[Q] ...next logical step? - Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hello,
Semi-noob here, have done the jailbreak and unlockin' thing to My previous iPhone 3G and 3GS plus a linux user since 97' so I sorta have a clue, know just enough to get Me in trouble.
Anyway after owing a few iPhones and countless Palm phones and products I finally decided to get a Android device, pretty much for the same reasons most people migrate from the iOS to Android.So I picked up a Motorola Atrix4G from ATT a couple of days ago running 2.3.4 I promised Myself I wouldn't try to tweak to since I need this phone heavily for work. Well that last barely 24Hours. So here is what I did.
After a few Missteps and a soft-bricking I sorta solved on My own I am now on 2.2.2 instead of 2.3.4
Gone is a bunch of the ATT bloatware...and some of the Motoblur stuff as well, I think?
I used RSDlite5.3.1 to install SBF1.8.3 and used Fastboot to unlock the bootloader, Also installed clockworkMod recovery and Superuser is enabled.
I like this GUI much better than the bloated one that came on the phone. But My question is am I missing out on features/tweaks present in version 2.3.4? Can I step back up to 2.3.4 and retain My unlocked bootloader? What is the preferred custom ROM....where do I go from here? better said what is the next logical step.
Thanks in Advance.
J.
P.S. For someone like Myself who works on the road 5 day a week on average the fingerprint reader is a godsend....finally a feature that makes sense.

...in true NOOB fashion
So after My earlier post I did a little more digging and figured out I should put pudding's 2.3.4.SBF on My atrix...install went fine. Only wrinkle was I had to reinstall the clockworkmod and Superuser access. Tested, Rooted 100% and everything is working as it should....All the SU apps are working fine as well.No complaints.
J.

If you want the fingerprint sensor but also want a quick low-bloat rom id suggest alien it works really well and its easy to install.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App

Related

Work Phone - Should I Install a Rom?

Well my work just got a bunch of iPhones and the CEO got one of the. He had the Samsung before so I got it as an upgrade over my crackberry.
Now I really want to install a custom rom/kernel on the phone but I am hesitating because its really not my phone and my work owns it.
What do you guys think should I stick with stock or should I root the phone and install a rom?
Stock. There's nothing like explaining to the boss how you f'd up company equipment.
I dont know if one should/should not install custom roms on a work phone, as I don't have one. But I can tell you that if you do decide to root and install one of the custom roms, it's not that hard to unroot and go back to stock later on when you need to return the phone. There are several threads here that will guide you through the process too.
jenisiz said:
Stock. There's nothing like explaining to the boss how you f'd up company equipment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess your right I just hate being stuck on 2.1 when I know I can have a nice Froyo install. It's just so hard not to do because I have done it with all my other devices.
dsf767 said:
I guess your right I just hate being stuck on 2.1 when I know I can have a nice Froyo install. It's just so hard not to do because I have done it with all my other devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hear you...but who's to say he won't ask for it out the blue someday?
Idk, at this point, the fascinate is practically impossible to brick. You also say you have experience rooting and customizing other phones, correct? I say go for it. The only reason I could see not to is due to security issues. Work passwords and etc.. I really don't know too much about all of that tho.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA Premium App
I have a rooted android work phone. All you have to do is read what ppl are saying about the roms and FOLLOW DIRECTIONS and youll be fine.
dsf767 said:
Well my work just got a bunch of iPhones and the CEO got one of the. He had the Samsung before so I got it as an upgrade over my crackberry.
Now I really want to install a custom rom/kernel on the phone but I am hesitating because its really not my phone and my work owns it.
What do you guys think should I stick with stock or should I root the phone and install a rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Used my fascinating voodoo powers
I seriously discourage doing anything to it. It's not yours for one, and (no disrespect to the devs ofcourse, their work is amazing) there really isnt anything spectacular for this phone at the moment due to samsung's failure to provide any source code. To be more specific... our kernels suck.
And oh yea this shouldve been in the Q&A section so be ready for ashasaur to move this thread. (hes really good at doing that )
Depends on your comfort level, and of course, your corporate policies.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA Premium App
I would say root your phone at the most. It's fairly easy to recover from just rooting, but flashing roms/kernels/modems is much more risky. At least with rooting, you could fairly easily freeze the bloat with TiBu and have a more functional phone. Thawing everything and un-rooting would have you a stock phone back fairly quickly, and you could also still receive OTA updates as well.
I say go for it if anything goes wrong all you have to do is odin back to stock it removes everything its as simple as plugging the phone in load the stock file and click start I've done this countless times
We pick our work cell phones specifically because of the potential customization we can do. I hate being stuck with some company's version of what they think will be useful to me in my job. I can Odin this phone back to stock/factory defaults in less than 5 minutes if need be, so customizing this phone and expanding its abilities, and recovering from those customizations quickly, were what attracted me to it.
Android is Android, whether it's Samsung's stock version or one of the dev's version of it. Your phone is still going to perform the same tasks you need it to for your job. As long as you are both competent with the technologies involved and confident in your ability to restore to stock, I don't see why you should hesitate from exploring the options that are out there, especially when Froyo source drops and we see an explosion of dev-created customizations/enhancements.
Really? If your asking for advice on whether to mess with a business owned phone, it makes me wonder are you the ceo's mail clerk?
SuperClean2.9.1vNitroDark
Personally for a work phone, I'd update it for better usage in my work.
Increasing battery life usage duration.
Less irritating buggy glitches.
Removing the idiotic TW/BING/VZW craps. (too many add-on hacks from google default causing reliability and dependability problems)
Adding Backup and Restore nandroid for possible failures and migrations.
