Related
Turkeys' ULTIMATE Guide to Rooting v42.1.2
Note: It does not work on 2.2.1 Wildfire's (i.e. - Any bought after Feb - March 2011)
Like this guide? Hit the thanks button at the bottom left of this post
Before You Start
This is a new type of guide, an experiment if you like. The whole point is to get you with a fully functioning, rooted phone. But also to teach you something. Each step first tells you what you're going to do before you do it. By the end not only should you have a rooted phone but you will hopefully have priceless knowlege of how Android works.
Enjoy.
Need Help?
If at any point during this guide you need help, something's gone wrong or you need some extra clarification. Hit the help button.
The help button will link you to the #rootmydroid IRC help chat channel, where you can ask questions or get walked through the whole thing if you really need to. We have experts on hand to help you out.
PLEASE NOTE: At peak times our experts may be busy so please be patient.
So, Mr. Turkeys, what have you got for us today?
Root Guide
Post 1 - Intro
Post 2 - UnrEVOked (Rooting)
Post 3 - Flashing a ROM
Post 4 - Flashing a new Radio
Other Guides
Unroot
A2SD
More Coming Soon... Stay tuned!
So, click a link to the guide you want and get cracking, enjoy!
Donate
Should you feel the crazy need to donate to me, you can do so below.
GBP
EUR
USD
So, you wanna root?
Rooting is not easy like some people make it out to be. All these 1 click Noob-Proof tools can actually go wrong. And they do.
But lets get this clear, IT'S ALMOST impossible to brick. I'd put the odds on about a 99.9% chance you will not brick beyond repair. However, things probably will go wrong, which is why you will need to follow the instructions very carefully.
Pre-Root Info
I want to make sure the rooting process goes well for as many as you as possible, so get ready to read lots of information that will turn you from a Noob into a lean, mean rooting machine.
And for those of you who like to slack off and think "I cba to read all that crap", I've made it so you have to answer a question to get the download links. Aren't I nice. Seriously though, it really will be a lot easier for you if you read all of this, you will thank me for it one day.
Pro users who know what HBOOT is, how to flash a ROM and can use ADB can safely skip this step
Android Glossary
This page is probably the most valuble bit of information you will ever need during your rooted life. Behold, the VillainROM Android Glossary. (Cheers Pulser )
http://bit.ly/9HtICk
Read it. Read it ALL. No questions asking for these terms will be tolerated in this thread and you will be teased so much you will want to die. So please, read it carefully.
Downloads
Now, for the bit you've been dreading. 2 downloads. 2 questions. One answer will link you to the download. The other two will link you to a humorous fail picture. (And for all you sneaky cheaters out there, I've bit.ly'd the links. Take that.)
Question 1 - UnrEVOked download
What do you use to flash a ROM?
A) UnrEVOked
B) ADB
C) Recovery
Question 2 - Other Stuff Download (We may ask you to use this on the help channel)
What is a RUU?
A) A tool to root your phone
B) A tool to return your phone to 'stock' (unroot)
C) A tool to flash a ROM
You can also get countless lulz from adding a + to the end of those links and comparing the wrong answers to the correct ones. Yes people really don't read the information.
OK, I've talked enough now, let's get down to business...
So, hopefully you now know all the terms, which makes my life a lot easier as I don't have to explain everything. Let's begin.
Root Guide - Pt. 2 - UnrEVOked
1) Ensure you have downloaded and extracted the first download in the above post to somewhere you can remember and access easily. For the purpose of this guide, I will refer to that folder as the 'Root Pack'.
Next, we are going to prepare the UnrEVOked program to run. If you are a Windows user, this means installing the drivers, if you use Linux or Mac you just have to run the app as mentioned later. We have to install HTC Sync to get adb drivers and we have to uninstall it again as it interferes with UnrEVOked. The drivers however remain which is why you need to install it.
2) (Windows Only) If you have not already, download HTC Sync and install it. Then uninstall HTC Sync as well as any other software that may interfere such as doubletwist. Next, follow this guide to set up the hacked HBOOT drivers. Make sure you reboot your PC after doing this.
Next, we need to prepare your phone. We will make sure USB Debugging is on as UnrEVOked needs this to send adb commands to the phone. We also need to enable Unknown Sources so that UnrEVOked can push busybox and SuperUser Permissions apps to the phone.
3) With your phone go to Settings > Connect to PC > Default connection type > Charge Only and untick Ask Me. Then go to Settings > Applications > Development > Make sure USB Debugging is ticked. Then go back to Applications and make sure Unknown Sources is ticked.
Next, we're going to run UnrEVOked. What it does is reboot into HBOOT mode, and use an exploit to gain a temporary NAND unlock. Then it uses fastboot to flash a recovery image, and then pushes the su files required for root.
4) WINDOWS USERS: Right click on the 'unrevoked.exe' file (Or something similar) in the Root Pack and click 'Run as Admin' (Not required for XP)
LINUX USERS: Right click the 'ClickHereToRoot.sh' file and UnrEVOked will start. (Make sure you chmod 755'd it first)
MAC USERS:
mattbeef said:
Unrevoked, if your a mac user like myself then drag the app inside the dmg to the desktop and run it from there. Most mac users are lazy and will try to run it from the dmg.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GETTING A MISC RELATED ERROR? See post eight.
Your phone should now reboot and then congratulations! Your phone is rooted. However, the root that UnrEVOked gives you is basic. No ROMs or good stuff. So you must read on to the next post to flash a custom ROM...
Now you've rooted, let's flash a ROM. We will backup all your apps then flash a ROM then restore your apps. Ready?
Pt. 3 - Flashing Your First ROM
**NOTE: You can repeat Pt. 3 every time you want to flash a new ROM or update
Next we're going to download and use Titanium Backup to backup all your apps as we will have to wipe your phone to install the ROM. You can use the same method if you ever want to backup/restore in the future too.
1) Download & Install Titanium Backup from the market. Open it and hit the 'Problems' button to download busybox, a suite of commands for rooted phones.
Then hit menu then batch, and tap the button next to Backup All User Apps + System Data. Let it complete before moving on to the next step.
Next we're going to reboot into recovery mode to flash the ROM. You can use this if you ever need to get into recovery in the future.
2) Turn your phone off and turn it on again holding POWER + VOL DOWN to enter HBOOT mode. Wait a few seconds while it checks for images before using the VOLUME KEYS to scroll and POWER to select Recovery. Your phone will now vibrate and reboot into recovery mode!
