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How to fix Cydia error “wow, you exceeded the number of package names this APT is capable of”

Ever since the evasi0n jailbreak came out, we've been inundated with the same support request about a Cydia error that displays the following message: wow, you exceeded the number of package names this APT is capable of. The message also shows a couple more lines of errors but the first one really is the source of the problem.

In this post, we'll explain what "the number of package names this APT is capable of" means, and most importantly, we'll provide you with a quick and simple fix for it...

Source Saver automatically backs up your additional Cydia repos

Don't you hate it when you restore your iPhone and all the progress you've made getting your tweaks just right gets wiped away? There are packages on Cydia that make it easy to directly backup your tweaks, but workarounds like PKGBackup can cause issues, especially if you wind up automatically installing software that is no longer compatible with your device.

Source Saver gives you an intermediate solution with fewer risks. With the press of a button, Source Saver will backup the repos you've added to Cydia. This way you won't have to manually add Ryan Petrich's beta repository to Cydia, or dig through sites to find the address for the DosPad repo...

Worried that Cydia will be too slow after the jailbreak? Don’t worry too much

It's the same story with almost every jailbreak. The new jailbreak is released, and folks rush to download all of their favorite jailbreak apps and tweaks. The result is a less than primed experience due to the stress that this places on Cydia and the repos hosting the various packages. After a new jailbreak is released, it usually takes a few days for everything to calm down to somewhat normal levels.

This time around, though, Saurik, and the repo managers appear to be taking preemptive actions to ensure a smoother experience immediately post jailbreak release. While nothing is assured until the inevitable deluge of user requests places stress on the system, you should look forward to a much better experience than in times past.

How to Create Your Own Cydia Repo on the iPhone

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...

Create Custom Push Notifications For Any App With AppAlert

Having applications that remind us of our daily tasks & chores is one of the advantages that comes with carrying an iPhone. If your memory is anything like mine, you too will struggle to dress yourself properly each morning without the help of a good to-do list app and push notifications. But AppAlert for iOS takes push notification to the next level.

Available now through Cydia, AppAlert allows you to create custom push notifications for any application. So rather than setting yourself a reminder to pay that important utility bill — which you'll no doubt just dismiss and forget about — you can create a push notification that takes you straight into your banking app to transfer the money instantly…

How to Untether RedSn0w Jailbreak for Verizon iPhone Running iOS 4.2.7

If you've jailbroken your Verizon iPhone 4 on iOS 4.2.7 with RedSn0w, you know that you've only got a tethered jailbreak. Lucky for you, there's a new Cydia package that allows you to untether your currently tethered RedSn0w jailbreak.

Following the update to Sn0wBreeze for the Verizon iPhone, an untether solution has been pushed for RedSn0w users and is now available in Cydia.

How to Unlock iPhone 4.3.2 with UltraSn0w [Tutorial]

The iPhone Dev Team has updated the UltraSn0w unlock tool with support for iOS 4.3.2. You can use PwnageTool to jailbreak your iPhone and preserve your baseband for the latest UltraSn0w unlock.

The latest release of UltraSn0w does not support new basebands, it only fixes compatibility issues with already-unlocked iPhones. In this tutorial, we'll show you how to install the latest version of UltraSn0w to unlock your iPhone running iOS 4.3.2.

Troubleshooting Cydia: Problems with Broken Repos

I had a scary experience last night. As I was searching for a certain tweak in Cydia, I noticed that I wasn't getting the results I was looking for. So I searched for a few more apps and tweaks, and I kept getting no results. I thought about it for a minute, and then realized that every item I had searched for was from the BigBoss repo.

I've recently upgraded to the iOS 4.3.1 jailbreak, and I haven't gotten to play around with my main iPhone setup that much yet.

To my surprise, the BigBoss repo was broken in Cydia. BigBoss is a pre-installed repo in Cydia, so it's very odd that it wasn't working. The good news is that there's a way to re-add default Cydia repos without re-jailbreaking the iPhone...

The State of App Piracy and What Can Be Done to Fix It

[iDB does not condone app piracy.]

Have you ever been inside a peddler's mall? It's basically a huge consignment shop where different vendors come and sell their knick knacks under one roof.

People who have items to sell in a peddler's mall pay the mall's owner a percentage of their sales for the rights to sell in the store. People will come to the peddler's mall to see what kind of deals they can find and to barter with the sellers.

In a way, the peddler's mall is a lot like the App Store. And folks, people are shoplifting.

Tutorial: How to Install Cydia 1.1

Saurik has released a major Cydia update for jailbreakers. Cydia 1.1 includes many improvements and additions to the already beloved jailbreak store.

Cydia 1.1 was released this morning, and the update can be found in Cydia's "Changes" section. We've put together a step-by-step tutorial to guide you through updating to Cydia 1.1 on your iPhone...

How to Add New Sources to Cydia

Cydia, the jailbreak equivalent of Apple's App Store, indexes all jailbreak apps/tweaks/mods so that users can easily find them on the iPhone. To have Cydia on your iPhone, you must first jailbreak. This process frees you from having to only download apps from Apple's App Store. Once you jailbreak, you can install all kinds of cool apps, mods and tweaks on your iPhone through Cydia.

Instead of Apple's curated content, Cydia must rely on "repositories" from jailbreak developers to index jailbreak apps. These "repositories" (or "repos") are basically just storage houses for jailbreak content that developers want to distribute through Cydia. Repositories are sources that Cydia searches for jailbreak apps.

By default, Cydia already pre-installs some popular repositories that host most jailbreak content. However, there is a way in Cydia to add more sources. Not all jailbreak content can be accessed through the default sources that Cydia pre-installs. In this tutorial, I'll show you how to add a new source to expand your jailbreak catalog in Cydia...

Installing VLC Player From Cydia: A Video Walkthrough

Yesterday, Alex posted an in-depth article explaining the reasons why VLC Media Player was removed from the App Store. As you know, VLC Media Player is the popular video application that allows you to play a variety of video formats on your iPhone.

VLC Media Player is extremely popular on PCs and Macs, so it's wasn't surprising that it was an app that many looked forward to on the iPhone.

Sadly, as you know, the app has been removed, but don't weep too many tears; VLC can still be installed on your iPhone, and this video walkthrough will show you how, step-by-step...