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Some months ago I rooted my Vibrant, and realized that was all I had done...rooted it. I had no idea where I was going after that point, so I unrooted and went about my day. I am taking a new approach, I would like some advice in rooting. Pros and cons (other than by rooting I have the chance of REALLY messing things up...i know that thanks.)
I would like to know what exactly rooting does for me, and if there are any articles anyone can point me to I would greatly appreciate the links.
ALSO I am dipping my toes into app development. the best way I could think to do so was with Google Labs App Inventor, but I think ive read that it limits you as far as developing and then sharing through the market, if someone could set me straight on that I would appreciate it, but this also goes in hand with rooting, I have read that alot of people who develop have rooted their phones.
I appreciate any help that you can give me.
Gore
Pro : Access to all the amazing ROMs this community has to offer.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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Shortbus-Driver said:
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well, that was helpful...thanks. next?
First off if u didnt want to deal with something u could tinker with u could of gotten a iphone but u didnt? Androids are open source so u can tweak it the way u want it to be, leave it stock or u can add themes to ur stock froyo and make it look like u want it to. But if u want to go all the way and realy make the phone live up to its potential u can root it and do so many amazing things with it once its opened to the power of the Superuser. U can make ur phone run so much faster and once it runs that fast and smooth ull wonder how u lived with that dull slowness of ur phone before. And dont forget all the cool colors u can add to ur phone that dont come with just stock, ginger red theme, high voltage blue and so many more. And then theres the mods that u get with ur phone that the brilliant developers port from other phones. Theres just too many reasons to root and none not to. now u know...LOL
Let me count the ways...
You can install applications that need root:
* AdFree - block in-application ads
* Titanium Backup - backup/restore applications AND their data, and with the paid version you can also backup to your dropbox account
* Root Explorer: Lets you manage files that aren't in your user partition, including the files for the annoyingly loud T-Mobile jingle that plays on boot. Sometimes you do need to start up your phone discreetly, without letting everyone in a 50m radius know you're a T-Mobile customer.
You can also UNinstall applications that you don't need. Don't want T-Mobile TV cluttering your applications list? Gone. Don't want Slacker Radio? Byebye.
Also, you can flash ROMs (or just kernels) that are much faster than the stock, unoptimized Samsung one. There is a thing called the Voodoo lagfix that makes your storage access cached, so applications aren't held up by slow writes when they need fast reads. Some also come with kernels that support Voodoo Sound which makes the audio output sound much better by increasing the sampling rate on the DAC and tying the DAC to the clock to reduce jitter. Definitely a must whether you're an audiophile with $10k cans or just plugging the phone into a sound system.
Let's see, what else. With root, you can also add on wifi tethering without having to shell out more money to use T-mobile's version. You can also install Clockwork Recovery and use it to make a complete backup of your phone, so in case you break it and get another one, just root it, install clockwork recovery, and restore the image and you're back to your old configuration.
So yeah... hopefully at least some of this stuff interests you. If not... well, yeah there's really no point in rooting.
Root becuse your mom told you not to
Not to be rude but if you don't know why you should root then you shouldn't.
OP, if you want an answer to your question, read my Vibrant Guide (why root) and then the Noob root (detailed steps) guide if you need help doing it.
If you read anything on this forum...and still cant figure it out...then give up...you'll never understand
OP, rooting is for those who are not 100% satisfied with there phones. Samsung has given us an amazing device, but fell short in delivering in some areas. Rooting helps us add more functionality & personalization options. If you are happy with the phone and no issues using the way Samsung gave you the phone. Then I do not see a reason for you to root. But if you are like one of us, Then you need to get on the Root train and follow the wonderful guide maintained by "s15274n".
Statutory Warning: Rooting & flashing an android device is a serious addiction. Might lead to serious domestic and or job related issues.
Why shouldn't you?
Unless you want to become a flash junkie with an obsessive need to mod, update, enhance or customize; jonesin’ to flash something every few days, suffering from withdrawals if you ever have to ODIN back to stock due to error (has yet to happen to me, though), scrounging XDA daily for your next hit, do not concern yourself with something like AOSP. Simply turn away and do not look back.
rooting your hpone basically gives you Admin privalages.
You can install custom apps and ROMs with awesome features!
nomadrider123 said:
Not to be rude but if you don't know why you should root then you shouldn't.
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not to be rude but if you didn't have anything helpful to say then why say anything at all?
Thanks to most!
I thanked those who gave me some helpful advice. I do appreciate the insight. I guess i'll give this another crack.
By the By, with the exception of the handful of mildly entertaining comments, if you didnt have anything helpful to say, why say it? No one should discourage anybody from trying anything. Weighing my pros and cons was just a way to decide if its something I really wanted to mess with again.
SO again, thanks to all who did help, and thanks was given
^ I can't vouch for everyone, but the one you quoted I am confident didn't mean it negatively. Way too hard to decipher words on the Internet.
If you want additional features, you should root. If you are content, do not.
gorealmighty said:
not to be rude but if you didn't have anything helpful to say then why say anything at all?
