iPad 1, stock iOS 4.2.1, no SHSH blobs. Need advice on jailbreak.

Hi guys,

so I've received my iPad 1 3G + WiFi last Friday and messed around a bit trying to jailbreak it but I failed to. I haven't kept up the pace with jailbreak related developments since the last jailbreak I made for my iPhone 2G with iOS 3.1.2 (7D11) a while ago so I wasn't aware of SHSH blobs deal at all and so I had to spend some time reading up on the subject.

My iPad 1 3G + WiFi runs stock iOS 4.2.1 that I'd love to jailbreak untethered. However, according to numerous pages that describe the process on the Internet, one would need IPSW file for iOS 4.2b3 AND SHSH blobs for that firmware. And I don't have no SHSH blobs at all.

I ran TinyUmbrella yesterday evening and it failed to save any SHSH blobs if I used Cydia as a fake gs.apple.com server. When using Apple native servers TU saved SHSH blobs for iOS version 4.3.5, and two more for iOS 5 betas.

So, to me it looks like I've no other choice but to upgrade up to stock 4.3.5 version of iOS and then do a tethered jailbreak with redsn0w (I don't have Mac OS X around). Then wait if untethered jailbreak will be made possible for iOS 5 some time in the future.

I have a few questions, though.

1. Why does TinyUmbrella fail to save any SHSH blobs with Cydia servers? Is this expected and normal?

2. If I do tethered jailbreak for 4.3.5 and my iPad reboots/halts while I'm on the road with no computer at hand will I be able to use iPad? It's just not clear to me what happens if you try to boot a tethered jailbroken iPad as usually without redsn0w. Will it bail out with some error or just boot stock version of iOS 4.3.5? If it boots a stock firmware and I do anything on it, like install new software via AppStore, change settings for iOS in General, etc. or change settings for some applications, and then boot tethered jailbroken iPad with redsn0w will all of those changes be reflected in jailbroken iOS?

3. If I do tethered jailbreak for 4.3.5, then Apple releases iOS 5, Dev-Team hopefully jailbreaks it untethered, and I do then upgrade to this yet non-existant untethered jailbreak for iOS 5 will I be able to keep all the accumulated changes and settings made in 4.3.5? Will I have to make a backup and restore from it, or, perhaps, iOS upgrade will not touch anything of the sorts (like apps, settings, iPod library, etc.)

Oh, totally forgot to expand on what happened when I tried to use redsn0w and greenp0ison to jailbreak stock 4.2.1.

redsn0w happily reported that the iPad was successfully jailbroken but it always booted up with the stock 4.2.1 intact. I tried both redsn0w assisted tethered boot and normal boot.

greenp0ison, on the contrary, said that jailbreak failed and that was end of it.

I then learned that redsn0w needs 4.2b3 with corresponding SHSH blobs for this very device and perhaps that is the reason why it failed to do a jailbreak (?)

I'd really appreciate if someone could comment on this. Thank you.

According to google, 4.2.1 should be easily jailbreakable by greenpoison without all that extra stuff. I even remember being untethered on 4.2.1. Make sure you are getting the latest greenpoison version from greenpois0n.com

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Whatthe

According to google, 4.2.1 should be easily jailbreakable by greenpoison without all that extra stuff. I even remember being untethered on 4.2.1. Make sure you are getting the latest greenpoison version from greenpois0n.com

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Well, it fails to and doesn't explain why.

It might have something to do with the baseband. F4780y will be by shortly...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Whatthe

It might have something to do with the baseband. F4780y will be by shortly...

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You be the judge, I can't really say why it failed. I do count on your support guys because I've tried just about anything I know of. And I'm really glad to hear that greenp0ison can do untethered jb for 4.2.1 because I really would love to have untethered jailbroken iPad :) You never know when a creepy bug pops up and freezes the device.

I wish it had a log or something so you know what exactly failed.
So you are using rc5? Or rc6.1?

If I may, I would like to suggest something as you try to jailbreak that iOS 4.2.1 iPad (or maybe even before you go any further):

Get a copy of the latest iFaith software (v1.3.2) by a gentleman named iH8sn0w. This will enable you to save the SHSH blobs for the iOS you are currently running on the iPad - 4.2.1.

