How to verify integrity of installed android image? - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Greeting's, I would like to know if there's a way to verify android installation (or image, i'm unsure on which is the correct reference; pardon me.). I own a Nexus 5 (32GB) and my phone recently received 5.1 update. Update process finished normally, there was a reboot and the standard optimizing app's screen. Few days later, when I rebooted my phone; the same optimizing apps process started. I had checked that my 5.1 update was to build LMY47I and there is no further update to this build. At this point, I am bit concerned as to - 1) Why the optimizing application process started? 2) While I did google around a bit, I did not find any definitive way to check integrity of installed android image.
I'm a information security architect and almost all OS's have a way to verify its installed integrity. Windows for PC's have sigverif and SFC commands. Traditional BIOS is being replaced with UEFI which helps verify and maintain boot cycle integrity.
So, in android is there such process or tools or commands to verify integrity of installation?
Thanking you in anticipation,
Parth Maniar

It is doing it because something wiped the cache. There is no way to check at the moment. If it doesn't install properly then it will kernel panic and not boot at all.

zelendel, thank you very much for your reply. I personally did not wipe the cache partition. Also, will this occur every time cache partition is wiped? Because I've at times manually wiped the cache partition but application optimization has never started. Is there a logging mechanism to check why this was invoked? Is there a way I can enable, disable or control logging parameters? For example - In a PC environment, I can log all network traffic using syslog standard or enable logging using group policy in windows. Does android have any such option?
Please don't mind my questioning and don't let that make you feel that I'm doubting your answer. I am just trying to learn. I would like to once again thank you for your prompt answer.
Parth Maniar.

ParthManiar said:
zelendel, thank you very much for your reply. I personally did not wipe the cache partition. Also, will this occur every time cache partition is wiped? Because I've at times manually wiped the cache partition but application optimization has never started. Is there a logging mechanism to check why this was invoked? Is there a way I can enable, disable or control logging parameters? For example - In a PC environment, I can log all network traffic using syslog standard or enable logging using group policy in windows. Does android have any such option?
Please don't mind my questioning and don't let that make you feel that I'm doubting your answer. I am just trying to learn. I would like to once again thank you for your prompt answer.
Parth Maniar.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As to why it happened I am not sure. I normally happens when the delvic cache partition its self is wiped. There are some tools that might help with what happened. You could look into logcats and last_kmsg HERE is a great tut on them that might help. There are also a few on device apps like catlog and a few others that might help.
Oh no not at all. I understand completely where you are coming from. Most of the error logging is done in a linux setup and not on device or windows really. It also depends on the device and the distro of android your using.

I'm currently using stock androind (AOSP) on my Nexus 5. One of the reason's that I've never tried running other android built is mainly my lack of understanding. Not that I know how AOSP works but I feel tad bit secure knowing it's the official build. Like your signature say's "Security is an illusion".
I would love to play around with Android but where would you suggest is the best and safest way to start, from the perspective of a clean restore. For example - PC's have virtual environments where I can do testing or even trying to break a software just to learn how it works. What kind of process or tools are used for android.
I have one more question (Pardon me for the question parade ) but how does one verify tools posted on Internet which deal with reseting firmware or even factory flags. I have tried on a test phone resetting LG flag for tampered. I had manually flashed the phone with android 5.0 image which required unlocking the bootloader. So to ensure I can claim warranty i used the temper reset tool. While I truly appreciate the author(s) of that particular and such other tools which assist "hackers" (this would be the correct use of the word) immensely. How can one be sure that no malware code is present.
If you've ever researched on this - There are couple of companies out there giving tools (software) for complete control of the phone. Most of them excel at giving features for Android. While that scares me, it also gives an opportunity to learn on detection and remediation.

