(newb question) If I do a tethered jailbreak

[dacapo]

If I do a tethered jailbreak, then do I have to always use the same computer to reboot the iPhone 3GS?

(I've been reading through the forums here and have learned a bit but am more confused than ever to the point of paralysis. I could definitely use the jailbreak for the additional functionality, but all of the verbiage on different jailbreak methods/tools and potential pitfalls, and horror stories of people accidentally upgrading, etc has me scared!!)

 

[dhlizard]

If I do a tethered jailbreak, then do I have to always use the same computer to reboot the iPhone 3GS?

(I've been reading through the forums here and have learned a bit but am more confused than ever to the point of paralysis. I could definitely use the jailbreak for the additional functionality, but all of the verbiage on different jailbreak methods/tools and potential pitfalls, and horror stories of people accidentally upgrading, etc has me scared!!)

Nope. All you need is USB cable, any computer with Redsn0w or Blackra1n on it.

 

[dacapo]

Nope. All you need is USB cable, any computer with Redsn0w or Blackra1n on it.

Thanks.
Searching (yay!) for a comparison of the two tools, I noticed that you do not recommend Redsn0w, so I'm guessing Blackra1n is your recommendation?

Or, is Pwnage better?... yikes.. here is where I get confused again. (Is there an up-to-date comparison of the jailbreaking tools?)

 

[dhlizard]

Thanks.
Searching (yay!) for a comparison of the two tools, I noticed that you do not recommend Redsn0w, so I'm guessing Blackra1n is your recommendation?

Or, is Pwnage better?... yikes.. here is where I get confused again. (Is there an up-to-date comparison of the jailbreaking tools?)

You have it backwards. I recommend Redsn0w.

Each tool is for a different application and situation (except Redsn0w and Blackra1n are very similiar)

If you need to JB, we need to know 3GS (already have 1st post) current firmware and baseband, currently JB or 1st time, Mac or PC.

 

[dacapo]

You have it backwards. I recommend Redsn0w.

Each tool is for a different application and situation (except Redsn0w and Blackra1n are very similiar)

If you need to JB, we need to know 3GS (already have 1st post) current firmware and baseband, currently JB or 1st time, Mac or PC.

Got it. (I had misread your comment on 2/17 which actually mentioned Sn0wbreeze!)

My phone is: 3GS 32, Serial 86948XXX..., version 3.1.2 (7D11), baseband 5.11.07.
Oh, and yes, first time.

I could use a PC or a Mac (hackintosh); whatever is more reliable and does not tie me down to one machine would be best, since I'd like to upgrade both laptops within the upcoming year.

Thanks!

 

[dhlizard]

Got it. (I had misread your comment on 2/17 which actually mentioned Sn0wbreeze!)

My phone is: 3GS 32, Serial 86948XXX..., version 3.1.2 (7D11), baseband 5.11.07.
Oh, and yes, first time.

I could use a PC or a Mac (hackintosh); whatever is more reliable and does not tie me down to one machine would be best, since I'd like to upgrade both laptops within the upcoming year.

Thanks!

Redsn0w. Get a tutorial from iClarified or Hackintosh. If the tutorial tells you to restore, skip that part. You will probably have a tethered jailbreak which means once the JB is done, you will have to re-run redsn0w to restart the phone.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/833099/

 

[Cap41]

Yes, but with Blackra1n it takes seconds to reboot.

 

[thelatinist]

I would recommend redsn0w to jailbreak, but you can use either tool to boot after that, and blackra1n is probably quicker and easier.

 

[dacapo]

Ran into a problem

The redsn0w solution seems simple enough, and thanks for the tip about being able to reboot quicker with blackra1n later.

But, I've run into some sort of error with the Shift+Restore process. iTunes comes back with the following error message:

"The iPhone "ABC's iPhone" could not be restored. This device isn't eligible for the requested build." Hmm.. I've double checked and I think I've got all the right files and the right iPhone version.

