I would like to shade some light to current situation regarding unlocking bootloader, custom roms, and using clockworkmod recovery on MOTO RAZR.
First of all to answer few common questions here.
1) Does Motorola Razr have locked bootloader?
Yes.
2) Is it possible to install ClockWorkMod?
Yes but with some caveats.
3) Is it possible to install custom ROM's?
Yes but there is several different methods of doing this (safestrap and bootstrap)
4) What is the difference between safestrap and bootstrap?
Bootstrap method works on the following way, it's basicly hijack of boot process
and running CWM instead of some other regular process, in RAZR method bootstrap process is hijacking logcat and running cwm. Current bootstrap method
works on all RAZR models from different carriers. J.Y.Daddy made his bootstrap method and compiled CWM for RAZR, more info can be found at original post
here.
Originally Posted by [TSON]
JYDADDY DID NOT MAKE CWM OR BOOTSTRAPPER. He kanged Nitroglycerin33 and got credit on a bunch of major websites for no reason
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With bootstrap method we are overwriting original /system partition which may be a problem if something goes wrong because there is no way to do proper recovery (we have locked bootloader), also every time when phone reboots it goes first to recovery and then from recovery You need to select reboot in order
to boot normal system.
Safestrap works on opposite way by installing separate ROM in /preinstall folder
in order to avoid problems and have safe fallback in case that something goes wrong with custom ROM. On this way we always have safe fallback method and we can run original ROM. More info can be found here
Please be aware that safestrap works only on CDMA version of RAZR, at least for now.
Conclusion for now is that we have way to install and run CWM by using bootstrap/safestrap but only proper solution is to have unlocked bootloader,
according to some inside info which I got Motorola decided not to unlock bootloaders generally with full understanding pros and cons of this approach.
Since we had similar situation with Atrix couple of months ago and we manage
to overcome it with extracting bootloader from engineering version of sbf ROM and flashing it with RSD and after that doing normal fastboot oem unlock.
I think that this is only clean way to do the unlocking bootloader and have full
access to our phones.
I would like to invite people who participated in wide community effort to unlock
bootloader on Atrix to provide their support to do the same thing for RAZR.
In order to do this I believe that first step should be get access to engineering
and beta versions of ROM, since ICS beta firmwares should hit beta testers very soon I think that maybe good path to our final goal.
I will update this post regularly as soon as we have some development related to unlocked bootloader or some other method to achieve full access to our phones.
Press the thanks button.
Reserved..
Good brother, thanks for initiating to take the development forward.. I almost thought development is dead for RAZR except few developers like "Shady/Kholk etc..", did not see anyone digging in (especially GSM version)... Appreciate your initiation and hope to see some light on RAZR....
I'm sure that we will have soon some development going on, it's really shame that company such is Motorola which produces very innovative and high end products always needs to put some obstacles on our way to fully enjoy our devices.
As we saw already Motorola is doing some really cool things such is webtop, full phone encryption, fingerprint sensor on atrix which are not available on phones from other vendors and this is showing their R&D strength but marketing is other story and relationship to community is also something that they should work on.
P.S. nagnrik I see that You also have quite some history with Motorola
Yeah, That is really a sad part. It makes little sense(ignorable though) having been told from Verizon/AT&T, and locking boot-loaders. But, how about GSM? GSM mobiles too come with locked boot-loaders.
Motorola is very unique in whatever they present, from HW Finger print scanners to Software Smart Actions. The tech team did really excel in their work. RAZR is just an example of the way It has integrated all top notch technologies and super build quality framed into one single beautiful piece(I hate it is a bit wide thought, LoL). But true, their marketing strategy sucks..
Yeah, I have had a long Motorola history except for few HTC phones. And, MMI has quoted on its G+ status that something mind blowing on the way for CES'12.. LoL.. Let's hope not very tightly locked boot-loaders.. :-D
<https://plus.google.com/113884566566424587799/posts>
JYDADDY DID NOT MAKE CWM OR BOOTSTRAPPER. He kanged Nitroglycerin33 and got credit on a bunch of major websites for no reason
[TSON] said:
JYDADDY DID NOT MAKE CWM OR BOOTSTRAPPER. He kanged Nitroglycerin33 and got credit on a bunch of major websites for no reason
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I strongly agree with Tson. I did testing with Nitroglycerin33 to get the Razr Bootstrap working. Check your facts.