ParthManiar said:
I'm currently using stock androind (AOSP) on my Nexus 5. One of the reason's that I've never tried running other android built is mainly my lack of understanding. Not that I know how AOSP works but I feel tad bit secure knowing it's the official build. Like your signature say's "Security is an illusion".
I would love to play around with Android but where would you suggest is the best and safest way to start, from the perspective of a clean restore. For example - PC's have virtual environments where I can do testing or even trying to break a software just to learn how it works. What kind of process or tools are used for android.
I have one more question (Pardon me for the question parade ) but how does one verify tools posted on Internet which deal with reseting firmware or even factory flags. I have tried on a test phone resetting LG flag for tampered. I had manually flashed the phone with android 5.0 image which required unlocking the bootloader. So to ensure I can claim warranty i used the temper reset tool. While I truly appreciate the author(s) of that particular and such other tools which assist "hackers" (this would be the correct use of the word) immensely. How can one be sure that no malware code is present.
If you've ever researched on this - There are couple of companies out there giving tools (software) for complete control of the phone. Most of them excel at giving features for Android. While that scares me, it also gives an opportunity to learn on detection and remediation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could use a live disc and run Linux which would allow you all the great tools. I would start with the android SDK which allows for virtual devices. I have a dual partition set up to boot up linux so I can download all the source code and go from there. As you have a nexus you have almost complete freedom in that aspect. When dealing with devices like LG, HTC or the worst being Samsung it gets alot harder dealing with resetting flags. They are working harder and harder to lock things like this down. Now that Samsung has given alot of the Knox code to google for use in the base AOSP code it will get harder. Alot of the newer devices with knox cant even have the bootloader unlocked.
As for being sure there is no malware included that gets a bit harder. Most rely on a good malware software. I can not attest to any as I dont use any of that myself, I am just very careful with what I download. Any company that is giving away software that claims to allow you to completely control a device is bound to have some sort of malware involved. I have seen a few and alot of them have ransom ware deeply embedded in them.

Thank you very much again, zelendel. I wanted to correct or better explain what I already mentioned. I was referring to companies which offer hacking services .. I've had couple of run downs with them and they "sell" products, with capabilities well beyond general publishing. I wanted to learn on how to counter them. Sadly, I'm not a programmer and downloading source code will help me little. But i will still setup as you've mentioned. What linux distro do you use? I hate multi boot with UEFI especially since i use a FDE product. Ah, the fun of setting up a lab.
Thank you very much again. Journey in Android begins now.
PS: Have you used any other android build except the AOSP? I would like your take on that too.

ParthManiar said:
Thank you very much again, zelendel. I wanted to correct or better explain what I already mentioned. I was referring to companies which offer hacking services .. I've had couple of run downs with them and they "sell" products, with capabilities well beyond general publishing. I wanted to learn on how to counter them. Sadly, I'm not a programmer and downloading source code will help me little. But i will still setup as you've mentioned. What linux distro do you use? I hate multi boot with UEFI especially since i use a FDE product. Ah, the fun of setting up a lab.
Thank you very much again. Journey in Android begins now.
PS: Have you used any other android build except the AOSP? I would like your take on that too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I personally Use Ubuntu as it is the supported android building setup. It was easy to setup and use for a Linux noob like I was. Oh God I know what you mean with UEFI.
As for countering them. The easiest way would be to pay attention to what gets root access. This would be the only way they could really do anything major. Mainly with the new sandboxing in android 5.1
I have used just about every distro of android available. I have used OEM Roms like HTC Sense, Samsung Touchwiz. I have used all of the AOSP based roms. CM, Slim, AICP, DU (my current), PA. I now avoid CM based builds and stick to builds that work off of AOSP instead of CM based. This is due not only to the companies BS stand on removing Google from android but they have a bad habit of treating others like trash and merging untested code which can cause issues like the recent string of nexus 6 bricks.

Related

Temporary root access to install unsigned software?

