Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

QEMU for iOS

github.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 150 posts

Re: QEMU for iOS

#41

Post by earenndil »

kccqzy wrote: post #19
LeoPanthera wrote: post #10

> "Since iOS 13.3.1, it appears Apple has stopped allowing free developer profiles to sign dylibs." A terrible decision. Users should always be allowed, at the very least, to build and sideload their own code .

I'm not very familiar with iOS but is this restriction a fundamental limitation or just a paper-cut style limitation that's just one more hurdle for developers to jump through? It appears to me that developers who are previously using dynamic libraries now have to invest in the effort to make them static libraries and link them to the main executable. So it seems like it can be overcome, but just more hassle. Am I co…

It is completely arbitrary, yes.

Re: QEMU for iOS

#42

Post by ericlewis »

lwb wrote: post #35
rhodysurf wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Expo is also completely different and within the rules. They arent installing apps, they are simply loading JS and running it like any RN app could do. They just make it easy by pre-bundling deps so that they can be loaded on the fly. Its literally just downloading JS and assets from a server and then executing the JS with JSC on ios. They also get around the limitation of having half the screen showing the executed…

Right, but the QEMU project is also simply loading X86 (or other) assembly code and interpreting it in a virtual machine... unless I misunderstand this project and it does something more sophisticated. > the limitation of having half the screen showing the executed code I'm not aware of this limitation, could the QEMU port use this to show the ASM that's being executed to get around this?

the largest difference is that Expo uses JavaScriptCore, a framework provided by apple for use by any application that wishes to execute javascript code. Since it is their own interpreter it is fine.

Re: QEMU for iOS

#43

Post by lwb »

anonsivalley652 wrote: post #34
lwb wrote: post #28

> Apple does not permit any apps that has interpreted or generated code An interesting exception to this is Expo, an app that lets you load React Native apps built by other developers over the internet. Expo gets around this on Apple by forcing you to sign into that developer's account before downloading their app, so that it's plausibly "yours". I've used to distribute early builds of a React Native app really easil…

That's not much different than TestFlight (acquired by Apple) or MS AppCenter (acquired as HockeyApp). PS: I'm using an iPad Pro 10.5 over LTE right now with an original Apple Wireless Keyboard 1 with proper arrow keys. I use Vim on it and can save to shared services. Heck, you can even fire-up the embedded python with :!python3 It also redirects phone calls from my vintage unlimited data plan, so I don't need a phon…

The important difference is the turn around time -- with Expo I can make a change locally and see it with my testers in less than a minute, whereas with TestFlight everything has to be manually reviewed for 2-3 days after a heavy-handed submission process.

Re: QEMU for iOS

#44

Post by tyfon »

rgovostes wrote: post #25
dwheeler wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's no legal risk. Microsoft allows people to install emulators on their OS without issue. The issue is that Apple wants a big profit cut on each app. If you were allowed to download & run applications on your own computer, then Apple wouldn't get its cut.

That may be one factor, but it certainly isn't the only one. There are plenty of remote desktop apps on the App Store. But Steam Link was held up in review because Apple did not want people being able to buy games without getting a cut. Microsoft "allows" people to install emulators in the same sense that Apple "allows" it on macOS, but a quick search confirms that Microsoft does not allow emulators on their app stor…

Google play has emulators, here are some examples [1] [2]

It even has Bochs [3]

Or am I misunderstanding something?

[1] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.explusalph...

[2] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mupen64plu...

[3] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.sourceforg...

Re: QEMU for iOS

#45

Post by jscheel »

snazz wrote: post #8
gruez wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't even need a (paid) developer account. Anyone with an apple id can sign ios apps with a validity of 7 days.

Not dynamically loaded libraries after 13.3.1, however.

General consensus is that this is a bug though. Apple has not come out with any announced change.

Re: QEMU for iOS

#46

Post by tech234a »

rlyshw wrote: post #12
rgovostes wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 2.5.2 Apps [may not] download, install, or execute code which introduces or changes features or functionality of the app, including other apps. The rule changed, I think around the time that Swift Playgrounds came out, to add: > Educational apps designed to teach, develop, or allow students to test executable code may, in limited circumstances, download code provided that such code is not used for other purposes. S…

You can run seemingly unrestricted python code on your iOS devices with Pythonista [0]. I'm using it right now to proxy my hotspot connection through my iPhone. Not sure how they're allowed to exist on the app store, but it's been solid for me for a while now. [0] https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pythonista-3/id1085978097

Pythonista has been featured by Apple several times. As others have pointed out, only pure-Python modules can be used unless they are precompiled and included with the app.

Re: QEMU for iOS

#47

Post by osy »

Hi, author here. I’m here to answer any questions but also I want to advertise the fact that it would be really really awesome if interested devs can join the project. Currently it’s just me doing this on my spare time for the past year. Specifically I’m a complete newbie at UI/UX stuff and the project could use a real designer/front end developer.

Also for more info and a few videos demonstrating capabilities and performance check out the website: https://getutm.app/

Re: QEMU for iOS

#48

Post by dreamcompiler »

anonsivalley652 wrote: post #36
tjoff wrote: post #2

Not being in the apple world I wondered if this submission meant anything had changed regarding running stuff like this on iOS, but no: > Why isn't this in the AppStore? Apple does not permit any apps that has interpreted or generated code therefore it is unlikely that UTM will ever be allowed. However, there are various ways people on the internet have come up to side load apps without requiring a jailbreak. We do n…

Apple's control-freaking and exploitation of customers has reached peak unreasonableness. I don't think SJ would've been so focused on making trillions when some billions could be had with cooler, repairable, lasting products. Personally, I have one foot out of the door (hackintosh) regarding the Apple ecosystem. I'm going to let the iPhone 6S, iPad Pro 10.5 and Apple Watch 4 run however long they can, but that's pro…

It's ironic that Woz especially wanted to bring computing to the masses, not lock it down. Apple is the antithesis of its own founders' vision.

Apple deserves to be disrupted.

Re: QEMU for iOS

#49

Post by dreamcompiler »

throwaway55554 wrote: post #21
LeoPanthera wrote: post #10

> "Since iOS 13.3.1, it appears Apple has stopped allowing free developer profiles to sign dylibs." A terrible decision. Users should always be allowed, at the very least, to build and sideload their own code .

I use and enjoy Apple products, but behavior like this is so annoying. My devices are mine and this should not be a restriction.

IOS devices have never been your own. Apple justified this in the early days on the grounds that they were protecting mobile phone networks from hackers, but that argument fell through when the iPod touch (an iPhone without phone functionality) was equally locked down. The only thing Apple is protecting with this policy is their revenue stream.

Re: QEMU for iOS

#50

Post by thebruce87m »

dahfizz wrote: post #38
saber6 wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can pay for a developer account ($99/yr) which allows you to get your builds signed by Apple for the purposes of you running either dev-builds locally or internal-only apps for an organization. That's what they mean by "no jailbreak required". Flipside is you gotta pay for a dev account to get your stuff signed to allow it to run.

You need to pay a subscription to run your own code on your own device? Why anyone puts up with Apple's anticonsumerism is beyond me.

Security. Privacy. Long term support of hardware (environment). No carrier crapware.
Post reply on HN