Should i root - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

ok, i have a question, should i root my lg thirve (lg optimus one) just because i want to go from stock froyo to gingerbread made by cyanogen-mod.
thats all i would want, because my phone is not getting the update, and to get gingerbread i would need to root.
so should i do this, what are the dangers of it, i mean will my phone be vulnerable to dangerous things, will it break or mess up in any way?

No dangers, really. But yes, root. If you are interested in overclocking, tweaking, and installing any app that requires root (just search "root" on market and see what goodies come up), you should root, no questions asked. I highly recommend CyanogenMod as there are so many additional and useful features and it is pre-rooted (obviously). If you don't like modding or experimenting, then stick to the stock ROM.

I gotta be honest with you, when I first landed on the Android world I made myself that very same questions over and over again, until one day I said "what the heck!" and done it.
To be truth, isn't that big of a deal, rotting isn't difficult and isn't bad, you just gotta be carefully about what you do because you'r having access to the System folder, so you can really harm your phone, but if you don't mess up with it, you have nothing to worry about.
Some apps need root access because they use the system folder to make changes, so don't simply install any app that request you so, just those that are known and that you need.
So, in conclusion, Root your device, just don't go on the system folder and make changes if you have no idea what you'r doing.

Root is good and healthy to your phone. It gives you more freedom on using your phone. Really, it lets you do a lot more things that you can't do it on an unrooted stock ROM.
Most of us did that before, and it wont harm you phone's health provided that you don't root/unroot too many times in a week (it is similar to what my parents told me when I am still young and innocent)
Rooting process in most cases wont brick your phone unless you are trying to flash a rooted ROM without knowing it.
But anyway, if you want to try something new, you need to take the risk. And don't blame on others when you bricked your own phone. Maybe you can search on youtube videos or websites for those step by step rooting guides for your phone.

feenius danger
Yes.. root its worth it.. Speeds up your device by removing unnecessary crap, can customize the look much more, rather easy to do.. Just follow a guide on here and good luck .

YES!!!!!!!
rooting you phone adds infinitely more possibilities, and makes your phone a lot faster
also, cyanogen-mod is an amazing ROM,
go ahead, give it a try,
JUST REMEMBER BACK UP EVERYTHING BEFORE FLASHING CYANOGEN-MOD
good luck

dosage1 said:
Yes.. root its worth it.. Speeds up your device by removing unnecessary crap, can customize the look much more, rather easy to do.. Just follow a guide on here and good luck .
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Click to collapse
That's right, there a quite a few (a ton!) sites describing the benefits of it:
http://www.androidcentral.com/root
http://www.appsgeyser.com/blog/2012/03/20/should-i-root-my-android-phone/
http://www.androidpit.com/en/android/forum/thread/403299/So-what-exactly-is-rooting-and-is-it-for-me
http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/top-10-reasons-to-root-your-android-phone-2/
The only thing I recommend is that you know what you're doing. If thats not the status: In the forums are a lot of posts

Definitely go for it.
The optimus one especially benefits from rooting/applying a new, better rom.

Don't root and unroot your phone too many times.Thats the caution,otherwise as said it gives you more control over your hardware than unrooted phone.
Sent from my LG-P350 using XDA

Gaining full control of your device is a big advantage. In addition to this some really useful apps just run with root.

ricky1001 said:
Don't root and unroot your phone too many times.Thats the caution,otherwise as said it gives you more control over your hardware than unrooted phone.
Sent from my LG-P350 using XDA
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Click to collapse
Actually, if that were true, ROM developers would have long given up and we wouldn't have any of the awesome ROMs floating around out there today. There's absolutely nothing wrong with rooting and unrooting repeatedly, as long you follow the correct procedure every time. Although why anyone would do that stumps me. Either you like your phone rooted, or not.
@singular9:
First off, "upgrade" is a very subjective term. Are you certain the ROM you're looking at will give you significant advantages over the one your phone's running now? While I don't doubt that the people behind the CM ROM for your phone are doing some brilliant work, always assume that something may go wrong. (Unlike Apple, other phone manufacturers source their hardware from all sorts of different places. Two phones, same model may have differently branded components.) If something DOES go wrong, are you prepared to undergo the arduous process that unbricking a phone will involve?
I'd say root your phone if - and ONLY IF:
1. You're a careful person who will read instructions and follow them to the letter, in the order they were set;
2. You're prepared to read up on what "root" is, what the terms used are, and accept that your "upgrade" may not quite offer you the benefits you were looking for (whatever they are, as you didn't specify)
If you're okay with the above, then yeah, I guess I'd say go ahead. My phone's rooted - I love it, and loved every step of the journey I took to root it.