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Thing was, nomad had a point. If you genuinely don't know why you should root--and a Vibrant, of all phones--you probably shouldn't. You mention the con of messing up the phone in your original post, and if you don't know the advantages of applying custom ROMs and kernels to the Vibrant, there's a decent chance you may well brick the device.
The Vibrant is a great phone, but tends to be so only after it's rooted and customized. Without the rooting and customization, there are problems with lag, gps, battery life, and myriad other functions.
By rooting and customizing, you're essentially updating the software in various ways that will help ameliorate those issues. My Vibrant was unusable to the point that I upgraded to a Nexus S. However, with the Nexus S, I got comfortable with rooting, unlocking bootloaders, adb, and flashing ROMs and kernels. It became rather routine.
It became routine enough, in fact, that I ended up going back to my Vibrant, because I was comfortable enough to experiment and attempt to make it better than it had been.
But if you don't know that you have to root to correct the lag, say, you may well be better off getting a more midrange Android phone that's more feature than super. You don't want to bork anything, after all.
Just do yourself a favor--understand that rooting and customizing are individual things, and that the forum is great for technical help but less so when you want to know things like which ROM is "best"; there's no such thing. If you root, play with the device, and play with the different ROMs. Give yourself a week where every day you use a different one so you can get a feel for which one's your favorite.
willentrekin said:
Thing was, nomad had a point. If you genuinely don't know why you should root--and a Vibrant, of all phones--you probably shouldn't. You mention the con of messing up the phone in your original post, and if you don't know the advantages of applying custom ROMs and kernels to the Vibrant, there's a decent chance you may well brick the device.
The Vibrant is a great phone, but tends to be so only after it's rooted and customized. Without the rooting and customization, there are problems with lag, gps, battery life, and myriad other functions.
By rooting and customizing, you're essentially updating the software in various ways that will help ameliorate those issues. My Vibrant was unusable to the point that I upgraded to a Nexus S. However, with the Nexus S, I got comfortable with rooting, unlocking bootloaders, adb, and flashing ROMs and kernels. It became rather routine.
It became routine enough, in fact, that I ended up going back to my Vibrant, because I was comfortable enough to experiment and attempt to make it better than it had been.
But if you don't know that you have to root to correct the lag, say, you may well be better off getting a more midrange Android phone that's more feature than super. You don't want to bork anything, after all.
Just do yourself a favor--understand that rooting and customizing are individual things, and that the forum is great for technical help but less so when you want to know things like which ROM is "best"; there's no such thing. If you root, play with the device, and play with the different ROMs. Give yourself a week where every day you use a different one so you can get a feel for which one's your favorite.
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with the initial quote in mind, I understand. But thank you just the same because this is in fact the kind of feedback I was looking for. DID get my phone rooted btw, now im just fighting with rom manager. I'm on my way though
gorealmighty said:
with the initial quote in mind, I understand. But thank you just the same because this is in fact the kind of feedback I was looking for. DID get my phone rooted btw, now im just fighting with rom manager. I'm on my way though
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Well good luck with it. It's a totally fun, very empowering process. And XDA is the Android equivalent of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; the users here are so knowledgeable and helpful, there's no reason to panic, ever. Pretty much everything you do to your phone will be mostly harmless.
ive read the thread in the general forum for noobs.
but i still dont quite understand all these things and what purpose they serve.
im SUPER new with all this stuff. so my apologies.
could someone help a brother out?
what is your question specifically?
just curious about what they are and do basically.
kevinallen4325 said:
ive read the thread in the general forum for noobs.
but i still dont quite understand all these things and what purpose they serve.
im SUPER new with all this stuff. so my apologies.
could someone help a brother out?
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I'll try and help.
First you must ROOT your phone. This basically grants you access/permission to FIDDLE with a lot of things you can't normally. I use the word *fiddle* loosley, meaning you can install root tools (like overclock) custom Roms, change system settings, flash themes... the list goes on. It's kind of like the equivalent to "jailbreaking"
Rooting is the "first and foremost"... basically do this first. and all other things follow.
kevinallen4325 said:
just curious about what they are and do basically.
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Well the sticky in the main forum really is a good place to start, as all these terms are defined there:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1483113
As well as step-by-step instructions how to root. That should get you started!
ok so root first. got it. would any of this benefit my phone in anyway? or is it mainly just to put custom themes and such on?
kevinallen4325 said:
ok so root first. got it. would any of this benefit my phone in anyway? or is it mainly just to put custom themes and such on?
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It is much more than that. I wrote this out before, so I will copy it again:
People have problems when rooted because they are not careful or do not know what they are doing. Rooting gives you (to put in Windows terms) full Administrator rights to your phone. With this right comes responsibility, so you must be careful and do research. This is why rooting also voids the warranty. The phone is now open for the user to do whatever they want, and circumvent any restrictions put on the phone by the manufacturer (including those in place to prevent harm to the device). But like a computer with Admin rights, rooting allows you to install any application, any "OS theme", and tweak the hardware to do what YOU want with it, not what the manufacturer wants.
