For those of you that may find this interesting, I thought I would explain a bit about the layout and history of the BigBoss repository. Remember the repository provides developers with a free service to host their apps. I offer download stats live, the ability to host your own pages, and the expertise I have in packaging for the last year to guarantee things will be done right.
Currently, the repository runs primarily in Cydia and hosts about 850 packages as of today. The monthly bandwidth for the repo exceeds 20 terabytes a month! The repository is currently laid out across 18 servers around the world. There is a small installer 4 repository but it is not nearly as populated with packages mainly because the package dependencies are in Cydia. (Cannot host a theme when winterboard is only in cydia, etc). The repository is a 20 hour a week job currently not counting app coding and web site maintenance :)
Some history (disclaimer, the dates may be slightly off as this is all off the top of my head):
September 2007: BigBoss repository was born and run on my home computer at a markmon.mine.nu address that is now a dead link. The repository was for installer (1.7 at the time) and hosted a few small packages and fixes. The repository was started purely for fun as a side project. The repository was named “BigBoss repository” at that time (named after its owner, BigBoss), a name that carried through for months.
December 2007: BigBoss was looking for a host because it was too much traffic for his little home network connection. Sleepers stepped up to offer hosting. The repostory, still “BigBoss repository” moved to sleepers.net for hosting.
Feb 2008: BigBoss enters community sources in installer 3 thanks to Nullriver and Drudge. BigBoss only has 25 packages at this time.
March 2008: BigBoss registers “thebigboss.org” domain name and moves the repository to that domain, its permanent home through today. Hosting at that time was still hosted by sleepers.net
May 2008: Drudge gives Conceited Software to Bigboss. BigBoss merges this well-known community source into his own. This provided enough packages to surpass STE packaging and BigBoss become the largest community source. Repository kept its name, “BigBoss Repository”.
May 2008: Cydia side of the repository is born on 1.1.x platforms.
June 2008: Skylar gives his community source to BigBoss. Repository is still known as “BigBoss Repository”.
June 2008: BigBoss partners up wtih planet-iphones and repository is known as “BigBoss and Planet-iPhones”. Themes are done by planet-iphones and other done by BigBoss. This is actually very helpful because up to this point, BigBoss did all his own packaging. Now the work is divided. Partnership still exists today.
May-July 2008: BigBoss gets 6 more servers to host the high traffic generated by becoming a community source.
July 2008: The 2.0 iPhone software is released. The 1.1.x installer repository is abandoned with over 275 packages – the largest repostiory on 1.1.x. At this time, a new repository is born for 2.0 from scratch. Cydia is all that’s supported since no installer exists at this time for 2.0.
August 2008: Installer 4 beta comes out. BigBoss repository moves to installer4. But due to bugs with the beta and unmet dependencies only found in Cydia only a small amount of packages are migrated to installer 4.
July – Sept 2008: BigBoss gets another 10 servers to handle the bandwidth.
October 2008: BigBoss moves hosting of the packages file away from sleepers.net hosting the repostiory on his own servers only. (The 16 some file servers did not change). Since the domain was always thebigboss.org or bigboss.us.com (same domain) there was no change noticed or required for users.
November 2008: BigBoss gets a 2nd dedicated server to handle cpu and connection count issues.
December 2008: BigBoss repository has grown to 850 packages across 18 servers!
BigBoss Authors: Mark Bruce & Kory Lee
December 6th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Bigboss……I know you’ve heard it again, and again, and again, and again….but you rock. This site is one of 10 that I look at EVERY single time I log in (daily). You have excellent ideas that are executed quickly and accurately, you make corrections on errors without taking it personally, you have patience to deal with others that are beneath your ability (with problems and such), and you maintain a good attitude. You’re easily one of the best assets on the net for the iPhone. It my sound like ass kissing, but sometimes the truth does….Thank you for your dedication, it IS appreciated.
December 6th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Yea I noticed sleepers.net had changed and it wasnt the same anymore it took about a week or two for me to find thebigboss.org and all its goodness
Thanks again BigBoss and friends
December 6th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
Would you be willing to share some $ values with all this information. I have been very curious for a while on how much it costs to maintain the connection and server. As well as the type of income this provides.
December 7th, 2008 at 12:08 am
I am just curious, with all of these packages why is your apps the only one you speak of? You must be making money off of hosting all of the other developers apps.
But Kudos to you, it seems as if you have accomplished alot!
December 7th, 2008 at 12:58 am
I do not just speak of my own apps. Recently I have spoken of QuickGold and iRealSMS, for example, neither are my apps. It is appropriate for me to use this web site to focus on my apps, however. Where else am I going to do that?