I know that dhlizard says skip the restore part, but what will be my options if I need to do a restore later at some point in time?
Does this have anything to do with Apple server not signing something as of early Feb?

Or, should I use follow the saurik / id 12 method to go through this Shift+Restore process?

 

[ajohnson253]

Why are you choosing a tethered jailbreak?

 

[dacapo]

Why are you choosing a tethered jailbreak?

Because I'm on 359.3.2, unfortunately.

 

[thelatinist]

I know that dhlizard says skip the restore part, but what will be my options if I need to do a restore later at some point in time?

Does this have anything to do with Apple server not signing something as of early Feb?

If you are already on 3.1.2, you do not need to restore your phone before you run redsn0w. It is recommended to do so, but since you are correct that Apple is no longer signing 3.1.2 and you therefore cannot restore to 3.1.2, you can just skip that step in whatever tutorial you are using.

As far as restoring in the future should you need to, you are correct in your suspicion that if you ever need to restore again you will be forced to upgrade to 3.1.3. Unfortunately, this is the situation you are already in; since you don't have your signature hash (SHSH) stored on Saurik's server, it is not possible for you to restore to any version but the one Apple is currently signing. Once you are jailbroken, immediately open Cydia and choose the option to "Make My Life Easier" to get your 3.1.3 (and future) SHSH on file. This won't help you this time around, but assuming a way is eventually found to jailbreak 3.1.3 it will prevent future upgrades from making your phone un-jailbreakable.

For now, pray that you never get stuck in a boot loop.

Why are you choosing a tethered jailbreak?

He is not "choosing" a tethered jailbreak. Phones with the new version of iBoot are only capable of a tethered jailbreak, since the hack that allowed iBoot to be modified to boot jailbroken phones has been eliminated.

 

[dacapo]

If you are already on 3.1.2, you do not need to restore your phone before you run redsn0w. It is recommended to do so, but since you are correct that Apple is no longer signing 3.1.2 and you therefore cannot restore to 3.1.2, you can just skip that step in whatever tutorial you are using.

As far as restoring in the future should you need to, you are correct in your suspicion that if you ever need to restore again you will be forced to upgrade to 3.1.3. Unfortunately, this is the situation you are already in; since you don't have your signature hash (SHSH) stored on Saurik's server, it is not possible for you to restore to any version but the one Apple is currently signing. Once you are jailbroken, immediately open Cydia and choose the option to "Make My Life Easier" to get your 3.1.3 (and future) SHSH on file. This won't help you this time around, but assuming a way is eventually found to jailbreak 3.1.3 it will prevent future upgrades from making your phone un-jailbreakable.

Thanks, you and dhlizard are indeed very informative and helpful!

One more question before I take the plunge: If I spoof my itunes to point to saurik's server at this point (before I do anything) and try to do a shift+restore, will it not do anything? Just want to make sure; I'd rather go through a lengthy process and have more options later than skip something now and regret.

 

[thelatinist]

Thanks, you and dhlizard are indeed very informative and helpful!

One more question before I take the plunge: If I spoof my itunes to point to saurik's server at this point (before I do anything) and try to do a shift+restore, will it not do anything? Just want to make sure; I'd rather go through a lengthy process and have more options later than skip something now and regret.

If you do that, Saurik's server will take the request you sent, pass it on to Apple, get the rejection, and pass it back to you. Saurik can't get an SHSH that Apple won't send. If you do that, though, Saurik will probably add you to the queue to get 3.1.3 hashes and when you open Cydia you'll find that you've already made your life easier. If you try that, please let me know if you already have your SHSH on file (or are already in the queue) when you first open Cydia. I believe Saurik said it worked that way, but I have no way of testing since my SHSH are already on file.

 

[dhlizard]

But, I've run into some sort of error with the Shift+Restore process. iTunes comes back with the following error message:

Yea, won't work. Precisely why I said skip the restore part.

