Installer vs Cydia
August 08, 08 by DougWhen the iPhone was first hacked there was a tiny program installed that would let you install other 3rd party applications. This tiny program was known as Installer(or Installer.app) and became the standard for putting those applications on your iPhone or iPod Touch. A few months later an application called Cydia started surfacing. This application boasted that it did what Installer did. . .but better.
It’s really just semantics. . .they both deliver 3rd party applications to your iPhone and iPod Touch. . .and they both work. For most end users. . .that’s all they care about. For the rest, here is a brief explanation.
How Installer Works
Installer uses XML files(RSS) to syndicate those 3rd party applications to your device. Much like an RSS feed delivers blog posts and podcasts. . .it essentially does the same thing on your iPhone. . .Except it’s bringing applications to you(instead of podcasts).
How Cydia Works
Cydia uses the same system that you see on some linux distributions(like Ubuntu). . .APT. This means that Cydia uses dependencies(which makes it better for the developer since there will be less bandwidth).
Differences
The biggest difference is that Cydia is open source and even though Installer /might/ become open source later. . .it isn’t just yet.Cydia uses dependencies so you don’t need to install those runtime packages(like Jiggy) that you see in Installer. It’s the same with the BSD Subsystems package as well.
Conclusion
I am glad there is an alternative to Installer. . .in case for some reason someone decides they don’t like it or want to use it anymore. My biggest issue here is the redundant work being done. With the App Store available as an official replacement to Installer/Cydia it doesn’t make sense to split things up like this. Developers are being forced to managed two repository sources if they want to maximize their audience(sort of like game developers putting their game on multiple consoles).
I just think our progress would be much further if we worked together instead of separately.
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jordan Says: 08.08.08 at 5:31 pm
I agree, but which console will the market for black apps dictate? I may be uneducated, but I’m on 2.0.1 and can’t jailbreak again (God, wish I could), so I have no way of judging. I rely on guys like you! Any ideas on which will prevail?
Doug Says: 08.08.08 at 7:46 pm
@Jordan, I would think the ‘black apps’ are like the ‘homebrew’ scene on like the psp/ds/wii
you should be able to jailbreak your 2.0.1 firmware today(if you have a mac) or whenever they release the windows version
Davim Says: 11.08.08 at 8:42 pm
Cydia is much better than installer, I which installer dev would join Cydia devs and make it even better :)
iPwner Says: 14.08.08 at 2:10 pm
I just didn’t bother choosing between the two and installed both during the pwning process for 2.0.1.
Doug Says: 14.08.08 at 5:26 pm
@ipwner – I agree. there will eventually be apps available on one and not the other. why not be prepared
cmuller13 Says: 26.08.08 at 11:27 am
Hello Doug,
Very nice of you of being concerned by the fork/duplications of efforts issues. I also installed both Installer and Cydia and I’ll always be grateful to Installer devs and jailbreak teams for “opening the doors”. I also use Ubuntu at work and home and so APT is not unknown for me.. ;-). I also think a merge of the two technos from a GUI point of view with the debian depency mechanisms as the engine would really be profitable to everybody! Good luck if you choose to go this way! It’s always easier to fork than to join but the value is in sharing and leveraging each other’s work.
On a side issue, the next big challenge will be for developpers/porters of free software on iphone/itouch to be able to distribute either via itunes if they wish to register or via Installer/Cydia. As an end-user, I’d love to be able to mix software purchase through the normal channel with free software installed with Installer and/or Cydia. I hope the two will be compatible.. :-).
Keep-up the good work, and thanks for such great work. My ipod touch is so much greater with the apps! Someday, I will learn the iphone python or tcl or javascript APIs and will contribute some new apps as well!
Cheers,
Christophe.
bob Says: 09.04.09 at 10:44 pm
hey, I thought that installer came from cydia. Am i wrong???