PaulMar 21, 2024
vga256

edit: i can't believe i have to write this, but - i am not your technical support representative, and i'm not going to reply to your support requests 😖

so this is a bit wild

i've got an oldie iPad 2 running iOS 9.3.5. this has some expired root certificates which results in several apps not working properly. Plex will load, but it won't be able to negotiate with your plex server, for instance.

since apple doesn't offer new iOS updates for it (with refreshed certificates).. it seemed like i was kinda stuck.

as it turns out, and is documented nowhere aside from a post on reddit, you can manually download your own root certificate - and iOS lets you install it without complaint.

if you're on an ancient iOS device, just point its Safari browser to this url: https://letsencrypt.org/certs/isrgrootx1.der

tap Install when prompted - and you've got working certificates again!

this just breathed new life into a 10+ year old iPad, which will become a bedtime plex viewer.

#apple #vintageApple #iOS

Mar 21, 2024 at 3:40amWeb
Show thread𓊈Pepperz 🦴𓊉Mar 21, 2024
@vga256 was your time correct on your systemby any chance?
Show threadVlado VinceMar 21, 2024
@vga256 oh this is oddly relevant for me as an iPad 2 is the only tablet I use too, except I had relegated it to a glorified PDF reader
Show threadvga256Mar 21, 2024
@mejs ah fantastic. yes, this should unlock a lot of possibilities!
Show threadpost-Gundam cryptographyMar 21, 2024
@vga256 oh sweet! i still have a 3 that boots and runs, even if 9's a lot slower than the OS it shipped with
Show threadvga256Mar 21, 2024
@vyr ha yes - it's painful to use sometimes. i'm just floored that it even can playback movies in plex without hiccups
Show thread🦊 🍸Faux around & find out⚠️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Mar 21, 2024
@vga256 Oh, this is a fabulous find & share- Thank you! Am boosting for other followers!
Show threadtoolbear#🪧Mar 21, 2024

@vga256
If anyone is curious as I was why the URL of that certificate has "groot" in it. It's the ISRG ROOT x10 certificate and ISRG is Internet Security Research Group.

Which is 3 #TIL #TodayILearned for me in a row (including VGA256's original post).

Despite that, I will continue to think of it as the certificate that says, "I AM GROOT".

Show threadRoutineHubMar 21, 2024
@toolbear @vga256 I too choose to think that there are some true Guardians of the Galaxy.
Show threadAdam ♿Mar 21, 2024
@vga256 please document this somewhere other than Reddit and the Mastodon Memory Hole (but thanks)
Show threadAdam ♿Mar 21, 2024
@vga256 https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/isrg-root-x1-not-supported-on-ios-9-3-5/162193/15 seems to agree
ISRG Root X1 not supported on ios 9.3.5

One thing to clarify or reiterate, either for @cheebase or future readers of this thread: If you're the owner of an older device, you can personally manually add ISRG Root X1 to most older devices' root CA stores, if those devices didn't ship with it. https://letsencrypt.org/certs/isrgrootx1.pem https://letsencrypt.org/certs/isrgrootx1.der (these are two different formats for the exact same file; some software might prefer one or the other format) Doing this allows an individual device to c...

Let's Encrypt Community Support
Show threadvga256Mar 21, 2024
@voltagex you are free to do so with your time.
Show threadNegative12DollarBillMar 21, 2024
@vga256
Wow, this is something I struggled with for ages and gave up. Two perfectly good iPads in my household have this problem.
Show threadJeff Robot 🤖Mar 21, 2024
@vga256 — Oh, wow, thanks! (Hastingly looks for the 30-pin charging cable.)
Show threadJohan SköldMar 21, 2024

@vga256 It is documented, just in the old Apple documentation, not clearly enough, and it's way too hard to find. https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/qa/qa1948/_index.html

If you scroll down a bit there's a section named "Installing a CA's Root Certificate on Your Test Device". I went through that last year when adding my own root cert to all my devices. IIRC only the Apple Configurator method worked then.

Technical Q&A QA1948: HTTPS and Test Servers

QA1948: Describes how to work with HTTPS test servers.

Show threadGary ParkerMar 21, 2024
@vga256 nice! I’m pretty sure you can also tell the Plex client to ignore cert issues, or connect insecurely, if you dig in the settings
Show thread:🍪:SemeleMar 21, 2024
@vga256 I don't know just how old mine is, but there's so much it won't do. This I'll try.
Show threadJiří Fiala Total LandscapingMar 21, 2024

@vga256 let's see if my iPad 1 on iOS 5 can be revived 😂

edit: it can't. Safari cannot securely download the cert :(

Show threadTorsten CurdtMar 21, 2024

@vga256

Very cool that there is a way to repurpose an old iPad this way!

That said: I am in the camp that all manufacturers should be required to allow 3rd party installs on devices that are EOL.

Just imagine if there was an easy way to install linux on those old tablets.

It should not be as hard as it is...

https://konradybcio.pl/linuxona7/

#linux #ipad

Linux on A7-A8X

Penguins like Apples, too!

Konrad Dybcio
Show threadJoshuaMar 21, 2024
@vga256 Just totally breathed new life into my iPad mini 2. Thank you 🙏
Show threadvga256Mar 21, 2024
@Joshua cheers!
Show threadAxel HartmannMar 21, 2024

@vga256 - just tried it, but it seems that iPad2 and even newer devices (iPhone 5c) running 10.3.3, are now really crippled by Apple. Neither iMessage nor Facetime work any more?!? They were pretty good backup devices last time I started them up about a year ago, if I remember correctly...

Not a support request. Just an observation that makes your hint, which worked off the bat, all the more valuable in restoring some usefulness to the (needlessly crippled) devices. Thank you, vga256

Show threadAxel HartmannMar 22, 2024
hmm - either I've been blocked from reading any @vga256 posts (reminder to read up on how that works) or something broke in the fediverse (possibly due to edited posts?), since my Ice Cubes client crashes when I click on @vga256.
Sad that I can't follow or read, didn't mean to harm or annoy...
Show threadJohn Willis 🔰Mar 21, 2024
@vga256 sorry people are bugging you - thanks for this link!!
Show threadeuroplus Mar 21, 2024
@vga256 🫂
Show threadvxoMar 21, 2024
@vga256 Let's Encrypt continues to be an absolute godsend 💖
Thank you! Boosting this to slow the flood of e-waste
Show thread🦊 🍸Faux around & find out⚠️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Mar 22, 2024
@vga256
Verified working solution!
110% worked for me!
Really appreciate it!!!
Big thank you! 👍🏻🦊👍🏻❤️
Show threadKapitän ClownfeuerMar 22, 2024
@vga256 I don't need any tech support (and am sorry to hear that people assume you are now the candidate for this), but I certainly do appreciate the finding and announcement, so thank you very much! 😍
Show threadvga256Mar 22, 2024
@rasur you are welcome!
Show threadBC253Mar 22, 2024
@vga256
Will this work on an old Mac Pro laptop?
Show threadAnnaMar 23, 2024
@vga256 Hmmm. I wonder if this will work on my ipod touch...
Show threadSlaíneMar 23, 2024
@vga256 I did something similar for some old MacBooks 👍
Show threadJiří Fiala Total LandscapingMar 26, 2024
@vga256 sadly doesn't work on iPad 1 with iOS 5.1.3. Probably no way to use this one anymore.