security fallacy that building from source is more "secure" than installing a binary is superfluous -- unless you are a hardcore programmer and plan the inspect the code. Compiling from source doesn't give you any more inherent security over a binary release... because if there was a trojan - it could be as easily inserted into the source as in the binary (IE: always check the published MD5 sum... and hope the posted sum wasn't placed on the webpage by a hacker as well....)
It all comes down to trust.
Do you trust some small closed door hacker group releasing applications w/o source code (and thus, can't be peer reviewed) .. and run the risk of them potentially leaking VERY important information (ie, they could have it phone home and they could easily clone your phone, gain passwords and any information on your iphone, etc, etc) ... or do you trust something done the scientific way, with source code posted where their programming peers can review the code?
I'd definitely go with the latter choice. Anything other than that ... uh, would be dumb. I mean, do you know if Installer.app has spyware in it? Didn't think so.
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mando said 12:10PM on 8-27-2007
my question is for those who have installed this, is it always active via EDGE when not on WiFi therefore knocking calls to voice mail? or is data transmitted only when there is activity?
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Jon said 12:16PM on 8-27-2007
I've been waiting for a good IM client since iPhone day 1...I've tried this one though and this beta release is very buggy. To be expected of a beta of course, not complaining.
Can't wait for a couple of updates so the kinks can be worked out.
Great work
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chris said 12:32PM on 8-27-2007
Just dl this via Installer.app and it gave an error on my first account. I then signed in with another account and it worked, but didn't bring up all of my contacts. Actually, very few contacts.
I tested signing in while on a call and it just freezes up. Trying to IM is a little rough but, again, it's just a beta. It shows potential and promise for a useable IM client in the near future.
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Omer Hasan said 12:39PM on 8-27-2007
Is it just me or do iPhone Apps not stay running. Whenever I go back to my Home menu and then go back to ApolloIM it asks me to sign in again. I hope this issue is resolved in future revisions.
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Nate True said 12:41PM on 8-27-2007
@Comment 11 - The iPhone does have two users. But all applications and services run as root. Nothing runs as the lesser user.
Obligatory plug - if you're running Windows and wondering how to get these apps on your phone, iBrickr is the way to go. http://ibrickr.com
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Dylan Kenney said 12:53PM on 8-27-2007
Hey Wow! Erica posted my tip! Rock on. =)
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pogi said 2:20PM on 8-27-2007
Hey this is "pogi" the author of the irc client.. I'm reading the comments so if theres features you want first lemme know.. otherwise keep up with pxl and installer.app for new versions with more functionality! It takes a lot of time because there's no documentation. I'm also working with Apollo IM so we'll get more advanced stuff soon.
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