The iTunes iApplication Delivery Package

Well, I've finally had a good look at the iTunes way of delivering iPod touch and iPhone applications. The iPod touch upgrade package arrived as a package using the ipa extension and is stored in a "Mobile Applications" folder. Like many Apple bundles, the ipa package is in fact a zipped archive which you can easily unzip and examine.

Inside, I found a package manifest and the deliverable. The manifest was in human readable form, the actual "product" (which is nothing other than a simple text properly list that enables the iPod touch features, already installed during the 1.1.3 upgrade) is encrypted. There is a sinf that accompanies the product and a p7b that supports the manifest. Both of these use encryption technology to protect the integrity of the manifest and to limit access to the deliverable.

These details are extremely similar to way iTunes currently ships its iPod games and ensure that whenever third party applications begin shipping that they won't be easily pirated.

Thanks everyone who tipped us off about this

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Well, I've finally had a good look at the iTunes way of delivering iPod touch and iPhone applications. The iPod touch upgrade package...

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nmkl

looks like you only have to add a telephony to the capabilities in the N45AP.plist to get all functions to the touch.

January 26 2008 at 12:23 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

(01)

So I''m still unclear on the delivery/price of apps. I mean, I understand that you'll (probably) get them through the iTMS, however will there be free apps, or will you need to pay for each application?

January 17 2008 at 8:13 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

metric152

So are you saying that the apps you're paying for are already installed on the iPod Touch during a free update and you're unlocking them?

January 17 2008 at 5:20 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

2 replies to metric152's comment

pentumforever

Yes, it kinda works like when you buy QuickTime Pro.

January 17 2008 at 5:39 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Romanko

That's correct.

January 17 2008 at 5:43 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

I don't know about yours, but my iPod Touch gets backed up by iTunes on a regular basis, and I'd assume it includes these sorts of things (or at least, iTunes will know enough to restore it).

January 17 2008 at 5:05 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

punkassjim

I'm not too concerned about backup, as I'm sure they've got that covered (if they don't, I'd be blown away). What I want to know is, does this give us any insight to whether or not we'll be able to piggy-back our own apps into the sync? Has anyone developed a way to use the game syncing feature of older iPods to install their own apps or games?

January 17 2008 at 4:59 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to punkassjim's comment

Romanko

I think currently there is no way to install applications with iTunes without jailbreaking. iPod touch App Pack is not application package actually. 1.1.3 firmware comes with iPhone apps included. This upgrade only unlocks them. There is a special service at iPod to do that.

Also, com.apple.afc2 service (which gives access to the root of filesystem) is gone in 1.1.3. I think there is no _hidden_but_supported_ way to transfer apps to iPod. Will see if anybody find out the solution! :)

January 17 2008 at 5:10 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Ric

Call me naive, but how do you backup should you ever need to restore the iPod or whip your computer?

January 17 2008 at 4:47 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Romanko

One small question: how to put this stuff to iPod bypassing iTunes & DRM? :) That packages should be put into /var/private/Media/Nikita/nikita.zip (this path is contained inside iTunesMbileDevice.dll). Also iPod have com.apple.mobile.nikita_install service, but I can do nothing with it from iPHUC :(

January 17 2008 at 4:44 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

2 replies to Romanko's comment

gauthier.jo

were did u find the com.apple.mobile.nikita_install

January 17 2008 at 5:47 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Romanko

if you are using Mac or Linux, get a iTunesMobileDevice.dll from Windows iTunes and run: strings iTunesMobileDevice.dll | grep nikita :) Or just look through the binary.

There is also com.apple.mobile.nikita_uninstall service. If you run it from the iPHUC with debug enabled, startservice returns positive response, not the erro.

January 17 2008 at 6:11 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply