DiscordDigital Wiki - User contributions [en]

Setting up AltServer on VMware ESXi

2024-02-07T11:17:17Z

Discorddigital:

===Prologue===
This guide will help you install [[:Category:AltServer|AltServer]] on a Windows virtual machine using VMware ESXi free edition.

At the end of this guide you'll be able to run AltServer without any user session in the background of your virtual machine.

We cover everything in this guide from port exceptions, antivirus software to Windows process handling of AltServer.

You can only do this setup if you plan to run a server 24/7, which can be any computer that is capable of virtualization on your network.

VMware ESXi will be able to run multiple other VMs and this guide will integrate into your home network.

You'll need following:

#a free VMware account which you can [https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/registration get here]
#a physical computer that is capable of virtualization
#an iPhone cable to do the initial bonding to iTunes
#(optional) a Windows 10 key to activate your machine
#basic network understanding of IPv4, static IP addresses and what a DHCP server is

===Getting VMware ESXi free===
After you signed up to VMware it will actually take a day for your free ESXi key to be made, but no need to wait,

ESXi can be downloaded anytime and will run in trial mode.

You can always check on your account if any product keys have been added, and add it later on.

The page you're looking for is https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/evalcenter?p=free-esxi7

You can now start by adding a physical drive (SSD recommended) to your virtualization host.

When you've done building your server, make sure to configure the BIOS for it to always start in the power options.

Flash the latest ESXi ISO file to a USB stick using a tool like [https://rufus.ie/en_IE.html Rufus].

Once the installation stick is ready, connect your server to your network, then insert the USB stick into your physical server and install ESXi like any Linux distribution.

When you're done you'll be prompted with an IP address on your server monitor.

At this point you can login through the monitor and change the IP address to a static one, make sure it is not inside the DHCP pool,

if it has to be inside the DHCP pool, make sure the DHCP server has a feature to detect static IP addresses to prevent multiple of the same IP addresses.

During installation you'll configure a user (root) and a password, which you'll need to log-on to the page.

Open the IP address shown on your server monitor on a modern browser like Firefox. Don't forget to add HTTPS. The address might look something like "<nowiki>https://192.168.0.49</nowiki>"

You're now ready to create a virtual machine.

===Installing your AltServer VM===

====Deciding on a name scheme====
Pick an appropriate name for your virtual machine, if you don't have a name scheme you can try something like:
{| class="wikitable"
!S
!AS
!01
|-
|Server
|Type : AltServer
|Count
|}
This scheme will result in a machine name such as '''SAS01''',

if you were to install a personal VM you might name it SVM01.

The naming scheme is pretty much irrelevant for the technical part, however it'll help you organize your virtual machines.

So make sure you pick a scheme that helps you design your virtual machines.

====Figure out a static IP address for your virtual machine====
Next you want to figure out an IP address configuration, so you can assign a static IP address to your AltServer VM.

This step will help you later on lower the complexity and increase the chance of succeeding a request from [[:Category:AltStore|AltStore]].

Take note of your configuration.

====Create the virtual machine====
Start by creating a new virtual machine on the web-interface of your VMware ESXi server, and fill out everything appropriately to your design.

Your machine should be named as previously mentioned by your scheme. You'll want to add at least 4 GB of ram and 100 GB of virtual disk storage.

On a long term run it has been proven to us that 100 GB is very appropriate for any Windows system including software, updates and Windows log files.

Once created you'll quickly realize you need an installation medium.

Grab one from the Microsoft page or use one that you already might have.

Then upload it to your ESXi server, preferably in a folder named "Install", but the name of the folder is up to you.

Edit your virtual machine and add the ISO file from your Datastore (storage on ESXi server), make sure it says "Connect at power on" and also "Connect" on the side of the option.

If you don't see a CD drive to mount an ISO file to, you can also add one by clicking "Add other device".

Finally start up the virtual machine and configure through it.

When you finally reached the desktop make sure to install VMware guest additions, so the virtual machine gets the full performance from your server.

====Configure your virtual machine====

===== Important things to configure =====
Add your optional Windows key as required, rename the virtual machine in the system properties to the name you gave your AltServer VM, and configure the static IP you decided on earlier.

If you don't add your Windows key, the virtual machine will just run fine. However personalization options will be disabled. (Wallpaper, color of task bar)

Don't forget to give your user a password. This will also improve the safety on a Windows machine that is running continuously.

===== About antivirus products =====
In case you want to run an antivirus software on it, make sure you also configure the antivirus to make exceptions for AltServer.

Some antivirus products come with built-in firewalls. So it might be necessary to configure port exceptions as well.

If you're not sure if your antivirus is causing problems. Uninstall your antivirus and see if the problems persists.

====Conclusion of this chapter====
You now have a virtual machine ready to be configured to run AltServer.

Follow the next chapter to setup iTunes, iCloud, AltServer, AltCheck and task scheduler to create a seamless AltServer VM experience.

===Setting up AltServer to run on a virtual machine===

====Download and install Apple software====
First you want to download all important software pieces from Apple.

You'll have to '''avoid''' store versions, as they don't come with the proper components AltServer need.

Download iTunes here: https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/win64/

Download iCloud here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204283 (Click on "download iCloud for Windows on Apple's website" where it says "'''* On Windows 7 and Windows 8...'''")

Install both on your virtual machine.

====Download and install AltServer====
Download AltServer from here: https://altstore.io/

Then install it normally, if you get prompted, install it for all users.

====Configuring Windows Firewall====
This step is a bit fiddly, but don't skip it otherwise you'll run into issues.

Open the Windows search, then search and open "Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security".

You'll see a window like this:

[[File:Windows_Firewall_settings.png|alt=|715x715px]]

Take a note on the left is a menu entry named "Inbound Rules", click on it to load the rules, then right click it and select "New Rule".

A new window will open which will look like this, switch the option to "Port", then click on '''Next'''.

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port.png]]

Configure next window to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port tcp altserver.png]]

Hit Next and leave the configuration as it is until you get to "Name", then name it "AltServer TCP".

Now, right click "Inbound Rules" again, and then "New Rule".

You'll do the very same but for "Protocol and Ports" you will select "'''UDP'''" and specify different ports.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port udp altserver.png]]

Configure through it until you get to "Name" and name it "AltServer UDP".

Finish the configuration and you're done configuring the Windows Firewall!

You can now close the Firewall related windows and move on to the next step.

====Connect your iPhone to the VM====
This step is pretty simple, grab the lightning to USB cable and plug it into your physical server.

Then while your virtual machine is running, edit it and hit "Add other device", then add a "USB controller".

Now click "Add other device" again, and hit "USB device", look for the USB device in the VM options and change it so the Apple iPhone is connected.

Save your VM settings and your iPhone should show up inside of iTunes on your AltServer VM.

Click on your phone and enable "Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi".

Great! You can now disconnect your iPhone from your server and also remove the cable.

====Configure AltServer====
At this point you should see AltServer on the bottom right, make sure to click it and uncheck "Automatically Launch at Startup".

This is because we don't want AltServer to run twice. If you skip the task scheduler step, then you can leave it enabled or enable it.

Now click AltServer and install AltStore on your iPhone, this will create the link between the phone and the server.

When done you can move on to the next step.

====Configure AltCheck====
AltCheck is a script written to monitor the "Apple Mobile Device Service" which is responsible for device connections.

It also monitors AltServer.exe and restarts it in the background when it crashes.

You can find a README on how to get this running here: https://github.com/DiscordDigital/AltCheck-Reborn

====Conclusion of this setup====
If we've done everything correctly we should now have AltServer running in the background of Windows.

AltStore can communicate to it over Wi-Fi and it should work more reliable than usually.

There's still a chance that something might hang up, if reproducible, please leave an issue on GitHub.

For general issues with AltServer (independent from this guide), please consult the AltStore Discord server. You can obtain the access through Patreon.

If you need to reconnect your iPhone to your virtual machine, you can do, but you most likely have to edit the virtual machine and re-select the iPhone.
[[Category:AltServer]]
[[Category:AltStore]]
[[Category:Virtualization]]

Main Page

2024-02-07T11:14:32Z

Discorddigital:

<h2>Welcome to wiki.discord.digital</h2>
<p>I created this page to document information about projects and other tech related topics.</p>

====== Nextcloud ======
<dynamicpagelist>
namespace = main
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category = Nextcloud
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====== MediaWiki ======
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<h6>Last changes</h6>
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[[Category:Main]]
__NOTOC__

Main Page

2024-02-07T11:13:08Z

Discorddigital:

<h2>Welcome to wiki.discord.digital</h2>
<p>I created this page to document information about projects and other tech related topics.</p>

====== Nextcloud ======
<dynamicpagelist>
namespace = main
count = 100
ordermethod = lastedit
order = descending
category = Nextcloud
</dynamicpagelist>

====== MediaWiki ======
<dynamicpagelist>
namespace = main
count = 100
ordermethod = lastedit
order = descending
category = MediaWiki
</dynamicpagelist>
<h6>Last changes</h6>
<DynamicPageList>
namespace = main
count = 100
ordermethod = lastedit
order = descending
notcategory = Main
</DynamicPageList>
[[Category:Main]]
__NOTOC__

Main Page

2024-02-07T11:12:35Z

Discorddigital:

<h2>Welcome to wiki.discord.digital</h2>
<p>I created this page to document information about projects and other tech related topics.</p>

====== Nextcloud ======
<dynamicpagelist>
namespace = main
count = 100
ordermethod = lastedit
order = descending
category = Nextcloud
</dynamicpagelist>

====== MediaWiki ======
<dynamicpagelist>
namespace = main
count = 100
ordermethod = lastedit
order = descending
category = MediaWiki
</dynamicpagelist>
<h6>Last changes</h6>
<DynamicPageList>
namespace = main
count = 100
ordermethod = lastedit
order = descending
notcategory = Main
</DynamicPageList>
[[Category:Main]]

Main Page

2024-02-07T11:11:24Z

Discorddigital:

<h2>Welcome to wiki.discord.digital</h2>
<p>I created this page to document information about projects and other tech related topics.</p>

====== Nextcloud ======
<dynamicpagelist>
namespace = main
count = 100
ordermethod = lastedit
order = descending
category = Nextcloud
</dynamicpagelist>
<h6>Last changes</h6>
<DynamicPageList>
namespace = main
count = 100
ordermethod = lastedit
order = descending
notcategory = Main
</DynamicPageList>
[[Category:Main]]

Change OPcache interned strings buffer size globally

2024-02-07T11:09:52Z

Discorddigital:

== Prologue ==
In some cases you may need to define a higher <code>interned_strings_buffer</code> than given by the default PHP configuration.

You can create a file in the <code>mods-available</code> folder and enable it.

{{warning}} The only downside to this is, if you install a newer PHP version, you might have to repeat the process.

=== /etc/php/8.1/mods-available/local-opcache.ini ===
<syntaxhighlight lang="ini" line="1">
opcache.interned_strings_buffer=16
</syntaxhighlight>

Enable it with following command:<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
phpenmod local-opcache
# You may need to restart your services to make this work.
# systemctl restart apache2
# systemctl restart php8.1-fpm.service
</syntaxhighlight>
[[Category:Nextcloud]]

Change OPcache interned strings buffer size globally

2024-02-07T10:30:44Z

Discorddigital:

Change OPcache interned strings buffer size globally

2024-02-07T10:24:12Z

Discorddigital: Created page with "== Prologue == In some cases you may need to define a higher <code>interned_strings_buffer</code> than given by the default PHP configuration. You can create a file in the <c..."

== Prologue ==
In some cases you may need to define a higher <code>interned_strings_buffer</code> than given by the default PHP configuration.

You can create a file in the <code>mods-available</code> folder and enable it.

The only downside to this is, if you install a newer PHP version, you might have to repeat the process.

=== /etc/php/8.1/mods-available/local-opcache.ini ===
<syntaxhighlight lang="ini" line="1">
opcache.interned_strings_buffer=16
</syntaxhighlight>

Enable it with following command:<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
phpenmod local-opcache
# You may need to restart your services to make this work.
# systemctl restart apache2
# systemctl restart php8.1-fpm.service
</syntaxhighlight>

How to become a local TLS certificate authority

2022-02-13T16:59:43Z

Discorddigital:

<h2>Prologue</h2>
<p>This guide will show you how to create your own local certificate authority and how to create and sign certificates with it.</p>
<p>You can use this for local web development, or for anything that requires a self-signed certificate.</p>
<p>For external websites that are available through the internet I recommend using [https://letsencrypt.org/ Let’s Encrypt] which is free.</p>
<h2>Prerequisites</h2>
<p>Before you can start you need to fulfill following conditions to make this guide work:</p>
#Have a Linux system with openssl installed.
#Be administrator or have root privileges on the systems you want to install the certificate on.
#Know basic linux commands and have a rough understanding of how CA certificates work.

<h2>Creating the certificate authority</h2>
<h3>Generating the CA key file</h3>
<p>At this point we need to give our certificate authority a name.<br>
I decided to name it "DigitalCA".</p>
<p>We create a folder to put our CA files in:</p>
<code>sudo mkdir -p /opt/CA/</code>
<p>Change the directory to the newly created folder:</p>
<code>cd /opt/CA/</code>
<p>Then we create our certificate key file:</p>
<code>openssl genrsa -des3 -out DigitalCA.key 2048</code>
<p>You will be prompted to enter a password. <br>
Do not skip this step, the password will be used everytime you sign a certificate.</p>
<h3>Generating the root certificate file</h3>
<code>openssl req -x509 -new -nodes -key DigitalCA.key -sha256 -days 1825 -out DigitalCA.pem</code>
{| style="border:1px solid black"
| If you create this CA for Apple devices. Do not exceed 825 days, otherwise the certificate will be invalid.
This is a restriction Apple specifically made for their devices on self-signed certificates.
|}
<p>During the creation you will be asked to enter the password you entered earlier.</p>
<p>When asked for the Common Name I suggest you enter something you will recognize, such as DigitalCA in this case.</p>
<p>At this point you're done, make sure to remember the password and backup these files safely.</p>
<h2>Creating a certificate for a local website</h2>
<p>First we define a folder to put our files in. <br>
In this case I chose "/opt/DigitalWeb", as the DNS name will be digitalweb.domain.lan</p>
<code>sudo mkdir -p /opt/DigitalWeb</code>
Then we navigate into our folder.</p>
<code>cd /opt/DigitalWeb</code>
<p>We create the key file for our DigitalWeb website:</p>
<code>openssl genrsa -out digitalweb.domain.lan.key 2048</code>
<p>Next we create the CSR file which we need later to sign it with our CA.</p>
<code>openssl req -new -key digitalweb.domain.lan.key -out digitalweb.domain.lan.csr</code>
<p>You will be asked a lot of questions. Make sure when it asks for Common Name to enter the server FQDN. In this case: digitalweb.domain.lan</p>
<p>We create a new file named: digitalweb.domain.lan.ext</p>
<p>Paste in following text and adjust it to your needs.<br>
You can add more DNS names at the bottom.</p>
<pre>authorityKeyIdentifier=keyid,issuer
basicConstraints=CA:FALSE
keyUsage = digitalSignature, nonRepudiation, keyEncipherment, dataEncipherment
subjectAltName = @alt_names

[alt_names]
DNS.1 = digitalweb.domain.lan</pre>
<p>Save the file and create the certificate with following command:</p>
<code>openssl x509 -req -in digitalweb.domain.lan.csr -CA /opt/CA/DigitalCA.pem -CAkey /opt/CA/DigitalCA.key -CAcreateserial -out digitalweb.domain.lan.crt -days 825 -sha256 -extfile digitalweb.domain.lan.ext</code>
{| style="border:1px solid black"
| If you create this certificate for Apple devices. Do not exceed 825 days, otherwise the certificate will be invalid.
This is a restriction Apple specifically made for their devices on self-signed certificates.
|}
<p>After entering the password of your CA you will have following files:</p>
*/opt/DigitalWeb/digitalweb.domain.lan.crt
*/opt/DigitalWeb/digitalweb.domain.lan.ext
*/opt/DigitalWeb/digitalweb.domain.lan.csr
*/opt/DigitalWeb/digitalweb.domain.lan.key
<p>Using the crt and key file you can now use it within any webserver and run the page with that certificate.</p>
<p>Keep in mind, for that certificate to be valid, the device needs to have the CA installed.</br>
In the next step we will import our certificate to a Windows computer, this works on phones, tablets and also on linux.</p>
<h2>Importing the CA certificate on Windows</h2>
<p>We open our settings for "computer certificates", we can do that by searching it on Windows.</p>
<p>Then we right click "Trusted Root Certification Authorities" and go to "All Tasks" and "Import".</p>
<p>The window you're looking for looks like this:</p>
[[File:Windows_computer_certificate_import.png]]
<p>In this case we import the file <b>DigitalCA.pem</b></p>
<p>After it has been imported, it will work out of the box on all browsers except Firefox.</p>
<p>For Firefox follow the next step in this guide.</p>
<h3>Configuring Firefox to allow certificate authorities from the computer</h3>
<p>In the URL bar of Firefox we type in:</p>
<code>about:config</code>
<p>We will be prompted with a security warning, we confirm it with "Accept the risk and continue".<br>
Then we search on top of the page for: "enterprise_root", we can set the option to <b>True</b> by double clicking it.</p>
<p>Firefox will now check against any certificate authorities you imported on your operating system.</p>
[[Category:cryptography]]
[[Category:certificates]]
[[Category:Web development]]

Setting up AltServer on VMware ESXi

2022-01-31T22:11:44Z

Discorddigital: Fixed a wrong formatting on an IP address

===Prologue===
This guide will help you install [[:Category:AltServer|AltServer]] on a Windows virtual machine using VMware ESXi free edition.

At the end of this guide you'll be able to run AltServer without any user session in the background of your virtual machine.

We cover everything in this guide from port exceptions, antivirus software to Windows process handling of AltServer.

You can only do this setup if you plan to run a server 24/7, which can be any computer that is capable of virtualization on your network.

VMware ESXi will be able to run multiple other VMs and this guide will integrate into your home network.

You'll need following:

#a free VMware account which you can [https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/registration get here]
#a physical computer that is capable of virtualization
#an iPhone cable to do the initial bonding to iTunes
#(optional) a Windows 10 key to activate your machine
#basic network understanding of IPv4, static IP addresses and what a DHCP server is

===Getting VMware ESXi free===
After you signed up to VMware it will actually take a day for your free ESXi key to be made, but no need to wait,

ESXi can be downloaded anytime and will run in trial mode.

You can always check on your account if any product keys have been added, and add it later on.

The page you're looking for is https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/evalcenter?p=free-esxi7

You can now start by adding a physical drive (SSD recommended) to your virtualization host.

When you've done building your server, make sure to configure the BIOS for it to always start in the power options.

Flash the latest ESXi ISO file to a USB stick using a tool like [https://rufus.ie/en_IE.html Rufus].

Once the installation stick is ready, connect your server to your network, then insert the USB stick into your physical server and install ESXi like any Linux distribution.

When you're done you'll be prompted with an IP address on your server monitor.

At this point you can login through the monitor and change the IP address to a static one, make sure it is not inside the DHCP pool,

if it has to be inside the DHCP pool, make sure the DHCP server has a feature to detect static IP addresses to prevent multiple of the same IP addresses.