Forgive my ignorance, but ive never used android before and expecting my phone delivered tomorrow (htc hero! )
As i understand it, the android app store signs the apps similar to iphones itunes store to prevent piracy and malware.
Is this correct?
Ive read about how one can "root" the device by loading a image file thru the bootloader over usb, but i wonder, is there a sudo command or similar to temporarily enable root access and later return to default state?
I suppose i could flash it with the root image, install the app and then flash back the default os image, but that feels pretty awkward procedure and would probably raise a bunch of new problems as how the default os would launch the app installed under another os.
I was hoping to start tinkering with programming, but im unsure if i can "throw in the app" and expect it to work..?
After using mac´s for over 20 years ive become too used to stuff just working right out of the box, so i dont feel like experimenting on my own...
There is an option in the settings that lets you install unsigned apps, so no rooting required.
xarvox said:
As i understand it, the android app store signs the apps similar to iphones itunes store to prevent piracy and malware.
Is this correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not exactly! Many paid apps are copy protected, but most of the free ones are not. Unlike the iPhone, where you can only install "unauthorized" apps if you jail break the device, Android allows you to install and run applications from a variety of sources on a stock device.
In essence, you do not need to root the device to develop for it, but there are certain things that applications can only be done on a rooted device (for example, receiving a file via Bluetooth, WiFi tethering etc).
I was hoping to start tinkering with programming, but im unsure if i can "throw in the app" and expect it to work..?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, programming errors aside ( ), and as long as you don't need to do anything that requires root privileges, yes you can. You should bear in mind that the *vast* majority of Android devices will not have been rooted, and therefore the vast majority of available applications do not require rooted phones.
Personally, I expect that later Android builds will remove many of the restrictions that require applications to have root access, so that they can function without requiring a device to be rooted.
Regards,
Dave
Ive found a app that would tether my laptop (mac) over wifi, but requires me to root the device.
Is there a way to temporarily do this, install the app and make the neccisary changes and then switch back to default state?
I don't believe so.
As far as I'm aware, the application requires the elevated privileges when it runs as opposed to just configuration changes. I don't think that even a setuid would help, since I believe the app expects to find and use su/sudo.
Regards,
Dave

should i update stock firmware 4.1.1?

