Database Develop

Getting my rooting concepts straight

I just traded up from an iPhone 3G to a Europe model Nexus One and am considering rooting for unrestricted access to the App Market (I am using in China), but I wanted to make sure that I've got all my facts straight about the rooting process. My bootloader is unlocked and I have flashed upgrade packages manually before, but everything else appears to be stock.
So first, root access actually only involves installing the Superboot update over the stock ROM, if there is a superboot for that ROM version, right?
This then lets you install apps that require root access (such as Market Enabler or MarketAccess), so if I just wanted unrestricted market access, then this is all that I would have to do, right?
However, getting root also lets me install a custom recovery, which gives me some nifty functions from the recovery boot, such as backing up my phone (does it do anything else? Why does Amon_RA's recovery have Busybox if it already comes with superboot?). It also allows me to install a custom ROM.
So far so good? Am I missing anything?
Are there any other methods to root? I have heard that you can install the SDK and go through ADB to manually do root, but I have not found any detailed information about this method. I have FRF91 OTA, and since there is no superboot for that yet, could I potentially got the ADB route?

Didn't miss anything.
You can go several ways: since your bootloader is unlocked, to save yourself the pain with ADB loop method, which is completely unneeded, you can just use the regular method, skipping the "unlock bootloader" part, which leaves you with "flash custom recovery" part (totally independent) and then just flash whatever ROM you like, pre-rooted. You don't need to flash a rooting file over your ROM, you just can change your ROM to pre-rooted one.

So you are saying that I can flash a custom recovery, then load a custom rom that is pre-rooted?
How do I flash a custom recovery if I am not rooted? I thought that in order to get the recovery you needed to root via superboot?
And I must have a custom recovery in order to have a pre-rooted rom, otherwise the phone will reject the package, right?
So the only thing that prevents root on the Android is the rom and recovery partition's own integrity check for whatever you are flashing? In other words, people can lose root by flashing a stock rom, and you can get root by flashing a pre-rooted rom. I seem to remember seeing some pre-rooted packages saying that you must have previously had root in order for it to work. Is that not correct, then?
Thanks.

hgcrpd said:
I just traded up from an iPhone 3G to a Europe model Nexus One and am considering rooting for unrestricted access to the App Market (I am using in China), but I wanted to make sure that I've got all my facts straight about the rooting process. My bootloader is unlocked and I have flashed upgrade packages manually before, but everything else appears to be stock.
So first, root access actually only involves installing the Superboot update over the stock ROM, if there is a superboot for that ROM version, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not exactly - root access simply indicates having the su and superuser.apk binaries installed, and the suid bit set on su. But you are close enough. If you are running FroYo, Cyanogen and Lox have published flashable rooters.
You will already need a custom recovery to flash either of these - but since your bootloader is unlocked, a custom recovery does not pose any problem - see below...
hgcrpd said:
This then lets you install apps that require root access (such as Market Enabler or MarketAccess), so if I just wanted unrestricted market access, then this is all that I would have to do, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.
hgcrpd said:
However, getting root also lets me install a custom recovery, which gives me some nifty functions from the recovery boot, such as backing up my phone (does it do anything else? Why does Amon_RA's recovery have Busybox if it already comes with superboot?). It also allows me to install a custom ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couple of points here:
1. No, you don't need root to install a custom recovery - you need an unlocked bootloader. In fact, you have reversed them - you usually need a custom recovery to get root! Since you have that bootloader already unlocked, you can go ahead and install Amon's recovery (or another one) and get what you need to get.
2. Recovery does not use the same shell and variables as /system. Busybox is usually installed in recovery to allow you to run things via ADB or scripts when in recovery mode without manually calling them off of system (something that would be a problem if you were formatting and rewriting system, for example).
hgcrpd said:
Are there any other methods to root? I have heard that you can install the SDK and go through ADB to manually do root, but I have not found any detailed information about this method. I have FRF91 OTA, and since there is no superboot for that yet, could I potentially got the ADB route?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to have the SDK installed (which includes adb) to unlock the bootloader in any case, right? Or did someone unlock the bootloader for you? In any case, I would just install the SDK - it's free, fast and gives you access to fastboot and adb. You need fastboot to install a custom recovery, and adb is useful for lots of things.
And there are plenty flashable root zips for FRF91. You need to first install a custom recovery!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=715799
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=686627
So, if I were you:
1. Install the Android SDK on your computer to get ADB, fastboot and the necessary drivers.
2. Download and flash a custom recovery using fastboot.
3. Reboot into recovery.
4. Copy Lox or Cyan's rooter to your SD card using adb push.
5. On the phone, in recovery, do a nandroid backup!
6. Flash the zip from step 4.
7. Reboot your phone and confirm that you have root - the easiest way is to start up a terminal session and type "su". The Superuser authorization program should pop up and ask you to approve the application's request for root access. Grant it. If the prompt turns from "$" to "#", you have root.