That way, if you mess up trying to jailbreak it, at least you'll have a chance on restoring back to that firmware version instead of having to go to iOS 4.3.5. The iH8sn0w website is down for maintenance right now, but he still has links up to go get iFaith. It's here: http://ih8sn0w.com/

This is because, to answer your first, original, question - you can only save blobs for iOS versions that Apple is still signing. Currently, that is iOS 4.3.5. Once Apple stops signing a firmware, you cannot get it. So, that's why Cydia couldn't get SHSH blobs other than iOS 4.3.5 and some iOS 5 betas.

And yes, you'll need to be near your computer should you need to reboot the iPad [on a tethered jailbreak]. It won't start up without and won't run "stock." However, people go weeks without having to reboot (especially if all they do is use it and don't go adding extra tweaks while away from their PC). So, it won't be the end of the world to be tethered, just a bit annoying...

Finally, I join Whatthe in asking what version of greenp0ison you were using. Because I also jailbroke the iPad1 iOS 4.2.1 using RC6.1 with no problems. I still have that, now that I think of it - sentiment (it was my first jailbreak...).

So, here's a link about getting that RC6.1 greenpoison jailbreak:
An old thread - but post #51 (page 6) has a still valid link to the software: http://www.ipadforums.net/ipad-hacki...st-here-6.html

Hope this helps. Let us know how you are getting on.

Marilyn

Marilyn is absolutely right. Back up your 4.2.1 blobs with iFaith immediately.

Use our Jailbreaking Methods sticky for the link to gp 6.1 - http://www.ipadforums.net/ipad-hacki...hods-ipad.html
Download it only from the site linked in there (I just updated it so we don't have to point folks to that old thread).

If you are having trouble running GP it is probably an issue with Windows, especially if you are on Vista. Make sure you run the program as and Administrator, and it may be best to set the compatibility options to "Windows XP Service Pack 2".

To answer your first post questions,

1 You are misunderstanding what the integration with Cydia means in TU. It will retrieve any SHSH blobs you have saved on Cydia servers down only your local PC, but it can't magic them up out of nowhere. If you don't have blobs saved on Cydia (and you don't), you won't get any. It does not send your blobs TO Cydia ever.

2. Your iPad is only operable with a tethered JB if you have not installed Mobile Substrate or anything else which hooks into the Kernel. Even then Safari won't work. However, it is not practical to do this when you are jailbroken. Without hooking into the kernel you can do almost zilch in terms of a worthwhile overall JB experience. So, long story short, if you a tethered and need to reboot, you need to get back to your PC, otherwise you will hang at the Apple logo and be completely stuck.

3. I made a jailbreak upgrade thread which you should look at regards this. It should still be valid for IOS5, although the way blobs work in IOS5 will change, but this does not make the overall backup and restore process redundant... Read about it here - http://www.ipadforums.net/jailbreaki...jailbreak.html

Hope that helps and you get your 4.2.1 Jailbroken.

Mickey and f4780y thanks for detailed replies.

I tried both versions rc5b2 and rc6.1 of greenpois0n. When it starts jailbreaking it simply reports back that it failed.

Some details of my iPad (in light of raised concern regarding baseband version):

Version 4.2.1 (8C148)
Carrier Carrier 9.0
Model MC497XL
Modem Firmware 07.10.00

I also tried iFaith v1.3.2 before creating this thread and sadly it gets stuck with the message Waiting for iPad 1 and I just look at an endless loop of green progress bar moving on the screen:

http://i.imgur.com/m2XSw.png

There's something fishy about what happens during the work of iFaith. I'll describe loosely the sequence of events and you tell me if it's normal or not.

I put iPad into DFU mode. iFaith picks this change up and starts uploading iBSS, I see "Exploiting with limera1n" screen (a green drop logo), I also see greenpois0n logo after which iPad's display lights up filled with solid white color and stays like that for some 10 seconds approximately, than it changes to display Apple logo, just like one during the normal boot, and eventually the iPad boots up as usual and iFaith is left there in the loop saying "Waiting for iPad 1".

I tried this on Windows XP (run in VirtualBox virtual machine... shouldn't be a problem, I jailbroke iPhone 2G iOS 3.1.2 in this virtual machine and have iTunes managing the iPhone without any problems, it recognizes the iPad too and syncs up podcasts to iPad currently without any problems) and Vista Home Edition (with XP Service Pack 2 compatibility option, administrator rights all the way) as a normal OS, no emulation involved.

So, something's not right. It all works for you guys but apparently not for me.