## How does it work?

How FTStore works is a bit complicated, with having multiple ways to install, app management, tweaks, etc. However, I'll point out how the important features work here.

To start off, we need a validly signed IPA. We can achieve this with Zsign, using a provided IPA using a `.p12` and `.mobileprovision` pair.

#### Install (Server)

- Use a locally hosted server for hosting the IPA files used for installation, including other assets such as icons, etc. 
  - On iOS 18, we need a few entitlements: `Associated Domains`, `Custom Network Protocol`, `MDM Managed Associated Domains`, `Network Extensions`
- Make sure to include valid https SSL certificates as the next URL requires a valid HTTPS connection, for us we use [*.backloop.dev](https://backloop.dev/).
- We then use `itms-services://?action=download-manifest&url=<PLIST_URL>` to attempt to initiate an install, by using `UIApplication.open`.

However, due to the changes with iOS 18 with entitlements we will need to provide an alternative way of installing. We have two options here, a way to install locally fully using the local server (the one I have just shown) or use an external HTTPS server that serves as our middle man for our `PLIST_URL`, while having the files still local to us. Lets show the latter.

- This time, lets not include https SSL certificates, rather just have a plain insecure local server.
- Instead of a locally hosting our `PLIST_URL`, we use [plistserver](https://github.com/nekohaxx/plistserver) to host a server online specifically for retrieving it. This still requires a valid HTTPS connection.
- Now, to even initiate the install (due to lack of entitlements from the former) we need to trick iOS into opening the `itms-services://` URL, we can do this by summoning a Safari webview to a locally hosted HTML page with a script to forcefully redirect us to that itms-services URL.

Since itms-services initiates the install automatically, we don't need to do anything extra after the process. Though, what we do is monitor the streaming progress of the IPA being sent.

#### Install (Pairing)
- Establish a heartbeat with a TCP provider (the app will need this for later).
  - For it to be successful, we need a pairing file from [PlumeImpactor](https://github.com/khcrysalis/Impactor?tab=readme-ov-file#pairing-file) and a [VPN](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/localdevvpn/id6755608044).
- Once we have these and the connection was successfully established, we can move on to the installation part.
  - Before installing, we need to check for the connection to the socket that has been created, routed to `10.7.0.1`, if this succeeds we're ready.
- When preparing for installation, we need to establish another connection but for `AFC` using the TCP provider.
- Once the connection was established we need to created a staging directory to `/PublicStaging/` and upload our IPA there.
- Then, using our connection to `AFC` we can command it to install that IPA directly. Similar to `ideviceinstaller`, but fully on your phone.

Due to how it works right now we need both a VPN and a lockdownd pairing file, this means you will need a computer for its initial setup. Though, if you don't want to do these you can just use the server way of installing instead (but at a cost of less reliability).