So please be sure to READ READ READ all you can before you start!!! You don't want a $600 phone coaster. Just browse the forums for a couple weeks and learn from the posts.
kevinallen4325 said:
ok so root first. got it. would any of this benefit my phone in anyway? or is it mainly just to put custom themes and such on?
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It depends what you consider a benefit. Sure..theming can be a benefit, but rooting provides the gateway to address any negative or less than ideal aspects of a device. For instance, The Note has been perceived as being somewhat laggy. So rooting allows you to free up system resources by eliminating unneeded bloatware that you can't remove if you remain stock. Also the lagginess has been addressed by overclocking, modding and building kernels that do specific things and of course making custom roms. The Note is still very early in the developmental process, so many things to improve the user experience of the device will become available over the course of time....but it all starts with being rooted.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note LTE™
kevinallen4325 said:
ok so root first. got it. would any of this benefit my phone in anyway? or is it mainly just to put custom themes and such on?
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Android isn't like iOS. I had an iPhone for four years before my Note and I know where you coming from. What the other guy was saying is that rooting can be viewed similar to jailbreaking, but it is kind of completely different. You don't need to be rooted to use themes (or most of the stuff on Cydia). Rooting allows you to back up apps, flash custom ROMs, etc. Otherwise, you most likely don't need root.
tbran said:
It depends what you consider a benefit. Sure..theming can be a benefit, but rooting provides the gateway to address any negative or less than ideal aspects of a device. For instance, The Note has been perceived as being somewhat laggy. So rooting allows you to free up system resources by eliminating unneeded bloatware that you can't remove if you remain stock. Also the lagginess has been addressed by overclocking, modding and building kernels that do specific things and of course making custom roms. The Note is still very early in the developmental process, so many things to improve the user experience of the device will become available over the course of time....but it all starts with being rooted.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note LTE™
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if i were to root it and do whatever else would that affect the notes ability to update itself when the time comes?
like if i were to put some custom rom or whatever on it and lets say ics came out (lulz) would it still be able to update to it, and would it basically remove everything i did to it
kevinallen4325 said:
if i were to root it and do whatever else would that affect the notes ability to update itself when the time comes?
like if i were to put some custom rom or whatever on it and lets say ics came out (lulz) would it still be able to update to it, and would it basically remove everything i did to it
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Trust me, if you go the root and custom rom way, you will never install an official update. not because you can't, but because it will be leaked and debloated months before it is official.
i installed saurom. with and ics theme. i like it alot. but i cant get into setcpu or any program that requires root access. which is kind of an issue. no one else seems to be having that as an issue.
I rooted my Note a couple days ago and am still trying to figure out the benefits of doing so. I guess just spend time reading through this forum for the answers. That's what I am doing, but so far I see no benefit at all. The phone does all I want it to do so far. Maybe I am missing something.
Also, When i run quadrant, the scores are consistently lower after rooting the device then they were before. Not sure why though.
You are correct that the Note and newer phones may need no help. Not like two years ago. But, the big advantage to rooting even if you don't want to flash roms is Titanium Backup for app mgt and nandroids or full image backups--imho. The other like mentioned is earlier os releases. I have had ICS on my N1 for quite awhile and is still not on most new phones.
Ken
kevinallen4325 said:
i installed saurom. with and ics theme. i like it alot. but i cant get into setcpu or any program that requires root access. which is kind of an issue. no one else seems to be having that as an issue.
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If you are sure you are rooted, a dialog box with a little Android head wearing an eyepatch will pop up asking if you want to allow the application to have root access. You must allow it here.
Hey people, how are you?
I was wondering out of nowhere: wait a minute, is this Rom legal?, replacing an Official Rom from the Provider for an Unofficial one that required Unlocking the Bootloader/Rooting the Phone/Flash the Rom is the same as saying that the Phone Protection was broken and it was an Hacking thing, and for making the Rom maybe there was some softwares that were illegally made or stolen from Official Android Version or stolen from Google or from someone.
So with this said, what do you think people? Having a Custom Rom on the Phone, is this Illegal?.
Please don't answer things like: you only void warranty.
Good answers i will give a 'Thanks' button press.
Cheers :good:
Crazy Seed said:
Hey people, how are you?
I was wondering out of nowhere: wait a minute, is this Rom legal?, replacing an Official Rom from the Provider for an Unofficial one that required Unlocking the Bootloader/Rooting the Phone/Flash the Rom is the same as saying that the Phone Protection was broken and it was an Hacking thing, and for making the Rom maybe there was some softwares that were illegally made or stolen from Official Android Version or stolen from Google or from someone.
So with this said, what do you think people? Having a Custom Rom on the Phone, is this Illegal?.
Please don't answer things like: you only void warranty.
Good answers i will give a 'Thanks' button press.
Cheers :good:
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Android is open source and royalty free software, so anyone is allowed to 'fork' it and do their own thing with it, so that is not illegal, and does not involve stealing or anything else. Amazon uses it on their Kindle Fire in a heavily modified form and MIUI (which just made custom ROMS at first) now also makes phones with their version installed as standard.
The rules on XDA are very strict when it comes to using other people's work without permission and if a ROM contains software which should be paid for or is used without permission that ROM will be removed.