*MOD. please move thread*
Sent from my DROID RAZR using XDA App
I had Atrix before my new Razr, i'm not a professional developer, but i will do what can i do, i'm who solved "sms delivery report" on Atrix,
i love moto brand, i think moto is the best & despite of this issues you said, i prefer to have a moto mobile phone forever,
These can not change my opinion about moto, i have a Samsung Juicer in my home and itz enough for me from Sami,
Count on me brother
Sent from my XT910 using Tapatalk
do you still need to do the safestrap/bootstrap method since the fastboot files are out.
Unless you really really like RSDLite, I'd still use safestrap. RAZRX and IC3 don't seem to like bootstrap
TSON I will update original post with informations which You provided.
[TSON] said:
JYDADDY DID NOT MAKE CWM OR BOOTSTRAPPER. He kanged Nitroglycerin33 and got credit on a bunch of major websites for no reason
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Related
Please don't be angry. I am severely confused over this whole update thing. With the bootloader, and the leaked rom, and the official ota rom.....good lord it's like my mind is trying to hump a doorknob.
Anyway... I have 2.2.2, rooted (although by which method, I cannot remember). I do not have any mods. I have side-loading enabled. I have tethering enabled.
What is the safest way, in plain english, to update to the newest version? I don't know what SBF means, I don't know what CWM means, I don't know what RSD means.
All I want as an end result is a rooted version of the latest, OTA update with an unlocked bootloader.
Please help the ignorant
Edit: I guess I should tell you that I'm in the US on an ATT atrix.
You may want to confirm with someone with more experience, but this worked for me (rooted 1.8.3, OTA 2.5.91), I'm too damn new to even post the link ... pm me I guess hah
k4zyn said:
Please don't be angry. I am severely confused over this whole update thing. With the bootloader, and the leaked rom, and the official ota rom.....good lord it's like my mind is trying to hump a doorknob.
Anyway... I have 2.2.2, rooted (although by which method, I cannot remember). I do not have any mods. I have side-loading enabled. I have tethering enabled.
What is the safest way, in plain english, to update to the newest version? I don't know what SBF means, I don't know what CWM means, I don't know what RSD means.
All I want as an end result is a rooted version of the latest, OTA update with an unlocked bootloader.
Please help the ignorant
Edit: I guess I should tell you that I'm in the US on an ATT atrix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you do the over the air update you will not have an unlocked bootloader unless you do it before there are custom roms that are just as good and stable as the official ones that will root unlock your bootloader and upgrade if you want to do all of this follow my guide here : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1179506
Just to enlighten things a bit...
a SBF (i believe it stands for system binary file?) is a file that contains an official (made by the manufacturer) ROM for a cellphone. The entire operating system and kernel.
RSD (a.k.a. RSDlite) is a software designed by motorola, to use on your computer to install these SBFs on a cellphone via USB connection.
CWM is a piece of software for your phone that is accessible during boot, before the OS loads.
- After installed, to use it, you have to turn on the phone holding both the power button and the volume down buttons. The phone screen will show "fastboot". That's only one option in a series of options that you can scroll through using the "volume down" button, and that you select using the "volume up" button. Scrolling down, you'll find the option "Android Recovery", which will access whatever CWM you put in place.
- It's function is to allow the installation of ROMs and Kernels. Its basically a simpler alternative to RSD, requiring no pc to function.
And to update your device, first you must install RSDlite on your computer, and install the Pudding SBF on your phone using it. After that, You have to install Tenfar's CWM on your phone. Then you'll choose one of the avaiable ROMs (there's the stock one posted up by kennethpenn, a version of the stock one with a few upgrades, and several customized ones), which you will install using CWM.
The detailed steps are on the NOOB GUIDES fixed post on one of the Atrix's foruns, but I beleive those explanations shall make that road a little less bumpier.
Simple answer
Hi I'd just like to add my 2 cents from the update experience.
If you are rooted prior to the update, installing the official update of gingerbread from Motorola will make you lose root privileges-plain and simple.
In my case unlike you I did not have sideloading enabled. That was the only difference in your situation and mine. So that's a question for a Senior member to answer.
If I were you, I'd just go ahead and update regardless. This forum has a lot of information in resurrection of the bricked phones in the 1% chance that it may happen. 99% you will update to the gingerbready awesomeness.
Another piece of advice is that after exploring a lot of features of the stock rom, i felt that the launcher is the Achilles heel of motoblur or blur UI as they call it now. Try using adw launcher?. It's fast and fantastic. Completely customizable.