I suggest DJ05 + SuperClean + Blaze v2.3.1R2.

[Q] To root or not to root - that is the question!

ok, here i am... in the android world, after many years of winmo - and i must say wow, i was missing a lot! i just bought a thunderbolt as a replacement for my htc touch pro2 (which was running stock, only after i broke my old one and didnt take the time to re do it again)
what i could do on my tp2 was run hotspot app PROVIDED by HTC (not sure why or how that slipped through big red's net) but it was free, no tethering/hotspot fee needed.
i like my TB (but not the bloatware) and am currently refusing all updates till i make my mind up on rooting. right now - kernel 2.6.32.21.gb05544a dated march 1, 2011 and the software number is 1.13.605.7. my guess is that since i bought it from amazonwireless, big red hasnt updated it, and it sat on the shelf at amazon for a bit. either way, the hotspot app still works for free.
my questions:
1. if i continue to refuse, can i assume that one day i will wake up updated or find my phone automatically updating without my permission?
2. if i root (before this big scary update happens) will my phone automatically go back to a stock rom, only with superuser access where i can remove bloatware manually and install a wifi hotspot app, or will i have to flash to a rom?
i am familiar with flashing windows mobile phones, flashed my past 2 devices to the newest software (had my tp2 before 6.5 was released for that phone, so flashed to 6 before big red officially released it). but it didnt need constant 'attention' once it was flashed. i used to fool around with sat boxes that did need constant attention and monitoring and waiting for charlies next emp, then scrambling to reflash. that was a pain.
3. will my rooted TB need constant attention or will i be able to tootle around without a care, only flashing when someone releases a rom that i might want to try out or some big release <gingerbread> is ready for rooted phones?
thanks for your time!
PS: I have read that people cant use netflix app on TB - i downloaded it, and it works fine for me. i am stuck in 3g land until next winter, but i would think that 4g would rock... just FYI in case anyone cares.
good questions. i'd like to see these answered too
fxb141 said:
ok, here i am... in the android world, after many years of winmo - and i must say wow, i was missing a lot! i just bought a thunderbolt as a replacement for my htc touch pro2 (which was running stock, only after i broke my old one and didnt take the time to re do it again)
what i could do on my tp2 was run hotspot app PROVIDED by HTC (not sure why or how that slipped through big red's net) but it was free, no tethering/hotspot fee needed.
i like my TB (but not the bloatware) and am currently refusing all updates till i make my mind up on rooting. right now - kernel 2.6.32.21.gb05544a dated march 1, 2011 and the software number is 1.13.605.7. my guess is that since i bought it from amazonwireless, big red hasnt updated it, and it sat on the shelf at amazon for a bit. either way, the hotspot app still works for free.
my questions:
1. if i continue to refuse, can i assume that one day i will wake up updated or find my phone automatically updating without my permission?
2. if i root (before this big scary update happens) will my phone automatically go back to a stock rom, only with superuser access where i can remove bloatware manually and install a wifi hotspot app, or will i have to flash to a rom?
i am familiar with flashing windows mobile phones, flashed my past 2 devices to the newest software (had my tp2 before 6.5 was released for that phone, so flashed to 6 before big red officially released it). but it didnt need constant 'attention' once it was flashed. i used to fool around with sat boxes that did need constant attention and monitoring and waiting for charlies next emp, then scrambling to reflash. that was a pain.
3. will my rooted TB need constant attention or will i be able to tootle around without a care, only flashing when someone releases a rom that i might want to try out or some big release <gingerbread> is ready for rooted phones?
thanks for your time!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome to the world of Android! We hope you enjoy your stay ^__^. While I don't have a TBolt myself, I think any user opinion is good. Phone's auto updating is rare, like extremely rare, but I have seen it on some of the lesser model phones. I don't think you need to worry about it though. The free hotspot app however may be noticed and tagged as a tether as big red gets their chubby fingers around the few apps they are missing.
To root or not to root, that is the question.....or is it! The answer is up to you. If your comfortable with it than root it! All rooting will do is give you superuser ability, and the ability to flash custom roms/kernels/mods. If you want to keep the stock rom, than all you need to do is flash and nothing more. Rooting your phone doesn't auto flash some random rom. Roms are typically not built with an auto updater, so you only need to reflash a rom if you want to change roms or update to the newest version. I would say I flash at least an image a day on my Dinc. Once your rooted, regardless of the rom, I would suggest downloading some backup software (Titanium Backup or it's like for TBolt) and of course a tethering app, whether you want wired or wireless is up to you. Once you root, you lose your connection to big red's update servers and so you never have to worry about an update that returns you to stock like you do with i<anything's>.
Happy flashing!
fxb141 said:
ok, here i am... in the android world, after many years of winmo - and i must say wow, i was missing a lot! i just bought a thunderbolt as a replacement for my htc touch pro2 (which was running stock, only after i broke my old one and didnt take the time to re do it again)
what i could do on my tp2 was run hotspot app PROVIDED by HTC (not sure why or how that slipped through big red's net) but it was free, no tethering/hotspot fee needed.
i like my TB (but not the bloatware) and am currently refusing all updates till i make my mind up on rooting. right now - kernel 2.6.32.21.gb05544a dated march 1, 2011 and the software number is 1.13.605.7. my guess is that since i bought it from amazonwireless, big red hasnt updated it, and it sat on the shelf at amazon for a bit. either way, the hotspot app still works for free.
my questions:
1. if i continue to refuse, can i assume that one day i will wake up updated or find my phone automatically updating without my permission?
