• Afc2 – Increases functionality of “Apple File Conduit”, Apple’s USB file transfer.
• APT – Command line package manager used primarily on Linux systems, used by Cydia to keep track of installed packages.
• Blobs – Your “ticket” from Apple verifying a restore. You can use a handful of different tools to save these and back them up. Needed to downgrade your device.
• Cydia – A GUI tool that manages packages and repositories, automates the installation process of DEB files
• Daemon – A program that runs in the background of your device. They quietly handle a variety of tasks. System Daemons include: backboardd, wifid, launchd. Third party daemons include: f.lux, OpenSSH
• DEB – A file used to deliver tweak contents and their information to the filesystem
• Downgrade – Process of restoring to an unsigned iOS version
• DPKG – Command line package installer, unlike APT, it does not handle dependencies automatically
• Dropbear – SSH server on iOS
• Dylib – A “Dynamic Library”, all tweaks are compiled as this. There are the programs the Substrate (or alternatives) load to enable tweaks.
• Exploit – The process of taking advantage of a fault in the operating system and using it to gain elevated privileges.
• Filesystem – The structure and layout of files within your iOS device.
• Impactor – A tool developed by Saurik allowing access to XCode’s app signature feature across other operating systems.
• IPA – Filetype used to deliver jailed apps to device. These apps are sandboxed and have limited permissions.
• IPSW – iPhone Software, the compressed version of what is delivered to your device during a restore. Contains full filesystem, which can be decrypted on MacOS.
• Jailbreak – Gaining root access to an iOS device, typically includes installation of Cydia and Cydia Substrate
• KPP – “Kernel Patch Protection”, software that prevents code from editing the boot process, protects the kernel
• KTRR – Hardware-based KPP
• Nonce – This is a boot variable that forces your device to accept SHSH blobs.
• NoSubstrateMode – Jailbreak without substrate enabled. Root file access, and (most) tweaks are disabled.
• OpenSSH – SSH Server on iOS
• Repository – Servers hosting packages that Cydia can call to retrieve information about packages and install them.
• Respring – Ending springboard and letting it restart. Allows newly installed tweaks to be loaded without a reboot.
• Restore – reinstalling the Operating System, removing all user files
• Root – user with full access to the iOS filesystem and services
• Safe mode – A failsafe built into Cydia Substrate to guard users if springboard crashes
• Semi-tethered – A jailbreak that boots the phone normally, sometimes breaking some system apps. Requires re-jailbreaking from a computer after every boot.
• Semi-Untethered – A jailbreak that can be enabled from an app on your device. Typically requires resigning the application, unless it exploits a vulnerability in a stock iOS app.
• SEP – “Secure Enclave Processor”, manages TouchID and FaceID. FingerPrint/FaceRecognition data is stored in the encrypted processor. A compatible version of it’s operating system must be signed for a successful downgrade.
• SFTP – “SSH File Transfer Protocol”, compatible with both OpenSSH and DropBear, allows sharing files between iOS device and other devices via SSH
• SHSH Blobs - Your “ticket” from Apple verifying a restore. You can use a handful of different tools to save these and back them up. Needed to downgrade your device.
• SpringBoard – The base GUI of iOS. Most processes are built off this.
• SSH – Allows remote terminal usage. Control command line functions from other computers.
• Substrate – Allows code to hook into SpringBoard and other processes, the vast majority of tweaks rely on this or an alternative.
• Terminal – Allows command line
• Tethered – Jailbreak type that requires a connection to a computer to boot the device. The device will fail to boot up unless the tethered boot is run from a computer, and will boot into a jailbroken state.
• Theme – Used with the tweaks WinterBoard or Anemone, these are used to change the UI and other aspects of your device. They can be used to modify: icon images, status bar elements, UISounds, and much more.
• Theos – A tool used to develop tweaks for jailbroken iOS devices. Currently available on Windows, Linux, MacOS, and iOS.
• Tweak – code that hooks into running processes on your device and can be used to customize the look and feel of your device.
• Untethered – A jailbreak that is enabled at boot, requires a computer only to install the jailbreak, not to enable it.