Next we're going to do a full backup of your phone using Nandroid. This will backup the entire state of your phone in case you ever
want to go back. You should really do this every time you flash a new ROM.
3) Use the TRACKBALL to scroll down to where it says Backup or Nandroid or Backup / Restore. Then select Backup and wait for it to finish.
Now we need to wipe your phone. Whenever you flash a different ROM you should Always do this, when you are updating the ROM you should check on the release thread for information.
4) If you are not on the Main Menu in recovery, hit back a couple of times to get there. Then, use the TRACKBALL to navigate down to 'Wipe Data / Factory Reset' and accept the scary warning to wipe your phone.
Now we can flash the ROM! Ensure you have downloaded a ROM and it is on the root (Not in any folders) of your SD card. The flashing process may take a few minutes.
5) From the Main Menu, scroll down to and select Install zip from SD Card and then select Choose zip from SD Card then select where you put your ROM and wait for it to complete. Then, select Reboot System Now to reboot into your shiny new ROM!
Your phone will now reboot, it may take a while to reboot as it's rebuilding the Dalvik Cache. If it still doesn't boot up after 10mins, pull the battery and consult the ROM thread for troubleshooting.
Now we're going to restore that Titanium Backup you made before starting Pt. 3. It will restore all your apps back but not system data. (ie Settings) You can use Titanium Backup any time you want to backup/restore your phone.
6) Download & Install Titanium Backup again and tap Menu Button > Batch > Restore Missing apps + data. It should prompt you to reinstall every app again.
--------
Congratulations, you have qualified with a rooted phone from the Turkeh Root School!
(Unless you're reading this without having actually done any of this guide)
So, go off and ask questions, answer questions, and contribute to the community! We'd also really appreciate it if you could hang out in the help channel to help other people trying to root too.
Thanks for rooting! You can also follow some of the other guides to install all apps on the SD card, Unroot & S-OFF
Pt. 4 - Flashing a New Radio
Flashing a Radio
The radio is the lowest part of your phone. (ie It's the very first thing that loads when you turn your phone on.
Most ROMs will have a required radio version, but most will agree that it's best to be on the latest as they often improve battery life etc.
You can downgrade your radio and you can find your radio version by going to Settings > About Phone > Software Information > Baseband Version.
Your ROM should tell you on it's thread what the recommended radio version is, so download it, transfer it to the root of your SD card as you did in Pt. 3 then follow this.
Now we're going to reboot into recovery mode as we did in Pt. 3 to flash the new radio. There is also an app on the market called 'Quick Boot' which you can use to quickly get into recovery. The next step will assume you have this.
1) Open Quick Bootand tap Recovery then tap Allow on the SuperUser permissions prompt.
Note: The SuperUser Permissions app will prompt you whenever an app is requesting to use root. You should look over which app is requesting this before you allow it.
Next, we need to flash the radio. You do this exactly the same way as you flash a ROM, which you did in Pt. 3.
2) Use the same method you flashed the new ROM in Pt. 3 to flash the radio. You do not need to Nandroid backup or wipe to do this, just flash the zip.
Note: Your phone may reboot a couple of times and will show a picture of the Android Robot while it is flashing the radio. It has NOT crashed, it is flashing it. DO NOT pull the battery, it will reboot when it is done.
Your new radio has now flashed!
A2SD
Note: It has come to my attention that doing this with ROM Manager doesn't work most of the time. If you have problems please partition your card another way. (I recommend GParted - There is a Live CD if you don't have Linux)
First, we need to partition your SD card with ROM Manager. This will wipe all the data on your SD card so please backup before continuing.
1) Open ROM Manager (Download it from the Market if you don't have it - Although you will need the Market Mod to show all apps) and press Menu > Manually Override Recovery **Not sure exactly what it says, pls could someone help me out here** Then scroll down to Partition SD Card. Choose the ext size you want for your apps to be installed on, then tap 0 for swap size, then tap OK to reboot into recovery and start partitioning!
Note: While it's partitioning it will show a picture of an Android. You can press (Power?) to see what it's actually doing and if there's any errors.
Now, you need to check the ROM thread for info. Most ROMs activate it automatically when it detects an ext partition on your phone. On some others you need to flash a special update.zip. If you are unsure hit the help button on post 1 and we'll help you out.
Congratulations, you now have Apps2SD! Exactly what you will have (dalvik2sd etc) will vary between ROMs.
Unroot
These RUU programs that you use to unroot are Windows only, but fortunatley I wrote a tool for Linux called OpenRUU so you can flash them on there. If you are a Mac user, take a moment to ask yourself 'Why am I using a Steve Jobs product?' as there is no way for you to run the RUUs.
First, we are going to identify what RUU you need to download and flash then download it. (Bravo is the codename for Desire, all RUUs use this name)
1) Go to shipped-roms.com, click on the Android Robot then click on Buzz. Now, you need to recall what version of Android you were on before you rooted. If you had a carrier supplied device you should also get the one that is applicable, but if you are unsure or your carrier is not listed go for one that says WWE. (World Wide English - All Languages) Or come on our IRC channel for advice.
Note: HTC Sync must be installed before continuing. The next step will also wipe all your apps + settings!
Next we're going to run the RUU, this should take around 5-10mins. DO NOT touch your phone during the flashing process!
2) Double click on the RUU file you downloaded in step 1, read the readme, and click to start the flashing process.
After it's done! Your phone now should be completley back to stock status!
If you get an error during the flashing process, try again and then come on our IRC help channel for assistance if it persists.
Fixing the Annoying unrEVOked Backup CID Missing errors
NEW, EASY METHOD
I managed to find unrEVOked 3.2. If you want to use that as a fast-track then that's fine, but please read the following carefully:
Code:
[B]DISCLAIMER:[/B]
Please be aware that this build was pulled from unrevoked.com because it was not safe.
USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!
If it ****s up and you point the finger at me, I will laugh at you.
This is only for 'Backup CID Missing' errors. if you use this on any other type of misc error it might brick.
Download. Run in replace of unrEVOked 3.21 in the standard guide.
You can still use the old, misc editing guide below:
(Guide edited from http://home.kennynet.co.uk/~kenny/bcid-fix.txt to be more noob-friendly)
This fixes:
Backup CID Missing
Unfortunately, because a couple of people corrupted their misc partitions during the testing of unrEVOked 3.2, they brought in a load of stupid, annoying safety features that included checking the misc partition on your phone.
/rant
What is misc?
Misc is a partition on your phone. It holds various switches and stuff, such as your:
Official HTC ROM Version
Your CID (Which tells the phone what carrier/region your phone is)
However, sometimes, the CID is not in misc or your misc is corrupted. This process will add in the CID to misc and reflash misc. (which may fix other misc related errors but probably wont)
Warning! Misc is quite an important part of your phone. If it gets severely corrupted you may loose USB access. Me or anyone on our IRC help channel take no responsibility if you **** up somehow.
This guide is designed for Windoze, Linux users use common sense adapting the instructions and can use a Linux hex editor like ghex. (Works just the same)
Please ensure you have downloaded the other stuff file on the second post before continuing and have extracted it to C:\root.
First, we need to use adb to grab misc off your phone. We will get temporary root then grab misc.
1) Open a command prompt on your computer by going to Start > Run and typing cmd then pressing enter. Now type the following pressing enter on each line. (Make sure your phone is connected and you have the drivers installed.)
Code:
cd \
cd root\adb
adb-windows devices <---- Make sure it finds your phone before continuing
adb-windows shell <----- You should see a $
$ /system/__unrevoked_su <---- Getting temp root
# cat /dev/mtd/mtd0 > /sdcard/misc.img <---- Copying misc to your SD Card
# getprop ro.cid <----- This is your CID. Remember what this says, it should say something like HTC_000 or 1111111 if you have a goldcard
# exit
adb-windows pull /sdcard/misc.img misc.img <---- Getting the misc we copied before
You should now have a file called misc.img in the C:\root\adb folder.
Now come on to the IRC help channel here. We will stick the CID into the misc.img so you can carry on as it really is complicated. You can also post here if nobody is avalible and I will sort it ASAP.
(If you've done hex editing before, all you do is put the CID you got above in at position 0 then add a 00 at the end so the hex string looks something like "48 54 43 5F 5F 30 30 31 00")
Make sure you save the file that we give you back to C:\root\adb overwriting the original misc.img file.
Next we're going to push misc back on to the phone using a similar method to step 1. Have open a command prompt and cd to the correct directory as in step 1 before proceeding.
2) Type the following in the command prompt:
Code:
adb push misc.img /sdcard/new-misc.img <---- Pushing misc back to your SD card
adb-windows shell
$ /system/__unrevoked_su <---- getting temp root again
# /data/local/flash_image misc /sdcard/new-misc.img <---- Using flash_image to flash the new misc
# exit
Now rerun unrEVOked and everything should be as shiny as the plastic Samsung use to make their phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reserved for good measure.
I'm sure this will help many people. Should be sticky'd
HCDR.Jacob said:
I'm sure this will help many people. Should be sticky'd
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good Idea!!!
For the rru you need to click on the windows mobile section and select buzz NOT bravo
Added A2SD guides, misc fix & unroot guide. Bump to v42.1.2
Many Thanks,
Helps loads confirm my thinking after a couple of days reading, I just have to grow some balls n take the plunge
My main concern is my WF is a UK Voda PAYG which I believe is locked n I'm unsure whether I should get n unlock code before doing anything.
I did read in a Desire thread that updating a stock rom without a sim could unlock, but haven't seen any other refs to unlocking WF other than code.
Note: Unroot section still refers to Desire Bravo not WF Buzz
Thanks agin
PanGalactic said:
Many Thanks,
Helps loads confirm my thinking after a couple of days reading, I just have to grow some balls n take the plunge
My main concern is my WF is a UK Voda PAYG which I believe is locked n I'm unsure whether I should get n unlock code before doing anything.
I did read in a Desire thread that updating a stock rom without a sim could unlock, but haven't seen any other refs to unlocking WF other than code.
Note: Unroot section still refers to Desire Bravo not WF Buzz
Thanks agin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You shouldn't need to unlock or anything.
Thanks, I'll change that bit now
42turkeys said:
You shouldn't need to unlock or anything.
Thanks, I'll change that bit now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And buzz is under windows mobile for some reason
The guide really great....but the shipped rom website don't have RUU for Buzz
coltrain said:
The guide really great....but the shipped rom website don't have RUU for Buzz
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look under windows mobile - who put it there? Those files do work.
This thread still not stickied?
Piece of art already. Should be stickied for sure.
I thought a bit about 'reporting' the thread to make a mod notice it but it said specifically what report was to be used for , so i didn't do it , i guess we'll have to bump it up so it gets stickied. Great post !!
May NOT work for 2.3.3, if attempting on 2.3.3 use old part 1! - Will wipe all data though
Windows ONLY!
Hey guys, rooted my Nexus S today, and decided to write a thorough, detailed guide on how I did it, as none of the guides I had found had everything detailed. I came across a few problems, and all of this is in the guide. I successfully completed it on my Nexus S running 2.3.2, so any version below that will also work.
The original guide was made by AllGamer, and can be found here. I followed this guide, and added things when I found it was needed
The full guide with everything (including links, pictures) can be found on my site, Complete Android.
New info: Upon finding another thread over at XDA (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=931865) it has been realized that you can root your Nexus S without unlocking the bootloader, and therefore not loosing your data on the SD card. Part 1 for the new method is still the same, but choose the new Part 2!
WARNING: Rooting your device will wipe all data off it, so you will loose EVERYTHING! Make sure you backup all important data first. Only applies to old Part 2 (fastboot oem unlock method), but it is still a good idea to backup important information!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you will need:
Nexus S (obviously)
Android 2.3 SDK
USB Cable
PDAnet (for drivers)
Clockwork Recovery Image
Superuser
Part 1
Download the Android 2.3 SDK (or direct from Google here, 32MB).
Once it has finished downloading, unzip it, and run the SDK manager.
Select whatever components you wish to install, but you MUST make sure you install Google USB Driver (Available packages > Third party Add-ons > Google Inc. Add-ons > Google Usb Driver package, revision 4) otherwise this guide will not work!
We must now install the Google USB Driver, or the phone will not be recognised as a device other than a mass storage device.
Connect your Nexus S to your computer, and put it in USB storage mode.
Put it in USB Debugging Mode (Settings > Applications > Development > USB Debugging)
Windows should now recognise your Nexus S when you plug it in, and ask to install drivers. It probably won’t find anything, so we need to help it manually.
(Installing drivers manually varies between Windows versions, so please refer to http://developer.android.com/sdk/win-usb.html if you are having trouble). Launch Device Manager (you can find it in Control Panel), find Other Devices, and listed under that heading, you should find Nexus S. Right click, and select Update Driver Software. Click Browse my computer for driver software, find your SDK folder, then the google-usb_driver folder inside it, click OK, then Next. This should install the USB driver successfully. Reboot your computer.
Power off your Nexus S, connect it to your computer via USB cable, and boot it into the Bootloader Interface (you can do so by holding down the Power and Volume Up buttons at the same time).
It should say LOCK STATE – LOCKED, in white just above the green Android. You are now ready to move on!
Part 2 - Fastboot oem unlock method - WIPES ALL DATA!
We now need to install PDAnet on our PC so that Windows can see our Nexus S when we are using the Command Prompt. Install PDAnet from here, select Samsung when asked about the Manufacturer, allow the driver to be installed (because the driver is unverified, don’t worry about this!). Follow along with any other instructions. You should be set now.
With the latest SDK version, some tools have been relocated to another directory, so we need to make a copy and move them back. Navigate to the directory where you unzipped the Android SDK file in part 1. Inside it, go to the platform-tools folder, and copy both AdbWinApi.dll and AdbWinUsbApi.dll. Go back to the main Android SDK directory and find the tools folder. Paste these two files in there, and we are all ready to use ‘fastboot oem unlock’ (the rooting command) now.
Open a command prompt window (Start > Run > cmd.exe).
Change to the tools directory within your Android SDK folder by using the following command (without the quotes and replacing *YOUR SDK* with the path to your Android SDK folder) ‘cd c:\*YOUR SDK*\tools’.
Make sure your Nexus S is still in the Bootloader Interface (refer to step 9, part 1 of it isn’t).
Now in the command prompt, type in (without the quotes) ‘fastboot oem unlock’.
Now turn your attention to the phone, and read through the new information displayed on the screen. Using the Volume keys select Yes, then press the Power button. This will WIPE EVERYTHING! I bear no responsibility for any lost data on your phone!
If everything is successful, on your phone, the LOCK STATE should now read UNLOCKED, and on your computer, the command prompt window should say something like this:
Download the Clockwork Recovery image (here if you don’t already have it) to your Android SDK tools folder (*Android SDK*\tools).
Rename the newly downloaded Clockwork Recovery image to ‘recovery.img’ (no quotes).
Now we need to flash it to our Nexus S, so enter this command into the Command Prompt (make sure it is in the Androis SDK tools folder!) ‘fastboot flash recovery recovery.img’ (without the quotes).
If all is successful, the Command Prompt window should look something like this now:
Download the superuser app to the Android SDK tools folder.
Power on your Nexus S, leaving it connected to USB.
Mount the USB storage, and drag and drop the superuser .zip file you just downloaded into the root of the internal SD card (so Computer > *Device Name*, not in any other folders!). It should look something like this:
Power off the Nexus S, and return to the Bootloader Interface (step 9, part 1).
Select Recovery using the Volume buttons, then the Power button.
The phone should reboot into Clockwork Recovery, but if not don’t panic, just repeat steps 9-12, including downloading a new copy of the file (mine only worked the second time around, don’t worry!)
Using the Volume buttons and Power button, select install zip from sdcard.
Select choose zip from sdcard.
Select the su-version#-signed.zip file you downloaded earlier and apply it.
Select yes (there are lots of nos).
Confirm it says something like this: install from sdcard complete
Select Go Back.
Select Reboot. (You will now also have an unlocked padlock when you boot up)
Done! You now have to set up your phone again like when you first got it, but it will be rooted now.
New Part 2 - Does NOT wipe everything - Keeps a locked bootloader
Make sure Part 1 is completed.
Make sure you have downloaded the Clockwork Recovery file and the Superuser file.
Move the Clockwork Recovery file to your tools folder within the Android SDK folder, and rename it to recovery.img (for simplicity).
Connect your Nexus S via USB to your computer and mount it as USB storage. Copy across the Superuser file to the top level of your sdcard. (So the first window you see, not in any other folders. The sdcard is just where all the files are stored, don't worry about it too much for now).
We now need to install PDAnet on our PC so that Windows can see our Nexus S when we are using the Command Prompt. Install PDAnet from here, select Samsung when asked about the Manufacturer, allow the driver to be installed (because the driver is unverified, don't worry about this!). Follow along with any other instructions. You should be set now.
With the latest SDK version, some tools have been relocated to another directory, so we need to make a copy and move them back. Navigate to the directory where you unzipped the Android SDK file in part 1. Inside it, go to the platform-tools folder, and copy both AdbWinApi.dll and AdbWinUsbApi.dll. Go back to the main Android SDK directory and find the tools folder. Paste these two files in there, and we are all ready to use 'fastboot boot' (the boot image command) now.
Open a command prompt window (Start > Run > cmd.exe).
Change to the tools directory within your Android SDK folder by using the following command (without the quotes and replacing *YOUR SDK* with the path to your Android SDK folder) 'cd c:\*YOUR SDK*\tools'.
Make sure your Nexus S is still in the Bootloader Interface (refer to step 9, part 1 of it isn't).
We now need to use the 'fastboot boot' command to load Clockwork Recovery onto our Nexus S. In the command prompt, type in the following (but without the quotes, as always) 'fastboot boot recovery.img'
Once you are in Clockwork Recovery (it may take a couple of tries, don't panic, just redownload Clockwork Recovery, and complete steps 3 and 10, part 2) it should look something like this:
Using the Volume buttons and Power button, select install zip from sdcard.
Select choose zip from sdcard.
Select the su-version#-signed.zip file you downloaded earlier and apply it.
Select yes (there are lots of nos).
Confirm it says something like this: install from sdcard complete
Select Go Back.
Select Reboot.
Done! You should still have all your data present on your phone, and have root access!
Notes
As AllGamer said in his tutorial:
It’s normal to lose the recovery after the reboot, the steps to flash the CW recovery needs to be repeated every time you want to access the CW recovery.
This is due the build in protection in 2.3
As some one pointed it out on another topic, the good thing about this is that you’ll never lose the stock recovery of 2.3, thus minimizing the chance of a bricked phone.
If you want to the CW recovery to remain permanently, you’ll need to rename /etc/install-recovery.sh to something thing else
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep this in mind! It's not because you did something wrong
Also, some root apps require BusyBox to be installed, as I found out with Titanium Backup, so once you set up your Nexus S again, head on into the Market, and download BusyBox. It installed fine on my Nexus S this way, and now TB works fine.
I hope this is the best, most thorough guide you will find on rooting the Nexus S. Enjoy! Feedback is appreciated, and I will help out if you need any extra help.