so i never modded or rommed my phone this time. and nearly 2 years after, my phone is slow as hell. is this natural--just bloat builds up over time? if i try to send someone 2 consecutive texts, i have to wait ~1 second after the first text before i can type the next because of lag
i was wondering if updating my OS would help here, or ironically make it worse because of the old hardware.
thanks!
The S III is a good piece of hardware.
If you just update the ROM probably it will remain slow.
To speed up things you should root, backup your apps using good backup utility. I use Titanium Backup.
Take a look here: [Guide] Noobs guide to use Titanium Backup for backup and restore of apps.
Then you must wipe your phone, install a new rom, either stock or custom, restore apps and your phone will be up to speed again.
Titanium can also restore messages, call log and wifi accounts, but use the xml version of backups to restore.
And DO NOT restore system apps or other system data.
Sergio Barbosa said:
The S III is a good piece of hardware.
If you just update the ROM probably it will remain slow.
To speed up things you should root, backup your apps using good backup utility. I use Titanium Backup.
Take a look here: [Guide] Noobs guide to use Titanium Backup for backup and restore of apps.
Then you must wipe your phone, install a new rom, either stock or custom, restore apps and your phone will be up to speed again.
Titanium can also restore messages, call log and wifi accounts, but use the xml version of backups to restore.
And DO NOT restore system apps or other system data.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can you explain to me why my phone is slow as a dog right now though? just want to learn so i can plan preventative measures for next time.
drcrappants said:
can you explain to me why my phone is slow as a dog right now though? just want to learn so i can plan preventative measures for next time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just normal OS behavior after a few years of use, running dozens of apps and installing and uninstalling a lot more.
Also happens with windows. I always do a fresh install of Windows when moving to a new version.
As your phone runs 24/7 all the time it will become slower.
Sure you may take some preventive measures, but my advise is to use it to the fullest and just do a clean reinstall if/when you feel it is necessary.
And if you just do a dirty install, without a wipe, all crap and leftovers accumulated over time will remain there.
Sergio Barbosa said:
Just normal OS behavior after a few years of use, running dozens of apps and installing and uninstalling a lot more.
Also happens with windows. I always do a fresh install of Windows when moving to a new version.
As your phone runs 24/7 all the time it will become slower.
Sure you may take some preventive measures, but my advise is to use it to the fullest and just do a clean reinstall if/when you feel it is necessary.
And if you just do a dirty install, without a wipe, all crap and leftovers accumulated over time will remain there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please do not compare it to windows as this is not completely true. Read up on linux based operating systems.
Install a 4.4.4 rom to benefit from better security and features or atleast reset the phone if that is as far as you want to go,
your firmware your running is probably outdated for this newer stuff, when the art changes in the system you need to update a couple of things in the system or hardware for it too work. If id were you id update my firmware, modem, and bootloader but just make sure you don't update with sammy's new knox special feature lol.
After updating to the latest stock ROM, removing knox is not a problem with Chainfire's root method.
audit13 said:
After updating to the latest stock ROM, removing knox is not a problem with Chainfire's root method.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you,! get this, so now I'm getting a fail on Odin when trying to upgrade my firmware? If you have kies installed on your pc could that be the issue? I'm also un-rooted.
Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk
A very simple way to update the phone would be to download the latest stock ROM from sammobile.com and flash it with Odin.
audit13 said:
A very simple way to update the phone would be to download the latest stock ROM from sammobile.com and flash it with Odin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Model GT-I9300
Model name GALAXY S Ⅲ
Country Iraq
Version Android 4.3
Changelist 2897066
Build date Thu, 25 Feb 2016 07:46:13 +0000
Security Patch Level N/A
Product code MID
PDA I9300XXUGPB1
CSC I9300OJVGPB1
in 2016 and they managed to released yet another 4.3 Stock ROM??!! I don't belong to that region but it looks like an international ROM, I am on 4.3 2013 firmware. should we upgrade as well? anyone tried the new 2016 ones?
it'sup said:
Thank you,! get this, so now I'm getting a fail on Odin when trying to upgrade my firmware? If you have kies installed on your pc could that be the issue? I'm also un-rooted.
Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What error are you getting in Odin? Are you able to post he Odin log?
Just thought I'd chime in with some proper explanations.
Your phone has bogged down because the hardware is old now and most apps consume more CPU power than the phone can provide. Couple this with the ever expanding nature for RAM and the device will be under a lot of demand. Devices now are at least twice the hardware.
Now to the operating system itself. Android is not windows, nor linux, nor Unix. It is CLOSEST to Unix, derived from Linux and nowhere near windows even if you're blind and deaf and can't tell the difference. It really is a "bastard". The nature of android is to cache data for speed. Once this cache is full or resources run low, or android just can't kill an app for whatever reason it will bog the os down so bad the device will become unusable. I could demonstrate this VERY easily by filling up the internal memory with crap apps and dumb data and watch the device slow to a standstill (even the htc m9 I'm writing this on right now is susceptible). It's the nature of Android that causes the bogging down because it has run out of resources. It is THAT simple!.
Can we solve this bogging down by shutting down the offending apps with things like "greenify" or "hibernation"?.
The answer to that is "NO". Short and simple, you'll make the situation much worse if you attempt to hibernate apps. This is because the os will call for the app under its "normal allowances" which are defined by "permissions", you may have noticed these on some of the googleplay "read more" page when browsing an app. There are also permissions that you cannot see, one example would be "startup" which allows the app to start when the phone boots up. You CAN stop these startup apps at boot but if they continue to run you're best leaving that app alone. The reason being is that the OS will call the app, the app WILL respond. Then whatever app you're using to "control" other apps will detect the call and intervene, attempting to shut the process amd services down, the OS will detect this as a fail to load so it'll invoke (call) the process and service again, the "control" app steps in, rinse and repeat. Without knowing you've just waged a war in your phone between 2 apps and the OS. This will murder the resources and battery power.
So, after 2 years of normal operation your phone has become slow. You now know that the problem is that the phone is outdated because it is struggling to provide for the resource hungry apps that are out there (this is about as "in common" with windows as it gets).
Custom roms will be a waste of time. The reason is that custom roms are open source code, are very rarely optimised and not really compatible with the proprietary hardware they have to control. Although you can unlock extra potential it will be countered by the poorly written code. The custom rom will bog down in half the time of an official firmware.
I'm afraid I'll have to be the first to admit that your phone has now surpassed its life cycle. The only way to get better performance at this stage is to upgrade to a more powerful device. Not exactly the news you WANT to hear but it is the most honest advice you will find in this thread.
A LOT of people don't quite understand how android works as an operating system but they'll be quick to give you advice that is only partly true or not true at all.
The odin problem. Kies can be installed but the processes must NOT be running. Stop the kies processes in task manager.
As audit13 said, the output window in odin, we need to see that so we can determine whats wrong. We also need you to make sure you know what model s3 you have and that you have the correct firmware for your phone. Double check them in the settings menu.
Beamed in by telepathy.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s3/development/rom-s3-i9300-4-3-based-stock-rom-t3338959/page2
Try this , I think this can help you !! Good luck

Is it Possible to Fully Format Partition and install drivers, OS etc. on Xperia Z2?