2. if i root (before this big scary update happens) will my phone automatically go back to a stock rom, only with superuser access where i can remove bloatware manually and install a wifi hotspot app, or will i have to flash to a rom?
i am familiar with flashing windows mobile phones, flashed my past 2 devices to the newest software (had my tp2 before 6.5 was released for that phone, so flashed to 6 before big red officially released it). but it didnt need constant 'attention' once it was flashed. i used to fool around with sat boxes that did need constant attention and monitoring and waiting for charlies next emp, then scrambling to reflash. that was a pain.
3. will my rooted TB need constant attention or will i be able to tootle around without a care, only flashing when someone releases a rom that i might want to try out or some big release <gingerbread> is ready for rooted phones?
thanks for your time!
PS: I have read that people cant use netflix app on TB - i downloaded it, and it works fine for me. i am stuck in 3g land until next winter, but i would think that 4g would rock... just FYI in case anyone cares.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tbolt just got netflix last week for stock users.
Even if you are not going to flash a custom ROM right now, I would root.
Reason being that rooting requires you to flash old firmware so your phone gets wiped. Better to do it now, then that way you can use apps like Titanium backup.
fxb141 said:
ok, here i am... in the android world, after many years of winmo - and i must say wow, i was missing a lot! i just bought a thunderbolt as a replacement for my htc touch pro2 (which was running stock, only after i broke my old one and didnt take the time to re do it again)
what i could do on my tp2 was run hotspot app PROVIDED by HTC (not sure why or how that slipped through big red's net) but it was free, no tethering/hotspot fee needed.
i like my TB (but not the bloatware) and am currently refusing all updates till i make my mind up on rooting. right now - kernel 2.6.32.21.gb05544a dated march 1, 2011 and the software number is 1.13.605.7. my guess is that since i bought it from amazonwireless, big red hasnt updated it, and it sat on the shelf at amazon for a bit. either way, the hotspot app still works for free.
my questions:
1. if i continue to refuse, can i assume that one day i will wake up updated or find my phone automatically updating without my permission?
2. if i root (before this big scary update happens) will my phone automatically go back to a stock rom, only with superuser access where i can remove bloatware manually and install a wifi hotspot app, or will i have to flash to a rom?
i am familiar with flashing windows mobile phones, flashed my past 2 devices to the newest software (had my tp2 before 6.5 was released for that phone, so flashed to 6 before big red officially released it). but it didnt need constant 'attention' once it was flashed. i used to fool around with sat boxes that did need constant attention and monitoring and waiting for charlies next emp, then scrambling to reflash. that was a pain.
3. will my rooted TB need constant attention or will i be able to tootle around without a care, only flashing when someone releases a rom that i might want to try out or some big release <gingerbread> is ready for rooted phones?
thanks for your time!
PS: I have read that people cant use netflix app on TB - i downloaded it, and it works fine for me. i am stuck in 3g land until next winter, but i would think that 4g would rock... just FYI in case anyone cares.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but there are OTA's that can't be rooted.
What rooting your phone will do is install a new stock ROM which means it will wipe your whole phone. From there you can flash up to anything you want. Don't do rooting the lazy way. Use the ADB process and do it right. If you have a problem along the way, you'll be very glad you did it that way because you'd end up getting into ADB to fix any problem anyhow. Plus, jcase and other at andirc.net are very helpful.
If you root you will end up with whatever ROM is used during the root process. If you go to the development threads and to the stickied rooting instructions it will show you what RUU is used for the rooting process.
If you havent updated your phone you might even find that the ROM you get after rooting might be a newer version of the one you are using. If you want to stick with that ROM you can and just debloat it yourself or find another debloated ROM out there.
Once rooted you can use it similar to how you used your stock phone with no extra maintenance steps needed. If you start flashing nightlies or alpha/beta ROMs then you will start needing to monitor your phone for behavioral problems more.
There are no OTA's that cant be rooted. When an OTA comes out and you are rooted you should wait on flashing it as you would loose root if you did but in just a few days the dev's will create a rooted version to flash. Those OTA's will then be started to be used as the base for new ROMs.
Root! Root! Root!
As far as requiring tinkering as has been mentioned just rooting alone won't change a whole lot for your regular experience. The fun comes in trying out new ROMs. Some of the ROMs out there are very stable and once installed shouldn't need a whole lot of tinkering either (unless you get the FLASH habit that so many seem to develop and decide to flash a new one every day *wink*).
I rooted and installed Thundersense 1.5 onto mine, it's pretty nice. While I am running into some problems with bluetooth audio, having root capability means I can actually tinker with the phone's settings to try to fix issues instead of waiting forever for Verizon/HTC to push out another update that may or may not resolve whatever issue I have.
Not rooting is like driving around in a sports car with a parachute tied to the back.
Just do it.
When you root following Jcases method in the dev section you end up with a bone stock 1.13.605.7 with root. You might still get prompted for updates if you stay on the stock build but DO NOT ACCEPT if rooted. It will just cause problems and you might lose root or worse. I havent heard of Thunderbolts updating themselves but I have heard of Evos, I belive, that did. (according to users posts) So you never know but I belive something to do with Clockwork Mod Recovery(A custom recovery for android that you install after rooting.) will cause the update to fail anyway. As I understand it right now all OTAs can be rooted BUT the Gingerbread update will apparently close all known exploits to get root when it is released. There will always be rooted versions of the stock OTAs posted in the dev section you can flash if you want the newest updates and to be rooted. Of course there are lots of custom ROMs for the Thunderbolt to try out that are fast and stable. So I say root. It takes some reading and learning if you are new to it but its will worth it.