Your guide has been wonderful however I'm stuck on part 2, step 4. I tried writing in the path to my directory and they keep giving me whatever I wrote in the command prompt "is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file"
"Change to the tools directory within your Android SDK folder by using the following command (without the quotes and replacing *YOUR SDK* with the path to your Android SDK folder) ‘cd c:\*YOUR SDK*\tools’."
This is how my command prompt looks like when I first open it. "C:\Users\Du>"
and this is what I typed in the command prompt: "Downloads\android-sdk_r09-windows\android-sdk-windows"
^^^I did exactly what you said above and nothing is happening. I don't know whether I'm writing in the directory wrong or what. Please help me out thanks
Your guide is nice, however as shown in distortedloop's stickied Root & Recovery thread, fastboot oem unlock is not required for rooting & flashing. We no longer have to lose all our sdcard data when first rooting and/or flashing a ROM.
Other than that, this seems to be a nice amendment of Allgamer's sticked root & recovery thread. I'm sure it will be useful to many.
STARSCR33M said:
This is how my command prompt looks like when I first open it. "C:\Users\Du>"
and this is what I typed in the command prompt: "Downloads\android-sdk_r09-windows\android-sdk-windows"
^^^I did exactly what you said above and nothing is happening. I don't know whether I'm writing in the directory wrong or what. Please help me out thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok so if you want to change directories in the command prompt, you need to use the command
Code:
cd
So in your case I would type in
Code:
cd c:\Users\Du\Downloads\android-sdk_r09-windows\android-sdk-windows\tools
That way is fool proof, however you could take a shortcut, because you are already in the Users/Du folder (because of how it looks when you first open it), you could just type in
Code:
cd Downloads\android-sdk_r09-windows\android-sdk-windows\tools
Hope that helps
ravidavi said:
Your guide is nice, however as shown in distortedloop's stickied Root & Recovery thread, fastboot oem unlock is not required for rooting & flashing. We no longer have to lose all our sdcard data when first rooting and/or flashing a ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think this way is a cleaner approach personally, but hey choice is good That's what Android is all about
EDIT: New approach added, now there is choice and easyness for all
Other than that, this seems to be a nice amendment of Allgamer's sticked root & recovery thread. I'm sure it will be useful to many.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks
Jonathon Grigg said:
I think this way is a cleaner approach personally, but hey choice is good That's what Android is all about
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure that wiping all your data pointlessly is "cleaner."
It's not even clear what exactly the oem unlock of the bootloader really does for us, since you can get into clockwork recovery without that step. Once you're in clockwork you pretty much own the phone. I'll be interested to see if someone can use clockwork to flash a new boot image once rooted without the unlock; if so I can't see any reason to unlock the bootloader. That said, mine is unlocked, and I like it that way, but many won't root for fear of losing data on the phone.
Even if you end up having to do the oem unlock in the long run for some activities you want to do, it seems that rooting, then installing Titanium and backing up your apps and app data fully is a better way to go than just losing all your data (any app that doesn't store its data on the sdcard) that can't be backed up without root would be a lot less painful than WIPING everything on the phone, including the sdcard.
It's not worth arguing about, but I think any method that is including the oem unlock step should at least mention that that step can be skipped. How many people will go through the pain of a wipe that they didn't need to because they didn't see that there was an option without it. I guess that's there own fault for not doing enough searching on their own...
Anyways, nice and thorough effort. I'm sure many will benefit from your additions to AllGamer's tutorial.
distortedloop said:
I'm not sure that wiping all your data pointlessly is "cleaner."
It's not even clear what exactly the oem unlock of the bootloader really does for us, since you can get into clockwork recovery without that step.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been wondering that myself. My guess is that for the average user you don't need to, but maybe it's for real power users who build their own ROM which has been fully modded or something, I'm not sure.
but many won't root for fear of losing data on the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I definitely agree with that, and your guide is probably the best way for those people!
Even if you end up having to do the oem unlock in the long run for some activities you want to do, it seems that rooting, then installing Titanium and backing up your apps and app data fully is a better way to go than just losing all your data (any app that doesn't store its data on the sdcard) that can't be backed up without root would be a lot less painful than WIPING everything on the phone, including the sdcard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly, this is one of the better uses for both methods. I already had to wipe my phone twice due to Samsung CS so I'm used to it Although it does give you a chance to clear out the apps you don't need. Doing that I noticed better battery life on my phone.
It's not worth arguing about, but I think any method that is including the oem unlock step should at least mention that that step can be skipped. How many people will go through the pain of a wipe that they didn't need to because they didn't see that there was an option without it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wasn't going to argue I'm happy to adjust my tut to include something about this, after all it was aimed at more beginners.
EDIT: Added a new part to my tutorial based on your guide, just includes some more detail. Thanks again.
Thanks distortedloop
This is awesome cause i relocked my bootloader i really just needed root. Thanks!
Edit oops lost track of tabs open.
I think we can use this method to unlock oem without wiping data.
boot cw -> full backup -> unlock and flash cw (wipes data) -> restore backup (got ur data back and oem unlocked)
the only problem i can think of is that restoring backup would re-lock oem again but i am not sure of that.
i can't try this right now but if someone could, please give feedback.
Jonathon Grigg said:
I wasn't going to argue I'm happy to adjust my tut to include something about this, after all it was aimed at more beginners.
EDIT: Added a new part to my tutorial based on your guide, just includes some more detail. Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nicely done. Thanks.
sam4free said:
I think we can use this method to unlock oem without wiping data.
boot cw -> full backup -> unlock and flash cw (wipes data) -> restore backup (got ur data back and oem unlocked)
the only problem i can think of is that restoring backup would re-lock oem again but i am not sure of that.
i can't try this right now but if someone could, please give feedback.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I suggesting a couple of posts above (root without unlock to at least make a backup of user data).
Restoring a titanium backup would not re-lock the phone. A nandroid restore might, depends on what all it imaged and restores, but it's so easy to re-root, that doesn't seem like a big deal.
Jonathon Grigg said:
Download the Android 2.3 SDK (or direct from Google here, 32MB).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like you forgot to add the link in your copy pasta.
AtomicPC said:
Looks like you forgot to add the link in your copy pasta.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been working on it I just wanted to get it up here as soon as I could That's why I mentioned that the full guide is available on my website. I'm going back to school today, so I don't really have too much time for changing links now. Besides, most people on XDA should know how to look at the 'What's needed' part
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Jonathon,
Thank you for posting this detailed guide to rooting without losing your data! I do have a question. As you've probably heard, there are a few updates coming soon and if they are like they were on the N1, they always broke root. So getting root back was tricky unless I "unrooted" before applying the update. Using your method, is it easy to "unroot"? Thanks!