Hello,
I've been wondering if it is possible to fully format the hard drive on my Z2?
I've had my Z2 for a while and I've been picking compounding software errors from previous bad updates, installs etc.
One for example, before I rooted and unlocked my bootloader, I received an update and my camera stopped working because I denied Google play permission to the camera. I've tested the phone on various OS and Kernel installs and the camera is still working, in fact it doesn't shut down, but it is inaccessible because some file somewhere where I can’t reset the permissions.
I’ve also had various other software errors compromising my screen, battery etc. The same errors tend to keep popping up and it doesn’t matter whether I am running stock or customised kernels and OS’.
Like I said, I was wondering if it would be possible to completely format the hard drive and start with a blank slate, so to speak, where I can reinstall everything from the drivers the phone needs to the Kernel and OS of my choice.
I would really like if someone could please tell me where to start and maybe how this could be done.
Thanks for checking out this post.
Well I would say your suggestion is good but well, in fact, there are some tens of partition on our phone eMMC. Some can be accessible via normal user and root user, such as /data and /system; however there are also some partitions that are hidden from the users and only the manufacturer have the keys and tools to access it, for instance /loader, /fotakernel. So the only way to perform your tasks is to apply for a job at SONY or Qualcomm and use their bunch of development tools.
Thanks for the help.
The Z2 is a great phone unfortunately I don’t like it enough to work for Sony unless I could get a job as one of their very sarcastic and unhelpful ‘specialists’ on one of their forums.
Eddy-Pooh said:
Thanks for the help.
The Z2 is a great phone unfortunately I don’t like it enough to work for Sony unless I could get a job as one of their very sarcastic and unhelpful ‘specialists’ on one of their forums.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well you're already halway there......
You can semi-natively run linux on your phone via Linux Deploy app
It uses the phones own kernel
If you're thinking of windows then thats not realy doable unless via x86 emulation
Sent from my E6653 using XDA-Developers mobile app

Trying to understand Rooting and Security (Android specific)

Hi All,
So I am trying to better understand the Android operating system, specifically in the security section as it seems to be more 'hands off' compared to Windows.
Let me start by saying I am no security engineer in any capacity, but its a field that interests me greatly, and I understand Windows security much more than Linux/Android
I know what root is in Linux, its essentially the system account of Windows, it can do anything, and gaining root on Android is essentially gaining system in Windows, and understandably is a dangerous account to have control of.
I also understand that Android uses a verified boot process, similar to Windows with Secure boot and Bitlocker (When configured correctly)
But for Android this is as far as I go with Security, admittedly its extremely limited is my knowledge of the Android security system, I have heard of SafetyNet APIs and this can control things like Google Pay and some other applications like My EE for example, and seems to be to basically be a verification method to make sure the system is not tampered with.
But I am trying to understand what other security issues can arise with root, on my One plus when the boot loader is unlocked it prompts a warning on boot which is to be expected, it cannot verify the software you install (TWRP, Kernel, System) is safe and untampered with, but what else can happen, specifically from being attacked, maybe during system usage and what steps can be taken to help improve security?
I ask this because I feel more secure on OOS with locked BL, of course, but I also like to add things in like Magisk, V4A and Energized and I am currently deciding which I wish to settle on, Locked OOS or Unlocked OOS with addons.
Can anyone provide any light and tips on the subject? ELI5 or Advanced explanation is welcome
Many Thanks!
Hi!
I am in a similar situation as XDroidie. No security engineer, but I have technical background and I am also very interested in it.
I would like to learn how I can monitor my android system integrity and regular check if it is being tampered.
After some research I have the impression googles safetynet does a good job.(koz.io/inside-safetynet-3).
But I would prefer to live without Google Mobile Services on LineageOS or similar things.
Are there open source mimiks of safetynet, I can use as a personal security checker?
If for some reason I would get forced to use Safetynet, are there methods to check what safetynet does ? Did anybody before?
Thanks for your suggestions in advance!
Gerald

LOS17.1 + recovery: how to create a full backup without root and without TWRP?