This ends my 0.02$.
The way to get unconfused is through education. Find a couple of hours and a pen/paper.
Read the wiki here.
Watch the videos here.
Take notes and follow up in the threads, if you have questions.
kind of a noob myself, but find everything pretty simple. This is an awesome ROM with what you are looking for.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1160649
So I need an SD card ey? Hmm. Ok, well, thanks for the info.
I thought we had a wiki somewhere. Oh wait! We DO!
I have a very similar problem on the lines of i have no idea what the hell is going on and what ppl are saying...!!
But what a bigger problem is is that i have a Orange UK version phone, tho i dont use Orange network... and apparently everything is for ATT phones... so im not sure if any of these things are even compatible with my phone...!?! im running froyo 2.2.2 and want to somehow get onto 2.3.4 but just dont know how...?!?!?!
Continue reading at your own risk - I'm a noob
-------------------
I'm almost entirely a noob when it comes to phone development. But I've done a bit of research recently, and came across this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1136261
Now that we too are running 4.5.91, would this method actually work?
If I were a rich dude I'd just go ahead and attempt it, but I have no where near the funds to be able to get myself a new phone if this bricks it. (I'm not even 18 yet, heh)
Don't bash me if this is a stupidly stupid idea that has no potential for success
I'm just trying to see if maybe this gives one of you super smart people an idea or two.
--------------------
So I unpacked the SBF from the aforementioned thread (the one that was supposed to prep bootloader for unlock) and loaded the code groups with HxD (hex editor)
Using this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1205527 the CG3 indeed has the values for Atrix, but also using that table i wonder if the sbf file can be modified to include the X2 values instead?
Again I'm a noob and just throwing ideas out there
Maybe ill try it when I get to my computer. I have a spare dx2 i could try it on fortunately!
Sent from my DROID X2
uhh186 said:
I'm almost entirely a noob when it comes to phone development. But I've done a bit of research recently, and came across this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1136261
Now that we too are running 4.5.91, would this method actually work?
If I were a rich dude I'd just go ahead and attempt it, but I have no where near the funds to be able to get myself a new phone if this bricks it. (I'm not even 18 yet, heh)
Don't bash me if this is a stupidly stupid idea that has no potential for success
I'm just trying to see if maybe this gives one of you super smart people an idea or two.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably Not, Different signatures (and the risk of hard bricks), The2dcour is working tireless to bring the bootloader unlock to us, and don't feel bad we were all new once
ericerk said:
Probably Not, Different signatures (and the risk of hard bricks), The2dcour is working tireless to bring the bootloader unlock to us, and don't feel bad we were all new once
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably not, but if IDMA.DROID.X2 is willing to risk hard bricking that spare x2, it might be worth a shot!
He might just get the worlds first unlocked Droid X2.
I'm willing to test anything on my X2 as well. I'm switching phones soon so unless my dad wants it, I'll either sell it or keep it for any future developments here..
uhh186 said:
Probably not, but if IDMA.DROID.X2 is willing to risk hard bricking that spare x2, it might be worth a shot!
He might just get the worlds first unlocked Droid X2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All in the name of gloating haha
Ill try it tonight if time permits. I'm hoping that the signatures are the same!
The atrix is pretty much thr same spec wise right?
Sent from my DROID X2
Yes, besides the HSPA+ radio in the Atrix.
EDIT: Can I ask, what you are planning on doing? Just my curiosity.
So I unpacked the SBF from the aforementioned thread (the one that was supposed to prep bootloader for unlock) and loaded the code groups with HxD (hex editor)
Using this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1205527 the CG3 indeed has the values for Atrix, but also using that table i wonder if the sbf file can be modified to include the X2 values instead, and whether this might yield better/safer results?
Again I'm a noob and just throwing ideas out there
Less of a noob then me! Haha, I got lost reading that! I think we should mod it, seems like itmakes sense too.
I was going to try threw atrix unlock in the link in OP.
Sent from my DROID X2
The problem with modding it is that I don't know how the sbf file works... any modification with the files to make it reflect the x2 would require the insertion of bytes, I think... maybe not... either way we need multiple DROID x2s available for testing...
Sent from my DROID X2
uhh186 said:
The problem with modding it is that I don't know how the sbf file works... any modification with the files to make it reflect the x2 would require the insertion of bytes, I think... maybe not... either way we need multiple DROID x2s available for testing...
Sent from my DROID X2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a reply to most of the above posts as well as the quoted text.