The protection the manufacturers build into their phone is to insure their phones operate the same for everyone and so they can guarantee they can fix it when there is a problem with it.
Apple used to claim that 'jailbreaking' the Iphone was illegal according to their terms and conditions, but a Judge in the United States ruled that when a user buys a device, the user owns it and is allowed to do with that device whatever he wants, essentially meaning that jailbreaking (getting around the phone's factory installed protection mechanisms) is legal.
However, the manufacturer cannot be held responsible if a user does something with that device that the manufacturer did not intend.
That is why you void your warranty when you get around the inbuilt protections.
So, in short: Not illegal in any way, but it is at your own risk and for your own responsibility.
So does that mean that also The GB roms for this phone have legal apk's in it? Confused because of the apk's like: Latinime.apk 'keyboard from xperia x10 mini pro original, i don't know if that is considered stolen from original Firmware' and Gapps 'there are option to flash gapps, and somewhere it says that gapps are illegal on roms unless there is permission.
So breaking the phone protection is not considered a hacking thing right?.
There are country's where unlocking phones are obligatory on the store without charging more from it, so i guess that phones should always be unlocked everywhere, but if someone unlocks a phone not in a store is it legal? Well apparently it is.
That's why i asked also on another thread about the original android that came with the phone, because if the phone went to repair they could know that it was my fault since the firmware isn't the original that came with the phone, or am i wrong?.
So, in short: We're all on our own risk and responsibility, and nothing's illegal unless there was a paid apk on the rom.
Thanks for your answer here and on the other thread mate Cheers :good:
Crazy Seed said:
somewhere it says that gapps are illegal on roms unless there is permission.
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As far as I understand it, Gapps can't be distributed with a custom ROM, e.g. bundled with it. It's a licensing issue. That doesn't make using them illegal, you just need to flash them separately.
However, the whole thing about what's legal and what's not can sometimes take some bizarre turns that defy logic... For example, take the recent decision of the US Library of Congress to make a cellphone unlocking a violation of the DMCA, and therefore, illegal. First off, the DMCA itself is a bull$h!t, if you ask me, but that's just my opinion. But what the hell does the Library of Congress have to do with it? What kind of authority they have over the matter, anyway? Well, the real lawmakers passed the bill that actually allows the unlocking, so common sense prevails this time, but you never know...
kt-Froggy said:
As far as I understand it, Gapps can't be distributed with a custom ROM, e.g. bundled with it. It's a licensing issue. That doesn't make using them illegal, you just need to flash them separately.
However, the whole thing about what's legal and what's not can sometimes take some bizarre turns that defy logic... For example, take the recent decision of the US Library of Congress to make a cellphone unlocking a violation of the DMCA, and therefore, illegal. First off, the DMCA itself is a bull$h!t, if you ask me, but that's just my opinion. But what the hell does the Library of Congress have to do with it? What kind of authority they have over the matter, anyway? Well, the real lawmakers passed the bill that actually allows the unlocking, so common sense prevails this time, but you never know...
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I think there were some roms with the gapps inside, but without them bundled it's all legal then .
Luckily i unlocked my phone on the store so i don't have problems with these stuff, i was more concerned about if the roms use Illegal software in it, gapps you tell me now that it isn't legal if we flash them separately, so i guess that what remains on my question is if the keyboard LatinIme.apk is legal since it seems to be like the original used on the Stock Android version that came with the phone, i don't know if there's any other software that i can ask if it's legal or not. In logic, Rooting and flashing would be illegal because it's like 'Hacking', but in the Law and stuff if it's legal then it's ok by me.
Thanks
Cheers :good:
Crazy Seed said:
I think there were some roms with the gapps inside, but without them bundled it's all legal then .
Luckily i unlocked my phone on the store so i don't have problems with these stuff, i was more concerned about if the roms use Illegal software in it, gapps you tell me now that it isn't legal if we flash them separately, so i guess that what remains on my question is if the keyboard LatinIme.apk is legal since it seems to be like the original used on the Stock Android version that came with the phone, i don't know if there's any other software that i can ask if it's legal or not. In logic, Rooting and flashing would be illegal because it's like 'Hacking', but in the Law and stuff if it's legal then it's ok by me.
Thanks
Cheers :good:
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I think the LatinIME is the google keyboard, the one that came with the phone was the suqashiinput.apk, and I don't think Sony is too concerned if you use the programs that came with the phone on that same phone.
Sony would be in it's right to take down any ROMS that infringe on it's copyrights, but they don't, they have even taken steps to make it easier to use custom roms on their phones, so I don't think you need to worry about that.
SmG67 said:
I think the LatinIME is the google keyboard, the one that came with the phone was the suqashiinput.apk, and I don't think Sony is too concerned if you use the programs that came with the phone on that same phone.
Sony would be in it's right to take down any ROMS that infringe on it's copyrights, but they don't, they have even taken steps to make it easier to use custom roms on their phones, so I don't think you need to worry about that.