terradune said:
Actually, if that were true, ROM developers would have long given up and we wouldn't have any of the awesome ROMs floating around out there today. There's absolutely nothing wrong with rooting and unrooting repeatedly, as long you follow the correct procedure every time. Although why anyone would do that stumps me. Either you like your phone rooted, or not.
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Click to collapse
haha, it is a joke dude, don't take it seriously. I don't see any reason for unrooting android unless you are preparing to send the phone back for warranty or get it repaired by its manufacturer and tell them : "ohh, I dunno what happened, it just stop working by it self this morning".
Cheers!

Root is the better way to take totally control of your phone !

Absolutely yes!
Yes U should, but read each instructions carefully before u root ur device.

.
Thread moved to Q&A due to it being a question. Would advise you to read forum rules and post in correct section.
Failure to comply with forum rules will result in an infraction and/or ban depending on severity of rule break.

Related

[Q] Why should I root?

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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Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.

[Q] roms/flash/root...?

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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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™
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.

New here - Nexus 10 arriving Monday

Hi all - just signed up. I'm receiving my 10 Monday. I have an Infinity and wanted to give the Nexus 10 shot as it seems like a great tablet. I'm not likely to root either one. Is there anything you all suggest to get the most out of the Nexus 10? I'm fairly new to the tablet world although have owned an android phone for several years.
Thanks!
Welcome and congrats! Here is a link someone started that shares your question.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2023608
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk HD
^ Great thread for starters but make sure and DO YOUR READING before you unlock and root your device -- or you will end up with a $400 makeshift frisbee disk. Unlocking your boot-loader/rooting is what makes android so much fun, I would recommend it
Derp: sounds you've rooted before, but I suppose the above statement still stands lol
TheEmpyre said:
^ Great thread for starters but make sure and DO YOUR READING before you unlock and root your device -- or you will end up with a $400 makeshift frisbee disk. Unlocking your boot-loader/rooting is what makes android so much fun, I would recommend it
Derp: sounds you've rooted before, but I suppose the above statement still stands lol
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Click to collapse
I did read that thread but as I said - I'm not likely to root...at least not right away.
stormricker said:
I did read that thread but as I said - I'm not likely to root...at least not right away.
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Click to collapse
Sounds like quite a few people are unlocking / rooting and leaving the stock ROM which is likely what I will do. I like having the freedom that Root provides to install some apps etc.
Nexus 10 will be my first tablet also, so I'll be having quite a bit of fun for the first few weeks figuring out how exactly I will be using it
TheEmpyre said:
Sounds like quite a few people are unlocking / rooting and leaving the stock ROM which is likely what I will do. I like having the freedom that Root provides to install some apps etc.
Nexus 10 will be my first tablet also, so I'll be having quite a bit of fun for the first few weeks figuring out how exactly I will be using it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Still a little nervous about the rooting process....and its risks. What exactly are the benefits?
stormricker said:
Still a little nervous about the rooting process....and its risks. What exactly are the benefits?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I've gathered, and from experience, I think the benefits of Root give the user a great deal more control of what goes on with his/her device -- that is, in part, what apps are accessing resources. For example, with my HTC One XL, I was able to install an app (which requires root access) that allows me to freeze apps while they are not in use -- launch them to unfreeze and use them when I need but when I'm not using, they aren't going to automatically run processes that drain my battery. I also installed a custom Kernel, and there is a root-required app that allows me to adjust my CPU frequencies and voltages to maximize battery life and performance.
I am relatively new to rooting devices, as I started in late October, but I can tell you that I have had a ton of fun doing it.
In any event, I really dont think rooting is that valuable to mainstream users if you ask me -- If you aren't looking into flashing custom ROMs or using special utilities/apps on your device then I wouldn't bother rooting/unlocking bootloader.
Since you asked risks I'll address that too: The risks are bricking (completely unusable) your device if you flash an incompatible ROM, but this is easily avoided by sticking only to flashing ROMs for the Nexus 10. You can also damage the components of your device if you overclock too much etc....Other risks are that ROMs are buggy sometimes despite the very hard work of the devs here (They are truly amazing here) but the bugs may take away from your experience potentially. There may be plenty of other risks but these are the ones I can think of so far.