Sent from my HTC Thunderbolt
rooted and reloaded software
Thanks all for your advice! I successfully rooted my TB and it only took a few minutes to reload my apps and get it into working order. netflix is jumpy now, but could be the connection - going to mess with that some. not a big loss anyway - more of a 'wow, thats cool' than useful.
appbrain and HTC Sync with outlook contacts worked great for quick 'restore'
another question though - i am trying to remove the bloat and things like vcast and vznav will not let me uninstall. what is the best way to do this? i know i am rooted - barnicle works and has superuser access.
also, any good cooked sense roms that someone can recommend? not looking for one that constantly needs attention, just some cool things like cpu under/over clocking ability, and if SOMEONE would get a ford sync app that i could use voice command to text over sync - that would rock too!
Synergy ROM is my ROM of choice. It's based on the newest GB leak for the Tbolt, and has Sense 2.1 with Sense 3.0 features, so I find it less laggy than full on Sense 3.0 ROMs, and Ziggy's kernel (included in the ROM) works great with no SetCPU needed. It's worth a try. You can find a link to the download in my sig.
Happy flashing!
that's awesome. i was think this very thing. I'm sold, I'm rooting.
orkillakilla said:
Synergy ROM is my ROM of choice. It's based on the newest GB leak for the Tbolt, and has Sense 2.1 with Sense 3.0 features, so I find it less laggy than full on Sense 3.0 ROMs, and Ziggy's kernel (included in the ROM) works great with no SetCPU needed. It's worth a try. You can find a link to the download in my sig.
Happy flashing!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I would probably try this ROM - Is there anything i would need to change on my stock everything, no updates, no frills TB - like, will i have to update the radio before flashing?
I must say, i love the synergy rom! it seems fast and really rocks! I did have to update my stock base version radio MR1 to MR2.5 so i had service. flashing went great. many kudos to each and every post i read with regard to rooting, flashing, radios and roms!!! yes, i am a lurker, but thanks all around!
fxb141 said:
I must say, i love the synergy rom! it seems fast and really rocks! I did have to update my stock base version radio MR1 to MR2.5 so i had service. flashing went great. many kudos to each and every post i read with regard to rooting, flashing, radios and roms!!! yes, i am a lurker, but thanks all around!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad everything worked out and that you are enjoying Synergy. Don't be afraid to try other ROMs though. I've flashed almost every rom out there and decided to keep synergy.
Sent from my HTC GingerBolt powered by the lastest Synergy ROM
Too many horror stories for me to root just yet. However I get multiple update demands from verizon every day which is driving me crazy, and today was the first time it actually tried to update itself without permission. I just happened to open my phone at work and saw it trying to download the update on its own. There was no way to cancel it either, I had to reboot the phone immediately to make it stop. It has yet to reappear, but we'll see what happens.
Rooting isn't worth it. Most of the ROM's out now are just plain awful (some people have no taste).
What are these horror stories you speak of?? I haven't heard of one person brick their phone rooting and that's the only horror story I can think of involving rooting. It's actually a pretty easy process if you just read up on what you are doing first.
As for the claim all the ROMs suck...well everyone if entitled to their opinion but there are Froyo sense and de-sensed ROMs, Gingerbread sense and de-sensed ROMs, and AOSP ROMs. You can have sense 2.1, 3.0, or no sense. Lots of themes to choose from if you want them. I don't see how that list is any different from any other HTC phone. That is not even including the fact that a lot of them greatly improve performance and batery life.
Sent from my HTC Thunderbolt

[Q] Maybe android isn't for me?

This will likely be a long post, so I'll start off with short summary:
After years of being excited about the android OS, I've now grown very tired of it and can't find a good solution to solve the issues.
Thanks in advance for taking the time to read and provide feedback and insight.
Background
I've been a web developer for ~15 years, even worked on a very popular android tablet before it was released. I currently have the title of "SDE" but I also deal with a lot of UI/UX work. I'm pretty tech savvy, love control, love to hack (eg my main machines are hackintoshes). I bought an EVO 3D shortly after it came out as it was dual core and had the most RAM. A friend is an android enthusiast and it sure seemed like android, while lacking polish, offered the flexibility and community for me to be able to have the level of polish I want.
Problems
Over the past year+ I haven't had much spare time. While other phones on other carriers are easy to root and mod, the EVO 3D on Sprint has been a PITA. My recent attempt at a custom PRL was a great example of how this "open" phone was more difficult to work with than a "locked" iPhone. There's been no easy way to root this phone and turn s-off. Yeah, I know there's two methods but both of them require more time than I have right now at any given time. And the bigger issue for me is that they're much bigger kludges than I think an "open" OS should be.
I waited for the ICS OTA update and am disappointed. While it solved some issues, it created more. And I feel like I've got both arms tied behind my back since almost any fix requires root. I hate reading that some of the fixes are in jelly bean, yet there's no easy way for me to upgrade.
Specific issues
- Llama doesn't work in ICS. I <3 Llama
- Battery usage is often horrible - yesterday I checked my email a couple times and the battery lasted all of 6 hours. I tried killing all tasks, but those who say that's useless since froyo are right. This issue keeps happening... it's like the CPU gets stuck at 100% for some reason.
- Network sucks. I don't understand why I can get 10Mb down and 2Mb up with speedtest.net, but the responsiveness of any app that uses the internet is sluggish. Even with my own tests on my own web servers, it' still sluggish. And latency is fairly low... seems like there might be a lot of packet loss for some reason.
