Duplicate Jailbreak Data on iPhone in SSH

[macharborguy]

I logged into my iPhone 4 via SSH to snoop around at some of the jailbreak apps to see what i could customize, and i noticed that in...

/private/var/stash

I had a number of duplicate folders. Example: WinterBoard uses the "/private/var/stash/themes" folder for storing themes and modifications. However, I have 2 of them...

"Themes", and...
"Themes.l4tVkh"

I also have 2 "Applications" folders (the second having a string of 6 random alphanumeric characters as a file extension), 2 include folders, two libexec, two pam, two Ringtones, two share, and two Wallpaper folders.

After looking at the contents of each one, it appears that the first folder (sans random extension) is from the first 4.0 jailbreak i did on my iPhone4 that got left behind after I upgraded to 4.1 and lost the jailbreak. I know this because I manually created some themes in Winterboard and they are still in that folder. The second folder (the one with the weird extension) is my current jailbreak.

I wonder why there are two folders, or why the new jailbreak backed up the old one, and if there is any harm in removing those folders, since they are only taking up storage at this point.

Anyone ever ran into this? When I installed 4.1, it was a full install, NOT an upgrade install, so I am wondering if the backup i then restored to after the full install placed all that jailbreak data back on the phone, or if a full install is not actually a wipe of the phone and reinstall of everything.

 

[seismik]

Having just jailbroken on 4.2.1 I'm seeing the same thing. I think it's artifacts from a previous jailbreak. Can anyone else shed some light on this? I've got:

Applications.CQdwQe
Applications.PCV38t
Ringtones.Y1xpNN
Ringtons.ssTsVU
Themes.TUDKoP
Themes.eyPltn

etc etc. Two folders in private/var/stash for each...

Safe to delete the old copy??

 

[v1nn1e]

Hmm.. that's weird. I just checked my /private/var/stash, and I don't have any duplicate folders.

When you say full install (and not upgrade), I assume that you downloaded the 4.2.1 stock ipsw, and then did a shift restore in iTunes? That's what I always do -- I don't want any sloppy seconds from a previous OS. It's a pain tuccus to re-install everything, but it's probably the best way to go.

If that's what you did, you're probably okay deleting them, but I would save a local copy of the folders on your computer before doing it just in case something goes south.

 

[seismik]

Ha, no way. I installed the stock firmware upgrade over top of my jailbreak'ed 4.1 or whatever I was running at the time. Then all I lose is my jailbroken mods/apps but all of my App Store stuff stays installed and configured.

You raise a valid point, and I'm sure it's worthwhile. I saved the local copy and deleted all the dupes - saved me 400MB and it's running just fine.

 

[v1nn1e]

Winner winner chicken dinner! haha