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Lol you're right i switched the name of the keyboards xD, but none of them is illegal apparently
So with all of this said, custom roms doesn't mean 'hacking' and therefore not illegal, right? I think my question is fully answered now then, thanks mate
Cheers :good:
let me jump in and share my thoughts. hacking has 2 categories (i think), developmental and the other one i call destructive (i dont need to explain the difference, do i?) like previously stated, any licensed and paid apk if bundled with the rom is illegal including the gapps. thats why gapps is flash seperately (see the bold thing is what makes the difference). i dont know about manufacturers allowing their default apks to be used and distributed by cookers but maybe they see its a good thing rather than being pestered by consumers about having an upgrade of the old phones. i have an htc and xperia and both offers bootloader unlocking feature/tutorials, which i think they know why we are unlocking it. they are aware and support it. maybe they are looking for apks that could help their brand soar. who knows, when you develop one and they buy them.
:laugh:
demoniacs said:
let me jump in and share my thoughts. hacking has 2 categories (i think), developmental and the other one i call destructive (i dont need to explain the difference, do i?) like previously stated, any licensed and paid apk if bundled with the rom is illegal including the gapps. thats why gapps is flash seperately (see the bold thing is what makes the difference). i dont know about manufacturers allowing their default apks to be used and distributed by cookers but maybe they see its a good thing rather than being pestered by consumers about having an upgrade of the old phones. i have an htc and xperia and both offers bootloader unlocking feature/tutorials, which i think they know why we are unlocking it. they are aware and support it. maybe they are looking for apks that could help their brand soar. who knows, when you develop one and they buy them.
:laugh:
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Be my guest then xD. As long as the Hacking type isn't the Bad One/Illegal One then that's fine xD.
I don't know about that one either, because it's true that the keyboard apk came with the phone, but that keyboard is being used in a 'Unofficial' Android Version not created by them but yes by someone else, i don't know if they allow it like that even if it is for the same phone.
Yes in reality they know everything we do, and everyone knows about hacking and cracking but No One does a damn thing about it xD.
I think Sony should buy Android 2.3 from this website and perfect it for our phone, but i don't see that happening xD, i would say Android 4+ but it's too much for this phone xD.
:laugh:
Crazy Seed said:
Be my guest then xD. As long as the Hacking type isn't the Bad One/Illegal One then that's fine xD.
I don't know about that one either, because it's true that the keyboard apk came with the phone, but that keyboard is being used in a 'Unofficial' Android Version not created by them but yes by someone else, i don't know if they allow it like that even if it is for the same phone.
Yes in reality they know everything we do, and everyone knows about hacking and cracking but No One does a damn thing about it xD.
I think Sony should buy Android 2.3 from this website and perfect it for our phone, but i don't see that happening xD, i would say Android 4+ but it's too much for this phone xD.
:laugh:
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In the end, Sony would rather sell us a new phone, but they (or anyone else for that matter) don't make phones like ours anymore.
But I think, with the work Google has put into KitKat, it should run better on our phones then ICS or JellyBean, so it's kind of a shame we don't have developers capable of porting it anymore.
That said, I still think it's very cool we've got Jellybean ROMS that run ok, and I'm very grateful for all the effort that has gone into development in that respect, even if it's not as fast as Gingerbread ROMS or even the original firrmware.
Let's just finish by this: If it was all illegal, then XDA wouldn't exist anymore, it would have been litigated out of existence by any of the big phone-manufacturers or phone-operating-systems-producers.
SmG67 said:
In the end, Sony would rather sell us a new phone, but they (or anyone else for that matter) don't make phones like ours anymore.
But I think, with the work Google has put into KitKat, it should run better on our phones then ICS or JellyBean, so it's kind of a shame we don't have developers capable of porting it anymore.
That said, I still think it's very cool we've got Jellybean ROMS that run ok, and I'm very grateful for all the effort that has gone into development in that respect, even if it's not as fast as Gingerbread ROMS or even the original firrmware.
Let's just finish by this: If it was all illegal, then XDA wouldn't exist anymore, it would have been litigated out of existence by any of the big phone-manufacturers or phone-operating-systems-producers.
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Or we could always buy Xperia Mini Pro 'difference is not very big beetween them', but it's a little expensive and the benefits are almost nothing since Xperia Mini Pro x10 has great quality in Music, Image, Video with the only letdown being the Android Version + CPU capacity.
Yes Kit Kat should run better on our phones, but it's also true that right now there's nobody capable of porting it to our phone :S.
Respect and Thanks for the efforts on the ICS Jelly Roms, and call me crazy but i think that if someone could fix some bugs from the ICS version then it could be perfect since almost everything is working, Jellybean is more difficult because of the Audio drivers for Sound quality making it almost impossible.
Yes they could finish this website if they had the rights to do so, apparently there's nothing wrong with custom roms so it's all ok, but it's also true that sometimes even if something is illegal people just close their eyes 'just like in piracy, everyone downloads songs movies etc and nobody does a damn thing about it because they know it's a fight they can't ever win'.
So with all said, everything is apparently legal and ok to go .
No, they're not illegal. Android is an open source community, as long as you conform with legal policies, you will be good to go!
Since I asked a lot of question on this forum I would like to share the answers with everybody and maybe help them.