I was completely unaware of root/unlock up until about 2 months ago and was completely new to the process. I was able to read great guides put together by the XDA community here that walked me through the process and I was successful in unlocking my One X and I now finally feel like I am getting the moneys worth out of my device that I payed good $$$ for.
stormricker said:
Still a little nervous about the rooting process....and its risks. What exactly are the benefits?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting is quick and painless if you use the Nexus 10 Toolkit available in the development section! My Galaxy Nexus also has a toolkit from the same dev, makes things SO much easier/quicker.
The risks of rooting are almost non-existent. Really, if the procedure doesn't work for you, nothing changes & you just won't have root permissions. I've personally never had anything bad happen, but I'm sure there is someone out there who has tried some sketchy method to root...the methods here are far from that, just read up and follow the instructions.
Benefits are basically the freedom to remove system apps and make backups of any of your apps. There are also a ton of root apps that allow you to customize your device the way you like it. With root, you get full control and the freedom to tinker.
Nexus devices are absolutley meant for consumers who don't root or unlock, but what is great about them is if you want to do either of the latter..it is much easier to do.
Also, I suggest you try and personally compare your N10 and Infinity before you read any of the general comparison threads. lol
Oh and welcome to the vanilla side of Android! :good:
- Mac
xIC-MACIx said:
Rooting is quick and painless if you use the Nexus 10 Toolkit available in the development section! My Galaxy Nexus also has a toolkit from the same dev, makes things SO much easier/quicker.
The risks of rooting are almost non-existent. Really, if the procedure doesn't work for you, nothing changes & you just won't have root permissions. I've personally never had anything bad happen, but I'm sure there is someone out there who has tried some sketchy method to root...the methods here are far from that, just read up and follow the instructions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Toolkits are a nice method for rooting for beginners, but (imo) it's better to learn how to flash (and do generally other stuff) without the need of a toolkit.
When I rooted my Nexus 10, I just unlocked the bootloader (manually with fastboot), restocked, installed custom recovery (TWRP; fastboot) and then flashed a SuperSU CWM-flashable package from recovery. I did a lot of messing around with flashing and stuff on my SGT7 and Nexus 7, so this wasn't really anything new or difficult at all. I started out with a toolkit on my Nexus 7, and found it very annoying after a while when trying to flash a custom recovery (generally took a while for the device to end up having to reboot and unlock, and if I already did unlock then I think the toolkit wouldn't continue on unless I selected another option, and then if drivers aren't installed properly (I switched between a few devices) then that can also cause the toolkit to mess up, drivers and adb would be outdated from the toolkit in-comparison to what Google offered, etc.).
Simply put, Toolkits might be nice in the beginning, but I wouldn't recommend relying on them forever If your only mission is to just root the device though, a toolkit can do that pretty painlessly.
espionage724 said:
Toolkits are a nice method for rooting for beginners, but (imo) it's better to learn how to flash (and do generally other stuff) without the need of a toolkit.
When I rooted my Nexus 10, I just unlocked the bootloader (manually with fastboot), restocked, installed custom recovery (TWRP; fastboot) and then flashed a SuperSU CWM-flashable package from recovery. I did a lot of messing around with flashing and stuff on my SGT7 and Nexus 7, so this wasn't really anything new or difficult at all. I started out with a toolkit on my Nexus 7, and found it very annoying after a while when trying to flash a custom recovery (generally took a while for the device to end up having to reboot and unlock, and if I already did unlock then I think the toolkit wouldn't continue on unless I selected another option, and then if drivers aren't installed properly (I switched between a few devices) then that can also cause the toolkit to mess up, drivers and adb would be outdated from the toolkit in-comparison to what Google offered, etc.).
Simply put, Toolkits might be nice in the beginning, but I wouldn't recommend relying on them forever If your only mission is to just root the device though, a toolkit can do that pretty painlessly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely agree with you on that one. My first Android device was a Infuse 4G. Every root and recovery procedure was absolutely manual. Not to mention most of the methods were hackjobs from the OG Galaxy S and required some extra coersing w/ Root Explorer and a terminal lol. Once I got my GNex, I could do anything I needed to do manually; I was actually rather shocked at how simple things were w/ a Nexus device.
Really though, I don't at all mind these toolkits, it might be important to learn what goes on behind the scripts, but lots of ppl here would have never attempted to tinker w/ android w/o some sort of script/batch automation. That said, i'm sure they cause quite a bit more traffic in the Q&A section when things to go wrong. lol
Thanks for all of the replies.
It should arrive today and I'll compare it with my Infinity first and then go from there.
Looking forward to know the N10
When I first received mine, I didnt think that I would recieve it till closer to the end of day, as stated with UPS. But it arrived at 10am! Hoping it happens the second time around for my replacement. Would love to have the whole day playing with it
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