The Pudding SBFs are signed by two or more source to specifically work with your phone / manufacturer / provider. There is basically no way to get around this besides getting the private signing keys from each source (and you think getting an sbf with unlockable bootloader is hard?)
I could make an sbf with the RDLs etc from the X2 and jsut the BL from Atrix, but the BL is still going to be signed for our(Atrix) phone. If someone seriously wants to brick their phone I'll do it for the lulz. You can probably even recover by stock sbf flashing (no guarantees, kiss your phone goodbye imho).
If you really want to give it a shot shoot me a PM, first come first brick. And please, don't give the file to anyone else, I don't want even more than one intentional brick.
the2dcour said:
This is a reply to most of the above posts as well as the quoted text.
The Pudding SBFs are signed by two or more source to specifically work with your phone / manufacturer / provider. There is basically no way to get around this besides getting the private signing keys from each source (and you think getting an sbf with unlockable bootloader is hard?)
I could make an sbf with the RDLs etc from the X2 and jsut the BL from Atrix, but the BL is still going to be signed for our(Atrix) phone. If someone seriously wants to brick their phone I'll do it for the lulz. You can probably even recover by stock sbf flashing (no guarantees, kiss your phone goodbye imho).
If you really want to give it a shot shoot me a PM, first come first brick. And please, don't give the file to anyone else, I don't want even more than one intentional brick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that's basically it.
If you want to try to for the lulz, you would only want to flash the bootloader partition and not with the RDL partitions for the Atrix radio. Flashing the radio would instantly fail. You may need a more direct method in flashing like (dd if= of= ).
I wouldn't stop you from trying it. But you are messing with the bootloader and there's no guarantee that when you boot, you can get into a state where you can SBF again.
the2dcour said:
This is a reply to most of the above posts as well as the quoted text.
The Pudding SBFs are signed by two or more source to specifically work with your phone / manufacturer / provider. There is basically no way to get around this besides getting the private signing keys from each source (and you think getting an sbf with unlockable bootloader is hard?)
I could make an sbf with the RDLs etc from the X2 and jsut the BL from Atrix, but the BL is still going to be signed for our(Atrix) phone. If someone seriously wants to brick their phone I'll do it for the lulz. You can probably even recover by stock sbf flashing (no guarantees, kiss your phone goodbye imho).
If you really want to give it a shot shoot me a PM, first come first brick. And please, don't give the file to anyone else, I don't want even more than one intentional brick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, thanks for clearing that up.
I made it clear of my noobiness exactly for this reason. I don't know these things yet.
This thread should be deleted.
Sent from my DROID X2
uhh186 said:
So I unpacked the SBF from the aforementioned thread (the one that was supposed to prep bootloader for unlock) and loaded the code groups with HxD (hex editor)
Using this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1205527 the CG3 indeed has the values for Atrix, but also using that table i wonder if the sbf file can be modified to include the X2 values instead, and whether this might yield better/safer results?
Again I'm a noob and just throwing ideas out there
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah. We have the same partition table for the most part with the Atrix. The problem is that the at the bottom of the CG3 file is the signature and the signature is definitely NOT the same with the Atrix. Same goes for the bootloader, recovery and boot partitions.
Now we may be able to flash the Atrix bootloader since technically they have the same CPU and the the bootloader is nothing more than a BIOS. But there is no guarantee that the Atrix bootloader on the DX2 will work enough to the point where you can SBF out of it. Hopefully, you just fail the signature check and the phone allows you to SBF. We'll see if someone wants to try. And if you error, I want to know what the error says.
mostKnownUnknown said:
Yeah. We have the same partition table for the most part with the Atrix. The problem is that the at the bottom of the CG3 file is the signature and the signature is definitely NOT the same with the Atrix. Same goes for the bootloader, recovery and boot partitions.
Now we may be able to flash the Atrix bootloader since technically they have the same CPU and the the bootloader is nothing more than a BIOS. But there is no guarantee that the Atrix bootloader on the DX2 will work enough to the point where you can SBF out of it. Hopefully, you just fail the signature check and the phone allows you to SBF. We'll see if someone wants to try. And if you error, I want to know what the error says.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right on with everything you've been saying. I've in fact flashed unsigned / signed for other phone BLs on my Atrix. The result is a febe error (Failed to boot 4 or something). Basically it rejected the BL coz it wasn't signed properly but I could still recover.
That being said, what I did was idiotic and could have easily resulted in a hard brick.
