How to build an app for Cydia store?

Question

I have built an app for Apple's App Store, now I want to submit the app to the Cydia store. How can I do this? Should I just post the app.zip file built for the App Store to the Cydia store?

Answer 1

There are a few differences compiling your app for Cydia vs the App Store. Big Boss does a good job explaining the difference in his post: How to Compile for Cydia Submission

Answer 2

You should check out iOSOpenDev. It incorporates a lot of Cydia tweaks, Theos, Activator and all kinds of other things into Xcode. It allows you to create a new (Cydia) tweak of your choice and you can even launch that tweak on your device from Xcode.

To submit an "App Store" app, you would need to make sure you adjust the user directories. Since you will install the app into /Applications, there will be no sandbox; no Documents directory dedicated to just your application.

You will also need to sign your app with ldid. This "fake" code-signs your application so it can run in iOS. To submit the app to Cydia, you would need to find a repo you are comfortable with hosting the app, like BigBoss.

Be careful though, submitting an App Store app to Cydia could potentially get your app thrown out of the App Store and your developer account revoked.