Binary file half a megabyte in size, no IPSW required

Jul 3, 2009 10:20 GMT  ·  By

A blogger going by the name of George Hotz has posted what looks like the appropriate tool to jailbreak an iPhone 3G S. Going by the screen name of George Hotz or GeoHot, the author of the Purplera1n tool reveals that the method is currently supported on Windows platforms only, while Windows 7 is not compatible with the jailbreak tool. Softpedia doesn’t condone jailbreaking.

“Yes, this is what you've all been waiting for,” GeoHot writes. “A jailbreak for the iPhone 3GS. And it's awesome. To get started right now, go to purplera1n.com. Download it. Make sure you have windows, the latest iTunes installed, and an iPhone 3GS with 3.0 firmware. Connect your iPhone normally. Click 'make it ra1n.' Wait. On bootup, run Freeze, the purplera1n installer app. Hopefully you'll figure out what to do from there. Best tutorial gets linked to from purplera1n site. This tool is beta. Make sure to have everything backed up before running. Also if Cydia doesn't show up after running Freeze, reboot,” the message goes.

Hotz adds that, although he doesn’t normally make tools for the general public, and rather waits for the iPhone Dev Team to do its thing, he couldn’t wait any longer. Here’s why, in his own words:

“...Guys, whats up with waiting until 3.1? That isn't how the game is played. We release, Apple fixes, we find new holes. It isn't worth waiting because you might have the 'last' hole in the iPhone. What last hole... this isn't golf. I'll find a new one next week. Also your purplera1nyday files ensure that you can always get back to a jailbroken state, so if you have it it's just a matter of tools.”

The author of Purplera1n for iPhone 3G S finalizes his post thanking everyone involved in the making of the jailbreak tool. Hotz (cynically) adds that the binary size of Purplera1n is smaller than C++ Hello World. “No 20MB thing that needs to be torrented. And no IPSW to download. This is how jailbreak should be!,” the post ends.

Softpedia doesn't condone jailbreaking / unlocking the iPhone / iPod touch or any other device. This article has a purely informational purpose and doesn't, in any way, suggest that you should hack your Apple device. Using hacks may render your device unusable, or may reduce the quality of your experience using the respective device. If you choose to download and install jailbreak tools, you will do so at your own risk. Unlocking / jailbreaking your iPhone / iPod touch may violate your warranty or the EULA with Apple and / or your cellular service provider.