@Uhh186 please msg a Moderator with a link to this post if you want it deleted. Honestly the best outcome of this would be a soft brick.
SwiftLegend said:
I'm willing to test anything on my X2 as well. I'm switching phones soon so unless my dad wants it, I'll either sell it or keep it for any future developments here..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really!
PLEASE consider donating it to navenedrob.
Thanks
uhh186 said:
I have no where near the funds to be able to get myself a new phone if this bricks it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No insurance?
If it in fact did flash, even if it soft/hard bricked the phone, would it be at all useful knowing that it actually passed the bootloaders sig check?
Edit: and what are the pros and cons of flashing, I'm thinking this(but could be way off base):
cons:
1. it doesnt pass sig check and fails but is more than likely recoverable
2. It passes sig check but the bootloader is incompatible with our phone( which from my perspective is unlikely because the hardware the bootloader depends on is similar/the same?) and is more than likely hard bricked
now for pro's:
1. It passes sig check, so now we know a little more about how the sign works if even a little?
2. It passes sig check and the bootloader is intact with the ability to unlock(score)
again I might be way off base, but only one out of four results in a hard brick(maybe) and thats only if the sig passes.
Am I close?
I also have another unrelated question. idk enough about the hardware, but would one be capable of physically flashing/backing up something from these partitions?
And by physically, I mean taking the phone apart and flashing straight to whatever memory our phone uses, effectively bypassing any soft/firmware on the phone. Basically, reflashing the "firmware" of our phone with an external NAND backup/restore which would mean no permanent brick and room to experiment.
the2dcour said:
@Uhh186 please msg a Moderator with a link to this post if you want it deleted. Honestly the best outcome of this would be a soft brick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My main goal with this post was to spark some kind of a conversation between developers. I seem to have done that (woo) and because I'm still learning about all this stuff I'm going to leave it open so I get the chance to learn from all of you guys' smart posts.
I experienced issue when using Rom Manager Premium 1.0.7. In fact, when I want to go to recovery mode from the application to backup my current rom, the app automatically asks me to make a title for the backup. After that I continue, it shuts my device and restarts it and it says Failed to Boot 2 and Starting RSD Mode... and it stays there for few minutes and I assume that it is frozen then I pulled the battery out and restart the phone. It boots normally, so I try it again but every time when I give a try it does the same thing. What can I do?
I am using a rooted Atrix 4G with stock Gingerbread ROM 2.3.4 and the CWM recovery is already flashed before attempting to do the above procedures.
There's also a thing that bothers me, my Atrix is an unlocked phone (it is not those that is on contracted, "locked', with the carrier) and rooted, but I've hear some people saying that even your device is unlocked and rooted, that does not guarantee that the bootloader is also unlocked, especially with the Motorola devices. Am I corrected or is this the case?
Some other information about my device:
System version:
45.0.23.ME860.Retail.en.05
Model number:
ME860
Android version:
2.3.4
Baseband version:
N_01.100.00R
Webtop version:
WT-1.2.0-133_21
Kernel version:
2.6.32.9
[email protected] #2
APflex version:
GAS_ASIA_OLPSGBAPHKTWN_P011
GAS_ASIA_OLPSGBAPHKTWN_A001
GAS_ASIA_OLPSGBAPHKTWN_M001
Build number:
4.5.2A-74_OLH-25
PLEASE HELP!!!
Don't bother with rom manager. Its a crappy app that most times doesn't work. Besides which, it sounds like you are bootloader locked, which means you can't use a custom recovery until you unlock it. Best place to start is searching for the unlock thread, then you can begin to utilize fastboot to get a proper recovery and ultimately a custom rom if you choose.
I saw online that many people unlock their bootloader by using Command Prompt on their computer which I do not like since I am not good in computer language and entering codes. Any suggestion for a easy way to unlock the bootloader such as an application similar to Superoneclick for rooting [slightly complicated one is also accepted as long as no command prompt or computer language are involved]? Thanks.
