PwnageTool vs blackra1n: What am I missing?

[subgenious#IM]

I'm a new 3GS user having just switched from my much hated BB curve a couple weeks ago, and I'm curious about all the suggestions I'm seeing for the use of blackra1n on the forum. Granted I'm no Apple expert yet, but I've managed to jailbreak my phone using pwnagetool and modify it to my heart's content and I don't understand what would cause someone to accept a tethered jailbreak when there is an alternative that works perfectly (for me at least).

Anything I'm missing here? I hate to be sending people in the wrong direction by suggesting pwnagetool to do a stable jailbreak, but I just don't see the draw of blackra1n aside from the ease of use (and pwnage isn't exactly brain surgery).

 

[BENGRIMM]

There is no differeance , they both jailbreak the iphone . But Blackra1n is pretty much one click . Also not all 3GS have a tethered JB

 

[Ipheuria]

The difference between pwnage tool and blackra1n is pwnage tool is a Mac only tool while blackra1n is for both. I am on Mac and have only ever used pwnage tool but in some instances it may be necessary to use blackra1n. I also beleive if the phone has been JB on 3.0 you can use pwnage to upgrade to 3.1.2 JB. However if the phone is already on OEM 3.1.2 I don't know if you can use pwnage tool to JB it. I'm not 100% sure on that but if that is the case you would then want to use blackra1n in that case.

 

[subgenious#IM]

Ok, that makes sense. The comment about not all 3GS being tether free jailbreakable pretty much cements my point I think. I believe all models made in November onward won't work properly with blackra1n (require tether), but for sure mine worked just fine with pwnage and the serial number matches the ones that have blackra1n issues.

I suppose one click is nice, but I'd rather spend 10 minutes and have something that actually works.

edit: Oh, and my phone was OEM 3.1.2

 

[Ipheuria]

Yeah I wasn't 100% sure on the whole 3.1.2 thing I've just never used it for a phone that was on a higher firmware than 3.0 so I couldn't speak on it from experience. I personally love using pwnage tool myself but I've also used blackra1n on the Mac side with a few friends phones and they had no problems whatsoever. They were all 3G so I dont know if that makes a difference.

 

[big9erfan]

I'm kind of surprised that Pwnage Tool gets around the new Bootrom issue since I believe the "pwned" IPSW files use the 24kpwn exploit do they not, and the new 3GS does not have said exploit in it's bootrom.

 

[Ipheuria]

I believe the "pwned" IPSW files use the 24kpwn exploit do they not

I too beleive this ??? waiting for someone else to chime in

 

[subgenious#IM]

Perhaps one difference in my process is that I didn't unlock the device as I was only interested in the jailbreak. When I first tried to run the tool I had the "activate the phone" option checked just to be complete and it would not recognize the firmware correctly. Second time I left the box unchecked and everything worked just fine. Perhaps the advantage here is pwnage allows you to do the jailbreak without messing with the updated systems if you choose not to include the unlock while blackra1n's methodology is based on screwing with the bits in question?

 

[big9erfan]

Ok, after some serious googling, Pwnage Tool does not work on phones with the new bootrom.

Subgenious, you got lucky with your 3GS and it does not have the new bootrom, so it wouldn't matter if you used Blackra1n or Pwnage Tool to jailbreak, it wouldn't be tethered either way.

Jailbreaking iPhone 3gs with PWNAGE tool 3.14 (error)

 

[subgenious#IM]

Nice find! I will try and run that procedure later on and see exactly what bootrom my phone has installed. I'm beginning to appreciate how much of a cat and mouse game has been built up between Apple and the jailbreak community.

 

[subgenious#IM]

Bah, upon reading more closely it looks like I'd have to put the phone into recovery mode to do this check and I'm really not interested in messing with the firmware again now that it's working how I like it.

I had read several places that devices with serial numbers having the 4th and 5th digits 40 or higher included the new bootrom. Mine is 41. Anyone know if it was a hard changeover at a certain number? I certainly don't want to be spreading bad info, but this is very curious and it would seem odd for some devices with significantly earlier serial numbers to have a new bootrom version while later ones are still sneaking by on the assembly line.

 

[Ipheuria]

yeah I don't think that was a hard fact just a very educated guess. If we wanted to know for sure if pwnage tool escapes the bootrom which I seriously doubt we would just find someone currently on a tethered JB and get them to try JB with pwnage tool. I think your phone is just one of the rare exceptions

 

[chowcjc]

hey guys...

i used blackrain on my iphone 3gs i bought last week... the 4rth and 5th digits on the serial number is 48, and blckrain just tethered jailbroke it...

and so i tired using pwnage. i got through the process with no problems...until the iphone reboot... the pineapple logo shows for a second and then nothing.. just a blank screen... itunes recognizes the phone to be in restore mode but my iphone doesnt have any display on it..

so i restored my phone using itunes...
and did the whole process again...
but alas.. same ****...

so im using a tethered, black rain jailbroken iphone 3gs...
and i need to use my mac everytime i reboot my phone, which is so inconvenient...

i hope anyone could share some light on this... any advice on what i should do to have a jailbroken iphone would be great...

 

[LVCIFER]

There's nothing that CAN be done man. Tethered jailbreak for new 3G is just how it is right now.

BUT, thank you for being the test subject. Now, we KNOW that Pwnage Tool will not give a standard jailbreak to newes 3G models.

Thank you.

 

[Ipheuria]

Yeah figured that was the case since blackra1n is released after pwnage tool and is newer. So if anything blackra1n would have been the newer one. Anyway now we know, sorry man but yeah you've got a newer 3G so tethered JB.

 

[chowcjc]

oh well, at least i confirmed that this is the case for the new iphone 3gs's...
hope anyone out there who is confused about this got some help from this thread...

i will just have to wait till a new tool is out for a fix this problem,

im kinda new to the iphone so this forum is so helpful... thanks guys...

 

[subgenious#IM]

I agree, even the dev team's blog isn't clear on this issue. Thanks for setting me straight guys! I'm glad I squeaked by before the axe dropped with my phone...

 

[jrdave2304]

I'm set to get my 3GS today and have been doing a lot of reading on the jailbreak process (especially that pertaining to the new iBoot-359.3.2 bootrom). Came across an article on iClarified which basically re-states what you guys have been saying (edit: www DOT iclarified DOT com/entry/index.php?enid=5560)

I really hope I get lucky so I can use the pwnage tool for an untethered jailbreak.