 

[dacapo]

If you do that, Saurik's server will take the request you sent, pass it on to Apple, get the rejection, and pass it back to you. Saurik can't get an SHSH that Apple won't send. If you do that, though, Saurik will probably add you to the queue to get 3.1.3 hashes and when you open Cydia you'll find that you've already made your life easier. If you try that, please let me know if you already have your SHSH on file (or are already in the queue) when you first open Cydia. I believe Saurik said it worked that way, but I have no way of testing since my SHSH are already on file.

Sounds interesting; I'll give it a try when I get home later this evening. (Yeah, I'm generally overly cautious, but if something could lead to even a small new discovery, I find that my curiosity gets the best of me. Should have become a scientist or something I suppose.) Anyways, I'll check back in later with any findings.

Yea, won't work. Precisely why I said skip the restore part.

Yeah, I did notice that after the fact -- but the iClarified tutorial made it seem like it would be more space-efficient if I did the shift+restore method. Anything for a little extra boost, right?

 

[dhlizard]

If you do that, Saurik's server will take the request you sent, pass it on to Apple, get the rejection, and pass it back to you. Saurik can't get an SHSH that Apple won't send. If you do that, though, Saurik will probably add you to the queue to get 3.1.3 hashes and when you open Cydia you'll find that you've already made your life easier. If you try that, please let me know if you already have your SHSH on file (or are already in the queue) when you first open Cydia. I believe Saurik said it worked that way, but I have no way of testing since my SHSH are already on file.

I believe he is going to have to push the Make my Life Easier button initially, even if the hosts file is modified.

 

[thelatinist]

I believe he is going to have to push the Make my Life Easier button initially, even if the hosts file is modified.

I have read that you can get your ECID on file simply by editing your hosts file and attempting to restore. Saurik's server will automatically forward the request if it doesn't already have your ECID on file, and will then save the results before sending them back to you. I believe this is how my wife (who's never been jailbroken) got her SHSH on file; I upgraded her phone to 3.1 using my computer after editing my hosts file. She now has 3.1, 3.1.2, and 3.1.3 on file.

I'm just wondering if attempting to get a version Apple is no longer signing will also get your ECID on file.

 

[dhlizard]

I have read that you can get your ECID on file simply by editing your hosts file and attempting to restore. Saurik's server will automatically forward the request if it doesn't already have your ECID on file, and will then save the results before sending them back to you. I believe this is how my wife (who's never been jailbroken) got her SHSH on file; I upgraded her phone to 3.1 using my computer after editing my hosts file. She now has 3.1, 3.1.2, and 3.1.3 on file.

I'm just wondering if attempting to get a version Apple is no longer signing will also get your ECID on file.

I wasn't thinking about polling for the SHSH files. Could work.

 

[dacapo]

I wasn't thinking about polling for the SHSH files. Could work.

So, I have an update.
I went ahead and spoofed the iTunes to point to saurik's server.
As expected, when I pressed Shift+Restore, "device ineligible" error came up.
Then I ran redsn0w 0.9.2.
(Seemed to get stuck while rebooting, so I started having heart palpitations. Then, I re-ran redsn0w to boot only, then it booted up okay!)
I then clicked cydia. It said it was reorganizing some stuff. Then put me into the 'slide to unlock' screen.
Then I clicked on cydia again.
On top of the cydia screen it says, "This device has SHSHs on file for iPhone OS 3.1.3."

Not sure if this is good or bad? To Dhlizard and Thelatinist: I would love to heard your interpretation!

(I don't see "make my life easier" button. Where would that be??)

Thanks for your help on this.

 

[thelatinist]

On top of the cydia screen it says, "This device has SHSHs on file for iPhone OS 3.1.3."
Not sure if this is good or bad? To Dhlizard and Thelatinist: I would love to heard your interpretation!
(I don't see "make my life easier" button. Where would that be??)

