How to develop an app for Cydia and jailbroken iPhones

Question

I am starting to develop apps for iPhone. There is 1 specific app that I'd like to develop, but Apple will for sure reject it, so I want to do it for Cydia, cause I think it is just useful.

I'm trying to figure out how to use Theos and XCode to create my app, but I can't understand anything. I would be very glad if some of you could help me with this.

I have already installed Theos, and the header-dump scripts from Conor Burgess, but I just don't know how to start doint anything. How should I use XCode and Interface Builder with Theos to create my app? I have a mac, so I don't need any toolchain to develop on Windows. I also have my iPhone jailbroken, and I have been able to try on the iPhone some apps I had developed on XCode.

Which steps should I follow? I mean, if some of you is used to develop apps for cydia, what do you do? You create a new template with Theos, and then open your .mm file in XCode and create the .xib file?? Then when you are done, you compile it with XCode? Should I use ldid? Is there any guide for n00bs developers?

I have seen the templates Theos creates, and I think I need the Application one, cause I need some user interface, but maybe I'll need tweak too... There is not much info about it, I am just lost...

Thank you all very much in advance! Best regards!

Answer 1

The Theos application template will help you create a jailbreak application, but you won't be able to use Interface Builder for it without some extensive introspection. There is a module for Theos that allows you to compile xibs to nibs, but Interface Builder is awful and should not really be used for anything anyway.

In addition, Theos is what will handle compilation, and even signing using ldid. You simply run make to build your project, and then make package to package it in a .deb. You can install it to your device with make install.

Creating interfaces in code is not as difficult as it might seem.

If you need further assistance, check out the IRC channel #theos at irc.saurik.com. I hang out there, and, in fact, I'm the author of Theos.