- Camera sucks. The camera on my wife's EVO 4G works better but still sucks. All I've found here are threads confirming how much it sucks.
- App specific issues:
-- I have my sync settings set not to link contacts with LinkedIn, but it still frequently asks me anyway.
-- Contacts are duplicating: I had them all on my phone, and all synced via my gmail account. Then the other day it decides they're all different and duplicates my contacts.
- It unlocks itself. Sometimes I pull my phone out of my pocket and the phone is unlocked, even though I had a PIN set. I can use it for a minute or two, then suddenly I get greeted with a lock screen (or sometimes just half a lock screen.)
- I don't like having to set a lock screen in order to change the wifi password. Seems really odd to me. It wasn't like that in gingerbread.
I also have a hard time finding information. Seems like half of what I find doesn't apply to the EVO 3D, though may work for many other phones (even other HTC phones) and the bulk of the rest no longer works because of some other issue (or is just outdated.)
Anyway, I could go on, but I think you get the idea. If I had time, I'd see what I could to do contribute to a ROM project, but that just doesn't seem like it's in the cards right now. Am I just not a good fit for android? Is the bigger issue this phone? Would I actually be able to solve the above issues if I did go ahead and root it fully... perhaps with the wire method?
Thanks
Well I understand where you're coming from. Honestly, its personal preference. From my experience, once I went s-off and fully rooted it, it was so much better. A lot of the custom roms here are fantastic and blow stock out of the water. You can do so much more with root, and easily fix all of the problems that you have. Every. Single. One. It's all about just trying it, and if you don't like it, you can easily just try something new, that's the glory of it
Sent from my PG86100 using xda app-developers app
Thanks for the reassurance. I went ahead and tried the wire trick here http://htcevohacks.com/htc-evo-3d-h...c-evo-3d-using-wire-trick-juopunutbear-s-off/
Unfortunately, when I run ControlBear it tells me "device has no root!!"
I used the HTC method to unlock it. I'll keep digging... but this is part of what frustrates me about android.
blame the phone manufacturers and the carriers, not android... none of your problems actually seem like android ones
snokarver said:
Thanks for the reassurance. I went ahead and tried the wire trick here http://htcevohacks.com/htc-evo-3d-h...c-evo-3d-using-wire-trick-juopunutbear-s-off/
Unfortunately, when I run ControlBear it tells me "device has no root!!"
I used the HTC method to unlock it. I'll keep digging... but this is part of what frustrates me about android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take a look at mpgrimm2's guide thread. That has a lot of good information.
ramjet73
snokarver said:
Thanks for the reassurance. I went ahead and tried the wire trick here http://htcevohacks.com/htc-evo-3d-h...c-evo-3d-using-wire-trick-juopunutbear-s-off/
Unfortunately, when I run ControlBear it tells me "device has no root!!"
I used the HTC method to unlock it. I'll keep digging... but this is part of what frustrates me about android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After you htcdev unlock, you need to flash a stock rom with root, I would try my rom, common sense v1.5 (stock) its in the link in my siggy, I did it on that and it worked just fine. Or you can flash a stock rooted rom that Virus posted up, its somewhere in the dev forum, once that's flashed you're good to go
Sent from my PG86100 using xda app-developers app
Thanks. What's the easiest way to do a full backup of my existing ROM so I can easily restore if I want to? Seems like every method I've found requires root.
Under all the glitz, Android runs on a Linux kernel.
Linux is very secure in that only the "root" account can make changes to vital system processes.
So yes, gaining root access is vital to making changes to your android device.
IMO, it is too easy to gain root in Android. It should be harder so all these noobs won't be on here f'ing up their phones.
sudo passwd root
I use *nix all day long. Was just running commands to modify permissions, using sudo, for git. Even in OS X gaining root access is fairly easy. But what you're telling me is, the only way to backup my ROM is to wipe it first with a ROM that is rooted? (In other words, no way to backup my ROM.)
snokarver said:
Thanks. What's the easiest way to do a full backup of my existing ROM so I can easily restore if I want to? Seems like every method I've found requires root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you find the Su binaries, you can flash it via recovery via fastboot, right over the stock rom that you're running RIGHT NOW. I would google it, I don't have one off hand that I can attach for you.
Sent from my PG86100 using xda app-developers app
I found the su binaries, but haven't had any luck getting them installed. Every walkthrough I've found doesn't work. Tried to put a recovery on it, but that also won't go. One method requires root. The instructions for another said three button method but that doesn't seem to work on this phone...
You have to unlock the bootloader before trying to install recovery.
There are a bunch of guides. www.google.com
sudo passwd root
*sigh*
I have done the official HTC unlock. I know there's a ton of guides out there, and I'm usually pretty good at using google, but I have yet to find one that works. 90% of them are incomplete, outdated, assume you're already fully rooted or have a custom ROM. The majority of the time I find people posting the same problems I'm running into, without any answers. I've tried no less than four different methods (found via google) today to install recovery, but none of them have worked.
snokarver said:
*sigh*
I have done the official HTC unlock. I know there's a ton of guides out there, and I'm usually pretty good at using google, but I have yet to find one that works. 90% of them are incomplete, outdated, assume you're already fully rooted or have a custom ROM. The majority of the time I find people posting the same problems I'm running into, without any answers. I've tried no less than four different methods (found via google) today to install recovery, but none of them have worked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried mpgrimm2's guide for flashing recovery and superuser? It's part of a larger thread that covers rooting, S-OFF, bootloaders and other stuff for the Evo 3D and I know he works hard at keeping it up-to-date.
