explaingit

sqmrak/senko

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

★ 0CAudience · ops devopsComplexity · 4/5LicenseSetup · hard

TLDR

A jailbreak-only VPN client that brings VLESS, SOCKS5, and AmneziaWG connections to legacy iPhones running iOS 6 through iOS 10.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      VPN client for old iOS
      Root daemon routing
      Multiple proxy protocols
    Tech stack
      C
      OpenSSL
      mbedTLS
      Theos
    Use cases
      Connect legacy iPhone via VLESS
      Import xray-core subscriptions
      Run AmneziaWG configs
    Audience
      Jailbreak device owners
      Developers

Code map

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Run a VLESS or SOCKS5 VPN connection on a jailbroken iPhone stuck on iOS 6 through iOS 10.

USE CASE 2

Import an existing xray-core or v2rayN JSON subscription and pull out its VLESS servers automatically.

USE CASE 3

Connect through Reality or XHTTP transports on legacy hardware that can't run modern proxy apps.

USE CASE 4

Import AmneziaWG .conf files onto an old iPhone.

What is it built with?

COpenSSLmbedTLSTheos

How does it compare?

sqmrak/senkoac000/find-flvacc4github/kdenlive-omnifade
Stars0—0
LanguageCCC
Last pushed—2013-04-05—
Maintenance—Dormant—
Setup difficultyhardmoderatemoderate
Complexity4/52/52/5
Audienceops devopsdevelopergeneral

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · hard Time to first run · 1h+

Requires a jailbroken iOS 6-10 device, building from source needs the Theos toolchain, iOS SDKs, and a static OpenSSL build.

You can use and modify the code, but any version you distribute, including modified ones, must also be released under the same GPLv2 license.

In plain English

senko is a VPN client made specifically for old iPhones running iOS 6 through iOS 10, devices that modern VPN apps generally no longer support. It requires the device to be jailbroken, since it runs a root level background process called senkod that changes the phone's firewall routing rules directly, something a regular App Store app cannot do. The app understands and connects through several proxy protocols. It handles SOCKS5 and HTTP or HTTPS proxies, including ones that need a username and password. Its main focus, though, is VLESS, a proxy protocol used by tools like xray-core, and it supports several specific VLESS variants covering plain TCP, TLS, a stealthier mode called Reality, and WebSocket or XHTTP transports. It can also import AmneziaWG configuration files, another VPN protocol. To add servers, you can paste in individual connection links, or refresh a subscription list, which senko can read in a few formats: plain lists of links, special encrypted deep links used by an app called Happ, or JSON configuration files in the format used by xray-core and v2rayN, from which it pulls out the VLESS servers it understands and skips anything unsupported, such as gRPC or hysteria based configs. On the device, senko stores its configuration and subscription list in a preferences file, limited to 256 servers and 32 subscriptions, and communicates between its user interface and its root daemon through a local socket. It relies on OpenSSL and mbedTLS for its cryptography, and needs MobileSubstrate installed for a couple of system integration hooks, including one that shows VPN status in the status bar. Installing senko means downloading a .deb package file from the project's releases page and installing it with a file manager app like Filza, or from the command line with dpkg. Building it yourself requires the Theos jailbreak development toolchain along with iOS SDKs and a static build of OpenSSL. The project is released under the GNU General Public License version 2, meaning any modified version you distribute must also be released under the same license.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Walk me through installing the senko .deb package on a jailbroken legacy iPhone.
Prompt 2
Explain which VLESS transport and security combinations senko supports.
Prompt 3
Show me the build steps for compiling senko with Theos and static OpenSSL.
Prompt 4
Help me package a custom senko build into a .deb file using build_deb.sh.

Frequently asked questions

What is senko?

A jailbreak-only VPN client that brings VLESS, SOCKS5, and AmneziaWG connections to legacy iPhones running iOS 6 through iOS 10.

What language is senko written in?

Mainly C. The stack also includes C, OpenSSL, mbedTLS.

What license does senko use?

You can use and modify the code, but any version you distribute, including modified ones, must also be released under the same GPLv2 license.

How hard is senko to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated hard, with roughly 1h+ to a first successful run.

Who is senko for?

Mainly ops devops.

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