The unlock method by using what you call "computer codes" is as simple as it gets. It's just a few commands. I don't think anybody is going to bother making a clickable GUI frontend for such a trivial task. I think your best bet is to just follow the procedure and quit being scared of "computer codes".
ravilov said:
The unlock method by using what you call "computer codes" is as simple as it gets. It's just a few commands. I don't think anybody is going to bother making a clickable GUI frontend for such a trivial task. I think your best bet is to just follow the procedure and quit being scared of "computer codes".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What he says is true. Until my atrix (had backflip and flipside previously) I only used one click root. Once I got the atrix, one clicks didn't work, so I just CAREFULLY followed instructions to root and eventually unlock 2 atrixes and I dislike codes as much as you. Its all in how much you read read read. Its well worth it to do so.
pre4speed said:
What he says is true. Until my atrix (had backflip and flipside previously) I only used one click root. Once I got the atrix, one clicks didn't work, so I just CAREFULLY followed instructions to root and eventually unlock 2 atrixes and I dislike codes as much as you. Its all in how much you read read read. Its well worth it to do so.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also hear people say that Motorola put a code on Droid X that when you want to unlock your bootloader it will "permanently" brick your phone and you can not turn it on again. But I am not sure that if they do the same on Atrix or maybe some guys already crack it since this is not a news. Do anyone here has the same experience like this?
Hm. Seems to me you developed an irrational fear of all this due to an information overload, even though much of that information doesn't even apply here.
Do you think there would be a clear and detailed tutorial (which countless people followed successfully already) if this was really so risky?
Put some trust into our devs here, will ya? Nothing can go wrong so long as you follow the instructions PRECISELY and take necessary precautions (if a tutorial says to do a backup, you do it).
ravilov said:
Hm. Seems to me you developed an irrational fear of all this due to an information overload, even though much of that information doesn't even apply here.
Do you think there would be a clear and detailed tutorial (which countless people followed successfully already) if this was really so risky?
Put some trust into our devs here, will ya? Nothing can go wrong so long as you follow the instructions PRECISELY and take necessary precautions (if a tutorial says to do a backup, you do it).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry about that, but unlike those of you who are in the game for years, right now I just got ONE (1) Android phone (and I just got XDA last night) so I can not get any error when doing these tweaks. Maybe I should slow myself down a bit and wait until Christmas after I got my Huawei Ascend D1 Quad to hack my Atrix. You know, it's like playing poker.
Oh yes. You should definitely not jump the gun and do something before you're ready. Do read and learn and educate yourself before you take any actions. Just keep in mind that this is not as complicated as it may seem.
ravilov said:
Oh yes. You should definitely not jump the gun and do something before you're ready. Do read and learn and educate yourself before you take any actions. Just keep in mind that this is not as complicated as it may seem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So so true. So many people automatically panic at one minor thing (anyone who has unlocked their bootloader knows what I mean ) but if the tutorial is followed TO THE LETTER that minor thing is not an issue. Good luck and yes educate yourself.
BootMenu Based ROMs
Everyone you know me From my work APK Multi-Tools which is a tool that allows you to de-compile and recompile any given APK file as well allowing you to do many task other task that you normally cannot do with the apktool.jar which my tool was written around.
For the Past Few months I have been experimenting with two groups source code:
STS-Dev-Team
https://github.com/STS-Dev-Team
and
Android Developer Alliance
https://github.com/AndroidDeveloperAlliance
I have just started recently been Following Whirleyes
https://github.com/whirleyes
Because I was doing random searches on the Android Market for Backup Managers since Clockworks Mod did not support my device and all that Droid RAZR Utility did was root my device and only gave me a choice of two recoveries RAZR ICS Bootstrap and RAZR Safestrap. That was when I found Whirleyes BootMenu application. It was a lot easier to setup then using Safestrap and basically did not require me to do any special song and dance to get it to work right out of the box. Unlike Safestrap which you had to do a bunch of steps before it allowed you to even begin to flash the rom until BootMenu which only required you to do some prep work which you only had to do once. Unlike Safestrap which you had to do every time you wanted to flash a rom or make changes.
Background story on why I choose the Motorola Droid RAZR:
I originally upgraded to the Motorola Droid Bionic because my Original Motorola Droid needed to be retired since My old Team i was working on Liquid Smooth Roms stopped supporting the device and we all upgraded to different devices and Liquid Decided he no longer supported Development with Motorola Devices because of the Locked Boot-loader. I originally Upgraded to the Motorola Droid Bionic but That device was more trouble then it was worth because when it upgraded to the official OTA updates from Verizon It kept Hard bricking and I got tired of re-flashing the base image over and over again so I took it back to Verizon and they sent me a new Bionic and that did the same thing when it done the official OTA update the very same day I opened it up to activate it so I called them back up and was this phone you just sent me just did the same bloody thing the one you sent me. All I did was cut open the package it came in powered on the device signed in with my google account let it sync with the servers, waited until the phone activated then it notified me of a OTA Upgrade so I told it yes. It downloaded the update then rebooted into recovery flashed the update then bam all i got was a blank screen not matter how many time i pulled the battery and powered it back on. I told them seriously you going to send me another one that will just do the same thing the last two did and they then told me they was going to send me the RAZR instead and that is when all this started.