[Q] Explain it like I'm 5

I've read countless forums on the rooting and roms and kernels and I have the most basic grasp of what each do. It seems that every time I read an article or forum post at some point something is mentioned that is over my head or that I don't fully grasp. I would love to not brick my phone. I need someone to explain my options and what I can do like I'm 5. What is Odex or Deodex? HOW do I find roms and kernels that work for my phone. What is clockworkmod and ADB? And what can I do to make sure I don't completely brick my phone.
I currently have an AT&T S4 that I rooted with Casual. Through casual it also loaded TWRP. I made a backup of everything it would let me check. I need to get a kernel onto this phone that will allow me to run Call Recorder "http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1441643"
I am required to have a call recording feature on my cell phone or I'm tied to a landline for work. I had a Galaxy S2 Skyrocket that this program worked perfectly on.
I would like to for the most part keep the phone looking stock. Although I'm not sure what features I could add by going with a different rom.
I'm sorry for the noob questions.
There is a 1% chance of your device bricking if you follow all the correct root steps. Clockworkmod is like twrp. It is a custom recovery to let you put custom Roms on. ADB is the android device bridge. It let's you control your android from Ubuntu command prompt. Hope this helped
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
No offense meant, I honestly can't suggest you Root or ROM your phone if you can't follow the root procedure without getting confused. If you don't understand the basics how are you going to take care of issues that will inevitably come up? Desperately asking for help when your phone is looping isn't a good answer.
ADB
Odex and Deodex
ATT galaxy s4 forums, kernels are under Original Development
TWRP and CWM are just different types of recoveries. I don't like CWM because the wipe options aren't all in one menu which is bothersome. But both work well. I suggest TWRP to all my friends to limit the amount of "my phone won't boot" phone calls I get.
And the only way to ensure you don't mess up your phone is by not messing with it at all.
Mebct76 said:
I've read countless forums on the rooting and roms and kernels and I have the most basic grasp of what each do. It seems that every time I read an article or forum post at some point something is mentioned that is over my head or that I don't fully grasp. I would love to not brick my phone. I need someone to explain my options and what I can do like I'm 5. What is Odex or Deodex? HOW do I find roms and kernels that work for my phone. What is clockworkmod and ADB? And what can I do to make sure I don't completely brick my phone.
I currently have an AT&T S4 that I rooted with Casual. Through casual it also loaded TWRP. I made a backup of everything it would let me check. I need to get a kernel onto this phone that will allow me to run Call Recorder "http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1441643"
I am required to have a call recording feature on my cell phone or I'm tied to a landline for work. I had a Galaxy S2 Skyrocket that this program worked perfectly on.
I would like to for the most part keep the phone looking stock. Although I'm not sure what features I could add by going with a different rom.
I'm sorry for the noob questions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Every last one of those questions can and would be answered through very few Google searches. Hell, searching this site will return a lot of the same results. There's even an XDA Wiki for such FAQ. And why are you posting in Verizon if you have AT&T and there's and AT&T section for the S4? Just sayin'
Wrong forum
I would also like to suggest you make sure to post in the correct forum for your device to ensure any answers you get are applicable to what you're using. The OP indicates you have an AT&T S4, yet you posted in the Verizon forum. Should you ever have an issue with your device and need further assistance, getting responses specific to the Verizon device versus your actual device could cause further problems for you.
EDIT: Didn't see Delakit's response before posting mine
Delakit said:
Every last one of those questions can and would be answered through very few Google searches. Hell, searching this site will return a lot of the same results. There's even an XDA Wiki for such FAQ. And why are you posting in Verizon if you have AT&T and there's and AT&T section for the S4? Just sayin'
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I just noticed it was in the Verizon section. My bad. It appears I wasn't paying close enough attention when I posted that.
Dubbsy said:
No offense meant, I honestly can't suggest you Root or ROM your phone if you can't follow the root procedure without getting confused. If you don't understand the basics how are you going to take care of issues that will inevitably come up? Desperately asking for help when your phone is looping isn't a good answer.
ADB
Odex and Deodex
ATT galaxy s4 forums, kernels are under Original Development
TWRP and CWM are just different types of recoveries. I don't like CWM because the wipe options aren't all in one menu which is bothersome. But both work well. I suggest TWRP to all my friends to limit the amount of "my phone won't boot" phone calls I get.