1. No, you don't need root to install a custom recovery - you need an unlocked bootloader. In fact, you have reversed them - you usually need a custom recovery to get root! Since you have that bootloader already unlocked, you can go ahead and install Amon's recovery (or another one) and get what you need to get.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see. So the post on modaco is not quite correct when it says that root is a pre-req for Amon_RA's recovery. I'm guessing that's only a pre-req if you flash via a terminal session on the phone? (By the way, is there an official terminal app? The only one I could find was Terminal Emulator.)
You need to have the SDK installed (which includes adb) to unlock the bootloader in any case, right? Or did someone unlock the bootloader for you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bootloader was unlocked when I bought it. The phone is a grey-market item that I purchased here in China, and every grey-market phone that comes in gets modified by the importers in order to add Chinese language support and such. I think that's all they did, since I've been able to do updates and get OTA without a problem.
Thanks! I will give the SDK route a try, if I get time before the superboot for FRF91 comes out.

[Q] lost root after 2.3.6 update

hi there every one i updated my nexus one to 2.3.6 (GRK39F) from stock 2.3.4 (GRJ22) sorry but i did not read the post for to upgrade and keep root before upgrading to 2.3.6 and now i am suffering and thought it is not a good idea to post a question there so posting here
my problem is when i upgraded 2.3.6 i was rooted and had clockworkmod recovery image and i had a backup from rom manager as well but before upgrade i wiped the partition and cache and after upgrade i dont have SUPER USER permission nor the clockworkmod recovery tried to flash su.zip from sd card but no luck please can anyone help me get my root back pleaseeeee i need help ....

You'll have to passimg back to an earlier version of Froyo, root, restore your backup, and then flash the update and su zip...

danger-rat said:
You'll have to passimg back to an earlier version of Froyo, root, restore your backup, and then flash the update and su zip...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thankyou very much danger-rat really appriciate your help but today was a bit lucky day for me
I tried to flash a recovery image through ADB and then it went well and then flashed the su.zip from sdcard that gave me superuser permission again thanks again for your help
@0mpranav

No need to flash the system partition, no need to use ADB, just flash Superboot:
Code:
https://bexton.net/2011/09/24/root-access-for-nexus-one-on-android-2-3-6-grk39f-superboot/

If your bootloader is unlocked all you have to do is reboot into fastboot mode. Flash a custom recovery such as RA or CWM, reboot directly into revovery and flash su.zip or whatever flash zip you used to root your device before. Reboot and you are rooted once again.
The following thread has a step by step how to do it. It's fast and easy.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1019759

jboxer said:
If your bootloader is unlocked all you have to do is reboot into fastboot mode. Flash a custom recovery such as RA or CWM, reboot directly into revovery and flash su.zip or whatever flash zip you used to root your device before. Reboot and you are rooted once again.
The following thread has a step by step how to do it. It's fast and easy.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1019759
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup. This is the way every one should be doing it. It's sort of the whole point of the Nexus One. It has an unlockable bootloader.

GldRush98 said:
Yup. This is the way every one should be doing it. It's sort of the whole point of the Nexus One. It has an unlockable bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have purchased two second hand Nexus Ones. The first thing I did after receiving them and charging the battery was to reboot into fastboot mode and issue "fastboot oem unlock" command. Since they were purchased second hadn I didn't thing I had a warranty anyway so unlocking the bootloader seemed to be a non brainer.