NOTE: Please don't post any replys as I want to keep the post clean and room for updates, send me a PM if you have and idea or any fails that I made in this post, if this post helped you don't post hit just the thanks button. Cheers.
Current list of questions with answers(will be updated):
Why would I want to root my phone?
Is rooting worth the trouble?
Is rooting illegal?
Will I have any customer support?
Is it dangerous?
Isn't rooting a complex and difficult process?
Will I still receive operating system updates from my carrier?
Application updates?
What if I want to un-root my phone?
Do I run the risk of bricking my phone?
Could my phone overheat and explode?
Why would I want to root my phone?
Everything in a Linux system is a file, or is treated as a file. Since Android runs on top of Linux, it acts the same way. Most of the files you will need to access or change are available to you without having elevated permissions. "Most" being the key term here. When you want to do things that affect or change the core software of your device -- like updating the version of Android on your phone, or adding a nice piece of software from another device -- you'll have to do it as root. Dream and Magic users have been running Eclair on their phones for a good while now, and it’s because they have rooted their device. Rooting also gives you access to some handy software that you couldn’t use otherwise. Things like a complete system backup or ad blocking software require you to root your device. Don’t root your phone just for the sake of rooting your phone, but if you come across something you feel you could use or would like to have, then consider it. You'll find that the open source community is usually pretty helpful and encouraging new people to do new things is common. And when you get to the point where you can lend a hand to the new folks, pay it forward.
Is rooting worth the trouble?
The answer is a resounding yes. The phone is faster than it has ever been, the battery lasts longer, and have all kinds of new features, including free wireless tethering and notification-bar widgets. Rooting your phone is generally a fairly quick process, though the complexity depends on your specific situation. Once you're rooted your handset, you can begin installing apps (many directly from Android Market) that will take advantage of your handset's new capabilities. Installing custom ROMs (replacement operating systems) built by hackers is a longer, more involved process , and generally involves your wiping all the data from your phone, but even that is worthwhile.
Is rooting illegal?
Nope. You bought the phone, it's your equipment, you own it, and you can do what you want with it. No one is going to come and get you, and your service provider will not cancel your contract. In fact, the U.S. federal government recognized the legality of rooting a phone in July 2010.
What you will do, however, is void the warranty on your device. If you don't want to live without a warranty, rooting isn't for you. Personally, I finally decided to take the plunge when I realized that the potential benefits outweighed the potential consequences. My phone was becoming slow and buggy, with lots of force-closes, and I was just about eligible for an upgrade anyway.
Will I have any customer support?
Rooting can be daunting because there is no toll-free number you can call for help, and no governing body to which you can turn for definitive answers. But the collective process of rooting phones and creating custom ROMs has engendered cool and supportive communities. The user-generated forums out there contain a staggering amount of information; the CyanogenMod forum has offered answers to almost all of my questions, as has the XDA Developers forum, but you can find many more. No matter your question, the forums most likely already have threads that can answer it. If you really can't find anything, you can always start a new thread to ask your question. If you think you've really mucked things up and you need immediate help, many IRC chat channels specialize in support for rooters. (Download an IRC client on your computer and head to irc.freenode.net, where the channels #android and #android-root are particularly helpful.)
Is it dangerous?
It can be, It might, and Yes. By not allowing access to the superuser account, the manufacturer and your carrier have basically protected you from doing things that change the system and make it unusable. All it takes is one wrong keystroke to turn your shiny new Android phone into a plastic and metal brick with no connection. Most times this is recoverable, but not always. You have to decide how capable you feel you are, and how well written the instructions you’ve found seem to be. Nobody will blame you if you decide against the risk, especially your cell carrier. All major carriers and manufacturers plainly state that altering or using unapproved software voids your warranty, and rooting falls into that category. While that seems a bit harsh, they need to be able to support the products they sell. For that to happen, they need to know exactly what’s running and what it’s doing.
Apps that run as root need a little further consideration. You need to have a level of trust in the person who wrote the app first and foremost. Does the developer have other software available? Do the user comments (for Market apps) have anything that raises a red flag? Do the requested permissions seem a little odd? These are all questions you need to think about before you allow something to run as root. For a further level of security, think about installing an application that warns you anytime something tries to run as root. SuperUser Whitelist is a great little app that does exactly that. If you decide to go on and root, ask users with the same device as you for a link to a version of SuperUser Whitelist that works with your firmware. Once installed, anytime something wants to run as root, the app intercepts and asks if you would like to allow it. You’re given the choice to accept, decline, or grant the app in question full privileges each time it runs.
One last thing to touch on here. Many custom ROMs include some sort of SSH server. This can be a wonderful tool, or it can get you in hot water. This is what caused the whole “Rick-Roll” episode with the latest iPhone jailbreak. The server sits and waits for an outside connection, and if that connection provides the right password full control of the device is turned over. In the case of the iPhone, users never bothered to change the default SSH password for root. A clever (or devious) group of users simply scanned for servers listening on the correct port, then attempted to sign in as root with the default password. Lesson learned, but this is easy to prevent. Ask other users of the ROM or firmware you’re thinking of flashing if there is a server listening, and if so how to disable it or change the default password.