And the only way to ensure you don't mess up your phone is by not messing with it at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can follow the root procedure just fine and have rooted my phone. How can I learn if I just sit back and say "well guess I can't do it". Your right there are going to be the inevitable issues. The only way to ensure that I never learn this stuff is to not mess with it. I'm fully aware of the risks and potential rewards of this. But I'd like to figure it out. It is probably difficult for the senior guys such as yourself to remember what it was like first starting out. You've got multiple devices with multiple influences on the current setup of the phone at stock and because of the multiple hands in the making of each phone you have different rules and procedures for each one. The sprint S4 is different from the AT&T s4 which is different from the T-mobile S4. So following a guide doesn't always help if you don't completely understand the terminology. Can I use a mod kernel on a stock rom? From what i've read, yes but if it is AT&T it must be loki'd, ok What does loki do, why does it need to be loki'd, can I loki any S4 designed kernel, and HOW do i Loki something. I have yet to find something that answers all of those. Would you like to try? Maybe someone has answered them and I just can't find it.
Also, it appears I posted this in the Verizon forum instead of the AT&T forum. It was late and I wasn't paying that close of attention. My apologies.
Icculus760 said:
I would also like to suggest you make sure to post in the correct forum for your device to ensure any answers you get are applicable to what you're using. The OP indicates you have an AT&T S4, yet you posted in the Verizon forum. Should you ever have an issue with your device and need further assistance, getting responses specific to the Verizon device versus your actual device could cause further problems for you.
EDIT: Didn't see Delakit's response before posting mine
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks...I wasn't paying close enough attention when I posted that.
Mebct76 said:
I can follow the root procedure just fine and have rooted my phone. How can I learn if I just sit back and say "well guess I can't do it". Your right there are going to be the inevitable issues. The only way to ensure that I never learn this stuff is to not mess with it. I'm fully aware of the risks and potential rewards of this. But I'd like to figure it out. It is probably difficult for the senior guys such as yourself to remember what it was like first starting out. You've got multiple devices with multiple influences on the current setup of the phone at stock and because of the multiple hands in the making of each phone you have different rules and procedures for each one. The sprint S4 is different from the AT&T s4 which is different from the T-mobile S4. So following a guide doesn't always help if you don't completely understand the terminology. Can I use a mod kernel on a stock rom? From what i've read, yes but if it is AT&T it must be loki'd, ok What does loki do, why does it need to be loki'd, can I loki any S4 designed kernel, and HOW do i Loki something. I have yet to find something that answers all of those. Would you like to try? Maybe someone has answered them and I just can't find it.
Also, it appears I posted this in the Verizon forum instead of the AT&T forum. It was late and I wasn't paying that close of attention. My apologies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Holy crap, hyper questions. Let me try to tackle them.
I remember what is was like. As weird as it sounds, I've never been hesitant about breaking my phone even when it was my only device. But everyone is different. I have learned the most when I've made my device unusable for a few days. Everyone learns and functions differently though. In Psychology they call it the Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Some people are brilliant but can't visualize anything. Some are brilliant and can't take tests. I could go on and rant about our school's piss poor management of teaching children correctly according to their "intelligences" but I'll just stop there.
GSM is different than the CDMA versions because the radios are looking for entirely different signals. Srint, USC, Metro, and Verizon all being CDMA. Radios are the biggest pain when trying to port IMO.
Loki is an exploit to work around the locked bootloaders of ATT and VZW. There is a thread somewhere on exactly how it works. But there are also loki patches posted and the better recoveries all automatically loki patch boot.img's for you.
Almost every gs4 version has their own versions of each kernel built off of the aboot and boot images of the stock files. For instance ktoonsez has a kernel available for all the carriers and one for touchwiz and one for aosp. If you are running stock you would simply flash his kernel for TW and it would install just fine on the stock ROM without you knowing anything about loki or how it works.
To be honest, I don't know enough about the actual vulnerabilities and exploits to FULLY understand loki. But I don't need to. It works. I plan to learn more about root vulnerabilities later. But I can only work on so much at once.
You can flash other carrier's kernels, but I wouldn't recommend it if there are kernels that suit your need for your carrier. I say this because I did loki the 4.3 kernel designed for the 9505 and got it working on my vzw gs4. BUT things may be broken or not fully working due to the differences in the kernels themselves. If you don't want to tear into things, it's best to just run the one for your phone.
I think I got it all. Maybe not though.
The best way to learn is with a nexus device. You can't brick that thing if you tried, and even if you were trying, you'd have to know what you were doing to brick it.
I mean, as long as you have the money to replace your phone, and don't mind not having an operational phone, dive right in. I've gone a weekend without a phone, stayed up til 2am trying to fix my phone when I had to be at work at 6:30, but I like to tinker with stuff and I'm fine with that.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Yeah I've bricked my gnex before and I learned a lot from it. There is almost always a way to fix a bricked phone whether its Odin or somehow flashing a new ROM. And like what was said before there is only a 1% chance you'll actually brick your phone. A lot of people think they are bricked when it is only a soft brick instead.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

