How To: Use PwnageTool 4.01 to get iBooks working on jailbroken iOS 4

[This is a quick post to help iOS 4 jailbreak users "fix" their iBooks installs through a new firmware install -- if you're looking for a way to jailbreak iOS 4 in the first place, see here.]

I had a pretty big iPhone scare at 3 AM this morning. I was installing a new custom iOS 4 firmware (courtesy of the updated PwnageTool 4.01) when the installation hung at around the 90 percent point. I waited about fifteen minutes to see if it would progress at all, but I eventually made the decision to reset the iPhone and try again. And again. And again.

I tried recovery mode, DFU mode, and tried flashing stock versions of 3.1.2 and 4.0 aside from the custom iOS 4 restore I made in PwnageTool. Add a little bit of frantic Googling in between, and this whole process, all told, took about two hours (the only reason I undertook this endeavour, by the way, is because PwnageTool 4.0 creates problems with iBooks, and PwnageTool 4.01 custom firmwares fix them).

Then, right as I was about to give up, I remembered an e-mail exchange between our very own Patrick Jordan and Josh Gard. Patrick had initially had trouble installing the stock version of iOS 4 (coming from the 4.0 GM) and Josh suggested he try and disable the Wi-Fi Sync utility (the desktop partner of the Wi-Fi Sync jailbreak app). After following Josh’s advice I breathed a gigantic sigh of relief (or maybe it was a yawn? It was 5 in the bloody AM at that point) when the firmware install finally took and the updated, iBooks-compatible iOS 4 landed on my 3GS.

Hit the jump for the nitty gritty.

So if you’ve already jailbroken iOS 4 with PwnageTool 4.0 and are trying to fix iBooks, here’s my bit of advice:

* make sure you have a recent iTunes backup
* create a new custom firmware with PwnageTool 4.01 (using the final build of iOS 4.0, just like I said in this guide)
* put your iPhone into Recovery Mode (see iClarified guide if you need help)
* use iTunes to restore to your newly created PwnageTool 4.01 custom firmware (you don’t need to worry about re-editing your /etc/host files as described here, I still have them set to Cydia’s servers and it worked out fine)
* enjoy your newly working iBooks app