During installation you'll configure a user (root) and a password, which you'll need to log-on to the page.

Open the IP address shown on your server monitor on a modern browser like Firefox. Don't forget to add HTTPS. The address might look something like "<nowiki>https://192.168.0.49</nowiki>"

You're now ready to create a virtual machine.

===Installing your AltServer VM===

====Deciding on a name scheme====
Pick an appropriate name for your virtual machine, if you don't have a name scheme you can try something like:
{| class="wikitable"
!S
!AS
!01
|-
|Server
|Type : AltServer
|Count
|}
This scheme will result in a machine name such as '''SAS01''',

if you were to install a personal VM you might name it SVM01.

The naming scheme is pretty much irrelevant for the technical part, however it'll help you organize your virtual machines.

So make sure you pick a scheme that helps you design your virtual machines.

====Figure out a static IP address for your virtual machine====
Next you want to figure out an IP address configuration, so you can assign a static IP address to your AltServer VM.

This step will help you later on lower the complexity and increase the chance of succeeding a request from [[:Category:AltStore|AltStore]].

Take note of your configuration.

====Create the virtual machine====
Start by creating a new virtual machine on the web-interface of your VMware ESXi server, and fill out everything appropriately to your design.

Your machine should be named as previously mentioned by your scheme. You'll want to add at least 4 GB of ram and 100 GB of virtual disk storage.

On a long term run it has been proven to us that 100 GB is very appropriate for any Windows system including software, updates and Windows log files.

Once created you'll quickly realize you need an installation medium.

Grab one from the Microsoft page or use one that you already might have.

Then upload it to your ESXi server, preferably in a folder named "Install", but the name of the folder is up to you.

Edit your virtual machine and add the ISO file from your Datastore (storage on ESXi server), make sure it says "Connect at power on" and also "Connect" on the side of the option.

If you don't see a CD drive to mount an ISO file to, you can also add one by clicking "Add other device".

Finally start up the virtual machine and configure through it.

When you finally reached the desktop make sure to install VMware guest additions, so the virtual machine gets the full performance from your server.

====Configure your virtual machine====

===== Important things to configure =====
Add your optional Windows key as required, rename the virtual machine in the system properties to the name you gave your AltServer VM, and configure the static IP you decided on earlier.

If you don't add your Windows key, the virtual machine will just run fine. However personalization options will be disabled. (Wallpaper, color of task bar)

Don't forget to give your user a password. This will also improve the safety on a Windows machine that is running continuously.

===== About antivirus products =====
In case you want to run an antivirus software on it, make sure you also configure the antivirus to make exceptions for AltServer.

Some antivirus products come with built-in firewalls. So it might be necessary to configure port exceptions as well.

If you're not sure if your antivirus is causing problems. Uninstall your antivirus and see if the problems persists.

====Conclusion of this chapter====
You now have a virtual machine ready to be configured to run AltServer.

Follow the next chapter to setup iTunes, iCloud, AltServer, AltCheck and task scheduler to create a seamless AltServer VM experience.

===Setting up AltServer to run on a virtual machine===

====Download and install Apple software====
First you want to download all important software pieces from Apple.

You'll have to '''avoid''' store versions, as they don't come with the proper components AltServer need.

Download iTunes here: https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/win64/

Download iCloud here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204283 (Click on "download iCloud for Windows on Apple's website" where it says "'''* On Windows 7 and Windows 8...'''")

Install both on your virtual machine.

====Download and install AltServer====
Download AltServer from here: https://altstore.io/

Then install it normally, if you get prompted, install it for all users.

====Configuring Windows Firewall====
This step is a bit fiddly, but don't skip it otherwise you'll run into issues.

Open the Windows search, then search and open "Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security".

You'll see a window like this:

[[File:Windows_Firewall_settings.png|alt=|715x715px]]

Take a note on the left is a menu entry named "Inbound Rules", click on it to load the rules, then right click it and select "New Rule".

A new window will open which will look like this, switch the option to "Port", then click on '''Next'''.

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port.png]]

Configure next window to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port tcp altserver.png]]

Hit Next and leave the configuration as it is until you get to "Name", then name it "AltServer TCP".

Now, right click "Inbound Rules" again, and then "New Rule".

You'll do the very same but for "Protocol and Ports" you will select "'''UDP'''" and specify different ports.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port udp altserver.png]]

Configure through it until you get to "Name" and name it "AltServer UDP".

Finish the configuration and you're done configuring the Windows Firewall!

You can now close the Firewall related windows and move on to the next step.

====Connect your iPhone to the VM====
This step is pretty simple, grab the lightning to USB cable and plug it into your physical server.

Then while your virtual machine is running, edit it and hit "Add other device", then add a "USB controller".

Now click "Add other device" again, and hit "USB device", look for the USB device in the VM options and change it so the Apple iPhone is connected.

Save your VM settings and your iPhone should show up inside of iTunes on your AltServer VM.

Click on your phone and enable "Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi".

Great! You can now disconnect your iPhone from your server and also remove the cable.

====Configure AltServer====
At this point you should see AltServer on the bottom right, make sure to click it and uncheck "Automatically Launch at Startup".

This is because we don't want AltServer to run twice. If you skip the task scheduler step, then you can leave it enabled or enable it.

Now click AltServer and install AltStore on your iPhone, this will create the link between the phone and the server.

When done you can move on to the next step.

====Configure AltCheck====
AltCheck is a script written to monitor the "Apple Mobile Device Service" which is responsible for device connections.

It also monitors AltServer.exe and restarts it in the background when it crashes.

You can find a README on how to get this running here: https://github.com/DiscordDigital/AltCheck-Reborn

====Conclusion of this setup====
If we've done everything correctly we should now have AltServer running in the background of Windows.

AltStore can communicate to it over Wi-Fi and it should work more reliable than usually.

There's still a chance that something might hang up, if reproducible, please leave an issue on GitHub.

For general issues with AltServer (independent from this guide), please consult the AltStore Discord server. You can obtain the access through Patreon.

If you need to reconnect your iPhone to your virtual machine, you can do, but you most likely have to edit the virtual machine and re-select the iPhone.

For further additions or confusion, please consult me on Twitter. [https://twitter.com/discorddigital @DiscordDigital]
[[Category:AltServer]]
[[Category:AltStore]]
[[Category:Virtualization]]

Configure Nextcloud to make occ work in a restricted chroot environment

2021-09-28T07:08:22Z

Discorddigital: Created page with "In some conditions you may want to host a Nextcloud instance on a server that has restrictions set, may it be from a security aspect or the reason to be able to have mandates...."

In some conditions you may want to host a Nextcloud instance on a server that has restrictions set, may it be from a security aspect or the reason to be able to have mandates.

This setup allows a user to use occ inside a chrooted SSH environment, however a couple changes need to be made to the Nextcloud "config/config.php" file.

=== Change 1: Adjusting the dbhost value (If database is local) ===
Edit the config.php file and change the dbhost, replace localhost with 127.0.0.1 like this:<syntaxhighlight lang="php">
'dbhost' => '127.0.0.1',
</syntaxhighlight>

=== Change 2: Adjust the datadirectory value ===
{{warning}} Adjust path to match relative location of data folder if necessary.<syntaxhighlight lang="php">
'datadirectory' => realpath(__dir__ . '/../data'),
</syntaxhighlight>

=== Conclusion ===
Now we should be able to run "php occ" inside our chrooted SSH environment, while still being able to load the Nextcloud instance.
[[Category:Nextcloud]]

Configure UFW to manage Docker related connections

2021-09-22T15:10:03Z

Discorddigital:

==Prologue==
This guide applies to Ubuntu 20.04. After you installed docker and setup UFW to block all connections by default, docker will bypass the firewall entirely.

To fix this issue follow this guide to configure Docker and UFW to properly work together.

=== /etc/docker/daemon.json===

Start by creating/editing following file: <code>/etc/docker/daemon.json</code><syntaxhighlight lang="json">
{
"iptables": false
}
</syntaxhighlight>

=== /etc/ufw/after.rules===
Then you need to edit following file as well: <code>/etc/ufw/after.rules</code>

Make sure to paste following lines '''before''' the last line in the file which is <code>COMMIT</code>

Also adjust <code>ens3</code> to your default interface name.<syntaxhighlight lang="md">
# Put Docker behind UFW
*filter
:DOCKER-USER - [0:0]
:ufw-user-input - [0:0]

-A DOCKER-USER -m conntrack --ctstate RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
-A DOCKER-USER -m conntrack --ctstate INVALID -j DROP
-A DOCKER-USER -i ens3 -j ufw-user-input
-A DOCKER-USER -i ens3 -j DROP
# End Docker UFW rules
</syntaxhighlight>Once you've done this, execute following commands to apply your changes:
{{warning}} This will restart all your docker containers.

<code>sudo systemctl restart ufw</code>

<code>sudo systemctl restart docker</code>

Test your configuration to make sure the changes are working.
[[Category:UFW]]
[[Category:Docker]]

Main Page

2021-09-13T11:27:30Z

Discorddigital:

<h2>Welcome to wiki.discord.digital</h2>
<p>I created this page to document information about projects and other tech related topics.</p>
<h6>Last changes</h6>
<DynamicPageList>
namespace = main
count = 100
ordermethod = lastedit
order = descending
notcategory = Main
</DynamicPageList>
[[Category:Main]]

Setting up AltServer on VMware ESXi

2021-07-26T13:55:58Z

Discorddigital: /* Configuring Windows Firewall */

===Prologue===
This guide will help you install [[:Category:AltServer|AltServer]] on a Windows virtual machine using VMware ESXi free edition.

At the end of this guide you'll be able to run AltServer without any user session in the background of your virtual machine.

We cover everything in this guide from port exceptions, antivirus software to Windows process handling of AltServer.

You can only do this setup if you plan to run a server 24/7, which can be any computer that is capable of virtualization on your network.

VMware ESXi will be able to run multiple other VMs and this guide will integrate into your home network.

You'll need following:

#a free VMware account which you can [https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/registration get here]
#a physical computer that is capable of virtualization
#an iPhone cable to do the initial bonding to iTunes
#(optional) a Windows 10 key to activate your machine
#basic network understanding of IPv4, static IP addresses and what a DHCP server is

===Getting VMware ESXi free===
After you signed up to VMware it will actually take a day for your free ESXi key to be made, but no need to wait,

ESXi can be downloaded anytime and will run in trial mode.

You can always check on your account if any product keys have been added, and add it later on.

The page you're looking for is https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/evalcenter?p=free-esxi7

You can now start by adding a physical drive (SSD recommended) to your virtualization host.

When you've done building your server, make sure to configure the BIOS for it to always start in the power options.

Flash the latest ESXi ISO file to a USB stick using a tool like [https://rufus.ie/en_IE.html Rufus].

Once the installation stick is ready, connect your server to your network, then insert the USB stick into your physical server and install ESXi like any Linux distribution.

When you're done you'll be prompted with an IP address on your server monitor.

At this point you can login through the monitor and change the IP address to a static one, make sure it is not inside the DHCP pool,

if it has to be inside the DHCP pool, make sure the DHCP server has a feature to detect static IP addresses to prevent multiple of the same IP addresses.

During installation you'll configure a user (root) and a password, which you'll need to log-on to the page.

Open the IP address shown on your server monitor on a modern browser like Firefox. Don't forget to add HTTPS. The address might look something like "<nowiki>https://192.168.0.493</nowiki>"

You're now ready to create a virtual machine.

===Installing your AltServer VM===

====Deciding on a name scheme====
Pick an appropriate name for your virtual machine, if you don't have a name scheme you can try something like:
{| class="wikitable"
!S
!AS
!01
|-
|Server
|Type : AltServer
|Count
|}
This scheme will result in a machine name such as '''SAS01''',

if you were to install a personal VM you might name it SVM01.

The naming scheme is pretty much irrelevant for the technical part, however it'll help you organize your virtual machines.

So make sure you pick a scheme that helps you design your virtual machines.

====Figure out a static IP address for your virtual machine====
Next you want to figure out an IP address configuration, so you can assign a static IP address to your AltServer VM.

This step will help you later on lower the complexity and increase the chance of succeeding a request from [[:Category:AltStore|AltStore]].

Take note of your configuration.

====Create the virtual machine====
Start by creating a new virtual machine on the web-interface of your VMware ESXi server, and fill out everything appropriately to your design.

Your machine should be named as previously mentioned by your scheme. You'll want to add at least 4 GB of ram and 100 GB of virtual disk storage.

On a long term run it has been proven to us that 100 GB is very appropriate for any Windows system including software, updates and Windows log files.

Once created you'll quickly realize you need an installation medium.

Grab one from the Microsoft page or use one that you already might have.

Then upload it to your ESXi server, preferably in a folder named "Install", but the name of the folder is up to you.

Edit your virtual machine and add the ISO file from your Datastore (storage on ESXi server), make sure it says "Connect at power on" and also "Connect" on the side of the option.

If you don't see a CD drive to mount an ISO file to, you can also add one by clicking "Add other device".

Finally start up the virtual machine and configure through it.

When you finally reached the desktop make sure to install VMware guest additions, so the virtual machine gets the full performance from your server.

====Configure your virtual machine====

===== Important things to configure =====
Add your optional Windows key as required, rename the virtual machine in the system properties to the name you gave your AltServer VM, and configure the static IP you decided on earlier.

If you don't add your Windows key, the virtual machine will just run fine. However personalization options will be disabled. (Wallpaper, color of task bar)

Don't forget to give your user a password. This will also improve the safety on a Windows machine that is running continuously.

===== About antivirus products =====
In case you want to run an antivirus software on it, make sure you also configure the antivirus to make exceptions for AltServer.

Some antivirus products come with built-in firewalls. So it might be necessary to configure port exceptions as well.

If you're not sure if your antivirus is causing problems. Uninstall your antivirus and see if the problems persists.

====Conclusion of this chapter====
You now have a virtual machine ready to be configured to run AltServer.

Follow the next chapter to setup iTunes, iCloud, AltServer, AltCheck and task scheduler to create a seamless AltServer VM experience.

===Setting up AltServer to run on a virtual machine===

====Download and install Apple software====
First you want to download all important software pieces from Apple.

You'll have to '''avoid''' store versions, as they don't come with the proper components AltServer need.

Download iTunes here: https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/win64/

Download iCloud here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204283 (Click on "download iCloud for Windows on Apple's website" where it says "'''* On Windows 7 and Windows 8...'''")

Install both on your virtual machine.

====Download and install AltServer====
Download AltServer from here: https://altstore.io/

Then install it normally, if you get prompted, install it for all users.

====Configuring Windows Firewall====
This step is a bit fiddly, but don't skip it otherwise you'll run into issues.

Open the Windows search, then search and open "Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security".

You'll see a window like this:

[[File:Windows_Firewall_settings.png|alt=|715x715px]]

Take a note on the left is a menu entry named "Inbound Rules", click on it to load the rules, then right click it and select "New Rule".

A new window will open which will look like this, switch the option to "Port", then click on '''Next'''.

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port.png]]

Configure next window to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port tcp altserver.png]]

Hit Next and leave the configuration as it is until you get to "Name", then name it "AltServer TCP".

Now, right click "Inbound Rules" again, and then "New Rule".

You'll do the very same but for "Protocol and Ports" you will select "'''UDP'''" and specify different ports.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port udp altserver.png]]

Configure through it until you get to "Name" and name it "AltServer UDP".

Finish the configuration and you're done configuring the Windows Firewall!

You can now close the Firewall related windows and move on to the next step.

====Connect your iPhone to the VM====
This step is pretty simple, grab the lightning to USB cable and plug it into your physical server.

Then while your virtual machine is running, edit it and hit "Add other device", then add a "USB controller".

Now click "Add other device" again, and hit "USB device", look for the USB device in the VM options and change it so the Apple iPhone is connected.

Save your VM settings and your iPhone should show up inside of iTunes on your AltServer VM.

Click on your phone and enable "Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi".

Great! You can now disconnect your iPhone from your server and also remove the cable.

====Configure AltServer====
At this point you should see AltServer on the bottom right, make sure to click it and uncheck "Automatically Launch at Startup".

This is because we don't want AltServer to run twice. If you skip the task scheduler step, then you can leave it enabled or enable it.

Now click AltServer and install AltStore on your iPhone, this will create the link between the phone and the server.

When done you can move on to the next step.

====Configure AltCheck====
AltCheck is a script written to monitor the "Apple Mobile Device Service" which is responsible for device connections.

It also monitors AltServer.exe and restarts it in the background when it crashes.

You can find a README on how to get this running here: https://github.com/DiscordDigital/AltCheck-Reborn

====Conclusion of this setup====
If we've done everything correctly we should now have AltServer running in the background of Windows.

AltStore can communicate to it over Wi-Fi and it should work more reliable than usually.

There's still a chance that something might hang up, if reproducible, please leave an issue on GitHub.

For general issues with AltServer (independent from this guide), please consult the AltStore Discord server. You can obtain the access through Patreon.

If you need to reconnect your iPhone to your virtual machine, you can do, but you most likely have to edit the virtual machine and re-select the iPhone.

For further additions or confusion, please consult me on Twitter. [https://twitter.com/discorddigital @DiscordDigital]
[[Category:AltServer]]
[[Category:AltStore]]
[[Category:Virtualization]]

Configure UFW to manage Docker related connections

2021-07-15T14:03:09Z

Discorddigital: Added information about network interface name.

==Prologue==
This guide applies to Ubuntu 20.04. After you installed docker and setup UFW to block all connections by default, docker will bypass the firewall entirely.

=== /etc/docker/daemon.json===

Start by creating/editing following file: <code>/etc/docker/daemon.json</code><syntaxhighlight lang="json">
{
"iptables": false
}
</syntaxhighlight>

=== /etc/ufw/after.rules===
Then you need to edit following file as well: <code>/etc/ufw/after.rules</code>

Make sure to paste following lines '''before''' the last line in the file which is <code>COMMIT</code>

Also adjust <code>ens3</code> to your default interface name.<syntaxhighlight lang="md">
# Put Docker behind UFW
*filter
:DOCKER-USER - [0:0]
:ufw-user-input - [0:0]

-A DOCKER-USER -m conntrack --ctstate RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
-A DOCKER-USER -m conntrack --ctstate INVALID -j DROP
-A DOCKER-USER -i ens3 -j ufw-user-input
-A DOCKER-USER -i ens3 -j DROP
# End Docker UFW rules
</syntaxhighlight>Once you've done this, execute following commands to apply your changes:
{{warning}} This will restart all your docker containers.

<code>sudo systemctl restart ufw</code>

<code>sudo systemctl restart docker</code>

Test your configuration to make sure the changes are working.
[[Category:UFW]]
[[Category:Docker]]

Template:Warning

2021-07-15T13:58:57Z

Discorddigital:

[[File:Small_Warning.png|link=]]

MediaWiki:Sidebar

2021-07-15T12:45:47Z

Discorddigital:

Configure UFW to manage Docker related connections

2021-07-15T12:40:59Z

Discorddigital:

==Prologue==
This guide applies to Ubuntu 20.04. After you installed docker and setup UFW to block all connections by default, docker will bypass the firewall entirely.