[Q] help getting back to stock

I'm currently running an 8.9" HDX with a working AOSP - thanks to all the help I got on this forum and specifically followed this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2582773
but the main applications that I now need to use for work are iOS only (don't ask... NOT happy) so I'm back to carrying an iPad around everywhere and as such I'm going to sell my HDX. Before I do that I need to return it back to stock... I found a number of threads referencing how to do this but wanted to be extra careful. At present I'm just running Safestrap with a second ROM slot that I boot with all the non-standard stuff, I got there via SuperSU.
What's the right sequence of de-activates / un-installs / magic incantations to get this thing back to "boring, stock" just like it would come from Amazon? Is it as simple as re-enabling over-the-air updates and letting it "fix" itself? Or do I need to specifically back out some of the safestrap/superSU stuff first?
Help? (and THANKS)
ljwobker said:
I'm currently running an 8.9" HDX with a working AOSP - thanks to all the help I got on this forum and specifically followed this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2582773
but the main applications that I now need to use for work are iOS only (don't ask... NOT happy) so I'm back to carrying an iPad around everywhere and as such I'm going to sell my HDX. Before I do that I need to return it back to stock... I found a number of threads referencing how to do this but wanted to be extra careful. At present I'm just running Safestrap with a second ROM slot that I boot with all the non-standard stuff, I got there via SuperSU.
What's the right sequence of de-activates / un-installs / magic incantations to get this thing back to "boring, stock" just like it would come from Amazon? Is it as simple as re-enabling over-the-air updates and letting it "fix" itself? Or do I need to specifically back out some of the safestrap/superSU stuff first?
Help? (and THANKS)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on how you used SafeStrap. If you ONLY installed in the stock rom, then an update likely would do it. If you installed safestrap a second time from the working rom-slot as well, then updates won't work, because the BL & Kernel CANNOT be flashed.
The best thing is to remove all wifi connections with "forget network", then go into safe strap & activate stock rom. Then go back to the boot options & delete the rom-slot you created. Boot back into stock partition, uninstall Safestrap & then reconnect to wifi & check for updates.
I would HIGHLY recommend you follow my directions about forgetting nearby, if not all, wifi networks. If you turn wifi off in a slot, but not in stock, or vice versa, it can cause boot issues , as well as wifi issues.
I would not return it to stock. That device could go for a premium right now to other users simply because you can get AOSP and so many cannot yet.
EniGmA1987 said:
I would not return it to stock. That device could go for a premium right now to other users simply because you can get AOSP and so many cannot yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why would it go for a premium? It is absolutely 100% rootable. It has not been patched against the VolumeManager/vold ASEC exploit. In fact, I am nearly certain the bootloader can bed unlocked from my investigation. Unfortunately that part is beyond my abilities & exceeds the time I would need to get caught up on the msm89xx+ SoC, but I would just about bet the farm that it can be done.
GSLEON3 said:
