So, there’s three categories of applications which can be installed onto the iPhone without Jailbreak.
- Payfer Apps – you write your application, sign it, give it to Apple and they host it on the App Store and you get 70% of all proceeds.
- Free Apps – you write the application, sign it, give it to Apple and they host it on the App Store for free.
- Source – you write the application, give the code to someone else, they sign it themselves and then they can install on their own iPhone via XCode
The last method changes things. It’s no longer just a case of just releasing source code, there’s the signing too. You’re attaching your identity to the code. A bit more than just running ports or apt.
But it does mean that for the select few who can install apps (been accepted into the Beta program, paid their $99, uploaded their CSR, downloaded their certificate), there’s a method of swapping test code and with a bit of luck a community will build.
For my part, I’d like to play with Kalimba on my iPhone!