=== /etc/docker/daemon.json===

Start by creating/editing following file: <code>/etc/docker/daemon.json</code><syntaxhighlight lang="json">
{
"iptables": false
}
</syntaxhighlight>

=== /etc/ufw/after.rules===
Then you need to edit following file as well: <code>/etc/ufw/after.rules</code>
Make sure to paste following lines '''before''' the last line in the file which is <code>COMMIT</code><syntaxhighlight lang="md">
# Put Docker behind UFW
*filter
:DOCKER-USER - [0:0]
:ufw-user-input - [0:0]

-A DOCKER-USER -m conntrack --ctstate RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
-A DOCKER-USER -m conntrack --ctstate INVALID -j DROP
-A DOCKER-USER -i ens3 -j ufw-user-input
-A DOCKER-USER -i ens3 -j DROP
# End Docker UFW rules
</syntaxhighlight>Once you've done this, execute following commands to apply your changes:
{{warning}} This will restart all your docker containers.

<code>sudo systemctl restart ufw</code>

<code>sudo systemctl restart docker</code>

Test your configuration to make sure the changes are working.
[[Category:UFW]]
[[Category:Docker]]

Configure UFW to manage Docker related connections

2021-07-15T12:39:14Z

Discorddigital: Created page with "==Prologue== This guide applies to Ubuntu 20.04. After you installed docker and setup UFW to block all connections by default, docker will bypass the firewall entirely. You c..."

==Prologue==
This guide applies to Ubuntu 20.04. After you installed docker and setup UFW to block all connections by default, docker will bypass the firewall entirely.

You can fix this by creating/editing following file: <code>/etc/docker/daemon.json</code><syntaxhighlight lang="json">
{
"iptables": false
}
</syntaxhighlight>Once done, you need to edit following file as well: <code>/etc/ufw/after.rules</code>

Make sure to paste following lines '''before''' the last line in the file which is <code>COMMIT</code><syntaxhighlight lang="md">
# Put Docker behind UFW
*filter
:DOCKER-USER - [0:0]
:ufw-user-input - [0:0]

-A DOCKER-USER -m conntrack --ctstate RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
-A DOCKER-USER -m conntrack --ctstate INVALID -j DROP
-A DOCKER-USER -i ens3 -j ufw-user-input
-A DOCKER-USER -i ens3 -j DROP
# End Docker UFW rules
</syntaxhighlight>Once you've done this, execute following commands to apply your changes:
{{warning}} This will restart all your docker containers.

<code>sudo systemctl restart ufw</code>

<code>sudo systemctl restart docker</code>

Test your configuration to make sure the changes are working.
[[Category:UFW]]
[[Category:Docker]]

Template:Warning

2021-07-15T12:36:50Z

Discorddigital: Created page with "File:Small_Warning.png"

[[File:Small_Warning.png]]

File:Small Warning.png

2021-07-15T12:36:28Z

Discorddigital: A small warning icon.

== Summary ==
A small warning icon.

Setting up AltServer on VMware ESXi

2021-05-07T19:54:07Z

Discorddigital: Removed old AltCheck section and replaced it with a short link to the GitHub repository

===Prologue===
This guide will help you install [[:Category:AltServer|AltServer]] on a Windows virtual machine using VMware ESXi free edition.

At the end of this guide you'll be able to run AltServer without any user session in the background of your virtual machine.

We cover everything in this guide from port exceptions, antivirus software to Windows process handling of AltServer.

You can only do this setup if you plan to run a server 24/7, which can be any computer that is capable of virtualization on your network.

VMware ESXi will be able to run multiple other VMs and this guide will integrate into your home network.

You'll need following:

#a free VMware account which you can [https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/registration get here]
#a physical computer that is capable of virtualization
#an iPhone cable to do the initial bonding to iTunes
#(optional) a Windows 10 key to activate your machine
#basic network understanding of IPv4, static IP addresses and what a DHCP server is

===Getting VMware ESXi free===
After you signed up to VMware it will actually take a day for your free ESXi key to be made, but no need to wait,

ESXi can be downloaded anytime and will run in trial mode.

You can always check on your account if any product keys have been added, and add it later on.

The page you're looking for is https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/evalcenter?p=free-esxi7

You can now start by adding a physical drive (SSD recommended) to your virtualization host.

When you've done building your server, make sure to configure the BIOS for it to always start in the power options.

Flash the latest ESXi ISO file to a USB stick using a tool like [https://rufus.ie/en_IE.html Rufus].

Once the installation stick is ready, connect your server to your network, then insert the USB stick into your physical server and install ESXi like any Linux distribution.

When you're done you'll be prompted with an IP address on your server monitor.

At this point you can login through the monitor and change the IP address to a static one, make sure it is not inside the DHCP pool,

if it has to be inside the DHCP pool, make sure the DHCP server has a feature to detect static IP addresses to prevent multiple of the same IP addresses.

During installation you'll configure a user (root) and a password, which you'll need to log-on to the page.

Open the IP address shown on your server monitor on a modern browser like Firefox. Don't forget to add HTTPS. The address might look something like "<nowiki>https://192.168.0.493</nowiki>"

You're now ready to create a virtual machine.

===Installing your AltServer VM===

====Deciding on a name scheme====
Pick an appropriate name for your virtual machine, if you don't have a name scheme you can try something like:
{| class="wikitable"
!S
!AS
!01
|-
|Server
|Type : AltServer
|Count
|}
This scheme will result in a machine name such as '''SAS01''',

if you were to install a personal VM you might name it SVM01.

The naming scheme is pretty much irrelevant for the technical part, however it'll help you organize your virtual machines.

So make sure you pick a scheme that helps you design your virtual machines.

====Figure out a static IP address for your virtual machine====
Next you want to figure out an IP address configuration, so you can assign a static IP address to your AltServer VM.

This step will help you later on lower the complexity and increase the chance of succeeding a request from [[:Category:AltStore|AltStore]].

Take note of your configuration.

====Create the virtual machine====
Start by creating a new virtual machine on the web-interface of your VMware ESXi server, and fill out everything appropriately to your design.

Your machine should be named as previously mentioned by your scheme. You'll want to add at least 4 GB of ram and 100 GB of virtual disk storage.

On a long term run it has been proven to us that 100 GB is very appropriate for any Windows system including software, updates and Windows log files.

Once created you'll quickly realize you need an installation medium.

Grab one from the Microsoft page or use one that you already might have.

Then upload it to your ESXi server, preferably in a folder named "Install", but the name of the folder is up to you.

Edit your virtual machine and add the ISO file from your Datastore (storage on ESXi server), make sure it says "Connect at power on" and also "Connect" on the side of the option.

If you don't see a CD drive to mount an ISO file to, you can also add one by clicking "Add other device".

Finally start up the virtual machine and configure through it.

When you finally reached the desktop make sure to install VMware guest additions, so the virtual machine gets the full performance from your server.

====Configure your virtual machine====

===== Important things to configure =====
Add your optional Windows key as required, rename the virtual machine in the system properties to the name you gave your AltServer VM, and configure the static IP you decided on earlier.

If you don't add your Windows key, the virtual machine will just run fine. However personalization options will be disabled. (Wallpaper, color of task bar)

Don't forget to give your user a password. This will also improve the safety on a Windows machine that is running continuously.

===== About antivirus products =====
In case you want to run an antivirus software on it, make sure you also configure the antivirus to make exceptions for AltServer.

Some antivirus products come with built-in firewalls. So it might be necessary to configure port exceptions as well.

If you're not sure if your antivirus is causing problems. Uninstall your antivirus and see if the problems persists.

====Conclusion of this chapter====
You now have a virtual machine ready to be configured to run AltServer.

Follow the next chapter to setup iTunes, iCloud, AltServer, AltCheck and task scheduler to create a seamless AltServer VM experience.

===Setting up AltServer to run on a virtual machine===

====Download and install Apple software====
First you want to download all important software pieces from Apple.

You'll have to '''avoid''' store versions, as they don't come with the proper components AltServer need.

Download iTunes here: https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/win64/

Download iCloud here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204283 (Click on "download iCloud for Windows on Apple's website" where it says "'''* On Windows 7 and Windows 8...'''")

Install both on your virtual machine.

====Download and install AltServer====
Download AltServer from here: https://altstore.io/

Then install it normally, if you get prompted, install it for all users.

====Configuring Windows Firewall====
This step is a bit fiddly, but don't skip it otherwise you'll run into issues.

Open the Windows search, then search and open "Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security".

You'll see a window like this:
[[File:Windows_Firewall_settings.png|alt=|none|thumb|715x715px|Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security on Windows 10]]

Take a note on the left is a menu entry named "Inbound Rules", click on it to load the rules, then right click it and select "New Rule".

A new window will open which will look like this, switch the option to "Port", then click on '''Next'''.

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port.png]]

Configure next window to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port tcp altserver.png]]

Hit Next and leave the configuration as it is until you get to "Name", then name it "AltServer TCP".

Now, right click "Inbound Rules" again, and then "New Rule".

You'll do the very same but for "Protocol and Ports" you will select "'''UDP'''" and specify different ports.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port udp altserver.png]]

Configure through it until you get to "Name" and name it "AltServer UDP".

Finish the configuration and you're done configuring the Windows Firewall!

You can now close the Firewall related windows and move on to the next step.

====Connect your iPhone to the VM====
This step is pretty simple, grab the lightning to USB cable and plug it into your physical server.

Then while your virtual machine is running, edit it and hit "Add other device", then add a "USB controller".

Now click "Add other device" again, and hit "USB device", look for the USB device in the VM options and change it so the Apple iPhone is connected.

Save your VM settings and your iPhone should show up inside of iTunes on your AltServer VM.

Click on your phone and enable "Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi".

Great! You can now disconnect your iPhone from your server and also remove the cable.

====Configure AltServer====
At this point you should see AltServer on the bottom right, make sure to click it and uncheck "Automatically Launch at Startup".

This is because we don't want AltServer to run twice. If you skip the task scheduler step, then you can leave it enabled or enable it.

Now click AltServer and install AltStore on your iPhone, this will create the link between the phone and the server.

When done you can move on to the next step.

====Configure AltCheck====
AltCheck is a script written to monitor the "Apple Mobile Device Service" which is responsible for device connections.

It also monitors AltServer.exe and restarts it in the background when it crashes.

You can find a README on how to get this running here: https://github.com/DiscordDigital/AltCheck-Reborn

====Conclusion of this setup====
If we've done everything correctly we should now have AltServer running in the background of Windows.

AltStore can communicate to it over Wi-Fi and it should work more reliable than usually.

There's still a chance that something might hang up, if reproducible, please leave an issue on GitHub.

For general issues with AltServer (independent from this guide), please consult the AltStore Discord server. You can obtain the access through Patreon.

If you need to reconnect your iPhone to your virtual machine, you can do, but you most likely have to edit the virtual machine and re-select the iPhone.

For further additions or confusion, please consult me on Twitter. [https://twitter.com/discorddigital @DiscordDigital]
[[Category:AltServer]]
[[Category:AltStore]]
[[Category:Virtualization]]

Regenerate Anisette Data for iOS on Windows

2021-04-24T13:29:58Z

Discorddigital:

Apple creates a folder on Windows where it stores the Anisette Data, which is used for the signing process of iOS apps.

If you receive an error in AltStore or AltServer about invalid Anisette Data, you might want to delete the folder and reconnect your device.

This will regenerate the contents of the folder.

The folder is located here:

<code>C:\ProgramData\Apple Computer\iTunes\adi</code>

It is worth mentioning that the folder contains invisible files.

They're invisible because Apple sets the file attributes to invisible.

When deleting the folder or files you might have to trust the computer when reconnecting your iDevice.

There's also a chance you have to use 2-factor authentication to do so.

The files are being used by Software like [https://altstore.io AltStore].
[[Category:AltStore]]
[[Category:AltServer]]

Regenerate Anisette Data for iOS on Windows

2021-04-24T13:27:03Z

Discorddigital: Created page with "Apple creates a folder on Windows where it stores the Anisette Data, which is used for the signing process of iOS apps. If you receive an error in AltStore or AltServer about..."

Apple creates a folder on Windows where it stores the Anisette Data, which is used for the signing process of iOS apps.

If you receive an error in AltStore or AltServer about invalid Anisette Data, you might want to delete the folder and reconnect your device.

This will regenerate the contents of the folder.

The folder is located here: <syntaxhighlight>
C:\ProgramData\Apple Computer\iTunes\adi
</syntaxhighlight>It is worth mentioning that the folder contains invisible files.

They're invisible because Apple sets the file attributes to invisible.

When deleting the folder or files you might have to trust the computer when reconnecting your iDevice.

There's also a chance you have to use 2-factor authentication to do so.

The files are being used by Software like [https://altstore.io AltStore].
[[Category:AltStore]]
[[Category:AltServer]]

Setting up AltServer on VMware ESXi

2021-03-06T18:09:41Z

Discorddigital:

===Prologue===
This guide will help you install [[:Category:AltServer|AltServer]] on a Windows virtual machine using VMware ESXi free edition.

At the end of this guide you'll be able to run AltServer without any user session in the background of your virtual machine.

We cover everything in this guide from port exceptions, antivirus software to Windows process handling of AltServer.

You can only do this setup if you plan to run a server 24/7, which can be any computer that is capable of virtualization on your network.

VMware ESXi will be able to run multiple other VMs and this guide will integrate into your home network.

You'll need following:

#a free VMware account which you can [https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/registration get here]
#a physical computer that is capable of virtualization
#an iPhone cable to do the initial bonding to iTunes
#(optional) a Windows 10 key to activate your machine
#basic network understanding of IPv4, static IP addresses and what a DHCP server is

===Getting VMware ESXi free===
After you signed up to VMware it will actually take a day for your free ESXi key to be made, but no need to wait,

ESXi can be downloaded anytime and will run in trial mode.

You can always check on your account if any product keys have been added, and add it later on.

The page you're looking for is https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/evalcenter?p=free-esxi7

You can now start by adding a physical drive (SSD recommended) to your virtualization host.

When you've done building your server, make sure to configure the BIOS for it to always start in the power options.

Flash the latest ESXi ISO file to a USB stick using a tool like [https://rufus.ie/en_IE.html Rufus].

Once the installation stick is ready, connect your server to your network, then insert the USB stick into your physical server and install ESXi like any Linux distribution.

When you're done you'll be prompted with an IP address on your server monitor.

At this point you can login through the monitor and change the IP address to a static one, make sure it is not inside the DHCP pool,

if it has to be inside the DHCP pool, make sure the DHCP server has a feature to detect static IP addresses to prevent multiple of the same IP addresses.

During installation you'll configure a user (root) and a password, which you'll need to log-on to the page.

Open the IP address shown on your server monitor on a modern browser like Firefox. Don't forget to add HTTPS. The address might look something like "<nowiki>https://192.168.0.493</nowiki>"

You're now ready to create a virtual machine.

===Installing your AltServer VM===

====Deciding on a name scheme====
Pick an appropriate name for your virtual machine, if you don't have a name scheme you can try something like:
{| class="wikitable"
!S
!AS
!01
|-
|Server
|Type : AltServer
|Count
|}
This scheme will result in a machine name such as '''SAS01''',

if you were to install a personal VM you might name it SVM01.

The naming scheme is pretty much irrelevant for the technical part, however it'll help you organize your virtual machines.

So make sure you pick a scheme that helps you design your virtual machines.

====Figure out a static IP address for your virtual machine====
Next you want to figure out an IP address configuration, so you can assign a static IP address to your AltServer VM.

This step will help you later on lower the complexity and increase the chance of succeeding a request from [[:Category:AltStore|AltStore]].

Take note of your configuration.

====Create the virtual machine====
Start by creating a new virtual machine on the web-interface of your VMware ESXi server, and fill out everything appropriately to your design.

Your machine should be named as previously mentioned by your scheme. You'll want to add at least 4 GB of ram and 100 GB of virtual disk storage.

On a long term run it has been proven to us that 100 GB is very appropriate for any Windows system including software, updates and Windows log files.

Once created you'll quickly realize you need an installation medium.

Grab one from the Microsoft page or use one that you already might have.

Then upload it to your ESXi server, preferably in a folder named "Install", but the name of the folder is up to you.

Edit your virtual machine and add the ISO file from your Datastore (storage on ESXi server), make sure it says "Connect at power on" and also "Connect" on the side of the option.

If you don't see a CD drive to mount an ISO file to, you can also add one by clicking "Add other device".

Finally start up the virtual machine and configure through it.

When you finally reached the desktop make sure to install VMware guest additions, so the virtual machine gets the full performance from your server.

====Configure your virtual machine====

===== Important things to configure =====
Add your optional Windows key as required, rename the virtual machine in the system properties to the name you gave your AltServer VM, and configure the static IP you decided on earlier.

If you don't add your Windows key, the virtual machine will just run fine. However personalization options will be disabled. (Wallpaper, color of task bar)

Don't forget to give your user a password. This will also improve the safety on a Windows machine that is running continuously.

===== About antivirus products =====
In case you want to run an antivirus software on it, make sure you also configure the antivirus to make exceptions for AltServer.

Some antivirus products come with built-in firewalls. So it might be necessary to configure port exceptions as well.

If you're not sure if your antivirus is causing problems. Uninstall your antivirus and see if the problems persists.

====Conclusion of this chapter====
You now have a virtual machine ready to be configured to run AltServer.

Follow the next chapter to setup iTunes, iCloud, AltServer, AltCheck and task scheduler to create a seamless AltServer VM experience.

===Setting up AltServer to run on a virtual machine===

====Download and install Apple software====
First you want to download all important software pieces from Apple.

You'll have to '''avoid''' store versions, as they don't come with the proper components AltServer need.

Download iTunes here: https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/win64/

Download iCloud here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204283 (Click on "download iCloud for Windows on Apple's website" where it says "'''* On Windows 7 and Windows 8...'''")

Install both on your virtual machine.

====Download and install AltServer====
Download AltServer from here: https://altstore.io/

Then install it normally, if you get prompted, install it for all users.

====Configuring Windows Firewall====
This step is a bit fiddly, but don't skip it otherwise you'll run into issues.

Open the Windows search, then search and open "Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security".

You'll see a window like this:
[[File:Windows_Firewall_settings.png|alt=|none|thumb|715x715px|Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security on Windows 10]]

Take a note on the left is a menu entry named "Inbound Rules", click on it to load the rules, then right click it and select "New Rule".

A new window will open which will look like this, switch the option to "Port", then click on '''Next'''.

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port.png]]

Configure next window to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port tcp altserver.png]]

Hit Next and leave the configuration as it is until you get to "Name", then name it "AltServer TCP".

Now, right click "Inbound Rules" again, and then "New Rule".

You'll do the very same but for "Protocol and Ports" you will select "'''UDP'''" and specify different ports.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port udp altserver.png]]

Configure through it until you get to "Name" and name it "AltServer UDP".

Finish the configuration and you're done configuring the Windows Firewall!

You can now close the Firewall related windows and move on to the next step.

====Connect your iPhone to the VM====
This step is pretty simple, grab the lightning to USB cable and plug it into your physical server.

Then while your virtual machine is running, edit it and hit "Add other device", then add a "USB controller".