December 7th, 2008 at 1:28 am
i love to see again the original bigboss website format…
good luck to you and more power!… nobody can beat the original!…
December 7th, 2008 at 4:31 am
Hi BB,
I am impress how much you have done for the iPhone/iPod community by engaging such endeavor. I believe that many of us could not get through this iphonization without the opportune explanations that you have provided, the simplicity given to the community and your continuous effort to keep it up and rocking!
Thanks man. Much appreciated. (:->)
December 7th, 2008 at 5:24 am
No need to explain yourself in my opinion. You have done more for sleepers and the iphone community that most. I think sleepers were ‘sleeping’ on the job and once you made it popular they took interest again! Keep up the good work and thank you for all your hard work.
Asa
December 7th, 2008 at 8:13 am
THX so much.
Beside the Team you have done the most for the Jailbreak-Community.
December 7th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Totally agree !!!,I take my hat off,all respect for BigBoss
December 7th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Great job BB! And congrats on a job well done! (As always)
December 7th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Kinda off topic here but what ever happened to Winpwn? Did they die? Does anybody know? Im a windows user and have been waiting on an alternative to Quickpwn for my 3G since 2.1 and finally had to give in and download a custom built 2.2 image from a torrent site.
December 7th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
BIGBOSS is da mudda effin man. i’ll smoke a marijuana cigarette in your name.
December 7th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Just wanted to give my thanks to you and this wonderful site. TheBigBoss has been in my bookmark toolbar since i got my iphone. I love your work and the work you do for the community. Thanks to you for keepin’ it real!
December 7th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Bigboss, you have been a pillar of this community from its humble beginnings and has become one of the foremost authorities amongst the gurus. We all greatly appreciate your most dedicated and unfaltered support for the community and we all stand beside you through this apparently small bump on your most awesome legacy. Your short write-up about your history just makes us even more grateful for all that you have done for us. Thank you Bigboss!
December 7th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
You could use LogoMe on Cydia if you’re just wanting the ability to change your images (boot logo).
December 7th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
There are so many sites and forums out there about the iPhone, jailbreaking, etc., but your’s is the one that helps do it all. I too check your site at least once a day (at home, at work, and on my phone). Your guides have helped me and many others I know. Keep it up, you’re the reason I know how to really use my iPhone.
December 8th, 2008 at 10:13 am
I think what Chaotic meant was image as in firmware :) …. And for that he/she would have to download a custom from someone else, which could be risky. Making your own is much more convenient. So what did ever happen to Winpwn??
December 8th, 2008 at 10:15 am
And you’re the reason why, when we have a major glitch, we can fix it!! Excellent tutorials and insight! Thanks.
December 8th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Wow I knew a lot went into developing for the iphone but had no clue just how much. How are you able to afford the all the bandwidth? Is it all for ads?
December 8th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
hey i know the my english is not good …. and i know a lot ppl dont like when i try to communicate something but i just say THANKS BB a lot THANKS u the best in this
December 8th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Thanks Gibb. Thants exactly what i meant. And yea it can be risky cause you really have no clue as to what your getting so i just kinda crossed my fingers and wished for the best when i restored with it. But what else can us 3G owners who run windows do when they dont wanna update the baseband?
December 9th, 2008 at 2:44 am
Well, you and your crew have certainly made jailbreaking a very nice experience. We need more folks like y’all in all of life. :-)
December 9th, 2008 at 7:27 am
Hi Big Boss, I´m new with all this staff of iphone, so sorry to post here for some help but I dont know where to do that, anyway…
I´m having problem since today with CATEGORIES, I cannot add/edit, nothing because it crash. What must I do in order to make it runs again ?
THANKS MY FRIENDS !
December 10th, 2008 at 4:31 am
“Here lists the entire Cydia 2.0 repository. You can view the packages just as you view them from inside Cydia. You can also download and install them here.”
And the link is exactly where?
December 10th, 2008 at 6:42 am
The link is on the left, it says Hosting/Repository
May 7th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
yes, thank you bigboss! i finally came from oahu to the mainland–partly for rejaikbreaking my phone! (oahu can be…crazy). thanks to your wonderful, clear guides and the dev team’s outstanding work, i did it right the first time. and man–quickgold! sbsettings! dtunes! ifiles!! the list goes on and on. my phone is sorta my life at this juncture, and slowly, slowly i’m learning. meaning you benefit beings in ways you may never see. so glad for your skill, dedication, patience, and generosity of spirit. i wish i could meet up before leaving oregon (brrrr!) but hey! you’re my iphone guru. (gasshos). : )
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:12 am
Wheres that china wind 2 theme?
September 16th, 2011 at 3:30 pm
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