No problems
As for your problem, I never actually had a N1 so I don't exactly know why that would happen. So far from the 2 updates available to NS owners it seems like the OTA update does break root but it appears to be the same to get it back again. Can someone confirm this? I haven't been through an update with my root yet.
As for unrooting, if you haven't unlocked the bootloader (so you have followed the new part 2) I think it is just a case of finding a stock image (I think there's a GRH78 one around here somewhere) and booting into Clockwork Recovery and flashing it. That should remove root and then also give you a notice to install the GRH78C OTA update so you get the latest version.
I think that is what you meant? If you did unlock the bootloader (using the original part 2) then I think you just have to follow the same steps as I mentioned just then but afterwards go back into the bootloader interface and run 'fastboot oem lock' and it should be right.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Question on Part 2- step 1.
Code:
# We now need to install PDAnet on our PC so that Windows can see our Nexus S when we are using the Command Prompt. Install PDAnet from here, select Samsung when asked about the Manufacturer, allow the driver to be installed (because the driver is unverified, don’t worry about this!). Follow along with any other instructions. You should be set now.
Why above step is required if one already installed USB Driver for Nexus S and "ADB devices" command can find the device ?
On Allgamer thread didnt ask to repeat installing USB driver ?
What purpose for the pdanet driver ?
I dont want to put redundant drivers into my system which may interfere each other during flashing process.
hmanxx said:
Why above step is required if one already installed USB Driver for Nexus S and "ADB devices" command can find the device ?
On Allgamer thread didnt ask to repeat installing USB driver ?
What purpose for the pdanet driver ?
I dont want to put redundant drivers into my system which may interfere each other during flashing process.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I tried to use the fastboot command with my Nexus S connected, it would hang and not do anything, despite leaving it for about 5 minutes. I searched online, and found the PDAnet solution, so I don't know what the difference is exactly. All I found the Google SDK USB drivers to do is enable you to see your device in Device Manager, however you could try it without the PDAnet drivers, and let me know what happens!
Thanks
Thanks for the prompt reply.. I tried out the google driver..it doesnt work under fastboot. I eventually get the fastboot enabled driver..that could explain why the pdanet driver required.
After i installed the fastboot enabled driver, i could test the connectivity under fastboot with "fastboot devices"
thanks going to try out rooting..i just want simple root access..without wiping data is a ++ ..
I managed to run fastboot boot recovery.img...going into clockwork menu..apply the superuser.zip.(for froyo version)..till completion..no word of failure..
However after rebooting, su and SuperUser.apk are not installed.( I used adb to check the system/app and system/bin folder.
Edit- manage to root properly after system mounting .
Just a note..to properly complete the rooting, one need to apply mounting then mount system before applying the Superuser.zip install from sdcard.
Prior to step 11, you may want to add the following steps for folks having problem to get the superuser.zip to install properly.
Originally Posted by droidmage
So all you guys who are having trouble getting root inside the rom, When your in recovery before you flash the superuser.zip file select -- mounts and storage -- then --mount /system -- then flash the .zip file and reboot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the extra bit of info, I will attempt to add that in when I get a bit more time on my hands. when I did it it seemed to work fine so thanks for discovering that!
Enjoy your rooted phone
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Hi
I have a att captivate.
I want to root and unlock both.
Question 1: What should I do first?
and i am planning to use the application or the files given in zip on http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=761045 to unlock.
so please guide me accordingly.
I am not using the adb shell method. is that ok?
Later I also wish to upgrade it to froyo or gingerbread. will the phone still be rooted or will I have to root again?
Cheers
iamjinay said:
Hi
I have a att captivate.
I want to root and unlock both.
Question 1: What should I do first?
and i am planning to use the application or the files given in zip on http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=761045 to unlock.
so please guide me accordingly.
I am not using the adb shell method. is that ok?
Later I also wish to upgrade it to froyo or gingerbread. will the phone still be rooted or will I have to root again?
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For #1, it says, "ALL METHODS FOR NEWER PHONES REQUIRE ROOT... PLEASE GO GET ROOT ON YOUR PHONE AND THEN COME BACK". So I'd root first.
For #2, you can use the app that is shown in the thread if you don't want to use adb. Just make sure to back up your /efs folder beforehand (or nandroid backup).
thanks for your quick reply.
just a few more queries.
1. how do i backup my etfs?
2. I will root followed by unlocking. Now after this when I update to froyo, would I require another rooting?
To back up your /efs, you would have to use either a root explorer program (like root explorer in the market) or adb. Once you have one of those, just make a copy of your current /efs directory (it's under the root directory) to a safe location.
I really need to stress that backing up your /efs folder is a critical step if you're going to unlock your phone - having this backup will save you from a world of difficulty later if something should go wrong.
Whether or not you have to root again after the Froyo update will largely depend on how you do the update. If you use the official AT&T froyo update, you will have to re-root. If you do a custom rom, you probably won't have to re-root.
I am sorry if I am asking silly questions, but I am new to Android.
1. What is the difference in using the ready applications or adb method?
2. And are all those commands to be typed in windows command prompt?
3. Would I need android sdk installed on my PC?
4. on http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=761045 page,
I did not understand the following instruction
Change any 0x01 to 0x00 (or 0x00 to 0x01 to lock for warranty)
Can you please explain
iamjinay said:
I am sorry if I am asking silly questions, but I am new to Android.
1. What is the difference in using the ready applications or adb method?
2. And are all those commands to be typed in windows command prompt?
3. Would I need android sdk installed on my PC?
4. on http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=761045 page,
I did not understand the following instruction
Change any 0x01 to 0x00 (or 0x00 to 0x01 to lock for warranty)
Can you please explain
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem, we're all new at some point.
1. If you use a program like root explorer, you'll do the work from the phone. If you use adb, you'll do the work from your PC. Same end result, different way of getting there.
2. Yes, to an extent. You'll first have to get adb, which you can get from the android sdk (or if you don't want to fully install that, look for a program called Android Sideload Wonder Machine - it has adb, and as far as I know, it's smaller than the sdk). Once you have adb, you would go to a command prompt, go to the directory you have it installed in, and then do commands with adb in front of them (like adb reboot recovery or adb devices)
3. The android SDK is not 100% necessary to use adb. You have an option here - the android SDK, or the Android Sideload Wonder Machine. Take your pick, both have adb built in.