Now click "Add other device" again, and hit "USB device", look for the USB device in the VM options and change it so the Apple iPhone is connected.

Save your VM settings and your iPhone should show up inside of iTunes on your AltServer VM.

Click on your phone and enable "Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi".

Great! You can now disconnect your iPhone from your server and also remove the cable.

====Configure AltServer====
At this point you should see AltServer on the bottom right, make sure to click it and uncheck "Automatically Launch at Startup".

This is because we don't want AltServer to run twice. If you skip the task scheduler step, then you can leave it enabled or enable it.

Now click AltServer and install AltStore on your iPhone, this will create the link between the phone and the server.

When done you can move on to the next step.

====Configure AltCheck====
AltCheck is a small batch script designed to run on Windows, it will check if AltServer crashed and automatically launch it again.

It will also continuously restart the "Apple Mobile Device Service", when no phone is detected.

That way internal hang-ups caused by Apples complicated mdns communication path will be aborted and a new fresh connection will be reestablished.

And alternative to AltCheck is just manually restarting the service which can be a bit tedious.

AltCheck is developed by DiscordDigital and has a repository on GitHub which you can find here: https://github.com/DiscordDigital/AltCheck

Follow all steps on the README except the steps for the Firewall, because that's what we've done already previously.

I recommend you put it in your documents folder inside another folder named something like "AltCheck".

Once completed putting the files into the right place you can launch the included Start_Altcheck.bat.

If everything behaves like it should you can actually run it like that, however if you sign off, AltCheck and AltServer will turn off.

To make it run persistently in the background follow the next step.

====Configuring Task Scheduler====
Open the Windows search and search for "Task Scheduler", you'll find a window that looks like this:
[[File:Windows_task_scheduler.png|alt=|none|thumb|744x744px|Windows Task Scheduler]]

Click on "Task Scheduler Library", on the right of the window you'll find an option named "New Folder".

Create a new folder and name it AltCheck.

Then right click AltCheck and create a new task.

Name it "AltCheck - AltServer Monitor", check "Run whether user is logged on or not" and also check "Run with highest privileges".

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck general.png]]

Go to Triggers and hit "New".

Change "Begin the task:' to "At startup" and make sure it is set to "Enabled" on the bottom.

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck trigger.png]]

Then switch to Actions. And also hit New.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck action monitor.png]]

Save it and go to Conditions, then uncheck "Start the task only if the computer is on AC power".

And also uncheck "Stop if the computer switches to battery power".

Move to Settings and uncheck everything '''except''' the first checkbox which is "Allow task to be run on demand".

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck settings monitor.png]]

Save it and enter your password when asked, then repeat the same steps, but name the second task "AltCheck - iMobileDevice Monitor"

Configure everything the same except the Actions.

The action you want to configure for that task will look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck action imobile.png]]

When saving that task, make sure to enter your password when asked and save it.

Once successfully configured your AltCheck folder should look like this:
[[File:Windows_task_scheduler_altcheck_overview.png|alt=|none|thumb|760x760px|Windows Task Scheduler with AltCheck tasks]]

Restart your virtual machine and don't login.

Try using AltStore on your phone and it should work.

When you log-in to your VM you'll notice that there's no AltServer Icon, in case you need it, you can just start another AltServer instance and use that one.

For other maintenance purposes you can open the Task Scheduler and right click both tasks individually and hit "Disable".

You might want to restart after disabling them to assure they're not running anymore.

====Conclusion of this setup====
If we've done everything correctly we should now have AltServer running in the background of Windows.

AltStore can communicate to it over Wi-Fi and it should work more reliable than usually.

There's still a chance that something might hang up, if reproducible, please leave an issue on GitHub.

For general issues with AltServer (independent from this guide), please consult the AltStore Discord server. You can obtain the access through Patreon.

If you need to reconnect your iPhone to your virtual machine, you can do, but you most likely have to edit the virtual machine and re-select the iPhone.

For further additions or confusion, please consult me on Twitter. [https://twitter.com/discorddigital @DiscordDigital]
[[Category:AltServer]]
[[Category:AltStore]]
[[Category:Virtualization]]

Setting up AltServer on VMware ESXi

2021-03-06T16:41:15Z

Discorddigital:

===Prologue===
This guide will help you install [[:Category:AltServer|AltServer]] on a Windows virtual machine using VMware ESXi free edition.

At the end of this guide you'll be able to run AltServer without any user session in the background of your virtual machine.

We cover everything in this guide from port exceptions, antivirus software to Windows process handling of AltServer.

You can only do this setup if you plan to run a server 24/7, which can be any computer that is capable of virtualization on your network.

VMware ESXi will be able to run multiple other VMs and this guide will integrate into your home network.

You'll need following:

#a free VMware account which you can [https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/registration get here]
#a physical computer that is capable of virtualization
#an iPhone cable to do the initial bonding to iTunes
#(optional) a Windows 10 key to activate your machine
#basic network understanding of IPv4, static IP addresses and what a DHCP server is

===Getting VMware ESXi free===
After you signed up to VMware it will actually take a day for your free ESXi key to be made, but no need to wait,

ESXi can be downloaded anytime and will run in trial mode.

You can always check on your account if any product keys have been added, and add it later on.

The page you're looking for is https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/evalcenter?p=free-esxi7

You can now start by adding a physical drive (SSD recommended) to your virtualization host.

When you've done building your server, make sure to configure the BIOS for it to always start in the power options.

Flash the latest ESXi ISO file to a USB stick using a tool like [https://rufus.ie/en_IE.html Rufus].

Once the installation stick is ready, connect your server to your network, then insert the USB stick into your physical server and install ESXi like any Linux distribution.

When you're done you'll be prompted with an IP address on your server monitor.

At this point you can login through the monitor and change the IP address to a static one, make sure it is not inside the DHCP pool,

if it has to be inside the DHCP pool, make sure the DHCP server has a feature to detect static IP addresses to prevent multiple of the same IP addresses.

During installation you'll configure a user (root) and a password, which you'll need to log-on to the page.

Open the IP address shown on your server monitor on a modern browser like Firefox. Don't forget to add HTTPS. The address might look something like "<nowiki>https://192.168.0.493</nowiki>"

You're now ready to create a virtual machine.

===Installing your AltServer VM===

====Deciding on a name scheme====
Pick an appropriate name for your virtual machine, if you don't have a name scheme you can try something like:
{| class="wikitable"
!S
!AS
!01
|-
|Server
|Type : AltServer
|Count
|}
This scheme will result in a machine name such as '''SAS01''',

if you were to install a personal VM you might name it SVM01.

The naming scheme is pretty much irrelevant for the technical part, however it'll help you organize your virtual machines.

So make sure you pick a scheme that helps you design your virtual machines.

====Figure out a static IP address for your virtual machine====
Next you want to figure out an IP address configuration, so you can assign a static IP address to your AltServer VM.

This step will help you later on lower the complexity and increase the chance of succeeding a request from [[:Category:AltStore|AltStore]].

Take note of your configuration.

====Create the virtual machine====
Start by creating a new virtual machine on the web-interface of your VMware ESXi server, and fill out everything appropriately to your design.

Your machine should be named as previously mentioned by your scheme. You'll want to add at least 4 GB of ram and 100 GB of virtual disk storage.

On a long term run it has been proven to us that 100 GB is very appropriate for any Windows system including software, updates and Windows log files.

Once created you'll quickly realize you need an installation medium.

Grab one from the Microsoft page or use one that you already might have.

Then upload it to your ESXi server, preferably in a folder named "Install", but the name of the folder is up to you.

Edit your virtual machine and add the ISO file from your Datastore (storage on ESXi server), make sure it says "Connect at power on" and also "Connect" on the side of the option.

If you don't see a CD drive to mount an ISO file to, you can also add one by clicking "Add other device".

Finally start up the virtual machine and configure through it.

When you finally reached the desktop make sure to install VMware guest additions, so the virtual machine gets the full performance from your server.

====Configure your virtual machine====

===== Important things to configure =====
Add your optional Windows key as required, rename the virtual machine in the system properties to the name you gave your AltServer VM, and configure the static IP you decided on earlier.

If you don't add your Windows key, the virtual machine will just run fine. However personalization options will be disabled. (Wallpaper, color of task bar)

Don't forget to give your user a password. This will also improve the safety on a Windows machine that is running continuously.

===== About antivirus products =====
In case you want to run an antivirus software on it, make sure you also configure the antivirus to make exceptions for AltServer.

Some antivirus products come with built-in firewalls. So it might be necessary to configure port exceptions as well.

If you're not sure if your antivirus is causing problems. Uninstall your antivirus and see if the problems persists.

====Conclusion of this chapter====
You now have a virtual machine ready to be configured to run AltServer.

Follow the next chapter to setup iTunes, iCloud, AltServer, AltCheck and task scheduler to create a seamless AltServer VM experience.

===Setting up AltServer to run on a virtual machine===

====Download and install Apple software====
First you want to download all important software pieces from Apple.

You'll have to '''avoid''' store versions, as they don't come with the proper components AltServer need.

Download iTunes here: https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/win64/

Download iCloud here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204283 (Click on "download iCloud for Windows on Apple's website" where it says "'''* On Windows 7 and Windows 8...'''")

Install both on your virtual machine.

====Download and install AltServer====
Download AltServer from here: https://altstore.io/

Then install it normally, if you get prompted, install it for all users.

====Configuring Windows Firewall====
This step is a bit fiddly, but don't skip it otherwise you'll run into issues.

Open the Windows search and open "Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security".

You'll see a window like this:
[[File:Windows_Firewall_settings.png|alt=|none|thumb|715x715px|Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security on Windows 10]]

Take a note on the left is a menu entry named "Inbound Rules", click on it to load the rules, then right click it and select "New Rule".

A new window will open which will look like this, switch the option to "Port", then click on '''Next'''.

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port.png]]

Configure next window to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port tcp altserver.png]]

Hit Next and leave the configuration as it is until you get to "Name", then name it "AltServer TCP".

Now, right click "Inbound Rules" again, and then "New Rule".

You'll do the very same but for "Protocol and Ports" you will select "'''UDP'''" and specify different ports.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port udp altserver.png]]

Configure through it until you get to "Name" and name it "AltServer UDP".

Finish the configuration and you're done configuring the Windows Firewall!

You can now close the Firewall related windows and move on to the next step.

====Connect your iPhone to the VM====
This step is pretty simple, grab the lightning to USB cable and plug it into your physical server.

Then while your virtual machine is running, edit it and hit "Add other device", then add a "USB controller".

Now click "Add other device" again, and hit "USB device", look for the USB device in the VM options and change it so the Apple iPhone is connected.

Save your VM settings and your iPhone should show up inside of iTunes on your AltServer VM.

Click on your phone and enable "Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi".

Great! You can now disconnect your iPhone from your server and also remove the cable.

====Configure AltServer====
At this point you should see AltServer on the bottom right, make sure to click it and uncheck "Automatically Launch at Startup".

This is because we don't want AltServer to run twice. If you skip the task scheduler step, then you can leave it enabled or enable it.

Now click AltServer and install AltStore on your iPhone, this will create the link between the phone and the server.

When done you can move on to the next step.

====Configure AltCheck====
AltCheck is a small batch script designed to run on Windows, it will check if AltServer crashed and automatically launch it again.

It will also continuously restart the "Apple Mobile Device Service", when no phone is detected.

That way internal hang-ups caused by Apples complicated mdns communication path will be aborted and a new fresh connection will be reestablished.

And alternative to AltCheck is just manually restarting the service which can be a bit tedious.

AltCheck is developed by DiscordDigital and has a repository on GitHub which you can find here: https://github.com/DiscordDigital/AltCheck

Follow all steps on the README except the steps for the Firewall, because that's what we've done already previously.

I recommend you put it in your documents folder inside another folder named something like "AltCheck".

Once completed putting the files into the right place you can launch the included Start_Altcheck.bat.

If everything behaves like it should you can actually run it like that, however if you sign off, AltCheck and AltServer will turn off.

To make it run persistently in the background follow the next step.

====Configuring Task Scheduler====
Open the Windows search and search for "Task Scheduler", you'll find a window that looks like this:
[[File:Windows_task_scheduler.png|alt=|none|thumb|744x744px|Windows Task Scheduler]]

Click on "Task Scheduler Library", on the right of the window you'll find an option named "New Folder".

Create a new folder and name it AltCheck.

Then right click AltCheck and create a new task.

Name it "AltCheck - AltServer Monitor", check "Run whether user is logged on or not" and also check "Run with highest privileges".

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck general.png]]

Go to Triggers and hit "New".

Change "Begin the task:' to "At startup" and make sure it is set to "Enabled" on the bottom.

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck trigger.png]]

Then switch to Actions. And also hit New.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck action monitor.png]]

Save it and go to Conditions, then uncheck "Start the task only if the computer is on AC power".

And also uncheck "Stop if the computer switches to battery power".

Move to Settings and uncheck everything '''except''' the first checkbox which is "Allow task to be run on demand".

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck settings monitor.png]]

Save it and enter your password when asked, then repeat the same steps, but name the second task "AltCheck - iMobileDevice Monitor"

Configure everything the same except the Actions.

The action you want to configure for that task will look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck action imobile.png]]

When saving that task, make sure to enter your password when asked and save it.

Once successfully configured your AltCheck folder should look like this:
[[File:Windows_task_scheduler_altcheck_overview.png|alt=|none|thumb|760x760px|Windows Task Scheduler with AltCheck tasks]]

Restart your virtual machine and don't login.

Try using AltStore on your phone and it should work.

When you log-in to your VM you'll notice that there's no AltServer Icon, in case you need it, you can just start another AltServer instance and use that one.

For other maintenance purposes you can open the Task Scheduler and right click both tasks individually and hit "Disable".

You might want to restart after disabling them to assure they're not running anymore.

====Conclusion of this setup====
If we've done everything correctly we should now have AltServer running in the background of Windows.

AltStore can communicate to it over Wi-Fi and it should work more reliable than usually.

There's still a chance that something might hang up, if reproducible, please leave an issue on GitHub.

For general issues with AltServer (independent from this guide), please consult the AltStore Discord server. You can obtain the access through Patreon.

If you need to reconnect your iPhone to your virtual machine, you can do, but you most likely have to edit the virtual machine and re-select the iPhone.

For further additions or confusion, please consult me on Twitter. [https://twitter.com/discorddigital @DiscordDigital]
[[Category:AltServer]]
[[Category:AltStore]]
[[Category:Virtualization]]

Setting up AltServer on VMware ESXi

2021-03-02T15:45:22Z

Discorddigital: Added information about antivirus software, fixed a typo.

===Prologue===
This guide will help you install [[:Category:AltServer|AltServer]] on a Windows virtual machine using VMware ESXi free edition.

At the end of this guide you'll be able to run AltServer without any user session in the background of your virtual machine.

We cover everything in this guide from port exceptions, antivirus software to Windows process handling of AltServer.

You can only do this setup if you plan to run a server 24/7, which can be any computer that is capable of virtualization on your network.

VMware ESXi will be able to run multiple other VMs and this guide will integrate into your home network.

You'll need following:

#a free VMware account which you can [https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/registration get here]
#a physical computer that is capable of virtualization
#an iPhone cable to do the initial bonding to iTunes
#(optional) a Windows 10 key to activate your machine
#basic network understanding of IPv4, static IP addresses and what a DHCP server is

===Getting VMware ESXi free===
After you signed up to VMware it will actually take a day for your free ESXi key to be made, but no need to wait,

ESXi can be downloaded anytime and will run in trial mode.

You can always check on your account if any product keys have been added, and add it later on.

The page you're looking for is https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/evalcenter?p=free-esxi7

You can now start by adding a physical drive (SSD recommended) to your virtualization host.

When you've done building your server, make sure to configure the BIOS for it to always start in the power options.

Flash the latest ESXi ISO file to a USB stick using a tool like [https://rufus.ie/en_IE.html Rufus].

Once the installation stick is ready, connect your server to your network, then insert the USB stick into your physical server and install ESXi like any Linux distribution.

When you're done you'll be prompted with an IP address on your server monitor.

At this point you can login through the monitor and change the IP address to a static one, make sure it is not inside the DHCP pool,

if it has to be inside the DHCP pool, make sure the DHCP server has a feature to detect static IP addresses to prevent multiple of the same IP addresses.

During installation you'll configure a user (root) and a password, which you'll need to log-on to the page.

Open the IP address shown on your server monitor on a modern browser like Firefox. Don't forget to add HTTPS. The address might look something like "<nowiki>https://192.168.0.493</nowiki>"

You're now ready to create a virtual machine.

===Installing your AltServer VM===

====Deciding on a name scheme====
Pick an appropriate name for your virtual machine, if you don't have a name scheme you can try something like:
{| class="wikitable"
!S
!AS
!01
|-
|Server
|Type : AltServer
|Count
|}
This scheme will result in a machine name such as '''SAS01''',

if you were to install a personal VM you might name it SVM01.

The naming scheme is pretty much irrelevant for the technical part, however it'll help you organize your virtual machines.

So make sure you pick a scheme that helps you design your virtual machines.

====Figure out a static IP address for your virtual machine====
Next you want to figure out an IP address configuration, so you can assign a static IP address to your AltServer VM.

This step will help you later on lower the complexity and increase the chance of succeeding a request from [[:Category:AltStore|AltStore]].

Take note of your configuration.

====Create the virtual machine====
Start by creating a new virtual machine on the web-interface of your VMware ESXi server, and fill out everything appropriately to your design.

Your machine should be named as previously mentioned by your scheme. You'll want to add at least 4 GB of ram and 100 GB of virtual disk storage.

On a long term run it has been proven to us that 100 GB is very appropriate for any Windows system including software, updates and Windows log files.

Once created you'll quickly realize you need an installation medium.

Grab one from the Microsoft page or use one that you already might have.

Then upload it to your ESXi server, preferably in a folder named "Install", but the name of the folder is up to you.

Edit your virtual machine and add the ISO file from your Datastore (storage on ESXi server), make sure it says "Connect at power on" and also "Connect" on the side of the option.

If you don't see a CD drive to mount an ISO file to, you can also add one by clicking "Add other device".

Finally start up the virtual machine and configure through it.

When you finally reached the desktop make sure to install VMware guest additions, so the virtual machine gets the full performance from your server.

====Configure your virtual machine====

===== Important things to configure =====
Add your optional Windows key as required, rename the virtual machine in the system properties to the name you gave your AltServer VM, and configure the static IP you decided on earlier.

If you don't add your Windows key, the virtual machine will just run fine. However personalization options will be disabled. (Wallpaper, color of task bar)

Don't forget to give your user a password. This will also improve the safety on a Windows machine that is running continuously.

===== About antivirus products =====
In case you want to run an antivirus software on it, make sure you also configure the antivirus to make exceptions for AltServer.

Some antivirus products come with built-in firewalls. So it might be necessary to configure port exceptions as well.

If you're not sure if your antivirus is causing problems. Uninstall your antivirus and see if the problems persists.

====Conclusion of this chapter====
You now have a virtual machine ready to be configured to run AltServer.

Follow the next chapter to setup iTunes, iCloud, AltServer, AltCheck and task scheduler to create a seamless AltServer VM experience.