Isn't rooting a complex and difficult process?
Yes and no. It really depends on what model of phone you have. On many phones (such as the Nexus One, Motorola Defy, or EVO 4G) the process is incredibly easy: You can download an app such as Simple Root, Universal 1-Click, or Z4root that will safely root your phone with a single click. Those apps are no longer available from the Android Market, but you can find them online with a simple search and install them onto an SD Card.
It is important to note that different approaches will work for different phones. For example, Z4root will work on many Android phones, but it won't work on most HTC models. Some rooting apps will work on an early build of Android 2.2 (Froyo), but will not work on later builds (though more and more apps are being released for that now). Rooting is phone/OS specific, so make sure to check that the root tool you're considering is compatible with your phone. For other models, rooting may take much more work. You might be required to connect the phone to your computer and enter some lines of code in a terminal utility.
Fortunately, more and more root apps do not require you to hook up your computer and get in that deep. Do some research as to what is required for your setup, read some step-by-step guides, and be honest with yourself about how comfortable you would be trying to follow the directions. If it feels like you'd be in over your head, it's probably best to avoid rooting.
Note that generally rooting is even tougher to do if you use a Mac, as most of the software for doing this sort of thing is written for Windows or Linux.
Will I still receive operating system updates from my carrier?
Maybe. More than likely if you’ve just rooted your phone so you could have access to the full file system and haven’t drastically changed things, the phone will still pass your carrier's checks and upgrade. If you’ve delved deeper and really customized your device, count on not being able to upgrade. Carrier updates were designed to work with the original software, so they need to be sure that’s what the phone is running. Again, this is for your own good. T-Mobile or Verizon can’t offer technical support for things they haven’t trained their technicians on, and if you flash a carrier approved update over custom software it’s probably not going to work.
The good news is that failing the checks the carrier does during an update won’t cause any damage to your phone. The update will just quit and you’ll be back where you started. Then you can decide if you would like to un-root and upgrade or take another path. The worst case scenario is that the phone passes the carriers checks, updates, and then things get broken. That’s pretty unlikely, but possible. If that would happen, you won’t be alone. Everyone in your situation will scramble to their favorite Android user forum and hopefully a work around can be found.
Note - a carrier update may also break the ability to root the device and a new method will need to be found. Any discussion of upgrading and root needs this mentioned as well. Most folks who root and decide to install a custom ROM wait for the ROM developer to provide an update that includes any bug fixes or new capabilities of the carrier update.
Application updates?
Yes. While it’s not being used, the program that allows permissions to be upgraded just sits and does nothing. Normal applications won’t even be aware it’s there, and applications that use it expect it to be there. Application updates, whether they are from the Market or other third parties will still install as normal.
What if I want to un-root my phone?
It depends on the model of your phone. Some are ridiculously easy to revert, some not so much. This is the most important question you can ask before you dive in and root your phone. Usually the website you found the method to root your phone will also have a discussion about un-rooting and going back to stock firmware. Take the time to find and read this information so you’re aware of just how difficult it’s going to be to go back. Pay close attention and create backups when recommended while you’re rooting your phone, as these may be needed to go back. I’ve not heard of any device that can’t be restored to factory firmware provided the original was backed up properly as recommended during the rooting process. The most important thing to always remember is to ask for help. If you do find yourself stuck without a backup or a working phone and need to roll back, ask for advice. Our forums are full of fine folks from all walks of life, and the majority are more than happy to help. There’s a good chance you’re not the first person in that situation and a solution has already been worked up!
Do I run the risk of bricking my phone?
This is one of the Internet's favorite bogeymen. "Bricking" is the idea that if you try to tinker with root access, you'll mess something up so it becomes completely unusable, and you'll essentially turn your phone into a paperweight. While that's certainly not outside the realm of possibility, the good news is that Android phones are generally very hard to brick. Yes, even the Droid X, which was purported to be the "unrootable" phone, has been safely rooted for quite some time (Z4root reportedly works with the Droid X).
If you do get caught in a boot loop, you may have to connect your phone to your computer and rewrite some code, but if you are patient and willing to do some more reading, you will almost always be able to find a way to at least restore your phone to its original state (read more on where that help comes from in the next section).
A common mistake that actually will lead to a bricked phone is running out of battery power in the middle of trying to install a custom ROM. The operating system only half installs, and that really is tough to fix. So always make sure that your battery is full before you install a new OS or ROM.
Also, just because a phone is rootable does not mean you can install any custom ROM you want. Differerent ROMs will work for different phones. Even the extremely popular CyanogenMod works for many phones, but certainly not all, so do plenty of research to make sure your phone is supported before trying to install a custom ROM.
Could my phone overheat and explode?
One of the major incentives to root your phone is the ability to overclock your processor to gain more speed (or underclock it to extend battery life). My phone has gotten considerably faster because of overclocking. When you overclock your processor, though, it will get hotter. If you try to push your phone too far and you don't set any fail-safes (a maximum allowable temperature in the overclocking utility), then you could burn out your processor. However, it is very easy to set safety thresholds to ensure that you don't do that.