GldRush98 said:
Yup. This is the way every one should be doing it. It's sort of the whole point of the Nexus One. It has an unlockable bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will any version of su.zip, and fastbook.zip work? What about recovery-RA-passion-v2.2.1.img? or should we be using a different version?
If we should be using different versions of those, could you link to where we could get them?
I've had my Nexus one half-rooted since 2.3 came out, and I haven't been able to root it back.

why mess with 2.3.6 just use oxygen 2.3.7...

kuljit55 said:
why mess with 2.3.6 just use oxygen 2.3.7...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry I have no idea what that is. I don't even know if its helpful at all. Again, I don't even have root, or a custom recovery. Presently, I have an unlocked bootloader, ADB on my PC, and a half-rooted nexus one from before 2.3.
I have absolutely no idea how to do anything presently, and when someone tells me that trying to root on 2.3.6 is futile and to just use a custom update, it doesn't make any more sense to me.
Care to elaborate past one line that doesn't help at all? Hell when using shell commands through adb, it keeps on saying "permission denied" any time I type in su.

You have an unlocked bootloader, so flash a custom recovery via fastboot, and use the custom recovery to flash the su zip...

danger-rat said:
You have an unlocked bootloader, so flash a custom recovery via fastboot, and use the custom recovery to flash the su zip...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Danger-rat. Although I know you said nothing different that what was already said in this thread, I figured that since you didn't give me specific info about whether or not there were multiple versions of su.zip or fastboot.zip, I figured I should take that as a "No.", so I went for it. All re-rooted now.
I appreciate the help.
EDIT: So if you are as new to this stuff as I am, anyone else who's reading-
You can DL su.zip from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...ZxOuf9Kw_URvtvh9Q&sig2=Hj72LDNoiBq2Zoa4QquZWQ
and fastboot.zip from http://www.mediafire.com/?ttdkgamud3j
and amon Ra 2.2.1 from http://files.androidspin.com/downloads.php?dir=amon_ra/RECOVERY/&file=recovery-RA-passion-v2.2.1.img
then follow the directions here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1019759
** Note: again, these are for people who have unlocked bootloaders. For that info, you'll have to go elsewhere, but it should be readily available, such as this stuff is. I'm just linking it again because I know how frustrating it can be for people like me who aren't too well versed in rooting/unlocking yet.

Downgrade 2.3.6 to 2.2.2 - Nexus One
Problem:
I would like to downgrade my Nexus One to 2.2.2, because I've had non-stop problems with Gingerbread.
So I've gone through the Bootloader -> Recovery -> apply sdcard:update.zip steps, and it fails. This begs the question, how do I go from 2.3.6 to 2.2.2?
Fix:
Generally, phone manufacturers will not allow you to downgrade for various reasons. The stock recovery does indeed validate the update image, so that it's of a greater (or same) version than the installed system. With the Nexus One being a developer phone, you can unlock the bootloader and replace the recovery image with the one that doesn't perform this check, and will allow installation of any image. The caveat is that unlocking the bootloader voids your warranty with the carrier (and sometimes the manufacturer too,) and wipes all user data off the device.
Unlocking the N1 is dead easy. Just install Android SDK and the USB drivers (located in "google-usb_driver" directory.) Then restart the phone in bootloader mode by shutting it off and powering on while holding down the trackball, hook it up to the computer via USB, and in command prompt issue the following command: C:\<path to Android SDK>\tools\fastboot oem unlock. You will be presented with a confirmation screen with further instructions. Upon successful unlock, you can flash a custom recovery that will allow you to install any custom ROM, including downgrade to 2.2.x stock version of Android OS.
To flash ClockworkMod recovery, download the latest version for Nexus One from here, reboot into bootloader mode (power on while holding the trackball down,) and in command prompt issue command C:\<path to ANdroid SDK>\tools\fastboot flash recovery C:\<path to downloaded img>\recovery-clockwork-3.0.0.5-passion.img
Reboot to bootloader mode again, and then use the Volume keys to highlight the "Recovery" option and press Power button. You are now in ClockworkMod recovery, and can flash any custom ROMs via the "Install zip from sdcard" option.
Here is a "stock" 2.2.2 ROM (with root) off XDA-developers forum.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=927935
source:http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/13933/downgrade-2-3-6-to-2-2-2-nexus-one
Try It & Report Back...