Why would it go for a premium? It is absolutely 100% rootable. It has not been patched against the VolumeManager/vold ASEC exploit. In fact, I am nearly certain the bootloader can bed unlocked from my investigation. Unfortunately that part is beyond my abilities & exceeds the time I would need to get caught up on the msm89xx+ SoC, but I would just about bet the farm that it can be done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because when I posted that we had no root, and it was still a "hopefully sometime soon" with 9/10 of the HDX's on a version that couldnt be rooted.
It is nice that we have one Chinese method now and that you might get something soon, though I think you are suddenly pretty full of yourself on these forums with the little bit of knowledge you gained recently. Much better people at this have not been able to get the bootloader cracked. But best of luck to you.
EniGmA1987 said:
Because when I posted that we had no root, and it was still a "hopefully sometime soon" with 9/10 of the HDX's on a version that couldnt be rooted.
It is nice that we have one Chinese method now and that you might get something soon, though I think you are suddenly pretty full of yourself on these forums with the little bit of knowledge you gained recently. Much better people at this have not been able to get the bootloader cracked. But best of luck to you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, the little time I've been around is well over a decade. This ain't my first username. Secondly, there is already an ASEC based root that WAS created by someone better with this stuff than me, so it's not full of myself, it is FACT. I am rooted, have been each & every time, without blocking anything & without having to sacrifice connectivity, another FACT. Coincidentally, the reason it was never published, well I'd venture a guess that it's because of stupid posts & self-entitled people ignorantly writing or PM'ing to insist that things be done for them on their terms. Another fact, it was that kind of crap that made me leave this forum a few months ago. So, I don't know what "better people" you are talking about that have failed at it, but I do know the better people that have done it.
Another fact, anyone at all can read & discover just how small the patch for the ASEC vulnerability was. It doesn't take a genius to then decompile the vold & search for the that one event which was used to patch it, which subsequently tells all you need to know.
GSLEON3 said:
Actually, the little time I've been around is well over a decade. This ain't my first username. Secondly, there is already an ASEC based root that WAS created by someone better with this stuff than me, so it's not full of myself, it is FACT. I am rooted, have been each & every time, without blocking anything & without having to sacrifice connectivity, another FACT. Coincidentally, the reason it was never published, well I'd venture a guess that it's because of stupid posts & self-entitled people ignorantly writing or PM'ing to insist that things be done for them on their terms. Another fact, it was that kind of crap that made me leave this forum a few months ago. So, I don't know what "better people" you are talking about that have failed at it, but I do know the better people that have done it.
Another fact, anyone at all can read & discover just how small the patch for the ASEC vulnerability was. It doesn't take a genius to then decompile the vold & search for the that one event which was used to patch it, which subsequently tells all you need to know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol. I am glad you know your FACTS. No need to act so butthurt.

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