SSH

How to SSH into your jailbroken Apple TV 4 or 4K and change your root password

Joaquim Barbosa ∙ Updated April 15, 2019

With several Apple TV jailbreaks in use by our readership, it's important to remember that with them comes both the power and risk of running SSH connections to your device.

Once jailbroken, you may want to tinker around with the device, grab your apticket off of it, copy files to and from it, or investigate the filesystem. To do this you'll need to connect to it from another device via SSH. In this guide we'll take you through how to do just that, as well as how to protect yourself by changing the default passwords.

How to SSH into your device from a Mac and change your root password

Joaquim Barbosa ∙ Updated April 22, 2019

Sometimes it is necessary to connect to your mobile device from a computer, for troubleshooting purposes or to use a tool which runs from the computer. For example, tihmstar's Prometheus suite downgrades your device by sending commands to it from the computer on which it, and the files it uses, are stored. The connection used to do this is called SSH, and is normally provided by the OpenSSH package (or an equivalent client such as Dropbear).

In this guide we will show you how to use SSH to connect to your device from your computer. We will also go through how to change the default passwords on your device, because once you have installed OpenSSH, anyone can log in using the default passwords if you do not change them. This is a major security risk, and so everyone who has OpenSSH installed should follow this procedure.

How to install nitoTV on Apple TV 4

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated December 10, 2017

If you've been around the jailbreak community for a few years, you are probably familiar with nitoTV for Apple TV, the installer that gained popularity back in the days of the Apple TV 2. Things had become a little uneventful for a few years due to the lack of a jailbreak for Apple TV, but now that things have changed, nitoTV developer Kevin Bradley is back at it with an updated version of the popular installer.

In this post, we'll show you how to install nitoTV on your jailbroken Apple TV.

How to use a passcode with the iOS 8.x jailbreak

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

At this point in time, running Cydia on a jailbroken iPhone can still be a bit confusing for users who aren't always knee-deep in this stuff. One of the biggest issues encountered when running Cydia on a jailbroken iOS 8 device at the moment involves using the passcode and Touch ID.

After installing Cydia on a jailbroken iOS 8 device, many are reporting that establishing a passcode sends them into a bootloop. I verified that I encountered the same issue.

Let me just preface this by saying that the problems encountered here are no fault of the Pangu team or of Saurik. This jailbreak is a work in progress, and we've been advised that the jailbreak is only for developers at the moment. That said, many of you are adventurous and want to take the plunge as soon as possible; as do I.

In this video, I share an unsanctioned workaround to the boot loop issue. I show you how to establish a passcode on a device with Cydia and Cydia Substrate installed. I've tested this out, and have recorded the entire Cydia installation process for your convenience. Have a look inside for the full tutorial.

The best iPhone to PC file browsers

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated April 14, 2013

As someone who writes about iOS software and jailbreak tweaks for a living, I am constantly using software to connect to my devices. The right software can make it a snap to access the file system, transfer photos, manually install software, and make backups, but the wrong software can make your work flow slow to a crawl.

This is an overview of some of the most popular tools for browsing the iOS filesystem from a computer. Depending on your preferences, you might choose one tool over another...

How to install Cydia on iOS 6 beta

Jeff Benjamin ∙ June 18, 2012

Last week a tethered jailbreak was released for iOS 6 running on the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and iPod touch 4th generation. While it was great to have a jailbreak so soon, the jailbreak didn't include any GUI tools like Cydia, only SSH and afc2 support were added.

Fortunately, now that we have SSH access, we can transfer and install pretty much anything on our jailbroken iOS 6 devices, including Cydia.

Check inside for the full video tutorial that shows you how to install Cydia on iOS 6 beta...

iPhone Dev Team to release iOS 6 developer-only jailbreak

Jeff Benjamin ∙ June 14, 2012

Indeed, there will be a jailbreak for iOS 6 in the very near future, but it might not be what you're expecting. This morning, MuscleNerd announced that the iPhone Dev Team will release an iOS 6 jailbreak "In the spirit of the experimental ecosystem JBers provide".

With that in mind, the team is releasing a developer only jailbreak for iOS 6. This means that you won't have access to a pretty interface like Cydia, but you will be provided with SSH access.

How to launch apps on your iPhone with Alfred

Guest Author ∙ Updated April 9, 2018

Did you know you can launch an iPhone app or respring your iDevice using Alfred for Mac? It's actually possible. You can invoke a hotkey, type Respring into your Mac, and your iPhone SpringBoard will restart automatically.

This tutorial is not for the feint of heart. It helps if you have a general understanding of OpenSSH, the command line, and scripting with AppleScript or Python. You will need to have a Mac with administrator rights and a jailbroken iDevice. Read on to get started...

How to Create Custom Siri Audio Introductions

Jeff Benjamin ∙ January 27, 2012

Tired of the mundane "beep" that Siri does when you initially invoke her? Maybe you found our tutorial on how to make Siri say "Yes?" compelling?

If that wasn't enough for you, then you can take it a step further and create your own custom Siri audio introduction as well. Check inside for our full tutorial...

How to Use Prompt as a Mobile Terminal Alternative

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Okay, so I'm switching gears a bit here and talking about an app that you can download from the App Store.

Make no mistake, while I love jailbreak apps and tweaks, I also have love for many apps that can be found in the App Store.

The App Store is loaded with myriads of quality apps, and Panic's Prompt is one of them. Prompt is an SSH client, and a perfect alternative to Mobile Terminal for hardcore terminal users.

Did you know It also allows you to browse the root structure of your iDevice's file system if you're jailbroken and have OpenSSH installed?

How to Install OpenSSH on Your iPhone

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 13, 2022

If you're a jailbreaker, then you realize how important OpenSSH is to the jailbreak community and you likely use it often.

But if you're new to the world of jailbreaking, you might not see the benefit right off hand.

This video tutorial not only shows you how to install OpenSSH onto your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, but why it's beneficial as well...

How to Create Your Own Cydia Repo on the iPhone

Alex Heath ∙ September 3, 2011

In the jailbreak store known as Cydia, apps and tweaks are distributed by means of independent repositories. These 'repos' serve as distribution channels for offering Cydia packages to customers from different companies and developers.

While larger repos, like BigBoss, index hundreds and hundreds of Cydia packages for users to install, many smaller repos can tend to clutter up the Cydia experience. If you're interested in creating an independent repo of your favorite tweaks, or hosting your own packages in Cydia, there's an easy way to create your very own Cydia repo right on your iPhone...