===Setting up AltServer to run on a virtual machine===

====Download and install Apple software====
First you want to download all important software pieces from Apple.

You'll have to '''avoid''' store versions, as they don't come with the proper components AltServer need.

Download iTunes here: https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/win64/

Download iCloud here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204283 (Click on "download iCloud for Windows on Apple's website" where it says "'''* On Windows 7 and Windows 8...'''")

Install both on your virtual machine.

====Download and install AltServer====
Download AltServer from here: https://altstore.io/

Then install it normally, if you get prompted, install it for all users.

====Configuring Windows Firewall====
This step is a bit fiddly, but don't skip it otherwise you'll run into issues.

Open the Windows search and open "Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security".

You'll see a window like this:
[[File:Windows_Firewall_settings.png|alt=|none|thumb|715x715px|Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security on Windows 10]]

Take a note on the left is a menu entry named "Inbound Rules", click on it to load the rules, then right click it and select "New Rule".

A new window will open which will look like this, click on '''Next'''.

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port.png]]

Configure next window to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port tcp altserver.png]]

Hit Next and leave the configuration as it is until you get to "Name", then name it "AltServer TCP".

Now, right click "Inbound Rules" again, and then "New Rule".

You'll do the very same but for "Protocol and Ports" you will select "'''UDP'''" and specify different ports.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port udp altserver.png]]

Configure through it until you get to "Name" and name it "AltServer UDP".

Finish the configuration and you're done configuring the Windows Firewall!

You can now close the Firewall related windows and move on to the next step.

====Connect your iPhone to the VM====
This step is pretty simple, grab the lightning to USB cable and plug it into your physical server.

Then while your virtual machine is running, edit it and hit "Add other device", then add a "USB controller".

Now click "Add other device" again, and hit "USB device", look for the USB device in the VM options and change it so the Apple iPhone is connected.

Save your VM settings and your iPhone should show up inside of iTunes on your AltServer VM.

Click on your phone and enable "Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi".

Great! You can now disconnect your iPhone from your server and also remove the cable.

====Configure AltServer====
At this point you should see AltServer on the bottom right, make sure to click it and uncheck "Automatically Launch at Startup".

This is because we don't want AltServer to run twice. If you skip the task scheduler step, then you can leave it enabled or enable it.

Now click AltServer and install AltStore on your iPhone, this will create the link between the phone and the server.

When done you can move on to the next step.

====Configure AltCheck====
AltCheck is a small batch script designed to run on Windows, it will check if AltServer crashed and automatically launch it again.

It will also continuously restart the "Apple Mobile Device Service", when no phone is detected.

That way internal hang-ups caused by Apples complicated mdns communication path will be aborted and a new fresh connection will be reestablished.

And alternative to AltCheck is just manually restarting the service which can be a bit tedious.

AltCheck is developed by DiscordDigital and has a repository on GitHub which you can find here: https://github.com/DiscordDigital/AltCheck

Follow all steps on the README except the steps for the Firewall, because that's what we've done already previously.

I recommend you put it in your documents folder inside another folder named something like "AltCheck".

Once completed putting the files into the right place you can launch the included Start_Altcheck.bat.

If everything behaves like it should you can actually run it like that, however if you sign off, AltCheck and AltServer will turn off.

To make it run persistently in the background follow the next step.

====Configuring Task Scheduler====
Open the Windows search and search for "Task Scheduler", you'll find a window that looks like this:
[[File:Windows_task_scheduler.png|alt=|none|thumb|744x744px|Windows Task Scheduler]]

Click on "Task Scheduler Library", on the right of the window you'll find an option named "New Folder".

Create a new folder and name it AltCheck.

Then right click AltCheck and create a new task.

Name it "AltCheck - AltServer Monitor", check "Run whether user is logged on or not" and also check "Run with highest privileges".

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck general.png]]

Go to Triggers and hit "New".

Change "Begin the task:' to "At startup" and make sure it is set to "Enabled" on the bottom.

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck trigger.png]]

Then switch to Actions. And also hit New.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck action monitor.png]]

Save it and go to Conditions, then uncheck "Start the task only if the computer is on AC power".

And also uncheck "Stop if the computer switches to battery power".

Move to Settings and uncheck everything '''except''' the first checkbox which is "Allow task to be run on demand".

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck settings monitor.png]]

Save it and enter your password when asked, then repeat the same steps, but name the second task "AltCheck - iMobileDevice Monitor"

Configure everything the same except the Actions.

The action you want to configure for that task will look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck action imobile.png]]

When saving that task, make sure to enter your password when asked and save it.

Once successfully configured your AltCheck folder should look like this:
[[File:Windows_task_scheduler_altcheck_overview.png|alt=|none|thumb|760x760px|Windows Task Scheduler with AltCheck tasks]]

Restart your virtual machine and don't login.

Try using AltStore on your phone and it should work.

When you log-in to your VM you'll notice that there's no AltServer Icon, in case you need it, you can just start another AltServer instance and use that one.

For other maintenance purposes you can open the Task Scheduler and right click both tasks individually and hit "Disable".

You might want to restart after disabling them to assure they're not running anymore.

====Conclusion of this setup====
If we've done everything correctly we should now have AltServer running in the background of Windows.

AltStore can communicate to it over Wi-Fi and it should work more reliable than usually.

There's still a chance that something might hang up, if reproducible, please leave an issue on GitHub.

For general issues with AltServer (independent from this guide), please consult the AltStore Discord server. You can obtain the access through Patreon.

If you need to reconnect your iPhone to your virtual machine, you can do, but you most likely have to edit the virtual machine and re-select the iPhone.

For further additions or confusion, please consult me on Twitter. [https://twitter.com/discorddigital @DiscordDigital]
[[Category:AltServer]]
[[Category:AltStore]]
[[Category:Virtualization]]

Category:AltStore

2021-03-01T21:56:42Z

Discorddigital: Fixed the description to more accurately represent what AltStore does in consideration of paid developer accounts.

AltStore is an App developed by [https://twitter.com/rileytestut Riley Testut] which allows signing iOS apps by using an Apple developer account of the user. Apps signed with a free Apple developer account will expire in 7 days. When apps are signed with a paid Apple developer account, the apps will expire in 365 days. You can find the official page here: https://altstore.io/

Setting up AltServer on VMware ESXi

2021-03-01T21:52:44Z

Discorddigital:

===Prologue===
This guide will help you install [[:Category:AltServer|AltServer]] on a Windows virtual machine using VMware ESXi free edition.

At the end of this guide you'll be able to run AltServer without any user session in the background of your virtual machine.

We cover everything in this guide from port exceptions, antivirus software to Windows process handling of AltServer.

You can only do this setup if you plan to run a server 24/7, which can be any computer that is capable of virtualization on your network.

VMware ESXi will be able to run multiple other VMs and this guide will integrate into your home network.

You'll need following:

#a free VMware account which you can [https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/registration get here]
#a physical computer that is capable of virtualization
#an iPhone cable to do the initial bonding to iTunes
#(optional) a Windows 10 key to activate your machine
#basic network understanding of IPv4, static IP addresses and what a DHCP server is

===Getting VMware ESXi free===
After you signed up to VMware it will actually take a day for your free ESXi key to be made, but no need to wait,

ESXi can be downloaded anytime and will run in trial mode.

You can always check on your account if any product keys have been added, and add it later on.

The page you're looking for is https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/evalcenter?p=free-esxi7

You can now start by adding a physical drive (SSD recommended) to your virtualization host.

When you've done building your server, make sure to configure the BIOS for it to always start in the power options.

Flash the latest ESXi ISO file to a USB stick using a tool like [https://rufus.ie/en_IE.html Rufus].

Once the installation stick is ready, connect your server to your network, then insert the USB stick into your physical server and install ESXi like any Linux distribution.

When you're done you'll be prompted with an IP address on your server monitor.

At this point you can login through the monitor and change the IP address to a static one, make sure it is not inside the DHCP pool,

if it has to be inside the DHCP pool, make sure the DHCP server has a feature to detect static IP addresses to prevent multiple of the same IP addresses.

During installation you'll configure a user (root) and a password, which you'll need to log-on to the page.

Open the IP address shown on your server monitor on a modern browser like Firefox. Don't forget to add HTTPS. The address might look something like "<nowiki>https://192.168.0.493</nowiki>"

You're now ready to create a virtual machine.

===Installing your AltServer VM===

====Deciding on a name scheme====
Pick an appropriate name for your virtual machine, if you don't have a name scheme you can try something like:
{| class="wikitable"
!S
!AS
!01
|-
|Server
|Type : AltServer
|Count
|}
This scheme will result in a machine name such as '''SAS01''',

if you were to install a personal VM you might name it SVM01.

The naming scheme is pretty much irrelevant for the technical part, however it'll help you organize your virtual machines.

So make sure you pick a scheme that helps you design your virtual machines.

====Figure out a static IP address for your virtual machine====
Next you want to figure out an IP address configuration, so you can assign a static IP address to your AltServer VM.

This step will help you later on lower the complexity and increase the chance of succeeding a request from [[:Category:AltStore|AltStore]].

Take note of your configuration.

====Create the virtual machine====
Start by creating a new virtual machine on the web-interface of your VMware ESXi server, and fill out everything appropriately to your design.

Your machine should be named as previously mentioned by your scheme. You'll want to add at least 4 GB of ram and 100 GB of virtual disk storage.

On a long term run it has been proven to us that 100 GB is very appropriate for any Windows system including software, updates and Windows log files.

Once created you'll quickly realize you need an installation medium.

Grab one from the Microsoft page or use one that you already might have.

Then upload it to your ESXi server, preferably in a folder named "Install", but the name of the folder is up to you.

Edit your virtual machine and add the ISO file from your Datastore (storage on ESXi server), make sure it says "Connect at power on" and also "Connect" on the side of the option.

If you don't see a CD drive to mount an ISO file to, you can also add one by clicking "Add other device".

Finally start up the virtual machine and configure through it.

When you finally reached the desktop make sure to install VMware guest additions, so the virtual machine gets the full performance from your server.

====Configure your virtual machine====
Add your optional Windows key as required, rename the virtual machine in the system properties to the name you gave your AltServer VM, and configure the static IP you decided on earlier.

If you don't add your Windows key, the virtual machine will just run fine. However personalization options will be disabled. (Wallpaper, color of task bar)

Don't forget to give your user a password. This will also improve the safety on a Windows machine that is running continuously.

====Conclusion of this chapter====
You now have a virtual machine ready to be configured to run AltServer.

Follow the next chapter to setup iTunes, iCloud, AltServer, AltCheck and task scheduler to create a seamless AltServer VM experience.

===Setting up AltServer to run on a virtual machine===

====Download and install Apple software====
First you want to download all important software pieces from Apple.

You'll have to '''avoid''' store versions, as they don't come with the proper components AltServer need.

Download iTunes here: https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/win64/

Download iCloud here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204283 (Click on "download iCloud for Windows on Apple's website" where it says "'''* On Windows 7 and Windows 8...'''")

Install both on your virtual machine.

====Download and install AltServer====
Download AltServer from here: https://altstore.io/

Then install it normally, if you get prompted, install it for all users.

====Configuring Windows Firewall====
This step is a bit fiddly, but don't skip it otherwise you'll run into issues.

Open the Windows search and open "Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security".

You'll see a window like this:
[[File:Windows_Firewall_settings.png|alt=|none|thumb|715x715px|Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security on Windows 10]]

Take a note on the left is a menu entry named "Inbound Rules", click on it to load the rules, then right click it and select "New Rule".

A new window will open which will look like this, click on '''Next'''.

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port.png]]

Configure next window to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port tcp altserver.png]]

Hit Next and leave the configuration as it is until you get to "Name", then name it "AltServer TCP".

Now, right click "Inbound Rules" again, and then "New Rule".

You'll do the very same but for "Protocol and Ports" you will select "'''UDP'''" and specify different ports.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port udp altserver.png]]

Configure through it until you get to "Name" and name it "AltServer UDP".

Finish the configuration and you're done configuring the Windows Firewall!

You can now close the Firewall related windows and move on to the next step.

====Connect your iPhone to the VM====
This step is pretty simple, grab the lightning to USB cable and plug it into your physical server.

Then while your virtual machine is running, edit it and hit "Add other device", then add a "USB controller".

Now click "Add other device" again, and hit "USB device", look for the USB device in the VM options and change it so the Apple iPhone is connected.

Save your VM settings and your iPhone should show up inside of iTunes on your AltServer VM.

Click on your phone and enable "Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi".

Great! You can now disconnect your iPhone from your server and also remove the cable.

====Configure AltServer====
At this point you should see AltServer on the bottom right, make sure to click it and uncheck "Automatically Launch at Startup".

This is because we don't want AltServer to run twice. If you skip the task scheduler step, then you can leave it enabled or enable it.

Now click AltServer and install AltStore on your iPhone, this will create the link between the phone and the server.

When done you can move on to the next step.

====Configure AltCheck====
AltCheck is a small batch script designed to run on Windows, it will check if AltServer crashed and automatically launch it again.

It will also continuously restart the "Apple Mobile Device Service", when no phone is detected.

That way internal hang-ups caused by Apples complicated mdns communication path will be aborted and a new fresh connection will be reestablished.

And alternative to AltCheck is just manually restarting the service which can be a bit tedious.

AltCheck is developed by DiscordDigital and has a repository on GitHub which you can find here: https://github.com/DiscordDigital/AltCheck

Follow all steps on the README except the steps for the Firewall, because that's what we've done already previously.

I recommend you put it in your documents folder inside another folder named something like "AltCheck".

Once completed putting the files into the right place you can launch the included Start_Altcheck.bat.

If everything behaves like it should you can actually run it like that, however if you sign off, AltCheck and AltServer will turn off.

To make it run persistently in the background follow the next step.

====Configuring Task Scheduler====
Open the Windows search and search for "Task Scheduler", you'll find a window that looks like this:
[[File:Windows_task_scheduler.png|alt=|none|thumb|744x744px|Windows Task Scheduler]]

Click on "Task Scheduler Library", on the right of the window you'll find an option named "New Folder".

Create a new folder and name it AltCheck.

Then right click AltCheck and create a new task.

Name it "AltCheck - AltServer Monitor", check "Run whether user is logged on or not" and also check "Run with highest privileges".

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck general.png]]

Go to Triggers and hit "New".

Change "Begin the task:' to "At startup" and make sure it is set to "Enabled" on the bottom.

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck trigger.png]]

Then switch to Actions. And also hit New.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck action monitor.png]]

Save it and go to Conditions, then uncheck "Start the task only if the computer is on AC power".

And also uncheck "Stop if the computer switches to battery power".

Move to Settings and uncheck everything '''except''' the first checkbox which is "Allow task to be run on demand".

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck settings monitor.png]]

Save it and enter your password when asked, then repeat the same steps, but name the second task "AltCheck - iMobileDevice Monitor"

Configure everything the same except the Actions.

The action you want to configure for that task will look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck action imobile.png]]

When saving that task, make sure to enter your password when asked and save it.

Once successfully configured your AltCheck folder should look like this:
[[File:Windows_task_scheduler_altcheck_overview.png|alt=|none|thumb|760x760px|Windows Task Scheduler with AltCheck tasks]]

Restart your virtual machine and don't login.

Try using AltStore on your phone and it should work.

When you log-in to your VM you'll notice that there's no AltServer Icon, in case you need it, you can just start another AltServer instance and use that one.

For other maintenance purposes you can open the Task Scheduler and right click both tasks individually and hit "Disable".

You might want to restart after disabling them to assure they're not running anymore.

====Conclusion of this setup====
If we've done everything correctly we should now have AltServer running in the background of Windows.

AltStore can communicate to it over Wi-Fi and it should work more reliable than usually.

There's still a chance that something might hang up, if reproducible, please leave an issue on GitHub.

For general issues with AltServer (independent from this guide), please consult the AltStore Discord server. You can obtain the access through Patreon.

If you need to reconnect your iPhone to your virtual machine, you can do, but you most likely have to edit the virtual machine and re-select the iPhone.

For further additions of confusion, please consult me on Twitter. [https://twitter.com/discorddigital @DiscordDigital]
[[Category:AltServer]]
[[Category:AltStore]]
[[Category:Virtualization]]

Setting up AltServer on VMware ESXi

2021-03-01T21:17:40Z

Discorddigital:

===Prologue===
This guide will help you install [[:Category:AltServer|AltServer]] on a Windows virtual machine using VMware ESXi free edition.

At the end of this guide you'll be able to run AltServer without any user session in the background of your virtual machine.

We cover everything in this guide from port exceptions, antivirus software to Windows process handling of AltServer.

You can only do this setup if you plan to run a server 24/7, which can be any computer that is capable of virtualization on your network.

VMware ESXi will be able to run multiple other VMs and this guide will integrate into your home network.

You'll need following:

#a free VMware account which you can [https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/registration get here]
#a physical computer that is capable of virtualization
#an iPhone cable to do the initial bonding to iTunes
#(optional) a Windows 10 key to activate your machine
#basic network understanding of IPv4, static IP addresses and what a DHCP server is

===Getting VMware ESXi free===
After you signed up to VMware it will actually take a day for your free ESXi key to be made, but no need to wait,

ESXi can be downloaded anytime and will run in trial mode.

You can always check on your account if any product keys have been added, and add it later on.

The page you're looking for is https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/evalcenter?p=free-esxi7

You can now start by adding a physical drive (SSD recommended) to your virtualization host.

When you've done building your server, make sure to configure the BIOS for it to always start in the power options.

Flash the latest ESXi ISO file to a USB stick using a tool like [https://rufus.ie/en_IE.html Rufus].

Once the installation stick is ready, connect your server to your network, then insert the USB stick into your physical server and install ESXi like any Linux distribution.

When you're done you'll be prompted with an IP address on your server monitor.

At this point you can login through the monitor and change the IP address to a static one, make sure it is not inside the DHCP pool,

if it has to be inside the DHCP pool, make sure the DHCP server has a feature to detect static IP addresses to prevent multiple of the same IP addresses.

During installation you'll configure a user (root) and a password, which you'll need to log-on to the page.

Open the IP address shown on your server monitor on a modern browser like Firefox. Don't forget to add HTTPS. The address might look something like "<nowiki>https://192.168.0.493</nowiki>"

You're now ready to create a virtual machine.

===Installing your AltServer VM===

====Deciding on a name scheme====
Pick an appropriate name for your virtual machine, if you don't have a name scheme you can try something like:
{| class="wikitable"
!S
!AS
!01
|-
|Server
|Type : AltServer
|Count
|}
This scheme will result in a machine name such as '''SAS01''',

if you were to install a personal VM you might name it SVM01.

The naming scheme is pretty much irrelevant for the technical part, however it'll help you organize your virtual machines.

So make sure you pick a scheme that helps you design your virtual machines.

====Figure out a static IP address for your virtual machine====
Next you want to figure out an IP address configuration, so you can assign a static IP address to your AltServer VM.

This step will help you later on lower the complexity and increase the chance of succeeding a request from [[:Category:AltStore|AltStore]].

Take note of your configuration.

====Create the virtual machine====
Start by creating a new virtual machine on the web-interface of your VMware ESXi server, and fill out everything appropriately to your design.