Uninstall ROM

Hello. I need help!! I want my htc sense 3.6 back on my phone but I am not sure how to uninstall MIUI ROM. In other words, I wanted what I had right after I rooted my phone, before I installed MIUI ROM. Anyone know how to do this? Thanks!

If you made a recovery file in the recovery then just install the file if not then relock the bootloader and run the Stock ruu file and then just re unlock root ect.

menachemt said:
Hello. I need help!! I want my htc sense 3.6 back on my phone but I am not sure how to uninstall MIUI ROM. In other words, I wanted what I had right after I rooted my phone, before I installed MIUI ROM. Anyone know how to do this? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I imagine you would have rooted your phone, unlocked bootloader (maybe), and flashed a custom recovery (like clockworkmod or wcx). I don't think any of those things would have changed during your use of MIUI.
Easiest way? Relock your bootloader (if you had unlocked it), and then run the stock RUU for your phone to revert your phone to stock. Then you can unlock bootloader again and then root your stock rom (I believe there is the all-in-one tool that makes rooting quite easy).
Or... if you want to try another custom rom, download the rom zip, copy it on your SDCard, and....
1) Pull the battery, and re-insert
2) Boot phone by holding VOLDOWN and POWER. You are in bootloader. At this screen you can see if you are S-ON or S-OFF (good to know for the later steps)
3) Choose recovery
4) If you're in WCX recovery or ClockWorkMod recovery, then you can do the 4 wipes (Data/Cache/Dalvik/System). ** But if you see you are NOT in a custom recovery, stop now.
5) Then you can flash the custom rom zip.
6) *At this point - if you are S-OFF, then the rom's kernel would have flashed with the rom, so you're done.
*But if you're S-ON, you will now need to flash the rom's kernel manually via fastboot. (on your computer, just extract the boot.img from the rom's zip, put it in the same folder where your fastboot.exe is, and run
Code:
fastboot flash boot boot.img

Incredible S will NOT accept other rom

I am trying to get rid of the CM7.1 on my Incredible S. I have fastboot on my Ubuntu machine and all the android libraries necessary. I tried a lot of commands from fastboot a couple of days ago but nothing happened. Miui got stuck on boot screen, CM7.2 also did the same. I want to wipe my phone. Delete everything. I am sick of the CM7.1 it is old.
My bootloader says this:
***UNLOCKED***
VIVO .. S-ON
HBOOT-2.00.0000
RADIO-3822.10.08.28_M
I want a step by step way to wipe my phone and install the STOCK ROM (but keeping my root), and using Ubuntu. I have been through dozens of tutorials, my phone wont wipe.
OFFICIAL ROMS:
http://www.filefactory.com/f/e45d6fe3dcf51228/
question: which one do I download (which one is the latest) and why do they have 100mb + difference? thanks a lot!
I need your help before I smash the phone on the wall

Since you're s-on still and unlocked, have you flashed the boot.img from the roms are flashed? Its required after a new rom/kernel flash in order to get the rom booting.

Why do I have to flash the boot.img? I download the *.zip file and flash the whole zip file using ROM manager. That should be enough

alrosh7 said:
Why do I have to flash the boot.img? I download the *.zip file and flash the whole zip file using ROM manager. That should be enough
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With s on you still have to fast boot flash boot.img to get the phone booting
Search how to do it, you probably did it when you flashed CM7
Sent from my Nexus 7

alrosh7 said:
Why do I have to flash the boot.img? I download the *.zip file and flash the whole zip file using ROM manager. That should be enough
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With the unlocked bootloader, the boot partition only gets mounted as ReadOnly when in Recovery mode, thus when you flash a ROM in recovery mode, the boot.img file does not get written to your phone.
You manually have to flash the boot.img while in FASTBOOT USB mode using the command:
fastboot flash boot [boot.img file]
Also, you stated that you want to install a stock ROM but keep your root. Here are some things to keep in mind:
1. In order to flash an official HTC stock RUU, you must relock your bootloader. If you attempt to flash a RUU on an unlocked bootloader, you will get a 155 error.
2. Depending on which stock RUU you choose to flash, that particular bootloader may or may not be unlockable.
In the Development section there are several IncS stock, rooted ROMs that were built from official RUUs. I would recommend you give those a try. You may also want to look at mike1986's ARHD ROM which is based on the IncS ICS ROM.