Now that all the background information is completed and everything is explained to the best of my english speaking ability lets get to the main reason for this post.
I am starting to work on Actual ROM Development other then a way to de/re-compile them to make changes or to just change a image or two.
I broken my Project into two groups
APK-Multi-Roms
https://github.com/APK-Multi-Roms
This is where all the actual rom development is done
And
BootMenu-Rom-Base
https://github.com/BootMenu-Rom-Base
This is where all the BootMenu Source is found for developing a Rom Using BootMenu Code.
I created these two Github organizations to keep them seperated from my APK Multi-Tools Work.
Also I broken them into two different organizations as so that I can better track of everything also in case someone wants to be apart of one section but not the other to help with development.
I am still setting up the environment for the Roms and there is also a lot of work that is going to be needed before the very first BootMenu Rom will make it appearance other then converted Roms that was written for Safestrap that was converted to work with BootMenu
http://bootmenu.apkmultitool.com is the website hosting my work so far with project for creating BootMenu based roms.
Thanks for inviting... but I'm just a curios android user. NO more than that.
whirleyes said:
Thanks for inviting... but I'm just a curios android user. NO more than that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So am I which is why I invited you on top up the fact I am using 90% of you're source code since 10% of it its unknown to me at this time. In just think your Android application and recovery is ahead of it time and should be supported
Sent from my DROID RAZR CDMA XT912 using Tapatalk 2
Hey all. I am actually from the Samsung Galaxy W community and since I'm gonna get the Atrix from my mom soon, I thought I should get a little heads up on how to root it and all. However, the guides here (no offense) freaked me out cuz they had lots of warnings and since the phone I use now is really simple to root (flash update.zip and you're rooted), I realised that rooting the Atrix isn't as easy as rooting the W. Thus I consulted my best friend, Google. He gave me this link: http://www.android-advice.com/2012/root-the-motorola-atrix-4g-running-4-5-141/
Is this the proper way to root? If so, then what do I do next? Because my motive for this phone is to install a custom recovery (ClockworkMod if possible) and (50% chance) stop it right there... I will really appreciate all the help I can get. Thank you, Atrix community.
---EDIT---
I got the method of installing the recovery. Now I just need you guys to verify if that is the proper way.
This looks like the well-known preinstall method. Yes, this is the most common (and IMO the most reliable) way to root the Atrix.
However, a common misconception when it comes to the Atrix is that you need root to get custom recovery. Those two probably couldn't be farther apart - one has nothing to do with the other. You not only don't need root to get custom recovery, it is in fact completely irrelevant because it operates on a much lower level. Instead, you need to unlock the bootloader (because fastboot is implemented in the bootloader, and because you need fastboot that isn't locked down), and then you simply flash your custom recovery via fastboot.
Now here's the problem. First, unlocking the bootloader is by far the most risky step of all. To do that you need to flash a piece of code (the unlocked bootloader, also known as pudding) in the most sensitive part of the phone. You screw this up and you got yourself a brick. Second, when you finally do unlock the bootloader, sometimes you'll be left in an unbootable state (the infamous Failed to boot XXX error). No worries, there's a fix for that too (it is called a softbrick btw). Point is, in that case you cannot just install the custom recovery and then "stop there", you'll need to install an OS too. If you prefer to stick to stock firmware, you should go with so-called fruitcakes, which is just stock firmware prepared to be flashed through custom recovery.
Nothing much to worry about though, everything is explained in detail here. You don't need to google or search in other places, everything you need is right here on XDA (in fact it is probably preferred that you stay within XDA instead of trying to follow random procedures from random places). I suggest you start with some basic noob stuff like this and this. (Some of the stuff in there is somewhat outdated, take any version info mentioned with a grain of salt.)
One big point. You will inevitably come across "SBFs" and advices to flash them. SBFs are inherently dangerous because they contain full complete systems (bootloader, radio, pds, and all the other very sensitive parts of the system), and they are flashed without any error checking, so it's very easy to brick (also known as hardbrick) your phone if you don't know exactly what you're doing. (That is also why all SBFs have been removed from XDA.) Unlocking the bootloader is the only time you should ever be dealing with a SBF, it should be avoided any other time if at all possible.