I suggested that earlier in this thread, and if you can't find the answers you are looking for there I'd be surprised.
ramjet73
Thanks for the insistance on that thread. I tried CWM using that guide and it didn't work (wouldn't ever boot into CWM even though everything appeared to install ok). I tried 4ext using a 4ext guide and it didn't work. I tried 4ext using the same guide as you linked to which references CWM, and it did work.
BusyBox is saying it may not be rooted, but RootChecker says it is. At least now I think I'm far enough along to make a backup of the stock ROM. Thanks much
Launching BusyBox some more it seems to work fine. So far I've:
- Make a backup of the stock ROM
- Deleted the crapware
- Backed up my apps with TB
- Used SetCPU to lower the clockspeed when idle. Now I'm under 100ma when idle. Pre ICS I had a hard time getting under 300ma.
Thanks a bunch. Things are really looking up.

[Q] New to android, And I cant find the answer Im looking for.

I have just ordered my first smartphone, a new unlocked AT&T Motorola Atrix 4G MB860 from Ebay to be used on Cincinnati Bells network. It has Android 2.2 installed on it now. I have found all kinds of information about updating to Gingerbread directly from the phone when I first use it, but thats where i get lost.
My Questions:
1. Given the fact there is no data saved to get lost should I update it to ICS or JB now?
2. Is there a need to upgrade past Gingerbread?
3. To do the upgrade I have read about com10 and all kinds of ROMs, EXACTLY what do I need to upload (given no mods are on the phone).
4. Is there a post that is pretty much "upgrading for dummys"?
I figured if i need to upgrade now is the time so I dont get used to one OS and then have to relearn another because this one stops being supported (like the Iphone 3G).
Given that this is your first smartphone, it would probably be best that you just use it as is for a while and NOT TOUCH ANYTHING until you get VERY familiar with all the options and terminology. Who knows, you might just get to like it the way it is. Not sure why you want to tamper with it already but it sounds like you are sure to be on your way to disaster with your current level of experience.
ravilov said:
Given that this is your first smartphone, it would probably be best that you just use it as is for a while and NOT TOUCH ANYTHING until you get VERY familiar with all the options and terminology. Who knows, you might just get to like it the way it is. Not sure why you want to tamper with it already but it sounds like you are sure to be on your way to disaster with your current level of experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its not that I want to tamper with it (infact i would rather not). Thats why I was asking the questions in advance so I dont find myself with an overpriced Frisbee. I have had the "old guy" flip phones for years but its time to get into the21st century.
I was just given an Iphone 3g locked to AT&T. I unlocked and jailbroke it but soon found that all the apps I wanted were out for ios5 not for mine. I bought an unlocked Samsing Focus S windows 7.5 phone on Ebay and LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it. With Cincinnati Bell though, half of the features wouldnt work. After talking to everyone but Bill Gates himself, I contacted the seller and they have offered me this Atrix 4G in exchange. I just Want to make sure Im not getting myself back into the 3G scenario again where nothing will download to it due to having an outdated OS.
It all depends on exactly what apps you want/need. Most apps should work on older phones too (no matter what OS or brand), I'm kinda starting to suspect you are mostly after very new stuff. It is true that Froyo is now considered outdated (heck, even Gingerbread is just barely hanging in there), and I suppose you can try updating through "official channels" (either OTA or a downloadable official firmware), I would just suggest you don't go the modding route until you're familiar with the territory. I'm not saying it's difficult or complicated, I'm just saying you have to know it.
Also, I'm not sure why you call this "your first smartphone" when it's quite clear that you've had plenty others...
varuum said:
Its not that I want to tamper with it (infact i would rather not). Thats why I was asking the questions in advance so I dont find myself with an overpriced Frisbee. I have had the "old guy" flip phones for years but its time to get into the21st century.
I was just given an Iphone 3g locked to AT&T. I unlocked and jailbroke it but soon found that all the apps I wanted were out for ios5 not for mine. I bought an unlocked Samsing Focus S windows 7.5 phone on Ebay and LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it. With Cincinnati Bell though, half of the features wouldnt work. After talking to everyone but Bill Gates himself, I contacted the seller and they have offered me this Atrix 4G in exchange. I just Want to make sure Im not getting myself back into the 3G scenario again where nothing will download to it due to having an outdated OS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's less of an Android problem because of the fragmentation (probably the only good thing about fragmentation). I think around 40% of all Android phones are still on gingerbread, so developers aren't about to abandon all those users for their apps. The majority of apps work with gingerbread and you won't have a problem. The only app I have that is only for 4.0+ is Nova Launcher which can easily be replaced by one of the many other launchers that are compatible with GB.
Definitely just stay on GB for a while and use it however you want. If you start running into app compatibility for some reason, then you can look into roms. But I highly doubt that will be the reason you want a 4.0+ rom. After a full year on gingerbread I finally tried a custom rom. There is no rush at all to start changing things because it can brick your device really easily. Stay with stock everything and only think about messing with more advanced things once you actually require it.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
TotalBS said:
Definitely just stay on GB for a while and use it however you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He said he's on 2.2 (Froyo) now, not GB.
OP, if I were you I'd probably go ahead and upgrade it to GB by the official OTA update process and try it out for a while till you get more familiar with it as ravilov mentioned. But that's just my opinion.