4. That's referring to changing something in a hex editing program. You can find plenty of free hex editors if you Google for them. Once you have one, what you're changing is some information at the address "0x181468" (which will make a lot more sense once you have the hex editor). In the other thread, the poster gives a sample line of "ff 01 00 00 00 00 46 46". The 0x01 to 0x00 means that you would change any of those sets of two digits that is currently 01 to 00 (in his example, the new line would be "ff 00 00 00 00 46 46"). The 01 state means "this item is locked", the 00 state means "this item is unlocked".
thank you so much.
so just to summarize our conversation,
I first root my phone by downloading update.zip, put it in the root folder, switch the phone off, and switch it on by holding the vol keys and then click on re-install packages.
Then my phone is rooted.
Now I go to the root folder and take a backup of efs folder onto my comp and also my sd card.
Now to unlock, I use either the sgs_unlock.apk application (on phone) or generate_code.bak (on comp) to get the code.
Enter my new sim and enter the code.
Is this method correct? or would like to suggest any changes?
iamjinay said:
thank you so much.
so just to summarize our conversation,
I first root my phone by downloading update.zip, put it in the root folder, switch the phone off, and switch it on by holding the vol keys and then click on re-install packages.
Then my phone is rooted.
Now I go to the root folder and take a backup of efs folder onto my comp and also my sd card.
Now to unlock, I use either the sgs_unlock.apk application (on phone) or generate_code.bak (on comp) to get the code.
Enter my new sim and enter the code.
Is this method correct? or would like to suggest any changes?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mostly right, just a few minor details.
The package you're changing is going to be clockworkmod.zip, and you'll rename that to update.zip. To get into recovery mode, hold both vol+ and vol-, and then press and hold the power button. Keep holding this past the first AT&T (or whomever your carrier is) screen, and once it shows up the second time, let go. You'll have to reinstall packages twice to get to the CWM recovery menu. Once you're in CWM, you'll have to tell it to root it under the "advanced" menu, by selecting the root/install superuser option. Then you'll be rooted.
Getting to the /efs folder will require either a root explorer or adb, but yes, you would copy that to your external sd card (or computer, to be safer).
The generate_code.bat file looks ok, and on the phone it looks like you could use either the sgs_unlock.apk or the vibrant unlock tool.
Good luck!
Heyy
I am confused about the rooting process now.
The method that I saw is to download update.zip from http://www.mediafire.com/file/c0f9ga18kfakd1w/update.zip
Then open my computer and put the file in your root folder.
Then hold the buttons and select re-install packages.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2Jq2iL6u54&feature=fvwrel
I did not understand your method of renaming clockworkmod.zip. Can you please explain step wise.
I am really sorry for the trouble, but I need to do this soon.
iamjinay said:
Heyy
I am confused about the rooting process now.
The method that I saw is to download update.zip from http://www.mediafire.com/file/c0f9ga18kfakd1w/update.zip
Then open my computer and put the file in your root folder.
Then hold the buttons and select re-install packages.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2Jq2iL6u54&feature=fvwrel
I did not understand your method of renaming clockworkmod.zip. Can you please explain step wise.
I am really sorry for the trouble, but I need to do this soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem. I didn't realize that the zip file would already be called update.zip. Whenever I've done it in the past, I had received a file named clockworkmod.zip, and I had to rename it. In your case, no renaming is needed.
Ok cool ! and I would have to reinstall package only once right?
And after rooting --> then unlocking, can I immediately update my phone to froyo or gingerbread?
iamjinay said:
Ok cool ! and I would have to reinstall package only once right?
And after rooting --> then unlocking, can I immediately update my phone to froyo or gingerbread?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, you still may have to reinstall twice. Once you've copied the file over and rebooted by holding the three buttons, you'll come to the default android recovery screen with four options. Once you've selected the "reinstall packages" option, it will run some code and reboot your phone to the same android default recovery screen. Selecting "reinstall packages" again will put you on the CMW recovery menu.
In theory, yes. Just make sure you're either on stock Eclair (2.1), or that you go back to stock Eclair before you move forward to Froyo or Gingerbread.
And if you decide to go for Gingerbread, read everything you can possibly find about it first, then read it again. Gingerbread involves flashing the bootloaders, and if you're not careful, you can kill your phone completely dead.
cool ! then i will play safe and update to froyo
Heyy
Can I do the above mentioned procedure to root and unlock only on eclair 2.1 or can I do the same on 2.2 froyo also?
Cheers
Hi everyone,
I see more people than usual having issues with Rooting their Nexus 7 because of problems with booting into CWM recovery post flash - thought I would do a nice plain and easy to follow guide including instructions for booting into CWM recovery from a command point (thanks to Wugfresh for his Toolkit which is used in the guide).
http://www.androidnz.net/2012/07/how-to-root-your-nexus-7.html
Porting the full guide here, first the text because that is a simple cut n paste job, images to follow soon:
Before we get down into the nitty-gritty of the guide itself you should familiarise yourself with our usual disclaimers at the beginning of this post. I say this not because we don't care if you have problems, it's just that our capacity to trouble shoot is limited, and you shouldn't have embarked on an adventure to Root your device unless you did your due diligence first and had some understanding of what you were up to. One final disclaimer weasel-word at the off: the CWM recovery ports for the N7 are still a little iffy at this stage and even when taking appropriate steps to make it permanent you may only be able to boot into it via a command prompt window. Expect updates once fixes are available.
Disclaimers out of the way, here are the things you will need:
A Nexus 7, fully charged
A windows PC (the guide may work on macs via Windows virtual environments, but that isn't confirmed by us and is outside the scope of this guide)
The appropriate Nexus 7 USB drivers, there are several ways to get these:
Preferred method - Go to this thread at XDA-Developers and download and install the Root Toolkit there, which has an automated drivers installation included (this is preferred because it is what the guide that follows is based on because the Toolkit is probably going to be the most straightforward for the majority to use, and even if it fails and they have to resort to using command prompts that is more easily done from the Toolkit). Many many thanks to WugFresh at XDA for producing such a noob-friendly Rooting application - please consider making a donation to him here.
Install the Android SDK from here. Please note if you are already an SDK user that the Google USB drivers in the SDK have updated with the release of the Nexus 7 and Jelly Bean and you should update your drivers from within the SDK itself
Install the universal drivers from this post at XDA-Developers, but please make note of how you will need to adjust fastboot commands if you are using these drivers
Go to this post at XDA-Developers and install the USB drivers from there if you have no luck whatsover with any of the other methods
OK, now that you've got the Root Toolkit let's proceed (if you plan to do this with the SDK and command prompts then you should be advanced enough to follow the guide here, I did the first time and if you've done this stuff before the process is trivial).
