Most of us that have used any sort of jailbreak or Pwnage method know Installer. Made by Nullriver Software, it was the first packaging and distribution software for the iPhone and iPod, and to this day remains the canonical program by every type of hacking program available. Recently, however, there’s been a contender to the Installer throne: an open-source packager called Cydia. While not widely used as of yet, many programs are being adapted for the use of Cydia.
But with both of these fine programs, one the default, one seemingly a potential “killer app” of that default, which to choose?! It’s such a dilemma! Fortunately, your good friends at Apple Juice have got all the info.
.:Installer:.
Installer has been the only software for installing packages and applications on the iPhone/iPod for quite some time. Testament to its reliability is that every hacking method has used it as the default, from ZiPhone and iJailbreak to iLiberty and Pwnage
Installer has a very user-friendly interface, with 4 main functions: Install, Update, Uninstall, and Add Sources. Very simply, just find your package in its category (which, given, might have been a hassle) and touch “Install” to have your package installed. Installer will alert you whenever a new update to your package appears, and the uninstall process is even easier than the install.
The big selling point on Installer is the ability to add sources, that is, repositories of packages. Through this, more applications not available initially can be made available. Want a game from Repository X? Don’t see it in Installer? Just go to Sources and add it, quick and easy!
And, with the advent of version 3.1, finding your packages in Installer has never been easier with the new Search bar!
.:Cydia:.
Cydia is really the Firefox to Installer’s Safari. It got in late to the iPhone packager game and sorta got shadowed by Installer, but they do have a few things over Installer. You have your same basic install/uninstall function, which works about as well as Installer’s.
Installer’s Update is replaced with a Changes function, which, instead of alerting you of packages only you have, tells you of recent changes to any package in your list of sources.
Until Installer’s update 3.1, Cydia had a big thing over Installer: a Search tab. It let you search for any package by name, and install it. It had the “A-Z” list down the side (the one that’s in Music) to make going through the list easier. However, because Installer has this Search function now too, it’s not that big of a deal.
.:Which to choose?:.
Now for the big question. We’ve seen the features of both Installer and Cydia, and now we need to choose one. So here’s a comparison of some of the contest points between Installer and Cydia:
~Search Function: For a long time Cydia liked to boast of its Search function, and how it made everything easier. Well, now Installer users know that too, because Installer added it in.
~Open-Source/Closed-Source: Cydia’s main selling point is the fact that its source code is free and available. Well, that’s all well and good, but for the average owner of a hacked iPod/iPhone, we’re not going to need us, and it’s not going to benefit us in the long run.
~BSD Subsystem: Another “benefit” of Cydia’s is that it pre-installs the UNIX tools set BSD Subsystem. This package is required to run most programs out there. To have this in Installer is not hard, it comes with the default sources when Installer is first installed. But not having to go and get it is one less thing to install and saves us time, right? Wrong. Sure, Cydia pre-installs the BSD Subsystem, but most of the packages that need it won’t recognize it in the system! So, you have to install something called “Fake BSD Subsystem,” which is going to get one more package anyway!
~Sources: The biggest argument for Installer: The ability to add sources. If you don’t see a package on Installer but know it exists, you can just add the repository URL to the Sources list. Cydia doesn’t have a sources list. What you see, you’re stuck with. Given, that may be a lot, but it’s not everything. On Cydia’s website, the creator states that “the plan is to have sources be administrated from the Settings application on your device rather than cluttering Cydia with this information.” However, this system hasn’t been implemented yet, and I’m not sure I want to wait.
Another problem with sources in Cydia is that even when this new method is implemented, Installer’s sources are written in Objective-C property list code, which Cydia doesn’t recognize. So, even when Cydia has that Sources option up and running, you won’t even be able to use a good number of sources.
.:The Verdict:.
With all these things taken into account, Apple Juice has this to say: Cydia has some potential, but until it has its kinks worked out, or something truly innovative comes out of the project, average users might want to stick with Installer. It’s had the test of time and millions of users to hone it to as perfect as it can be, and really, what more can you ask for?
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