Your machine should be named as previously mentioned by your scheme. You'll want to add at least 4 GB of ram and 100 GB of virtual disk storage.

On a long term run it has been proven to us that 100 GB is very appropriate for any Windows system including software, updates and Windows log files.

Once created you'll quickly realize you need an installation medium.

Grab one from the Microsoft page or use one that you already might have.

Then upload it to your ESXi server, preferably in a folder named "Install", but the name of the folder is up to you.

Edit your virtual machine and add the ISO file from your Datastore (storage on ESXi server), make sure it says "Connect at power on" and also "Connect" on the side of the option.

If you don't see a CD drive to mount an ISO file to, you can also add one by clicking "Add other device".

Finally start up the virtual machine and configure through it.

When you finally reached the desktop make sure to install VMware guest additions, so the virtual machine gets the full performance from your server.

====Configure your virtual machine====
Add your optional Windows key as required, rename the virtual machine in the system properties to the name you gave your AltServer VM, and configure the static IP you decided on earlier.

If you don't add your Windows key, the virtual machine will just run fine. However personalization options will be disabled. (Wallpaper, color of task bar)

Don't forget to give your user a password. This will also improve the safety on a Windows machine that is running continuously.

====Conclusion of this chapter====
You now have a virtual machine ready to be configured to run AltServer.

Follow the next chapter to setup iTunes, iCloud, AltServer, AltCheck and task scheduler to create a seamless AltServer VM experience.

===Setting up AltServer to run on a virtual machine===

====Download and install Apple software====
First you want to download all important software pieces from Apple.

You'll have to '''avoid''' store versions, as they don't come with the proper components AltServer need.

Download iTunes here: https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/win64/

Download iCloud here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204283 (Click on "download iCloud for Windows on Apple's website" where it says "'''* On Windows 7 and Windows 8...'''")

Install both on your virtual machine.

====Download and Install AltServer====
Download AltServer from here: https://altstore.io/

Then install it normally, if you get prompted, install it for all users.

====Configuring Windows Firewall====
This step is a bit fiddly, but don't skip it otherwise you'll run into issues.

Open the Windows search and open "Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security".

You'll see a window like this:
[[File:Windows_Firewall_settings.png|alt=|none|thumb|715x715px|Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security on Windows 10]]

Take a note on the left is a menu entry named "Inbound Rules", click on it to load the rules, then right click it and select "New Rule".

A new window will open which will look like this, click on '''Next'''.

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port.png]]

Configure next window to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port tcp altserver.png]]

Hit Next and leave the configuration as it is until you get to "Name", then name it "AltServer TCP".

Now, right click "Inbound Rules" again, and then "New Rule".

You'll do the very same but for "Protocol and Ports" you will select "'''UDP'''" and specify different ports.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port udp altserver.png]]

Configure through it until you get to "Name" and name it "AltServer UDP".

Finish the configuration and you're done configuring the Windows Firewall!

You can now close the Firewall related windows and move on to the next step.

====Connect your iPhone to the VM====
This step is pretty simple, grab the lightning to USB cable and plug it into your physical server.

Then while your virtual machine is running, edit it and hit "Add other device", then add a "USB controller".

Now click "Add other device" again, and hit "USB device", look for the USB device in the VM options and change it so the Apple iPhone is connected.

Save your VM settings and your iPhone should show up inside of iTunes on your AltServer VM.

Click on your phone and enable "Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi".

Great! You can now disconnect your iPhone from your server and also remove the cable.

====Configure AltServer====
At this point you should see AltServer on the bottom right, make sure to click it and uncheck "Automatically Launch at Startup".

This is because we don't want AltServer to run twice. If you skip the task scheduler step, then you can leave it enabled or enable it.

Now click AltServer and install AltStore on your iPhone, this will create the link between the phone and the server.

When done you can move on to the next step.

====Configure AltCheck====
AltCheck is a small batch script designed to run on Windows, it will check if AltServer crashed and automatically launch it again.

It will also continuously restart the "Apple Mobile Device Service", when no phone is detected.

That way internal hang-ups caused by Apples complicated mdns communication path will be aborted and a new fresh connection will be reestablished.

And alternative to AltCheck is just manually restarting the service which can be a bit tedious.

AltCheck is developed by DiscordDigital and has a repository on GitHub which you can find here: https://github.com/DiscordDigital/AltCheck

Follow all steps on the README except the steps for the Firewall, because that's what we've done already previously.

I recommend you put it in your documents folder inside another folder named something like "AltCheck".

Once completed putting the files into the right place you can launch the included Start_Altcheck.bat.

If everything behaves like it should you can actually run it like that, however if you sign off, AltCheck and AltServer will turn off.

To make it run persistently in the background follow the next step.

====Configuring Task Scheduler====
Open the Windows search and search for "Task Scheduler", you'll find a window that looks like this:
[[File:Windows_task_scheduler.png|alt=|none|thumb|744x744px|Windows Task Scheduler]]

Click on "Task Scheduler Library", on the right of the window you'll find an option named "New Folder".

Create a new folder and name it AltCheck.

Then right click AltCheck and create a new task.

Name it "AltCheck - AltServer Monitor", check "Run whether user is logged on or not" and also check "Run with highest privileges".

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck general.png]]

Go to Triggers and hit "New".

Change "Begin the task:' to "At startup" and make sure it is set to "Enabled" on the bottom.

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck trigger.png]]

Then switch to Actions. And also hit New.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck action monitor.png]]

Save it and go to Conditions, then uncheck "Start the task only if the computer is on AC power".

And also uncheck "Stop if the computer switches to battery power".

Move to Settings and uncheck everything '''except''' the first checkbox which is "Allow task to be run on demand".

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck settings monitor.png]]

Save it and enter your password when asked, then repeat the same steps, but name the second task "AltCheck - iMobileDevice Monitor"

Configure everything the same except the Actions.

The action you want to configure for that task will look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck action imobile.png]]

When saving that task, make sure to enter your password when asked and save it.

Once successfully configured your AltCheck folder should look like this:
[[File:Windows_task_scheduler_altcheck_overview.png|alt=|none|thumb|760x760px|Windows Task Scheduler with AltCheck tasks]]

Restart your virtual machine and don't login.

Try using AltStore on your phone and it should work.

When you log-in to your VM you'll notice that there's no AltServer Icon, in case you need it, you can just start another AltServer instance and use that one.

For other maintenance purposes you can open the Task Scheduler and right click both tasks individually and hit "Disable".

You might want to restart after disabling them to assure they're not running anymore.

====Conclusion of this setup====
If we've done everything correctly we should now have AltServer running in the background of Windows.

AltStore can communicate to it over Wi-Fi and it should work more reliable than usually.

There's still a chance that something might hang up, if reproducible, please leave an issue on GitHub.

For general issues with AltServer (independent from this guide), please consult the AltStore Discord server. You can obtain the access through Patreon.

If you need to reconnect your iPhone to your virtual machine, you can do, but you most likely have to edit the virtual machine and re-select the iPhone.

For further additions of confusion, please consult me on Twitter. [https://twitter.com/discorddigital @DiscordDigital]
[[Category:AltServer]]
[[Category:AltStore]]
[[Category:Virtualization]]

Setting up AltServer on VMware ESXi

2021-03-01T21:12:36Z

Discorddigital:

===Prologue===
This guide will help you install [[:Category:AltServer|AltServer]] on a Windows virtual machine using VMware ESXi free edition.

At the end of this guide you'll be able to run AltServer without any user session in the background of your virtual machine.

We cover everything in this guide from port exceptions, antivirus software to Windows process handling of AltServer.

You can only do this setup if you plan to run a server 24/7, which can be any computer that is capable of virtualization on your network.

VMware ESXi will be able to run multiple other VMs and this guide will integrate into your home network.

You'll need following:

#a free VMware account which you can [https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/registration get here]
#a physical computer that is capable of virtualization
#an iPhone cable to do the initial bonding to iTunes
#(optional) a Windows 10 key to activate your machine
#basic network understanding of IPv4, static IP addresses and what a DHCP server is

===Getting VMware ESXi free===
After you signed up to VMware it will actually take a day for your free ESXi key to be made, but no need to wait,

ESXi can be downloaded anytime and will run in trial mode.

You can always check on your account if any product keys have been added, and add it later on.

The page you're looking for is https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/evalcenter?p=free-esxi7

You can now start by adding a physical drive (SSD recommended) to your virtualization host.

When you've done building your server, make sure to configure the BIOS for it to always start in the power options.

Flash the latest ESXi ISO file to a USB stick using a tool like [https://rufus.ie/en_IE.html Rufus].

Once the installation stick is ready, connect your server to your network, then insert the USB stick into your physical server and install ESXi like any Linux distribution.

When you're done you'll be prompted with an IP address on your server monitor.

At this point you can login through the monitor and change the IP address to a static one, make sure it is not inside the DHCP pool,

if it has to be inside the DHCP pool, make sure the DHCP server has a feature to detect static IP addresses to prevent multiple of the same IP addresses.

During installation you'll configure a user (root) and a password, which you'll need to log-on to the page.

Open the IP address shown on your server monitor on a modern browser like Firefox. Don't forget to add HTTPS. The address might look something like "<nowiki>https://192.168.0.493</nowiki>"

You're now ready to create a virtual machine.

===Installing your AltServer VM===

====Deciding on a name scheme====
Pick an appropriate name for your virtual machine, if you don't have a name scheme you can try something like:
{| class="wikitable"
!S
!AS
!01
|-
|Server
|Type : AltServer
|Count
|}
This scheme will result in a machine name such as '''SAS01''',

if you were to install a personal VM you might name it SVM01.

The naming scheme is pretty much irrelevant for the technical part, however it'll help you organize your virtual machines.

So make sure you pick a scheme that helps you design your virtual machines.

====Figure out a static IP address for your virtual machine====
Next you want to figure out an IP address configuration, so you can assign a static IP address to your AltServer VM.

This step will help you later on lower the complexity and increase the chance of succeeding a request from [[:Category:AltStore|AltStore]].

Take note of your configuration.

====Create the virtual machine====
Start by creating a new virtual machine on the web-interface of your VMware ESXi server, and fill out everything appropriately to your design.

Your machine should be named as previously mentioned by your scheme. You'll want to add at least 4 GB of ram and 100 GB of virtual disk storage.

On a long term run it has been proven to us that 100 GB is very appropriate for any Windows system including software, updates and Windows log files.

Once created you'll quickly realize you need an installation medium.

Grab one from the Microsoft page or use one that you already might have.

Then upload it to your ESXi server, preferably in a folder named "Install", but the name of the folder is up to you.

Edit your virtual machine and add the ISO file from your Datastore (storage on ESXi server), make sure it says "Connect at power on" and also "Connect" on the side of the option.

If you don't see a CD drive to mount an ISO file to, you can also add one by clicking "Add other device".

Finally start up the virtual machine and configure through it.

When you finally reached the desktop make sure to install VMware guest additions, so the virtual machine gets the full performance from your server.

====Configure your virtual machine====
Add your optional Windows key as required, rename the virtual machine in the system properties to the name you gave your AltServer VM, and configure the static IP you decided on earlier.

If you don't add your Windows key, the virtual machine will just run fine. However personalization options will be disabled. (Wallpaper, color of task bar)

====Conclusion of this chapter====
You now have a virtual machine ready to be configured to run AltServer.

Follow the next chapter to setup iTunes, iCloud, AltServer, AltCheck and task scheduler to create a seamless AltServer VM experience.

===Setting up AltServer to run on a virtual machine===

====Download and install Apple software====
First you want to download all important software pieces from Apple.

You'll have to '''avoid''' store versions, as they don't come with the proper components AltServer need.

Download iTunes here: https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/win64/

Download iCloud here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204283 (Click on "download iCloud for Windows on Apple's website" where it says "'''* On Windows 7 and Windows 8...'''")

Install both on your virtual machine.

====Download and Install AltServer====
Download AltServer from here: https://altstore.io/

Then install it normally, if you get prompted, install it for all users.

====Configuring Windows Firewall====
This step is a bit fiddly, but don't skip it otherwise you'll run into issues.

Open the Windows search and open "Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security".

You'll see a window like this:
[[File:Windows_Firewall_settings.png|alt=|none|thumb|715x715px|Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security on Windows 10]]

Take a note on the left is a menu entry named "Inbound Rules", click on it to load the rules, then right click it and select "New Rule".

A new window will open which will look like this, click on '''Next'''.

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port.png]]

Configure next window to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port tcp altserver.png]]

Hit Next and leave the configuration as it is until you get to "Name", then name it "AltServer TCP".

Now, right click "Inbound Rules" again, and then "New Rule".

You'll do the very same but for "Protocol and Ports" you will select "'''UDP'''" and specify different ports.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port udp altserver.png]]

Configure through it until you get to "Name" and name it "AltServer UDP".

Finish the configuration and you're done configuring the Windows Firewall!

You can now close the Firewall related windows and move on to the next step.

====Connect your iPhone to the VM====
This step is pretty simple, grab the lightning to USB cable and plug it into your physical server.

Then while your virtual machine is running, edit it and hit "Add other device", then add a "USB controller".

Now click "Add other device" again, and hit "USB device", look for the USB device in the VM options and change it so the Apple iPhone is connected.

Save your VM settings and your iPhone should show up inside of iTunes on your AltServer VM.

Click on your phone and enable "Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi".

Great! You can now disconnect your iPhone from your server and also remove the cable.

====Configure AltServer====
At this point you should see AltServer on the bottom right, make sure to click it and uncheck "Automatically Launch at Startup".

This is because we don't want AltServer to run twice. If you skip the task scheduler step, then you can leave it enabled or enable it.

Now click AltServer and install AltStore on your iPhone, this will create the link between the phone and the server.

When done you can move on to the next step.

====Configure AltCheck====
AltCheck is a small batch script designed to run on Windows, it will check if AltServer crashed and automatically launch it again.

It will also continuously restart the "Apple Mobile Device Service", when no phone is detected.

That way internal hang-ups caused by Apples complicated mdns communication path will be aborted and a new fresh connection will be reestablished.

And alternative to AltCheck is just manually restarting the service which can be a bit tedious.

AltCheck is developed by DiscordDigital and has a repository on GitHub which you can find here: https://github.com/DiscordDigital/AltCheck

Follow all steps on the README except the steps for the Firewall, because that's what we've done already previously.

I recommend you put it in your documents folder inside another folder named something like "AltCheck".

Once completed putting the files into the right place you can launch the included Start_Altcheck.bat.

If everything behaves like it should you can actually run it like that, however if you sign off, AltCheck and AltServer will turn off.

To make it run persistently in the background follow the next step.

====Configuring Task Scheduler====
Open the Windows search and search for "Task Scheduler", you'll find a window that looks like this:
[[File:Windows_task_scheduler.png|alt=|none|thumb|744x744px|Windows Task Scheduler]]

Click on "Task Scheduler Library", on the right of the window you'll find an option named "New Folder".

Create a new folder and name it AltCheck.

Then right click AltCheck and create a new task.

Name it "AltCheck - AltServer Monitor", check "Run whether user is logged on or not" and also check "Run with highest privileges".

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck general.png]]

Go to Triggers and hit "New".

Change "Begin the task:' to "At startup" and make sure it is set to "Enabled" on the bottom.

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck trigger.png]]

Then switch to Actions. And also hit New.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck action monitor.png]]

Save it and go to Conditions, then uncheck "Start the task only if the computer is on AC power".

And also uncheck "Stop if the computer switches to battery power".

Move to Settings and uncheck everything '''except''' the first checkbox which is "Allow task to be run on demand".

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck settings monitor.png]]

Save it and enter your password when asked, then repeat the same steps, but name the second task "AltCheck - iMobileDevice Monitor"

Configure everything the same except the Actions.

The action you want to configure for that task will look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck action imobile.png]]

When saving that task, make sure to enter your password when asked and save it.

Once successfully configured your AltCheck folder should look like this:
[[File:Windows_task_scheduler_altcheck_overview.png|alt=|none|thumb|760x760px|Windows Task Scheduler with AltCheck tasks]]

Restart your virtual machine and don't login.

Try using AltStore on your phone and it should work.

When you log-in to your VM you'll notice that there's no AltServer Icon, in case you need it, you can just start another AltServer instance and use that one.

For other maintenance purposes you can open the Task Scheduler and right click both tasks individually and hit "Disable".

You might want to restart after disabling them to assure they're not running anymore.

====Conclusion of this setup====
If we've done everything correctly we should now have AltServer running in the background of Windows.

AltStore can communicate to it over Wi-Fi and it should work more reliable than usually.

There's still a chance that something might hang up, if reproducible, please leave an issue on GitHub.

For general issues with AltServer (independent from this guide), please consult the AltStore Discord server. You can obtain the access through Patreon.

If you need to reconnect your iPhone to your virtual machine, you can do, but you most likely have to edit the virtual machine and re-select the iPhone.

For further additions of confusion, please consult me on Twitter. [https://twitter.com/discorddigital @DiscordDigital]
[[Category:AltServer]]
[[Category:AltStore]]
[[Category:Virtualization]]

Setting up AltServer on VMware ESXi

2021-03-01T21:11:53Z

Discorddigital:

===Prologue===
This guide will help you install [[:Category:AltServer|AltServer]] on a Windows virtual machine using VMware ESXi free edition.

At the end of this guide you'll be able to run AltServer without any user session in the background of your virtual machine.

We cover everything in this guide from port exceptions, antivirus software to Windows process handling of AltServer.

You can only do this setup if you plan to run a server 24/7, which can be any computer that is capable of virtualization on your network.

VMware ESXi will be able to run multiple other VMs and this guide will integrate into your home network.

You'll need following:

#a free VMware account which you can [https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/registration get here]
#a physical computer that is capable of virtualization
#an iPhone cable to do the initial bonding to iTunes
#(optional) a Windows 10 key to activate your machine
#basic network understanding of IPv4, static IP addresses and what a DHCP server is

===Getting VMware ESXi free===
After you signed up to VMware it will actually take a day for your free ESXi key to be made, but no need to wait,

ESXi can be downloaded anytime and will run in trial mode.

You can always check on your account if any product keys have been added, and add it later on.

The page you're looking for is https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/evalcenter?p=free-esxi7

You can now start by adding a physical drive (SSD recommended) to your virtualization host.

When you've done building your server, make sure to configure the BIOS for it to always start in the power options.

Flash the latest ESXi ISO file to a USB stick using a tool like [https://rufus.ie/en_IE.html Rufus].

Once the installation stick is ready, connect your server to your network, then insert the USB stick into your physical server and install ESXi like any Linux distribution.

When you're done you'll be prompted with an IP address on your server monitor.

At this point you can login through the monitor and change the IP address to a static one, make sure it is not inside the DHCP pool,

if it has to be inside the DHCP pool, make sure the DHCP server has a feature to detect static IP addresses to prevent multiple of the same IP addresses.

During installation you'll configure a user (root) and a password, which you'll need to log-on to the page.

Open the IP address shown on your server monitor on a modern browser like Firefox. Don't forget to add HTTPS. The address might look something like "<nowiki>https://192.168.0.493</nowiki>"

You're now ready to create a virtual machine.