SetCPU, the most popular app for overclocking or underclocking, allows you to set up various profiles.
Reading the rooting forums will give you plenty of advice on how far you can push your specific device and maintain stability. It pays to do some experimentation: Different phones behave differently, even if they're the same model.
Sources: androidcentral.com, pcworld.com
Useful threads:
[TUTORIAL] Unlocking, rooting, custom roms installing, going back to stock
[INDEX] HTC Desire X (protou) - Everything Desire X is here!
Reserved.
I bought a Meizu MX4 MT6595 OCta Core model M641 Flyme OS 4.0.2U , Thought it would be great purchase. It seems I was unprepared for how new this phone is and the lack of information on how to optimize it for a US user. I cant update the OS to the Newer version of Flyme OS , though I would prefer to replace the OS with something US friendly. ALso cant install anything because the package installer crashes with everything. I have purchase protection on the phone for one more week, should I just return the phone? Or will their be ROM's available soon to replace FLyme? I like to learn technology is it possible for a novice to learn how to hack a phone and port an available ROM onto a Chinese phone? Or is this something extremely difficult and time consuming? Really just looking for some advice from the informed/ knowledgeable.
lj26ft said:
I bought a Meizu MX4 MT6595 OCta Core model M641 Flyme OS 4.0.2U , Thought it would be great purchase. It seems I was unprepared for how new this phone is and the lack of information on how to optimize it for a US user. I cant update the OS to the Newer version of Flyme OS , though I would prefer to replace the OS with something US friendly. ALso cant install anything because the package installer crashes with everything. I have purchase protection on the phone for one more week, should I just return the phone? Or will their be ROM's available soon to replace FLyme? I like to learn technology is it possible for a novice to learn how to hack a phone and port an available ROM onto a Chinese phone? Or is this something extremely difficult and time consuming? Really just looking for some advice from the informed/ knowledgeable.
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Click to collapse
China devices are the worst to learn on as there is no kernel source for the device and moat avoid these devices. So you will have to take it on yourself if you want something. Yes it is time consuming and will have a learning curve.
Just got the phone and love it..
You should be able to update Flyme by finding 'upgrade' in your app drawer, but even after the upgrade its just a bit better.
The most current version is 4.0.3i
Not a big fan of Flyme ,I find it very buggy.
Im hoping for a cm rom of some sort. Would love to see something like the version on the onePlus .
LTE works with Rogers and Bell in Canada..
I like the phone as well I have tried the button in the panel to upgrade click it says android settings com has stopped, tried turning it off and upgrading from zip with zip stored in root directory, got nothing. Tried 4.0.3A ,4.0.3i, 4.03U also and everytime it says corrupted. My firmware version is 4.0.2 U . Tried lots of different ways to try and get google services on it and nothing happens. SOme apps from the app store installed like facebook and evernote. So kinda of feeling a little silly about purchasing this phone because the price vs hardware was spectacular. But I cant get everything I want to use on it. Looking for maybe some trouble shooting from experienced users or reassurance that i didnt just make a retarded mistake purchasing a phone i wont ever be able to use an i should just wait until developer community tackles these problems. Though dont know if that will matter if I can never update the thing. I am using windows 8 could could that be causing issues with upgrading my phone over the wire? Or should I try a .bin file ?
lj26ft said:
I like the phone as well I have tried the button in the panel to upgrade click it says android settings com has stopped, tried turning it off and upgrading from zip with zip stored in root directory, got nothing. Tried 4.0.3A ,4.0.3i, 4.03U also and everytime it says corrupted. My firmware version is 4.0.2 U . Tried lots of different ways to try and get google services on it and nothing happens. SOme apps from the app store installed like facebook and evernote. So kinda of feeling a little silly about purchasing this phone because the price vs hardware was spectacular. But I cant get everything I want to use on it. Looking for maybe some trouble shooting from experienced users or reassurance that i didnt just make a retarded mistake purchasing a phone i wont ever be able to use an i should just wait until developer community tackles these problems. Though dont know if that will matter if I can never update the thing. I am using windows 8 could could that be causing issues with upgrading my phone over the wire? Or should I try a .bin file ?
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Click to collapse
I hate to say it but your gonna be out of luck. Developers dont touch these devices. They seldom follow the GPL or have unlocked bootloaders and as they are mainly sold in China which doesnt have agreements set up with google in alot of places it is really a pain to get google services running. We have a forum for it but it has been long dead.
zelendel said:
I hate to say it but your gonna be out of luck. Developers dont touch these devices. They seldom follow the GPL or have unlocked bootloaders and as they are mainly sold in China which doesnt have agreements set up with google in alot of places it is really a pain to get google services running. We have a forum for it but it has been long dead.
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Click to collapse
Well ill definitely try returning it then go with something a little closer to home. The Hardware vs price sucked me into buying it . What is a good deal on a phone right now? XDA developers favorite phone ? easiest to learn best one to modify. In hindsight probably should have tried finding this forum first rather than after I put money down on a phone but live and learn.
Give this a try.. crap...not letting me post a link...
google 'upgrading flyme to 4.0.3i' and the first link will give you some clear instruction and alternatives to get you going