Want iOS 5 On Your Stone Age iPhone 2G/3G Or iPod Touch 1G/2G? Try WhiteD00r5

[Anthony Bouchard]

The stone age iDevices don't even support iOS 5.

iOS 5 is Apple's new iOS operating system that has several new features that we have been asking for as a community for ages. It doesn't touch on everything, but it certainly does make an attempt to bring some of your jailbreak dreams to iOS. The unfortunate part is that iOS 5 isn't compatible with any iDevices before the iPhone 3GS or the iPod touch 3G. Even on those older devices - not every feature is available like it is on the newer devices. You can't use FaceTime, just to name one.

If you're still rocking an older iDevice such as the iPhone 3G, iPhone 2G, iPod touch 2G, or iPod touch 1G, then you will be happy to learn that you can install a ported version of iOS 5 to it that will have most of iOS 5's pleasures in it. The custom firmware has been dubbed WhiteD00r5 by the WhiteD00r dev team. Unfortunately, it won't have everything. Prerequisites include the fact that the iCloud functionality in the custom firmware uses Dropbox instead of iCloud and also the fact that you will not have Notification Center at all. The biggest problem of them all is that you cannot use the App Store from the iDevice itself after you have installed this firmware. Instead, you will have to use iTunes on your computer to download content such as applications and then sync them to the iDevice to use them as you normally would.

What's great about it though? Well, you will have features such as Folders, Multitasking, changing your home screen wallpaper, Newsstand, and Reminders. Older devices have never had the pleasure of Multitasking - not even iOS 4. So this should be a nice little change for anyone interested in trying this out. Of course the best part, being able to change your wallpaper from that annoying black background always has its advantages too. Albeit this port has been made available, you should be prepared and aware that Apple did not release iOS 5 for these devices for a reason - it will be slow, and possibly cause dramatic lag that you are not used to.

WhiteD00r does not require any jailbreak to install. It's a custom firmware file that has been built by the WhiteD00r dev team to resemble a mock up of iOS 5. It's not the true iOS 5 firmware by any means. Where things could have been replaced as substitutes to make them run on the older devices, they have been - such as the fact that they use a Dropbox system for iCloud instead of iCloud itself because Apple's servers would recognize that it's not an official iOS 5 device.

To install WhiteD00r on your stone age iDevice, you don't even need to put your iDevice into 'pwned' DFU mode to install the custom firmware. All you do is simply hold down Option (Mac) or Shift (Windows) and click restore in iTunes, then select the WhiteD00r5 firmware which you can download the firmware if you're Google savvy and then iTunes will do the rest. Please head the developer's warning to you:

This process is safe and tested, but you are doing this at your own risk. For this reason we suggest to backup your data (whited00r5 offers iCloud application to backup your Game saves). We absolutely recommend that you make a clean installation without restoring from a backup and we will not provide support if this rule is not respected.

Ryan Petrich was kind enough to inform us that this firmware is a modified iOS 4.2.1 firmware that does violate copyright laws. We have removed the download links but if you're bent in finding it yourself then I'm sure you will find a way, but we will not help you find it.

Sources: Cult of Mac
This article was tipped by Modmyi reader BenderRodriguez.

[celeron]

Cool, I'd certainly try this if I had a stone age device. Didnt even know this was possible.

[tonev]

So if it is possible to install this custom firmware with no jailbreak.....why cant this be done with other firmwares / iphones / ipods etc

[celeron]

Because they already support the official iOS5

[AngryPIG]

these iphone run bad enough on IOS 3 & 4 LOL

[ipodtouchman77]

Been wanting to try this, but my iPod 2G was stolen so I ended up getting the 4G.

[Jastra]

My 3G ran horrible with ios4... Especially with limited must have tweaks.

[ipodtouchman77]

these iphone run bad enough on IOS 3 & 4 LOL

This firmware is 3.1.3 based. And from what I've seen, it runs fast. It has custom built multitasking that won't really slow down the device, same with the homescreen wallpaper. Also, for everyone wondering, this WILL NOT work on MC models of iPod touch 2G.

[i113]

So if it is possible to install this custom firmware with no jailbreak.....why cant this be done with other firmwares / iphones / ipods etc

Because apple learned their lesson and made tougher hardware to crack.

[ipodtouchman77]

This also jailbreaks your device at the same time. Cydia will be installed.

[PoEtikly]

I had multitasking IOS 4 on my old 3G, of course it was enabled through snowbreeze way back when. I do remember that phone lagging and being so slow I couldn't stand it.

[ikesmasher]

Or i could do iOS4 with a jailbreak, which allows you to use folders/wallpaper.

[Hexane]

They're distributing Apple firmware files, isn't that a tad illegal?

[ikesmasher]

not really i don't think, you don't have to pay for them anymore.

[ipodtouchman77]

Or i could do iOS4 with a jailbreak, which allows you to use folders/wallpaper.

But it's sloooooooooowwwwww. Whited00r is not slow. Go to whited00r.com, and there's a video showing an iPhone 3G with whited00r 5 vs and iPhone 3GS with ops 5, and the 3GS is just skittle faster, but not a lot.

[reanimationxp]

None of this is actually iOS5. It's just a bunch of stupid mods made to look like it.

[ipodtouchman77]

not really i don't think, you don't have to pay for them anymore.

I remember when you had to pay for software updates....dark times....lol

None of this is actually iOS5. It's just a bunch of stupid mods made to look like it.

Of course it's not actual iOS 5, but its pretty darn close.

[Joya]

What if you want to jailbreak your ipod 2 on ios 5.0 or it cant be done?

[celeron]

What if you want to jailbreak your ipod 2 on ios 5.0 or it cant be done?

This will install cydia

[ipodtouchman77]

What if you want to jailbreak your ipod 2 on ios 5.0 or it cant be done?

Official iOS 5 can't be installed on iPod 2G.