Thank you folks. Now I have a better understanding of the support of android. I think Ill do the GB
The apps. in question..... Weather, facebook, calendar ...... As far as the first smart phone.... I have had smart phone service since tuesday of last week and have not been able to use either of the devices. I couldnt even send or receive pics on the windows phone. So I was told this would work with my network. this will be the first smart phone useable out of 3 in the last week.
ravilov said:
It all depends on exactly what apps you want/need. Most apps should work on older phones too (no matter what OS or brand), I'm kinda starting to suspect you are mostly after very new stuff. It is true that Froyo is now considered outdated (heck, even Gingerbread is just barely hanging in there), and I suppose you can try updating through "official channels" (either OTA or a downloadable official firmware), I would just suggest you don't go the modding route until you're familiar with the territory. I'm not saying it's difficult or complicated, I'm just saying you have to know it.
Also, I'm not sure why you call this "your first smartphone" when it's quite clear that you've had plenty others...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't the newest official AT&T firmware overwrite your bootloader making it impossible to tamper with it later on? Correct me if I'm wrong, since I might be mistaken. (I unlocked it the second I got my phone and haven't looked twice at any official firmware since then)
@ OP: I don't know you, so I don't know how computer literate you might be, but if you feel like up to the task, I would recommend unlocking the bootloader AND then staying on the official firmware (through the use of fruitcakes or Blur based ROMs), so you can get used to everything with as few bugs/quirks as possible. If you later decide to upgrade to more up to date firmware, then you'll have that option as well.
IF you're not very good with computers and other gadgets, then I would suggest you just leave it be and stay on the official firmware. But to make this choice, you need to be honest with yourself as to whether you're capable or not of doing it. How to use custom software on your phone isn't some well guarded secret or anything particularly complicated, it just requires for the user to do A LOT of reading so they understand exactly what they're doing, otherwise it's a recipe for disaster.
littleemp said:
Doesn't the newest official AT&T firmware overwrite your bootloader making it impossible to tamper with it later on? Correct me if I'm wrong, since I might be mistaken. (I unlocked it the second I got my phone and haven't looked twice at any official firmware since then)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is uncertain really. There are some indications that the bootloader in .145 is not really changed compared to the .141, but I guess the safest thing for the OP to do is to update to .141 if possible. I've also never had anything to do with official updates so I don't really know how it goes. This phone got rooted pretty much as soon as I got it and unlocked and flashed only days later.
@OP,
You certainly have a very strange and uncommon definition of "my first smartphone". Like, this Atrix that I'm holding right now is totally my first smartphone in the last hour... :angel:
BTW, a smartphone is not defined by "a phone with the smartphone service", in fact in most countries (mine included) such a concept doesn't even exist.
Also, all of the apps you mentioned should work perfectly on Froyo or at least on Gingerbread.

[Q] First time rooting. Rid me of my apprehension!

Hey guys,
So as the title suggests, this will be my first time rooting any phone. I attempted to root my HTC Inspire 4G, nearly bricked it, and kinda gave up on the whole thing.
Now, with my HTC One loaded with unecessary AT&T apps and other stupid bloatware, I find myself in the same position. I know there are many guides for rooting the One, but are there any that are particularly newbie-friendly? Also, I understand that after rooting, OTA updates are impossible. My question is...is 4.2.2 available currently? What about 4.3? And most importantly, how easy/difficult is it to install an update?
Thanks guys. This whole thing has me moderately excited, and equally freaked out (really really like this phone and DON'T want to brick it).
doubleojerbo said:
Hey guys,
So as the title suggests, this will be my first time rooting any phone. I attempted to root my HTC Inspire 4G, nearly bricked it, and kinda gave up on the whole thing.
Now, with my HTC One loaded with unecessary AT&T apps and other stupid bloatware, I find myself in the same position. I know there are many guides for rooting the One, but are there any that are particularly newbie-friendly? Also, I understand that after rooting, OTA updates are impossible. My question is...is 4.2.2 available currently? What about 4.3? And most importantly, how easy/difficult is it to install an update?
Thanks guys. This whole thing has me moderately excited, and equally freaked out (really really like this phone and DON'T want to brick it).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have never rooted, an HTC device is probably a little intimidating compared to other manufacturers.
Now, if you just get a guide and follow it to a t, you'll be fine.
You can always get thr phone back to a stock state if you want an ota update, buy if you are running a custom rom, that dev will typically update that particular rom with the ota update.
Hope that helps
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
if i can help....
i am new to android (iphone convert)...HTC ONE is my first droid device.
i had an iphone 5, Jailbroke it, was lovin life but needed a bigger screen.
HTC One, AT&T, 4.1.2 android
anyhow, i myself was in the same boat as you last week.
my main gripe with the stock HTC one is the fact that you cannot "wake up" the phone any other way
except for the power button. so annoying- it was driving me crazy.
also i have unlimited ATT data plan, and so my wifi tether was dead, and wanted to mod for that as well.
anyhow, i was on the fence regarding rooting my phone, but then i
finally ran into the BULLETPROOF kernel thread here at XDA, and i had to have it.
as i began to research my quest to brick my phone, i ran into this guy on youtube: qbking77
he has some great videos on youtube that will give you the exact instructions and directions on
what you will need to do to root your HTC phone.
His English is easy to understand, he has a support webpage/blog with links to everything you need, very very good and easy tutorial, probably what convinced me to do it.
so here are the steps that he gives:
#1. UNLOCK BOOTLOADER HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU7vi388dMk&feature=youtu.be
#2. ROOT INSTRUCTIONS HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRkAHw_GmIs
BAM!...you are done rooting.
He uses TWRP (custom recovery), and TWRP has been an easy interface for me, no gripes.
so, anyhow, after you have gone through those steps, if I can suggest a couple other things I ran into.
one of the main reasons I was wanting to root my phone, was to install the bulletproof kernel.
this kernel allows for you to “swipe to unlock” your HTC phone.
it’s super cool, and that was the first thing I wanted to install.