What I want to do is to get root and at the same time, get a custom recovery. Which means, I want to stick to stock ROM (again 50% chance of sticking to it). And that exactly what I meant by scary warnings... I have no idea what SBFs are (are they like .zip files that Galaxy W users use to flash files?). Anyway, the PUDDING thread was really, and I mean really, scary. Considering the fact that if I screw this phone, my mom will make me own the Galaxy W again...
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy W (GT-I8150) with CM9 RC 6
Yes, it can be scary, and for a reason. It is not for the faint hearted, although it goes without a hitch at least 95% of the time. The idea is that you get familiar with the process until the point where you feel comfortable with doing it.
SBFs are nothing like flashable ZIPs (well, except that both are used to flash stuff onto a device). Fruitcakes and custom ROMs come in flashable ZIPs. SBF stands for "single binary file" and is a proprietary Motorola file. It is created and signed by Motorola. Other than the pudding SBF which is the hacked unlocked bootloader, not much is known about them really, except that in some cases they can easily brick a device if misused.
There's another thing. If your atrix is too new, you might have a newer, non-unlockable bootloader. In that case all you can do is root the phone, no way to get custom recovery on it. Good news is, trying to unlock a non-unlockable BL won't do any harm, it just won't work.
If your goal is to have a custom recovery and root, I suggest you first deal with the recovery and then do the rooting. If you end up having to flash a fruitcake, by doing so you might get root anyway, depending on the fruitcake you choose (some are completely untouched, meaning no root, while some are completely stock but also rooted).
There is also an automated unlock method which you can try if you want. It should be slightly less scary to deal with. Personally, I dislike automated anything, I prefer to do the whole process myself (that way I also learn a bunch of stuff in the process), but to each their own.
ravilov said:
Yes, it can be scary, and for a reason. It is not for the faint hearted, although it goes without a hitch at least 95% of the time. The idea is that you get familiar with the process until the point where you feel comfortable with doing it.
SBFs are nothing like flashable ZIPs (well, except that both are used to flash stuff onto a device). Fruitcakes and custom ROMs come in flashable ZIPs. SBF stands for "single binary file" and is a proprietary Motorola file. It is created and signed by Motorola. Other than the pudding SBF which is the hacked unlocked bootloader, not much is known about them really, except that in some cases they can easily brick a device if misused.
There's another thing. If your atrix is too new, you might have a newer, non-unlockable bootloader. In that case all you can do is root the phone, no way to get custom recovery on it. Good news is, trying to unlock a non-unlockable BL won't do any harm, it just won't work.
If your goal is to have a custom recovery and root, I suggest you first deal with the recovery and then do the rooting. If you end up having to flash a fruitcake, by doing so you might get root anyway, depending on the fruitcake you choose (some are completely untouched, meaning no root, while some are completely stock but also rooted).
There is also an automated unlock method which you can try if you want. It should be slightly less scary to deal with. Personally, I dislike automated anything, I prefer to do the whole process myself (that way I also learn a bunch of stuff in the process), but to each their own.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I was looking through the threads of the QnA section. And I came across this. Should I use the method mentioned in post #2 and #3? It looks pretty straightforward to me...
No, you cannot. The procedure you found assumes you have an unlocked bootloader.
I told you clearly what you need to do. Do not try to short-circuit the procedure. You need to go through ALL of those steps, there is no skipping ahead. It might seem scary, but either deal with it or give up on it. Do or do not, there is no try.
Oh, so is it like, you need to unlock bootlkader then root? If so, then I've finally got it!
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy W (GT-I8150) with CM9 RC 6
i rooted then was forced to unlock the boot loader when i screwed up my phone un-installing apps
used rescue root to one click root my atrix 4g (http://rescueroot.com/)
download clockwork mod recovery (http://www.clockworkmod.com/rommanager)
i installed clockwork mod recovery from fastboot (http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Install_CM_for_olympus)
unlock the boot loader following this guide (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1302423)
as an added bonus here how to bypass that stupid motoblur crap (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXDj-h1DEAM)... not nessicery for anything other then turning off the blur social media thing that comes installed with the phone
now i'm rooted, got the boot loader unlocked and running neutrino rom 2.91 GT+ for the last week, and so far i couldn't be happier
also it helped me to have a second computer, one to have all the how to running on and another to do all the work with