Welcome to the iPadForums.net tutorial on jailbreaking the AppleTV 2G (black) using seas0npass from FireCore.

Preparation

Download the latest version of seas0npass from these FireCore links:
OSX - http://files.firecore.com/SP/Seas0nPass.zip (you must have OSX 10.6 or later)
Windows - http://files.firecore.com/SP/Seas0nPass-win.zip (you must use Windows XP or later)

For the purposes of this tutorial we will be jailbreaking 4.4.4 which is untethered.

1. Unzip the download and install / launch the seas0npass file on your PC:

2. Press the "Create IPSW" button.
seas0npass will then download the firmware file from the internet...

3. Connect the AppleTV to your PC and put it into DFU Mode.
Like any good jailbreak, you need to use DFU mode to update the device. With the Apple TV, the process is slightly different than other devices you may be used to putting into DFU mode such as the iPad or iPhone.
Follow the instructions shown by seas0npass

You simply unplug the AppleTV from your TV, and connect it to your PC using only the micro-USB (no external power supply), then hold MENU and PLAY/PAUSE together for 7 seconds.

If you got it right, seas0npass should detect your AppleTV in DFU mode…


4. Sit back and let seas0npass do the rest!
seas0npass will create a custom firmware for your device and should then restore it for you using iTunes...


Now all you have to do is wait for iTunes to finish restoring the firmware file.
Done! Your AppleTV 2G is now jailbroken!

If you connect your AppleTV back up to your TV you should see the telltale FireCore logo in the corner!


What next? That's up to you, but stay tuned to the forums for some inspiration from me in the near future!

What does one gain by jailbreaking the ATV2G?

Thank you for this tutorial, I had heard you could jailbreak Apple TV, just didn't have a clue how to do it. I just got the Apple TV at Xmas. But what are the advantages of Jailbreaking it?

Sent from my iPad using iPF

Thanks for the info addiosamigo. I don't know a lot about jailbreak in general and am trying to get my head around it all right now. But thanks for all that, its going into my notes.

Sent from my iPad using iPF

Hmmm, maybe need to update my jailbreak on the AppleTV, I'm still on The original iOS from when I bought it, is 4.4.4 still the update being signed by Apple at this moment?

Don't worry, it's now updated and Jailbroken, that's a lot easier than the last time on Greenpoison.....not as many pressing buttons and swapping cables.

Ok, maybe I'm being dim here, but I have the FC logo in the bottom right hand side, but nothing else seems to have changed.....the last time I Jailbroke I had a Nitotv section where I could get XBMC from....what do I do next with the fire core version to get XBMC? And what do we mean the FC logo is temporary?

Sorry if this is a stoooopid question.

Finally found answer, using King Google!!

If anyone else is using Windows and wants XBMC after the above jailbreak, follow this step by step tutorial on XBMC site

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t=99315

Well, just spent the last 2 hours wiring my house up.......the AppleTV is now hard wired from PC, it's great now, if there was one thing that annoyed me about the device it was the buffering.....but not anymore!
Can't wait for some more additions to this thread.
Now that I've added Nitotv I have found that repo's can be added, so it looks like this could have as much depth as the iPad.

Has anybody sussed out how to get VLC on the AppleTV? I'm having a few problems with XBMC at the moment, it's a buffering nightmare.

Cheers

Ok, I'm kick starting this thread back up, the current AppleTV jailbreak is 5.0.1 and it's totally jailbreakable with seas0npass again

Using the links and walkthrough on this first page, your AppleTV will update itself and at the same time perform it's jailbreak on 5.0.1. I will give you the links you require for ssh'ing Nitotv and XBMC below.

Remember this next section is carried out with your AppleTV connected to your tv in its usual way, and NOT Connected via USB to your PC

I use windows so I downloaded putty from here

Run the program and it will ask you for the AppleTV's ip address (Host Name), this is located in the Network information under the Settings menu on your Home Screen

click OPEN

Login as: root

Press return

Password: alpine

You are now connected to your AppleTV, now copy and paste these lines in 1 at a time to get XBMC (press RETURN after each line)

apt-get update

mkdir -p /Applications/AppleTV.app/Appliances

apt-get install org.xbmc.xbmc-atv2

mkdir -p /Applications/XBMC.frappliance

wget http://mirrors.xbmc.org/apt/atv2/deb/org.xbmc.xbmc-atv2_11.0-3_iphoneos-arm.deb


dpkg -i org.xbmc.xbmc-atv2_11.0-3_iphoneos-arm.deb

rm org.xbmc.xbmc-atv2_11.0-3_iphoneos-arm.deb

that's it, if you check your AppleTV it should have XBMC on it......Happy Days!!

to get Nitotv on your device then .........

Run the program and it will ask you for the AppleTV's ip address (Host Name), this is located in the Network information under the Settings menu on your Home Screen

click OPEN

Login as: root

Press return

Password: alpine

You are now connected to your AppleTV, now copy and paste these lines in 1 at a time to get Nitotv


echo "deb http://apt.awkwardtv.org ./" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/awkwardtv.list

apt-get update

apt-get install com.nito.nitoTV

Your computer will now download and install the necessary*files. Please wait while these are downloaded, then type this final line

killall appletv

Your Apple TV will now restart and you will have NitoTV installed! Congrats!

Hope this has helped a few people

Just updated to 5.0.2, it's Jailbroken untethered, no difference to the look that I can see, but my wifi hookup seems quicker!

The update is simple, just follow the first post, and then use my post up from this one to get XBMC and NitoTV

Just found a fantastic app on Cydia from the BigBoss repo called nito installer, once downloaded onto your Jailbroken iPad you can put nito onto your Jailbroken AppleTV directly from your iPad! it's a much quicker solution than typing all the lines of code into putty! There's lots of other things you can do with it, I'll pop back and update after I've had a play with it.

Best of all, it's free, so save time and money on a great little app that will certainly speed up the process of getting XBMC and updating it!

Forgot to mention, it will also put both apps on your iPad as well.

Just updating you on the 5.0.2 AppleTV update, a huge plus point I have found is the now none existent switching itself on!! Previously, we have had people complaining that there AppleTV's were connecting to something whilst in hibernation mode, the light on the front flashing madly at inappropriate times, and switching on of it's own accord.........but not anymore!

That's interesting, I often find mine switched.....I thought that I had a poltergeist!

The Archangel