Open the Root Toolkit, at the prompt to select your device scroll down to the bottom and select the Nexus 7 and the version number that corresponds to the firmware installed on your Nexus 7 (you can find this out in Settings --> About tablet --> Android version)
You'll be greeted with a screen that looks like this:
Click on Initial Setup and use the automatic driver installation facility from here to install USB drivers, it will check that ADB and Fastboot commands are working before dropping you back to the install window.
Turn on USB Debugging in the Nexus 7 by navigating to Settings --> Developer options. Turn on Developer options using the toggle in the top right hand corner, and then turn on USB debugging
Connect your Nexus 7 to your computer with the micro USB cable that came in the box. At this point it is vital that your computer recognises the Nexus 7 as a connected device, you will know if it has because a Nexus 7 "AutoPlay" window should pop up and ask you what action you want to take. If it doesn't show up, pull down the notification tray and press on the notification that says "Connected as a media device". A new menu will open and select the "Camera (PTP)" option. You should now get the AutoPlay window.
Head back to the Toolkit, and select "Unlock" from here, be aware that this will wipe your device (you might want to take a backup if you've already installed a lot of stuff on the device, that's just a button click away also in the Toolkit)
This will boot the device up to a screen giving you the option to unlock the bootloader, with "Yes" selected hit the power button. You'll see some text in the top left corner telling you it is unlocking the device, and then you will see the red "Locked" text toward the bottom of the screen change to "Unlocked". Moments later the device will reboot, and because it will have been wiped you will need to either set it up again or just skip past set-up and get back to the homescreen.
Once you're back onto the home screen, connect as you did before and take the same steps to turn on USB debugging and get the AutoPlay prompt to appear. Then go back to the Toolkit and select the Root option with permanent CWM recovery. All things going well the process will be fully automated from here, it will check that ADB and Fastboot are working, push the SU and CWM files to the device, boot the Nexus 7 into it's bootloader, flash CWM recovery to the device, and then reboot with Root privileges and a fresh new recovery permanently installed.
...or so the theory goes. Using this method I get Root, but CWM recovery is only accessible via command prompt, and I see others having the same problem. So...
Accessing CWM recovery:
In the Root toolkit go to Advanced Utilities by launching it here:
On the next screen select Launch CMD Prompt:
Once the command prompt appears type: ADB reboot recovery - the phone will boot into CWM recovery for you, so you can do things like make Nandroid backups, install zip files and so forth
Installing the 4.1.1 update post-Root and installation of CWM recovery:
Install OTA Rootkeeper by Supercurio from the Play Store here
Open the app once installed and grant it SuperUser privileges
In the app select "Protect Root", and then "temp unroot" the device
Download a zip of the 4.1.1 update here.
Copy it to the internal SD of the Nexus 7
Access CWM recovery as per the instructions above. In this version of CWM recovery you will navigate the options with the volume keys and press the power button to select an option - do that to navigate to "Install zip from SD card" and press the home button
On the next screen go to down "Toggle signature verification" and toggle it until it says "disabled" at the bottom of the screen (it should be set to default to disabled, but you lose like 5s making sure)
Go up to install zip, navigate to the zip file you downloaded in step one and install it
When the device reboots go to OTA Rootkeeper and restore Root, viola! You're done!
So, after all is said and done you should have a Rooted Nexus 7, running the 4.1.1 update, and with a custom recovery that can only be accessed via command prompt. Don't forget to shout WugFresh, the Toolkits developer, a coffee - make a donation here.
Would be nice if you posted that guide on this forum too.
Thanks for the guide.
Oooohh pictures
Caliyork said:
Oooohh pictures
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know, for the totally acopic
Will this work on the new Build number JRO03D? Or should I wait until he updates the toolkit?
Dillon610 said:
Will this work on the new Build number JRO03D? Or should I wait until he updates the toolkit?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No idea. You can simply downgrade to an older stock image using his Toolkit though and then follow the same process used in the guide to update to the latest build.
"Meh" at requirement #2:
A windows PC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't ran Windows for years. I hope there's a way to do this with Linux (assuming a computer is even needed?)
I remember rooting my Optimus T with Z4 root... one click, bingo bango, done.
JaSauders said:
"Meh" at requirement #2:
I haven't ran Windows for years. I hope there's a way to do this with Linux (assuming a computer is even needed?)
I remember rooting my Optimus T with Z4 root... one click, bingo bango, done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"Windblows"
Any way to do on Mac? Also I'm new but what will root do that out of box won't? Any guides that help explain this? Thanks!
mario24601 said:
Any way to do on Mac? Also I'm new but what will root do that out of box won't? Any guides that help explain this? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's a wiki on cyanogenmod.com that explains root.
mario24601 said:
Any way to do on Mac? Also I'm new but what will root do that out of box won't? Any guides that help explain this? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Should be doable on mac in a windows virtual environment, which seems to be how most mac users are doing things here at XDA.
Actually looking for someone to write "for mac" guides, if anyone is up for that!
And yes, i dont know if there is any simple way to unlock bootloader and root for Nexus 4 on Window 8.1, but now i will show you guys
Step-by-step:
1/ Download Android SDK
2/ Install it to your computer
3/ Open Android SDK and download google usb-driver
Open device manager, find your N4, update driver, link it to your folder where you downloaded usb-driver and update
4/ Active debugging mode on your phone
5/ Download Kingo Android Root at: www.kingoapp.com
6/ Install it to your computer
7/ Open Kingo
8/ Connect your phone to computer
9/ Click Root
10/ Waiting about 3 mins
11/ And yes, done. Your phone is now unlocked bootloader/root
12/ Go find some custom rom for you and install it.
Simple huh??? Dont worry, i tried 10 mins ago and now my phone good to go.
PS: Important things: Your data will be wiped all, so make sure you back up all your data first.(Because i dont know that, my i lost all my data on my phone, ****tttttt.
This is a simple guide for NOOB to unlocked bootloader and root your nexus 4, just like me.
Shameless advertising for an app that simply automates two terminal commands.
There's nothing wrong with the tried and true method...
The SDK takes too long to install on windows just to unlock and root. This takes seconds, and installs everything 99% of users will need http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2317790
after adb/fastboot are set up, it's only two steps:
open terminal and flash a custom recovery via fastboot
open recovery and flash the superuser zip
done!
Does that really need to be automated with some completely unknown app? Honestly, if you're too lazy to learn two simple terminal commands to root a Nexus (it really doesn't get any easier on any other phone) then you have no business using a rooted phone, either.