LOS 17.1 is now available and developers say that LOS's own recovery is going to be the preferred recovery.
Last year Google announced that adb is very likely to be removed soon.
Those two statements brings up an important question: how can users create a full backup of their devices **without** having to root them in order to make backup apps work?
I am not talking about backing up pictures, media, calendars or address books, there are plenty of ways to do this without root access. I am talking about a full backup, including the whole system partition and user data. TWRP was an excellent tool for this job: a backup could be created any time, any where, completely independent whether a PC was near or not. You could even write the backup directly onto a USB storage, and the phone could always be restored as well any where and any time.
That is a feature that I miss very much in LOS's own recovery and to my opinion this is an issue that needs to be solved.
Will this feature be added to LOS recovery in the (near) future? Or are there any other solutions to do a full backup without the need for root access?
dvdram said:
LOS 17.1 is now available and developers say that LOS's own recovery is going to be the preferred recovery.
Last year Google announced that adb is very likely to be removed soon.
Those two statements brings up an important question: how can users create a full backup of their devices **without** having to root them in order to make backup apps work?
I am not talking about backing up pictures, media, calendars or address books, there are plenty of ways to do this without root access. I am talking about a full backup, including the whole system partition and user data. TWRP was an excellent tool for this job: a backup could be created any time, any where, completely independent whether a PC was near or not. You could even write the backup directly onto a USB storage, and the phone could always be restored as well any where and any time.
That is a feature that I miss very much in LOS's own recovery and to my opinion this is an issue that needs to be solved.
Will this feature be added to LOS recovery in the (near) future? Or are there any other solutions to do a full backup without the need for root access?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Making a complete system backup requires root and/or custom recovery, period.
That is he way it is, you can't change that. There are no alternatives.
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk
Droidriven said:
Making a complete system backup requires root and/or custom recovery, period.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pardon me, but that is a very harsh answer to a seriously asked question of common interest.
"We take security very seriously"...
Do you know where these words are written?
Maybe you'd like to try looking at this issue this way:
Many users who install LOS, are doing this because of security reasons. Imagine some of these users having bad luck and their phones get compromised by some bogus apps. And then they read an answer like this, telling them nothing different than: sorry, we can't and we won't help you!
And know imagine this:
Users can create snapshots or images of their running systems, with all of their apps included, as well as all necessary accounts, logins and passwords. When the "impossible thing" happens to a device running LOS, they have the option to restore the complete system without having to do a factory reset and without having to reinstall each and every app and the corresponding accounts.
What do you think, which one would please the users of your product more: an answer with an attitude like that one above, or the second possibility?
Furthermore: I was not bagging you to include this possibility. I was asking how this kind of back up could be made in the future, when TWRP won't work with Android 10, and when Google will remove adb. And frankly, I don't see why a recovery made by LOS should not be able to do a task that a third party recovery is capable of. If TWRP developers can put together such a piece of code, I am sure LOS developers should be able to do so as well.
Another possibility would be to reverse Google's decision and to keep adb.
So, from my perspective, there are at least two possible ways of dealing with this. But I am a user, not a developer, and I don't know if or why any one of these possibilities is a bad idea, or if there are really serious arguments against it, or whatever pro or con there might be. I simply don't know about these things and that's why I was asking about it. I am a user who doesn't like having to do a complete re-installation after a crash. And I am pretty sure that I am not the only user with this kind of antipathy.
A polite answer to the question would have included at least a glimpse of explanation why this and why not that.. And an open minded developer would have even cared to discuss about this.
dvdram said:
Pardon me, but that is a very harsh answer to a seriously asked question of common interest.
"We take security very seriously"...
Do you know where these words are written?
Maybe you'd like to try looking at this issue this way:
Many users who install LOS, are doing this because of security reasons. Imagine some of these users having bad luck and their phones get compromised by some bogus apps. And then they read an answer like this, telling them nothing different than: sorry, we can't and we won't help you!
And know imagine this:
Users can create snapshots or images of their running systems, with all of their apps included, as well as all necessary accounts, logins and passwords. When the "impossible thing" happens to a device running LOS, they have the option to restore the complete system without having to do a factory reset and without having to reinstall each and every app and the corresponding accounts.
What do you think, which one would please the users of your product more: an answer with an attitude like that one above, or the second possibility?
Furthermore: I was not bagging you to include this possibility. I was asking how this kind of back up could be made in the future, when TWRP won't work with Android 10, and when Google will remove adb. And frankly, I don't see why a recovery made by LOS should not be able to do a task that a third party recovery is capable of. If TWRP developers can put together such a piece of code, I am sure LOS developers should be able to do so as well.
Another possibility would be to reverse Google's decision and to keep adb.
