Filed under: iPod Family, iTS, iPhone
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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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
iceman said 12:23PM on 1-26-2008
looks like you only have to add a telephony to the capabilities in the N45AP.plist to get all functions to the touch.
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Romanko said 4:45PM on 1-17-2008
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 :(
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gauthier.jo said 5:57PM on 1-17-2008
were did u find the com.apple.mobile.nikita_install
Romanko said 6:11PM on 1-17-2008
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.
blessingx said 4:48PM on 1-17-2008
Call me naive, but how do you backup should you ever need to restore the iPod or whip your computer?
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punkassjim said 4:59PM on 1-17-2008
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?
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Romanko said 5:11PM on 1-17-2008
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! :)
Mo said 5:05PM on 1-17-2008
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).
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metric152 said 5:20PM on 1-17-2008
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?
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pentumforever said 5:39PM on 1-17-2008
Yes, it kinda works like when you buy QuickTime Pro.
Romanko said 5:43PM on 1-17-2008
That's correct.
(01) said 8:13PM on 1-17-2008
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?
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