I went ahead and installed it, happy as can be…
everything seemed cool, but after a day or so, went to open my camera,
and what do you know, black camera death screen, NO CAMERA!
I was like WTH, ???
jumped back in the forums (guess I should have researched a little further)
and I am not sure why, or what the deal is, but there is a glitch with the kernel and 4.1.2 android version. some people were fine but there are a lot like me and had the camera error.
so long story longer,
I ended up trying to re-install every single bulletproof rom version that was available,
still no luck.
finally i PM'd another user on these forums, he said he installed the ANDROID REVOLUTION HD (4.2.2 ROM)
i went ahead and installed, then I installed the bulletproof kernel m7-3.4 (for 4.2.2)
and what do you know, 100% just fine, absolutely sweet.
only other thing I’ve done was install the ULTIMATE RIT_ARHD_12.1 (HD icon them package)
and man, my phone has a whole new life, and I am absolutely loving it.
anyhow, hope that helps,
those qbking77 vids are the best thing to use in my opinion,
(oh and qbking77 has a vid to install "free wifi hotspot for the HTC ONE"....took all but 5 minutes and that was the icing on the cake!)
good luck!
AJ
Welcome
I am not big into posting on XDA because I typically found my answers either here or on YouTube. As 9aj9 stated, look up qbking77 on youtube and follow his videos. They are very straight forward. On top of what 9aj9 stated, I also S-OFF and SuperCID. The following videos explain what S-OFF and SuperCID mean and how you get them.
S-OFF - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4BWxtjaamM
SuperCID - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvcYRNMq3YQ
I am personally running Stock Rooted Google Edition (link below), but I have flashed several things. It is all personal preference once you get rooted. Wish you the best of luck!
Stock Rooted GE- http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2360608
id like to throw my post in here if I could. I bought a factory unlocked One from htc.com and thought I was going to get updates from htc. They recently told me I still had to wait for updates from my carrier (att). with this bit of news Ive decided I want to put a stock google 4.2 on my one. Are these instructions posted above good for me to use? sense is something I can do without, has someone made a rom with 4.2 with sense as well?
downhillrider said:
id like to throw my post in here if I could. I bought a factory unlocked One from htc.com and thought I was going to get updates from htc. They recently told me I still had to wait for updates from my carrier (att). with this bit of news Ive decided I want to put a stock google 4.2 on my one. Are these instructions posted above good for me to use? sense is something I can do without, has someone made a rom with 4.2 with sense as well?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the ViperOne rom, it's 4.2.2 and Sense 5....
Best advice is take a step back and give it a few days. You will absorb everything there is in time. And if you **** up it Can be fixed ^_^
Sent From My AT&T Salaxy S4 via XTC Private App
9aj9 posted the very videos I used to unlock my bootloader and root mine, thats exactly what I would have posted,,
And if you want a good rom to run that 4.2.2 use this one with Sense 5 as well
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2183023
its close to stock with little tweaks here and there and its ALL I have been using. The Dev Mike1986 updates it rather often!
Plus if you are alittle worried at the moment, I would recommend keeping it simple and not worrying about SuperCID and S-off...while I to am both of these things, it isnt really necessary
You don't need to be rooted to wake your device with something beside the power button.
I use 'Power On Volume' and my volume button wakes my device. I use a different app that allows me to lock my HTC One with a touchscreen button.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
Awesome!
I picked up the HTC One a few days ago from AT&T (coming from iOS). Like 9aj9, some things were finicky like not being able to wake the phone other than the power button, I can see the gripes with the volume button placement and are easily triggered. I got a slim case to give me space away from the volume rocker.
Anyway, I was going to flash to the Home2Wake kernel, but the bulletproof kernel sound even better! However, seems it's most stable if Android Revolution HD ROM in installed (is that the right word?).
So, I have one question before I proceed - can I revert the HTC One to stock 4.1.2 after flashing to Revolution ROM? I'm asking because I am still within the return window and would like the option of getting it back to stock if I wanted to return it.
Im pretty certain u can revert, when u go through qbking77's vids, i believe he has a vid in reverting back to stock.
But one main thing is u have to run a full backup once u have TWRP installed....
aj
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
I was wondering about firmware. I just got my ATT One and I saw a lot of users are flashing the newest firmware.
Is this necessary and if so, what order do we do it in? Flash the firmware after Root?
bustedukulele said:
I was wondering about firmware. I just got my ATT One and I saw a lot of users are flashing the newest firmware.
Is this necessary and if so, what order do we do it in? Flash the firmware after Root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not needed. The firmware that comes with the phone works on 4.2 roms also (the old If it isnt broken dont fix it comes to mind here ). Some of us just like to have the latest greatest everything so I did the firmware update as well, but like I said, its not necessary.
Also, when installing a 4.2 rom keep in mind that the file system will be different as 4.2 has support for multiple users.
Maybe I caught you before you went ahead and rooted, but it was honestly a piece of cake. I pretty much followed what 9aj9 wrote (thread 3). If you follow qbking77's videos, you can't go wrong. I used a W7 machine, even thought I usually use a Mac, but qbking77 used a W7, so I was able to do each step exactly. I did download the most recent SuperSU (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1538053) instead of the older version form the site.
Anyway take your time, make sure you have a few hours. Also, realize you will lose everything when you unlock the boot loader. I backed up most things with Helium, but you have to re-install all the apps, Helium just backs up the data.

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