So, from my perspective, there are at least two possible ways of dealing with this. But I am a user, not a developer, and I don't know if or why any one of these possibilities is a bad idea, or if there are really serious arguments against it, or whatever pro or con there might be. I simply don't know about these things and that's why I was asking about it. I am a user who doesn't like having to do a complete re-installation after a crash. And I am pretty sure that I am not the only user with this kind of antipathy.
A polite answer to the question would have included at least a glimpse of explanation why this and why not that.. And an open minded developer would have even cared to discuss about this.
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Your reaction is a very butt-hurt reaction for a question that has been asked AND has been answered many times on this website and could have easily been found by you if you had searched.
Unless, of course, you did search and you did read where it has been answered before and, for whatever reason, you mistakenly thought that you would get a different answer just because you needed it to.
My point was, there is no way to access system partition or data partition without root. This forum is full of posts from other users asking the same thing, they all got the same answer, it can't be done without root or TWRP. Android just does not work that way, it has a linux kernel, which means, everything requires specific permissions and it is not in the best interests of OEM/carriers to allow access to /system and /data that easily and there is no way to give you "limited" access that only allows you to backup the /system and /data. There is only full permissions or none and they will not allow full permissions to the user.
That is entirely the whole point of people like us that find ways of rooting devices and installing custom recovery in the first place, because it is the ONLY way we can access /system and /data to make backups or modifications.
As for your thoughts of whether there will be a "new" way of making backups if adb and TWRP are no longer viable options....
Who knows? None of us will know until that time comes. We will all just have to wait and see if any takes the time to develop a new method.
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dvdram said:
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Last year Google announced that adb is very likely to be removed soon.
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Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is a Server - Client pair software
ADB Server runs in the Android device
ADB Client runs in Windows / Linux / Mac iOS
ADB completely is open source. Hence everyone can grab the source code and compile it matching the target Android OS / computer OS. Manufacturers like Samsung & ZTE actually already provide their build of ADB Client suitable to their Android devices: they don't recommend to make use of universal ADB Client that floats around the WEB.
AFAIK Google announced to remove backup / restore feature from ADB Client, not ADB at whole.
jwoegerbauer said:
Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is a Server - Client pair software
ADB Server runs in the Android device
ADB Client runs in Windows / Linux / Mac iOS
ADB completely is open source. Hence everyone can grab the source code and compile it matching the target Android OS / computer OS. Manufacturers like Samsung & ZTE actually already provide their build of ADB Client suitable to their Android devices: they don't recommend to make use of universal ADB Client that floats around the WEB.
AFAIK Google announced to remove backup / restore feature from ADB Client, not ADB at whole.
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Yeah, I can't see Google completely removing adb, it is too valuable of a tool for development even for the stuff the carriers and their developers do on their end. Removing it would be like building cars and engines but completely disallowing the production or use of tools to assemble/disassemble the cars or engines.
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Droidriven said:
My point was, there is no way to access system partition or data partition without root.
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I know that and I understand that. I've been using Linux on my private and on my working machines for at least 30 years now, and I know about permissions. And I also understand that there are good reasons for not rooting an Android device.
But that is not the point here.
I am and I always was talking about the recovery here, not the running LOS system, that you run every day to make any use of your phone at all. From my point of view, as a Linux user, booting into recovery is like taking a secondary boot device, eg a USB memory, and starting another Linux system that is completely independent of the one that my PC is running in normal cases. Using this secondary Linux I can do anything to the system and the hard drive that I want, regardless of permissions. I can re-install the boot manager, I can copy or delete files, I can repair the file system, and, most important: I can create images and snapshots of the system that will serve as an lifeline, a certain point in time that I can return to if it should become necessary.
My question was and still is, why a custom recovery like TWRP can include this function, but the recovery made by LOS can or will not do so, or if there is a chance that the LOS recovery will include this function in the future.
Again: I am not talking (and I never was) about making root available in LOS.
@dvdram
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My question was and still is, why a custom recovery like TWRP can include this function, but the recovery made by LOS can or will not do so, or if there is a chance that the LOS recovery will include this function in the future.
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Wondering why you don't ask this question to the developers of LineageOS?
jwoegerbauer said:
@dvdram
Wondering why you don't ask this question to the developers of LineageOS?
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Silly me! I actually believed there would be developers reading this forum. How could I mistaken this statement on the starting page:
"XDA Developers was founded by developers, for developers."
I guess the word "developers" must have another meaning than I have always believed. Thank you for showing me my wrong!

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