Creating a Cydia Repository

[Lincoln]

A Cydia Repository, much like an Installer source, is a way to host your own files, like applications, themes, and wallpapers, on Cydia, the unofficial application distribution app for jailbroken iPhones and iPod touches. This is a guide on creating on of these things, and no, you don't need a website of your own to do it! Note that while the screenshots within this guide were taken on a Mac, you can easily follow this tutorial with Debian (see "What's Needed if you have no idea what the heck I'm talking about).

Important: There are steps in the guide where I'll instruct you to copy text from this page into a Text Editor and into Terminal. Unfortunately, due to this forum's restrictions on the number of images allowed within a post (6), I had to convert about 90% of the guide into one big image, so you'll have to manually type the text in. Sorry about that.

Also, you may have already seen that this guide is pretty long. Don't get scared and decide not to try; it's only long because I wanted to make it as detailed as possible. Doing this is not as hard as it looks.

First off, check out the EverythingiCafe Cydia Repository before you create your own. If all you want is a place to host your files, we'll host your stuff for you. If you want your own repository, carry on.

What's Needed
• Internet Access
• Basic Text Editor
• Either a Virtual Machine with Debian installed, a computer running Debian, or a Mac with Fink installed.
• Either a website of your own or a free sub-domain with FTP access (Your own website is recommended, but if you're going to use the latter of the two, I suggest using 110mb.com.)

[Lincoln]

Adding More Packages to the Repository

Let's say you have another package - like an app, theme, or wallpaper - that you want on your repository. It's basically the same as adding the first one, but we remove a few steps and modify a few.

1) Follow steps 1 through 5 in the previous post.

2) You should now have a .deb file for your next package. Use step 10 in the first post to give the appropriate name to your new .deb.

3) Upload the new .deb to the debs folder within the folder on your website that is named with cydia or apt.

4) In the package file, skip two lines from the last line of the first part of your packages file, then do steps 14 and 15 in the first post. When done, the Packages file should look similar to this:



Updating Packages

1) Follow steps 1 through 5 in the first post with the updated version of your package.

2) Use step 10 to properly name the new .deb file.

3) Replace the .deb file of the old version of your package with the .deb file of the new one.

4) Update the Packages file as necessary, being sure to skip two lines as shown in the top part of this post. Also be sure to update the Packages.gz file.

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That's it! Any questions or problems, don't hesitate to post them here.

[drumthrasher109]

Ok well the first thing I need help on is downloading Debian: http://www.debian.org/CD/torrent-cd/

Which one should I get? I just need something basic to run in a small VM that will be able to follow the tutorial.

EDIT: OH MY GOD! I have to download 21 CDs??!?!?!?!?!!??!?

[carrlos]

Use Linux!

[drumthrasher109]

It's downloading...the old version didn't want to install as easily as it did before.

I'll be installing it in MS Virtual PC 2007 so I don't have to keep restarting my computer to do stuff.

OR I could just install my copy of OS X on my PC...

[Lincoln]

Honestly, I have no experience with the actual OS of Debian, just the Debian command line. I've never downloaded it, so I'm not sure what version(s) you should use.

[drumthrasher109]

Originally Posted by Lincoln

Honestly, I have no experience with the actual OS of Debian, just the Debian command line. I've never downloaded it, so I'm not sure what version(s) you should use.

Is there ANY possible way of doing this in Windows?

[carrlos]

You can build your .deb files in Windows with the iphone and Terminal. Also, you can make the Control file and Release file with a Windows text editor. But the Package and Package.gz need to be done in Debian or Linux.

[psylichon]

Nice writeup, Linc. I'll never use that info, but I can appreciate all the time and effort you went through to share that with folks who will. Kudos.

[drumthrasher109]

I'll install OS X back on my PC later so I can start doing this stuff.

Well, how would one go about doing this in MobileTerminal?