===Installing your AltServer VM===

====Deciding on a name scheme====
Pick an appropriate name for your virtual machine, if you don't have a name scheme you can try something like:
{| class="wikitable"
!S
!AS
!01
|-
|Server
|Type : AltServer
|Count
|}
This scheme will result in a machine name such as '''SAS01''',

if you were to install a personal VM you might name it SVM01.

The naming scheme is pretty much irrelevant for the technical part, however it'll help you organize your virtual machines.

So make sure you pick a scheme that helps you design your virtual machines.

====Figure out a static IP address for your virtual machine====
Next you want to figure out an IP address configuration, so you can assign a static IP address to your AltServer VM.

This step will help you later on lower the complexity and increase the chance of succeeding a request from [[:Category:AltStore|AltStore]].

Take note of your configuration.

====Create the virtual machine====
Start by creating a new virtual machine on the web-interface of your VMware ESXi server, and fill out everything appropriately to your design.

Your machine should be named as previously mentioned by your scheme. You'll want to add at least 4 GB of ram and 100 GB of virtual disk storage.

On a long term run it has been proven to us that 100 GB is very appropriate for any Windows system including software, updates and Windows log files.

Once created you'll quickly realize you need an installation medium.

Grab one from the Microsoft page or use one that you already might have.

Then upload it to your ESXi server, preferably in a folder named "Install", but the name of the folder is up to you.

Edit your virtual machine and add the ISO file from your Datastore (storage on ESXi server), make sure it says "Connect at power on" and also "Connect" on the side of the option.

If you don't see a CD drive to mount an ISO file to, you can also add one by clicking "Add other device".

Finally start up the virtual machine and configure through it.

When you finally reached the desktop make sure to install VMware guest additions, so the virtual machine gets the full performance from your server.

====Configure your virtual machine====
Add your optional Windows key as required, rename the virtual machine in the system properties to the name you gave your AltServer VM, and configure the static IP you decided on earlier.

If you don't add your Windows key, the virtual machine will just run fine. However personalization options will be disabled. (Wallpaper, color of task bar)

====Conclusion of this chapter====
You now have a virtual machine ready to be configured to run AltServer.

Follow the next chapter to setup iTunes, iCloud, AltServer, AltCheck and task scheduler to create a seamless AltServer VM experience.

===Setting up AltServer to run on a virtual machine===

====Download and install Apple software====
First you want to download all important software pieces from Apple.

You'll have to '''avoid''' store versions, as they don't come with the proper components AltServer need.

Download iTunes here: https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/win64/

Download iCloud here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204283 (Click on "download iCloud for Windows on Apple's website" where it says "'''* On Windows 7 and Windows 8...'''")

Install both on your virtual machine.

====Download and Install AltServer====
Download AltServer from here: https://altstore.io/

Then install it normally, if you get prompted, install it for all users.

====Configuring Windows Firewall====
This step is a bit fiddly, but don't skip it otherwise you'll run into issues.

Open the Windows search and open "Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security".

You'll see a window like this:
[[File:Windows_Firewall_settings.png|alt=|none|thumb|715x715px|Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security on Windows 10]]

Take a note on the left is a menu entry named "Inbound Rules", click on it to load the rules, then right click it and select "New Rule".

A new window will open which will look like this, click on '''Next'''.

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port.png]]

Configure next window to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port tcp altserver.png]]

Hit Next and leave the configuration as it is until you get to "Name", then name it "AltServer TCP".

Now, right click "Inbound Rules" again, and then "New Rule".

You'll do the very same but for "Protocol and Ports" you will select "'''UDP'''" and specify different ports.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port udp altserver.png]]

Configure through it until you get to "Name" and name it "AltServer UDP".

Finish the configuration and you're done configuring the Windows Firewall!

You can now close the Firewall related windows and move on to the next step.

====Connect your iPhone to the VM====
This step is pretty simple, grab the lightning to USB cable and plug it into your physical server.

Then while your virtual machine is running, edit it and hit "Add other device", then add a "USB controller".

Now click "Add other device" again, and hit "USB device", look for the USB device in the VM options and change it so the Apple iPhone is connected.

Save your VM settings and your iPhone should show up inside of iTunes on your AltServer VM.

Click on your phone and enable "Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi".

Great! You can now disconnect your iPhone from your server and also remove the cable.

====Configure AltServer====
At this point you should see AltServer on the bottom right, make sure to click it and uncheck "Automatically Launch at Startup".

This is because we don't want AltServer to run twice. If you skip the task scheduler step, then you can leave it enabled or enable it.

Now click AltServer and install AltStore on your iPhone, this will create the link between the phone and the server.

When done you can move on to the next step.

====Configure AltCheck====
AltCheck is a small batch script designed to run on Windows, it will check if AltServer crashed and automatically launch it again.

It will also continuously restart the "Apple Mobile Device Service", when no phone is detected.

That way internal hang-ups caused by Apples complicated mdns communication path will be aborted and a new fresh connection will be reestablished.

And alternative to AltCheck is just manually restarting the service which can be a bit tedious.

AltCheck is developed by DiscordDigital and has a repository on GitHub which you can find here: https://github.com/DiscordDigital/AltCheck

Follow all steps on the README except the steps for the Firewall, because that's what we've done already previously.

I recommend you put it in your documents folder inside another folder named something like "AltCheck".

Once completed putting the files into the right place you can launch the included Start_Altcheck.bat.

If everything behaves like it should you can actually run it like that, however if you sign off, AltCheck and AltServer will turn off.

To make it run persistently in the background follow the next step.

====Configuring Task Scheduler====
Open the Windows search and search for "Task Scheduler", you'll find a window that looks like this:
[[File:Windows_task_scheduler.png|alt=|none|thumb|744x744px|Windows Task Scheduler]]

Click on "Task Scheduler Library", on the right of the window you'll find an option named "New Folder".

Create a new folder and name it AltCheck.

Then right click AltCheck and create a new task.

Name it "AltCheck - AltServer Monitor", check "Run whether user is logged on or not" and also check "Run with highest privileges".

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck general.png]]

Go to Triggers and hit "New".

Change "Begin the task:' to "At startup" and make sure it is set to "Enabled" on the bottom.

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck trigger.png]]

Then switch to Actions. And also hit New.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck action monitor.png]]

Save it and go to Conditions, then uncheck "Start the task only if the computer is on AC power".

And also uncheck "Stop if the computer switches to battery power".

Move to Settings and uncheck everything '''except''' the first checkbox which is "Allow task to be run on demand".

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck settings monitor.png]]

Save it and enter your password when asked, then repeat the same steps, but name the second task "AltCheck - iMobileDevice Monitor"

Configure everything the same except the Actions.

The action you want to configure for that task will look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck action imobile.png]]

When saving that task, make sure to enter your password when asked and save it.

Once successfully configured your AltCheck folder should look like this:
[[File:Windows_task_scheduler_altcheck_overview.png|alt=|none|thumb|812x812px|Windows Task Scheduler with AltCheck tasks]]

Restart your virtual machine and don't login.

Try using AltStore on your phone and it should work.

When you log-in to your VM you'll notice that there's no AltServer Icon, in case you need it, you can just start another AltServer instance and use that one.

For other maintenance purposes you can open the Task Scheduler and right click both tasks individually and hit "Disable".

You might want to restart after disabling them to assure they're not running anymore.

====Conclusion of this setup====
If we've done everything correctly we should now have AltServer running in the background of Windows.

AltStore can communicate to it over Wi-Fi and it should work more reliable than usually.

There's still a chance that something might hang up, if reproducible, please leave an issue on GitHub.

For general issues with AltServer (independent from this guide), please consult the AltStore Discord server. You can obtain the access through Patreon.

If you need to reconnect your iPhone to your virtual machine, you can do, but you most likely have to edit the virtual machine and re-select the iPhone.

For further additions of confusion, please consult me on Twitter. [https://twitter.com/discorddigital @DiscordDigital]
[[Category:AltServer]]
[[Category:AltStore]]
[[Category:Virtualization]]

Setting up AltServer on VMware ESXi

2021-03-01T21:10:33Z

Discorddigital:

===Prologue===
This guide will help you install [[:Category:AltServer|AltServer]] on a Windows virtual machine using VMware ESXi free edition.

At the end of this guide you'll be able to run AltServer without any user session in the background of your virtual machine.

We cover everything in this guide from port exceptions, antivirus software to Windows process handling of AltServer.

You can only do this setup if you plan to run a server 24/7, which can be any computer that is capable of virtualization on your network.

VMware ESXi will be able to run multiple other VMs and this guide will integrate into your home network.

You'll need following:

#a free VMware account which you can [https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/registration get here]
#a physical computer that is capable of virtualization
#an iPhone cable to do the initial bonding to iTunes
#(optional) a Windows 10 key to activate your machine
#basic network understanding of IPv4, static IP addresses and what a DHCP server is

===Getting VMware ESXi free===
After you signed up to VMware it will actually take a day for your free ESXi key to be made, but no need to wait,

ESXi can be downloaded anytime and will run in trial mode.

You can always check on your account if any product keys have been added, and add it later on.

The page you're looking for is https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/evalcenter?p=free-esxi7

You can now start by adding a physical drive (SSD recommended) to your virtualization host.

When you've done building your server, make sure to configure the BIOS for it to always start in the power options.

Flash the latest ESXi ISO file to a USB stick using a tool like [https://rufus.ie/en_IE.html Rufus].

Once the installation stick is ready, connect your server to your network, then insert the USB stick into your physical server and install ESXi like any Linux distribution.

When you're done you'll be prompted with an IP address on your server monitor.

At this point you can login through the monitor and change the IP address to a static one, make sure it is not inside the DHCP pool,

if it has to be inside the DHCP pool, make sure the DHCP server has a feature to detect static IP addresses to prevent multiple of the same IP addresses.

During installation you'll configure a user (root) and a password, which you'll need to log-on to the page.

Open the IP address shown on your server monitor on a modern browser like Firefox. Don't forget to add HTTPS. The address might look something like "<nowiki>https://192.168.0.493</nowiki>"

You're now ready to create a virtual machine.

===Installing your AltServer VM===

====Deciding on a name scheme====
Pick an appropriate name for your virtual machine, if you don't have a name scheme you can try something like:
{| class="wikitable"
!S
!AS
!01
|-
|Server
|Type : AltServer
|Count
|}
This scheme will result in a machine name such as '''SAS01''',

if you were to install a personal VM you might name it SVM01.

The naming scheme is pretty much irrelevant for the technical part, however it'll help you organize your virtual machines.

So make sure you pick a scheme that helps you design your virtual machines.

====Figure out a static IP address for your virtual machine====
Next you want to figure out an IP address configuration, so you can assign a static IP address to your AltServer VM.

This step will help you later on lower the complexity and increase the chance of succeeding a request from [[:Category:AltStore|AltStore]].

Take note of your configuration.

====Create the virtual machine====
Start by creating a new virtual machine on the web-interface of your VMware ESXi server, and fill out everything appropriately to your design.

Your machine should be named as previously mentioned by your scheme. You'll want to add at least 4 GB of ram and 100 GB of virtual disk storage.

On a long term run it has been proven to us that 100 GB is very appropriate for any Windows system including software, updates and Windows log files.

Once created you'll quickly realize you need an installation medium.

Grab one from the Microsoft page or use one that you already might have.

Then upload it to your ESXi server, preferably in a folder named "Install", but the name of the folder is up to you.

Edit your virtual machine and add the ISO file from your Datastore (storage on ESXi server), make sure it says "Connect at power on" and also "Connect" on the side of the option.

If you don't see a CD drive to mount an ISO file to, you can also add one by clicking "Add other device".

Finally start up the virtual machine and configure through it.

When you finally reached the desktop make sure to install VMware guest additions, so the virtual machine gets the full performance from your server.

====Configure your virtual machine====
Add your optional Windows key as required, rename the virtual machine in the system properties to the name you gave your AltServer VM, and configure the static IP you decided on earlier.

If you don't add your Windows key, the virtual machine will just run fine. However personalization options will be disabled. (Wallpaper, color of task bar)

====Conclusion of this chapter====
You now have a virtual machine ready to be configured to run AltServer.

Follow the next chapter to setup iTunes, iCloud, AltServer, AltCheck and task scheduler to create a seamless AltServer VM experience.

===Setting up AltServer to run on a virtual machine===

====Download and install Apple software====
First you want to download all important software pieces from Apple.

You'll have to '''avoid''' store versions, as they don't come with the proper components AltServer need.

Download iTunes here: https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/win64/

Download iCloud here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204283 (Click on "download iCloud for Windows on Apple's website" where it says "'''* On Windows 7 and Windows 8...'''")

Install both on your virtual machine.

====Download and Install AltServer====
Download AltServer from here: https://altstore.io/

Then install it normally, if you get prompted, install it for all users.

====Configuring Windows Firewall====
This step is a bit fiddly, but don't skip it otherwise you'll run into issues.

Open the Windows search and open "Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security".

You'll see a window like this:
[[File:Windows_Firewall_settings.png|alt=|none|thumb|715x715px|Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security on Windows 10]]

Take a note on the left is a menu entry named "Inbound Rules", click on it to load the rules, then right click it and select "New Rule".

A new window will open which will look like this, click on '''Next'''.

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port.png]]

Configure next window to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port tcp altserver.png]]

Hit Next and leave the configuration as it is until you get to "Name", then name it "AltServer TCP".

Now, right click "Inbound Rules" again, and then "New Rule".

You'll do the very same but for "Protocol and Ports" you will select "'''UDP'''" and specify different ports.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port udp altserver.png]]

Configure through it until you get to "Name" and name it "AltServer UDP".

Finish the configuration and you're done configuring the Windows Firewall!

You can now close the Firewall related windows and move on to the next step.

====Connect your iPhone to the VM====
This step is pretty simple, grab the lightning to USB cable and plug it into your physical server.

Then while your virtual machine is running, edit it and hit "Add other device", then add a "USB controller".

Now click "Add other device" again, and hit "USB device", look for the USB device in the VM options and change it so the Apple iPhone is connected.

Save your VM settings and your iPhone should show up inside of iTunes on your AltServer VM.

Click on your phone and enable "Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi".

Great! You can now disconnect your iPhone from your server and also remove the cable.

====Configure AltServer====
At this point you should see AltServer on the bottom right, make sure to click it and uncheck "Automatically Launch at Startup".

This is because we don't want AltServer to run twice. If you skip the task scheduler step, then you can leave it enabled or enable it.

Now click AltServer and install AltStore on your iPhone, this will create the link between the phone and the server.

When done you can move on to the next step.

====Configure AltCheck====
AltCheck is a small batch script designed to run on Windows, it will check if AltServer crashed and automatically launch it again.

It will also continuously restart the "Apple Mobile Device Service", when no phone is detected.

That way internal hang-ups caused by Apples complicated mdns communication path will be aborted and a new fresh connection will be reestablished.

And alternative to AltCheck is just manually restarting the service which can be a bit tedious.

AltCheck is developed by DiscordDigital and has a repository on GitHub which you can find here: https://github.com/DiscordDigital/AltCheck

Follow all steps on the README except the steps for the Firewall, because that's what we've done already previously.

I recommend you put it in your documents folder inside another folder named something like "AltCheck".

Once completed putting the files into the right place you can launch the included Start_Altcheck.bat.

If everything behaves like it should you can actually run it like that, however if you sign off, AltCheck and AltServer will turn off.

To make it run persistently in the background follow the next step.

====Configuring Task Scheduler====
Open the Windows search and search for "Task Scheduler", you'll find a window that looks like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler.png]]

Click on "Task Scheduler Library", on the right of the window you'll find an option named "New Folder".

Create a new folder and name it AltCheck.

Then right click AltCheck and create a new task.

Name it "AltCheck - AltServer Monitor", check "Run whether user is logged on or not" and also check "Run with highest privileges".

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck general.png]]

Go to Triggers and hit "New".

Change "Begin the task:' to "At startup" and make sure it is set to "Enabled" on the bottom.

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck trigger.png]]

Then switch to Actions. And also hit New.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck action monitor.png]]

Save it and go to Conditions, then uncheck "Start the task only if the computer is on AC power".

And also uncheck "Stop if the computer switches to battery power".

Move to Settings and uncheck everything '''except''' the first checkbox which is "Allow task to be run on demand".

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck settings monitor.png]]

Save it and enter your password when asked, then repeat the same steps, but name the second task "AltCheck - iMobileDevice Monitor"

Configure everything the same except the Actions.

The action you want to configure for that task will look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck action imobile.png]]

When saving that task, make sure to enter your password when asked and save it.

Once successfully configured your AltCheck folder should look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck overview.png]]

Restart your virtual machine and don't login.

Try using AltStore on your phone and it should work.

When you log-in to your VM you'll notice that there's no AltServer Icon, in case you need it, you can just start another AltServer instance and use that one.

For other maintenance purposes you can open the Task Scheduler and right click both tasks individually and hit "Disable".

You might want to restart after disabling them to assure they're not running anymore.

====Conclusion of this setup====
If we've done everything correctly we should now have AltServer running in the background of Windows.

AltStore can communicate to it over Wi-Fi and it should work more reliable than usually.

There's still a chance that something might hang up, if reproducible, please leave an issue on GitHub.

For general issues with AltServer (independent from this guide), please consult the AltStore Discord server. You can obtain the access through Patreon.

If you need to reconnect your iPhone to your virtual machine, you can do, but you most likely have to edit the virtual machine and re-select the iPhone.

For further additions of confusion, please consult me on Twitter. [https://twitter.com/discorddigital @DiscordDigital]
[[Category:AltServer]]
[[Category:AltStore]]
[[Category:Virtualization]]

Setting up AltServer on VMware ESXi

2021-03-01T20:58:18Z

Discorddigital:

===Prologue===
This guide will help you install [[:Category:AltServer|AltServer]] on a Windows virtual machine using VMware ESXi free edition.

At the end of this guide you'll be able to run AltServer without any user session in the background of your virtual machine.

We cover everything in this guide from port exceptions, antivirus software to Windows process handling of AltServer.

You can only do this setup if you plan to run a server 24/7, which can be any computer that is capable of virtualization on your network.

VMware ESXi will be able to run multiple other VMs and this guide will integrate into your home network.

You'll need following:

#a free VMware account which you can [https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/registration get here]
#a physical computer that is capable of virtualization
#an iPhone cable to do the initial bonding to iTunes
#(optional) a Windows 10 key to activate your machine
#basic network understanding of IPv4, static IP addresses and what a DHCP server is

===Getting VMware ESXi free===
After you signed up to VMware it will actually take a day for your free ESXi key to be made, but no need to wait,

ESXi can be downloaded anytime and will run in trial mode.

You can always check on your account if any product keys have been added, and add it later on.

The page you're looking for is https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/evalcenter?p=free-esxi7

You can now start by adding a physical drive (SSD recommended) to your virtualization host.

When you've done building your server, make sure to configure the BIOS for it to always start in the power options.

Flash the latest ESXi ISO file to a USB stick using a tool like [https://rufus.ie/en_IE.html Rufus].

Once the installation stick is ready, connect your server to your network, then insert the USB stick into your physical server and install ESXi like any Linux distribution.

When you're done you'll be prompted with an IP address on your server monitor.