The fact that you never saw the Make My Life Easier button yet have your 3.1.3 SHSH confirms that trying to restore to 3.1.2 (even though it was declined by Apple) put your ECID on file with Saurik and got all available SHSHs on file. Sadly this won't help you if you ever need to restore (unless a 3.1.3 jailbreak becomes available), but it confirms a few things that I had suspected:

1) People who failed to choose "Make My Life Easier" can get their SHSH on file simply by editing their hosts and attempting to restore to an old firmware.

2) Even people who have never jailbroken can get their SHSH on file with Saurik by using this method without jailbreaking their phones so that they will be able to downgrade in the future.

Thank you for taking the time to do this even though it made no difference to your ability to jailbreak your own phone. It will surely help others if we can get this news out. I just wish I had known this a few weeks ago; I would have advised everyone on the main iPhone board to get their 3.1.2 SHSH on file.

 

[dacapo]

The fact that you never saw the Make My Life Easier button yet have your 3.1.3 SHSH confirms that trying to restore to 3.1.2 (even though it was declined by Apple) put your ECID on file with Saurik and got all available SHSHs on file. Sadly this won't help you if you ever need to restore (unless a 3.1.3 jailbreak becomes available), but it confirms a few things that I had suspected:

1) People who failed to choose "Make My Life Easier" can get their SHSH on file simply by editing their hosts and attempting to restore to an old firmware.

2) Even people who have never jailbroken can get their SHSH on file with Saurik by using this method without jailbreaking their phones so that they will be able to downgrade in the future.

Thank you for taking the time to do this even though it made no difference to your ability to jailbreak your own phone. It will surely help others if we can get this news out. I just wish I had known this a few weeks ago; I would have advised everyone on the main iPhone board to get their 3.1.2 SHSH on file.

Now it all starts to make sense! I think that's what Saurik meant when he said: "This point should be stressed: even if you don't jailbreak, and even if you never intend to jailbreak, you should consider using the new "on file" service." I mean, how else would one get the SHSH on file without jailbreaking? Well, I wish I jumped on the iPhone bandwagon a bit earlier, but no regrets for now. Gonna enjoy my j/b'ed phone and stay safe! (Specifically for thelatinist, another way to help current 3.1.2 users w/o SHSH on file might be to put out a faq on the circumstances that might necessitate a restore and how to avoid them! I would certainly do my best to heed that advice, like the other thread you created that should have been stickied awhile ago.)

 

[thelatinist]

...[A]nother way to help current 3.1.2 users w/o SHSH on file might be to put out a faq on the circumstances that might necessitate a restore and how to avoid them! I would certainly do my best to heed that advice, like the other thread you created that should have been stickied awhile ago.)

Hmm. I will think about it. I don't know that I have an exhaustive enough knowledge of what could cause problems. One thing I can say right off the bat, though, is never under any circumstances to use Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. Ever. It is one of the surest ways to be forced into an upgrade.

I would also suggest not uninstalling WinterBoard or MobileSubstrate.

And of course be very careful what you install.

 

[dhlizard]

The fact that you never saw the Make My Life Easier button yet have your 3.1.3 SHSH confirms that trying to restore to 3.1.2 (even though it was declined by Apple) put your ECID on file with Saurik and got all available SHSHs on file. Sadly this won't help you if you ever need to restore (unless a 3.1.3 jailbreak becomes available), but it confirms a few things that I had suspected:

1) People who failed to choose "Make My Life Easier" can get their SHSH on file simply by editing their hosts and attempting to restore to an old firmware.

2) Even people who have never jailbroken can get their SHSH on file with Saurik by using this method without jailbreaking their phones so that they will be able to downgrade in the future.

Thank you for taking the time to do this even though it made no difference to your ability to jailbreak your own phone. It will surely help others if we can get this news out. I just wish I had known this a few weeks ago; I would have advised everyone on the main iPhone board to get their 3.1.2 SHSH on file.

Copy that your guess was spot on correct !