[SOLVED] SuperSU and Re-root on 4.4.2

Hey everyone
I've recently solved my OTA problem (seen here) but I soon discovered yet another problem.
When I tried to enter SuperSU, I received the following error shown below.
As mentioned before, I'm on 4.4.2 and I have NO desire whatsoever to unlock my bootloader all over again. Is there anyway to re-root my phone without unlocking my bootloader or will I need to do just that in order to re-root?
Thanks in advance

Anyone?

Please help :crying:

ArmyMan007 said:
Please help :crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I know, and by the error displayed on the attached screenshot, you need to do the whole rutine all over again. I am pretty sure rooting can not be done if bootloader is locked, which might mean you have a stock recovery image as well - and since that is not keen to be rooted (as far as I know) you need to flash a custom recovery like twrp. I might be wrong in all this, I'm newish to all this.

ArmyMan007 said:
Hey everyone
I've recently solved my OTA problem (seen here) but I soon discovered yet another problem.
When I tried to enter SuperSU, I received the following error shown below.
As mentioned before, I'm on 4.4.2 and I have NO desire whatsoever to unlock my bootloader all over again. Is there anyway to re-root my phone without unlocking my bootloader or will I need to do just that in order to re-root?
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since you are S-ON you can not flash a custom recovery or root without unlocking your bootloader.

Frogger209 said:
From what I know, and by the error displayed on the attached screenshot, you need to do the whole rutine all over again. I am pretty sure rooting can not be done if bootloader is locked, which might mean you have a stock recovery image as well - and since that is not keen to be rooted (as far as I know) you need to flash a custom recovery like twrp. I might be wrong in all this, I'm newish to all this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, for starters, my bootloader is unlocked (as mentioned before), thus we eliminate the bootloader unlocking dilemma. But it still doesn't tell me how can I re-root my device: you want to tell me that I have to do is to flash a custom recovery and install SuperSU again, and my phone will be rooted again?

majmoz said:
Since you are S-ON you can not flash a custom recovery or root without unlocking your bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like I wrote before: I DO have an unlocked bootloader

ArmyMan007 said:
Well, for starters, my bootloader is unlocked (as mentioned before), thus we eliminate the bootloader unlocking dilemma. But it still doesn't tell me how can I re-root my device: you want to tell me that I have to do is to flash a custom recovery and install SuperSU again, and my phone will be rooted again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
flash twrp 2.6.3.3. boot in recovery then exit, twrp will prompt you to root the phone. Then yo ucan flash back the stock recovery for future ota updates.

alray said:
flash twrp 2.6.3.3. boot in recovery then exit, twrp will prompt you to root the phone. Then yo ucan flash back the stock recovery for future ota updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why can't I flash twrp 2.7.1.0? and don't I need to install SuperSU via twrp? and what do you mean that twrp will promote me to root the phone? it never did that before..

ArmyMan007 said:
Why can't I flash twrp 2.7.1.0?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
latest known bug free version of twrp is 2.6.3.3/.4 thats why we always recommend using this version.
and don't I need to install SuperSU via twrp? and what do you mean that twrp will promote me to root the phone? it never did that before..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that is for the M8 but same thing apply for the M7:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKGKlkJRroQ#t=122
or flash the latest su binary from twrp

alray said:
latest known bug free version of twrp is 2.6.3.3/.4 thats why we always recommend using this version.
that is for the M8 but same thing apply for the M7:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKGKlkJRroQ#t=122
or flash the latest su binary from twrp
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used to install the latest binary within twrp and it never asked me to do so. Now I got root access again Can I flash my stock recovery again?

ArmyMan007 said:
I used to install the latest binary within twrp and it never asked me to do so. Now I got root access again Can I flash my stock recovery again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes you can flash your stock recovery again, might be a good idea to do a nandroid backup of your current config before flashing back the stock recovery.
Code:
fastboot flash recovery name_of_recovery.img
fastboot erase cache
fastboot reboot

alray said:
yes you can flash your stock recovery again, might be a good idea to do a nandroid backup of your current config before flashing back the stock recovery.
Code:
fastboot flash recovery name_of_recovery.img
fastboot erase cache
fastboot reboot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will do! Thanks a bunch!!!