At this point you can login through the monitor and change the IP address to a static one, make sure it is not inside the DHCP pool,

if it has to be inside the DHCP pool, make sure the DHCP server has a feature to detect static IP addresses to prevent multiple of the same IP addresses.

During installation you'll configure a user (root) and a password, which you'll need to log-on to the page.

Open the IP address shown on your server monitor on a modern browser like Firefox. Don't forget to add HTTPS. The address might look something like "<nowiki>https://192.168.0.493</nowiki>"

You're now ready to create a virtual machine.

===Installing your AltServer VM===

====Deciding on a name scheme====
Pick an appropriate name for your virtual machine, if you don't have a name scheme you can try something like:
{| class="wikitable"
!S
!AS
!01
|-
|Server
|Type : AltServer
|Count
|}
This scheme will result in a machine name such as '''SAS01''',

if you were to install a personal VM you might name it SVM01.

The naming scheme is pretty much irrelevant for the technical part, however it'll help you organize your virtual machines.

So make sure you pick a scheme that helps you design your virtual machines.

====Figure out a static IP address for your virtual machine====
Next you want to figure out an IP address configuration, so you can assign a static IP address to your AltServer VM.

This step will help you later on lower the complexity and increase the chance of succeeding a request from [[:Category:AltStore|AltStore]].

Take note of your configuration.

====Create the virtual machine====
Start by creating a new virtual machine on the web-interface of your VMware ESXi server, and fill out everything appropriately to your design.

Your machine should be named as previously mentioned by your scheme. You'll want to add at least 4 GB of ram and 100 GB of virtual disk storage.

On a long term run it has been proven to us that 100 GB is very appropriate for any Windows system including software, updates and Windows log files.

Once created you'll quickly realize you need an installation medium.

Grab one from the Microsoft page or use one that you already might have.

Then upload it to your ESXi server, preferably in a folder named "Install", but the name of the folder is up to you.

Edit your virtual machine and add the ISO file from your Datastore (storage on ESXi server), make sure it says "Connect at power on" and also "Connect" on the side of the option.

If you don't see a CD drive to mount an ISO file to, you can also add one by clicking "Add other device".

Finally start up the virtual machine and configure through it.

When you finally reached the desktop make sure to install VMware guest additions, so the virtual machine gets the full performance from your server.

====Configure your virtual machine====
Add your optional Windows key as required, rename the virtual machine in the system properties to the name you gave your AltServer VM, and configure the static IP you decided on earlier.

If you don't add your Windows key, the virtual machine will just run fine. However personalization options will be disabled. (Wallpaper, color of task bar)

====Conclusion of this chapter====
You now have a virtual machine ready to be configured to run AltServer.

Follow the next chapter to setup iTunes, iCloud, AltServer, AltCheck and task scheduler to create a seamless AltServer VM experience.

===Setting up AltServer to run on a virtual machine===

====Download and install Apple software====
First you want to download all important software pieces from Apple.

You'll have to '''avoid''' store versions, as they don't come with the proper components AltServer need.

Download iTunes here: https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/win64/

Download iCloud here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204283 (Click on "download iCloud for Windows on Apple's website" where it says "'''* On Windows 7 and Windows 8...'''")

Install both on your virtual machine.

====Download and Install AltServer====
Download AltServer from here: https://altstore.io/

Then install it normally, if you get prompted, install it for all users.

====Configuring Windows Firewall====
This step is a bit fiddly, but don't skip it otherwise you'll run into issues.

Open the Windows search and open "Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security".

You'll see a window like this:

[[File:Windows Firewall settings.png]]

Take a note on the left is a menu entry named "Inbound Rules", click on it to load the rules, then right click it and select "New Rule".

A new window will open which will look like this, click on '''Next'''.

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port.png]]

Configure next window to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port tcp altserver.png]]

Hit Next and leave the configuration as it is until you get to "Name", then name it "AltServer TCP".

Now, right click "Inbound Rules" again, and then "New Rule".

You'll do the very same but for "Protocol and Ports" you will select "'''UDP'''" and specify different ports.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port udp altserver.png]]

Configure through it until you get to "Name" and name it "AltServer UDP".

Finish the configuration and you're done configuring the Windows Firewall!

You can now close the Firewall related windows and move on to the next step.

====Connect your iPhone to the VM====
This step is pretty simple, grab the lightning to USB cable and plug it into your physical server.

Then while your virtual machine is running, edit it and hit "Add other device", then add a "USB controller".

Now click "Add other device" again, and hit "USB device", look for the USB device in the VM options and change it so the Apple iPhone is connected.

Save your VM settings and your iPhone should show up inside of iTunes on your AltServer VM.

Click on your phone and enable "Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi".

Great! You can now disconnect your iPhone from your server and also remove the cable.

====Configure AltServer====
At this point you should see AltServer on the bottom right, make sure to click it and uncheck "Automatically Launch at Startup".

This is because we don't want AltServer to run twice. If you skip the task scheduler step, then you can leave it enabled or enable it.

Now click AltServer and install AltStore on your iPhone, this will create the link between the phone and the server.

When done you can move on to the next step.

====Configure AltCheck====
AltCheck is a small batch script designed to run on Windows, it will check if AltServer crashed and automatically launch it again.

It will also continuously restart the "Apple Mobile Device Service", when no phone is detected.

That way internal hang-ups caused by Apples complicated mdns communication path will be aborted and a new fresh connection will be reestablished.

And alternative to AltCheck is just manually restarting the service which can be a bit tedious.

AltCheck is developed by DiscordDigital and has a repository on GitHub which you can find here: https://github.com/DiscordDigital/AltCheck

Follow all steps on the README except the steps for the Firewall, because that's what we've done already previously.

I recommend you put it in your documents folder inside another folder named something like "AltCheck".

Once completed putting the files into the right place you can launch the included Start_Altcheck.bat.

If everything behaves like it should you can actually run it like that, however if you sign off, AltCheck and AltServer will turn off.

To make it run persistently in the background follow the next step.

====Configuring Task Scheduler====
Open the Windows search and search for "Task Scheduler", you'll find a window that looks like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler.png]]

Click on "Task Scheduler Library", on the right of the window you'll find an option named "New Folder".

Create a new folder and name it AltCheck.

Then right click AltCheck and create a new task.

Name it "AltCheck - AltServer Monitor", check "Run whether user is logged on or not" and also check "Run with highest privileges".

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck general.png]]

Go to Triggers and hit "New".

Change "Begin the task:' to "At startup" and make sure it is set to "Enabled" on the bottom.

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck trigger.png]]

Then switch to Actions. And also hit New.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck action monitor.png]]

Save it and go to Conditions, then uncheck "Start the task only if the computer is on AC power".

And also uncheck "Stop if the computer switches to battery power".

Move to Settings and uncheck everything '''except''' the first checkbox which is "Allow task to be run on demand".

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck settings monitor.png]]

Save it and enter your password when asked, then repeat the same steps, but name the second task "AltCheck - iMobileDevice Monitor"

Configure everything the same except the Actions.

The action you want to configure for that task will look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck action imobile.png]]

When saving that task, make sure to enter your password when asked and save it.

Once successfully configured your AltCheck folder should look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck overview.png]]

Restart your virtual machine and don't login.

Try using AltStore on your phone and it should work.

When you log-in to your VM you'll notice that there's no AltServer Icon, in case you need it, you can just start another AltServer instance and use that one.

For other maintenance purposes you can open the Task Scheduler and right click both tasks individually and hit "Disable".

You might want to restart after disabling them to assure they're not running anymore.

====Conclusion of this setup====
If we've done everything correctly we should now have AltServer running in the background of Windows.

AltStore can communicate to it over Wi-Fi and it should work more reliable than usually.

There's still a chance that something might hang up, if reproducible, please leave an issue on GitHub.

For general issues with AltServer (independent from this guide), please consult the AltStore Discord server. You can obtain the access through Patreon.

If you need to reconnect your iPhone to your virtual machine, you can do, but you most likely have to edit the virtual machine and re-select the iPhone.

For further additions of confusion, please consult me on Twitter. [https://twitter.com/discorddigital @DiscordDigital]
[[Category:AltServer]]
[[Category:AltStore]]
[[Category:Virtualization]]

Category:Virtualization

2021-03-01T20:56:43Z

Discorddigital: Created page with "This topic covers everything about virtualization. For example, hypervisors, virtual machines or similar. It can also be used in other terms and means, such as representing s..."

This topic covers everything about virtualization. For example, hypervisors, virtual machines or similar.

It can also be used in other terms and means, such as representing something virtually.

Category:AltServer

2021-03-01T20:54:38Z

Discorddigital: Created page with "This is a component of AltStore, which basically allows a computer host to speak to the AltStore app running on an iDevice. It exists for Windows and ma..."

This is a component of [[:Category:AltStore|AltStore]], which basically allows a computer host to speak to the AltStore app running on an iDevice. It exists for Windows and macOS. It's being used to do things that would be otherwise impossible with only iOS.

Category:AltStore

2021-03-01T20:52:29Z

Discorddigital: Created page with "AltStore is an App developed by [https://twitter.com/rileytestut Riley Testut] which allows signing iOS apps by using the free developer account. You can find the official pag..."

AltStore is an App developed by [https://twitter.com/rileytestut Riley Testut] which allows signing iOS apps by using the free developer account. You can find the official page here: https://altstore.io/

Setting up AltServer on VMware ESXi

2021-03-01T20:48:13Z

Discorddigital: Created page with "===Prologue=== This guide will help you install AltServer on a Windows virtual machine using VMware ESXi free edition. At the end of this guide you'll be able to run AltServe..."

===Prologue===
This guide will help you install AltServer on a Windows virtual machine using VMware ESXi free edition.

At the end of this guide you'll be able to run AltServer without any user session in the background of your virtual machine.

We cover everything in this guide from port exceptions, antivirus software to Windows process handling of AltServer.

You can only do this setup if you plan to run a server 24/7, which can be any computer that is capable of virtualization on your network.

VMware ESXi will be able to run multiple other VMs and this guide will integrate into your home network.

You'll need following:

#a free VMware account which you can [https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/registration get here]
#a physical computer that is capable of virtualization
#an iPhone cable to do the initial bonding to iTunes
#(optional) a Windows 10 key to activate your machine
#basic network understanding of IPv4, static IP addresses and what a DHCP server is

===Getting VMware ESXi free===
After you signed up to VMware it will actually take a day for your free ESXi key to be made, but no need to wait,

ESXi can be downloaded anytime and will run in trial mode.

You can always check on your account if any product keys have been added, and add it later on.

The page you're looking for is https://my.vmware.com/en/web/vmware/evalcenter?p=free-esxi7

You can now start by adding a physical drive (SSD recommended) to your virtualization host.

When you've done building your server, make sure to configure the BIOS for it to always start in the power options.

Flash the latest ESXi ISO file to a USB stick using a tool like [https://rufus.ie/en_IE.html Rufus].

Once the installation stick is ready, connect your server to your network, then insert the USB stick into your physical server and install ESXi like any Linux distribution.

When you're done you'll be prompted with an IP address on your server monitor.

At this point you can login through the monitor and change the IP address to a static one, make sure it is not inside the DHCP pool,

if it has to be inside the DHCP pool, make sure the DHCP server has a feature to detect static IP addresses to prevent multiple of the same IP addresses.

During installation you'll configure a user (root) and a password, which you'll need to log-on to the page.

Open the IP address shown on your server monitor on a modern browser like Firefox. Don't forget to add HTTPS. The address might look something like "<nowiki>https://192.168.0.493</nowiki>"

You're now ready to create a virtual machine.

===Installing your AltServer VM===

====Deciding on a name scheme====
Pick an appropriate name for your virtual machine, if you don't have a name scheme you can try something like:
{| class="wikitable"
!S
!AS
!01
|-
|Server
|Type : AltServer
|Count
|}
This scheme will result in a machine name such as '''SAS01''',

if you were to install a personal VM you might name it SVM01.

The naming scheme is pretty much irrelevant for the technical part, however it'll help you organize your virtual machines.

So make sure you pick a scheme that helps you design your virtual machines.

====Figure out a static IP address for your virtual machine====
Next you want to figure out an IP address configuration, so you can assign a static IP address to your AltServer VM.

This step will help you later on lower the complexity and increase the chance of succeeding a request from AltStore.

Take note of your configuration.

====Create the virtual machine====
Start by creating a new virtual machine on the web-interface of your VMware ESXi server, and fill out everything appropriately to your design.

Your machine should be named as previously mentioned by your scheme. You'll want to add at least 4 GB of ram and 100 GB of virtual disk storage.

On a long term run it has been proven to us that 100 GB is very appropriate for any Windows system including software, updates and Windows log files.

Once created you'll quickly realize you need an installation medium.

Grab one from the Microsoft page or use one that you already might have.

Then upload it to your ESXi server, preferably in a folder named "Install", but the name of the folder is up to you.

Edit your virtual machine and add the ISO file from your Datastore (storage on ESXi server), make sure it says "Connect at power on" and also "Connect" on the side of the option.

If you don't see a CD drive to mount an ISO file to, you can also add one by clicking "Add other device".

Finally start up the virtual machine and configure through it.

When you finally reached the desktop make sure to install VMware guest additions, so the virtual machine gets the full performance from your server.

====Configure your virtual machine====
Add your optional Windows key as required, rename the virtual machine in the system properties to the name you gave your AltServer VM, and configure the static IP you decided on earlier.

If you don't add your Windows key, the virtual machine will just run fine. However personalization options will be disabled. (Wallpaper, color of task bar)

====Conclusion of this chapter====
You now have a virtual machine ready to be configured to run AltServer.

Follow the next chapter to setup iTunes, iCloud, AltServer, AltCheck and task scheduler to create a seamless AltServer VM experience.

===Setting up AltServer to run on a virtual machine===

====Download and install Apple software====
First you want to download all important software pieces from Apple.

You'll have to '''avoid''' store versions, as they don't come with the proper components AltServer need.

Download iTunes here: https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/win64/

Download iCloud here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204283 (Click on "download iCloud for Windows on Apple's website" where it says "'''* On Windows 7 and Windows 8...'''")

Install both on your virtual machine.

====Download and Install AltServer====
Download AltServer from here: https://altstore.io/

Then install it normally, if you get prompted, install it for all users.

====Configuring Windows Firewall====
This step is a bit fiddly, but don't skip it otherwise you'll run into issues.

Open the Windows search and open "Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security".

You'll see a window like this:

[[File:Windows Firewall settings.png]]

Take a note on the left is a menu entry named "Inbound Rules", click on it to load the rules, then right click it and select "New Rule".

A new window will open which will look like this, click on '''Next'''.

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port.png]]

Configure next window to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port tcp altserver.png]]

Hit Next and leave the configuration as it is until you get to "Name", then name it "AltServer TCP".

Now, right click "Inbound Rules" again, and then "New Rule".

You'll do the very same but for "Protocol and Ports" you will select "'''UDP'''" and specify different ports.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows firewall new rule port udp altserver.png]]

Configure through it until you get to "Name" and name it "AltServer UDP".

Finish the configuration and you're done configuring the Windows Firewall!

You can now close the Firewall related windows and move on to the next step.

====Connect your iPhone to the VM====
This step is pretty simple, grab the lightning to USB cable and plug it into your physical server.

Then while your virtual machine is running, edit it and hit "Add other device", then add a "USB controller".

Now click "Add other device" again, and hit "USB device", look for the USB device in the VM options and change it so the Apple iPhone is connected.

Save your VM settings and your iPhone should show up inside of iTunes on your AltServer VM.

Click on your phone and enable "Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi".

Great! You can now disconnect your iPhone from your server and also remove the cable.

====Configure AltServer====
At this point you should see AltServer on the bottom right, make sure to click it and uncheck "Automatically Launch at Startup".

This is because we don't want AltServer to run twice. If you skip the task scheduler step, then you can leave it enabled or enable it.

Now click AltServer and install AltStore on your iPhone, this will create the link between the phone and the server.

When done you can move on to the next step.

====Configure AltCheck====
AltCheck is a small batch script designed to run on Windows, it will check if AltServer crashed and automatically launch it again.

It will also continuously restart the "Apple Mobile Device Service", when no phone is detected.

That way internal hang-ups caused by Apples complicated mdns communication path will be aborted and a new fresh connection will be reestablished.

And alternative to AltCheck is just manually restarting the service which can be a bit tedious.

AltCheck is developed by DiscordDigital and has a repository on GitHub which you can find here: https://github.com/DiscordDigital/AltCheck

Follow all steps on the README except the steps for the Firewall, because that's what we've done already previously.

I recommend you put it in your documents folder inside another folder named something like "AltCheck".

Once completed putting the files into the right place you can launch the included Start_Altcheck.bat.

If everything behaves like it should you can actually run it like that, however if you sign off, AltCheck and AltServer will turn off.

To make it run persistently in the background follow the next step.

====Configuring Task Scheduler====
Open the Windows search and search for "Task Scheduler", you'll find a window that looks like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler.png]]

Click on "Task Scheduler Library", on the right of the window you'll find an option named "New Folder".

Create a new folder and name it AltCheck.

Then right click AltCheck and create a new task.

Name it "AltCheck - AltServer Monitor", check "Run whether user is logged on or not" and also check "Run with highest privileges".

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck general.png]]

Go to Triggers and hit "New".

Change "Begin the task:' to "At startup" and make sure it is set to "Enabled" on the bottom.

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck trigger.png]]

Then switch to Actions. And also hit New.

Configure it to look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck action monitor.png]]

Save it and go to Conditions, then uncheck "Start the task only if the computer is on AC power".

And also uncheck "Stop if the computer switches to battery power".

Move to Settings and uncheck everything '''except''' the first checkbox which is "Allow task to be run on demand".

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck settings monitor.png]]

Save it and enter your password when asked, then repeat the same steps, but name the second task "AltCheck - iMobileDevice Monitor"

Configure everything the same except the Actions.

The action you want to configure for that task will look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck action imobile.png]]

When saving that task, make sure to enter your password when asked and save it.

Once successfully configured your AltCheck folder should look like this:

[[File:Windows task scheduler altcheck overview.png]]

Restart your virtual machine and don't login.

Try using AltStore on your phone and it should work.

When you log-in to your VM you'll notice that there's no AltServer Icon, in case you need it, you can just start another AltServer instance and use that one.

For other maintenance purposes you can open the Task Scheduler and right click both tasks individually and hit "Disable".

You might want to restart after disabling them to assure they're not running anymore.

====Conclusion of this setup====
If we've done everything correctly we should now have AltServer running in the background of Windows.

AltStore can communicate to it over Wi-Fi and it should work more reliable than usually.

There's still a chance that something might hang up, if reproducible, please leave an issue on GitHub.

For general issues with AltServer (independent from this guide), please consult the AltStore Discord server. You can obtain the access through Patreon.

If you need to reconnect your iPhone to your virtual machine, you can do, but you most likely have to edit the virtual machine and re-select the iPhone.

For further additions of confusion, please consult me on Twitter. [https://twitter.com/discorddigital @DiscordDigital]
[[Category:AltServer]]
[[Category:AltStore]]
[[Category:Virtualization]]

File:Windows task scheduler altcheck overview.png

2021-03-01T20:38:25Z

Discorddigital: