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Moto x dev edt. Root/OTA root question.

Hey guys. At what point do you lose the ability to OTA update? Is it when you unlock your bootloader or when you install custom recovery and SuperSU?

yankeesfan714 said:
Hey guys. At what point do you lose the ability to OTA update? Is it when you unlock your bootloader or when you install custom recovery and SuperSU?
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I've had no issues updating OTA while rooted and unlocked. It only becomes an issue if you modify the system. You will also not be able to update OTA if you have a custom recovery installed. However, to play it completely safe it is always best to go back to stock if you are doing an OTA.

Installing a custom recovery and messing with system apps will cause an ota to fail. Unlocking and SU alone won't make it fail

Leave system apps alone and flash back to the stock recovery prior to accepting the ota.

yankeesfan714 said:
Hey guys. At what point do you lose the ability to OTA update? Is it when you unlock your bootloader or when you install custom recovery and SuperSU?
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Since the OTA can only install via stock recovery, installing a custom recovery is technically the point at which you lose the ability to do an OTA update.
to quote SOME of what I put here -> http://mark.cdmaforums.com/MotoX-OTA.html
For the Motorola X, the OTA's are incremental updates. You must be on a specific previous ROM, and "step up." To put it another way... to take the 4.4.2 OTA, your phone needs to be on 4.4. To take the 4.4 OTA, your phone needs to be on the 4.2.2 w/camera fix version. To take the 4.2.2 w/camera fix OTA, your phone needs to be on the initial shipping ROM version.
Inside the OTA is a manifest file. It contains a list of files and their check sums it expects to be on your phone. If the files are missing, or the check sum for a particular file doesn't match (because you've replaced or altered the file), the OTA will fall.
Because of #2, you must be "stock." Any bloat you deleted, needs to be put back. Any apps you froze with Titanium Backup or the like, may need to be unfrozen. Apps disabled via the phone's Settings -> Applications -> [select app] -> [disable] can remain disabled and should not impact the update.
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So any any point you deviate from stock too much, an OTA will fail to install.
(there is more info at that link)
If all you have done is unlocked the bootloader, flashed custom recovery, and installed SuperSU to root... then installed root capable apps like Adfree, Wifi Tether for root, Greenify, or others that don't mess with system files and the like, you can just flash stock recovery back on to take an OTA.
If you unlock the bootloader, flash custom recovery, and install SuperSU to root... then alter the build.prop, remove or rename the BLOAT APK's from your phone, install Xposed, etc. You'll have some work to do getting back to "stock" to take the OTA.

KidJoe said:
Since the OTA can only install via stock recovery, installing a custom recovery is technically the point at which you lose the ability to do an OTA update.
to quote SOME of what I put here -> http://mark.cdmaforums.com/MotoX-OTA.html
So any any point you deviate from stock too much, an OTA will fail to install.
(there is more info at that link)
If all you have done is unlocked the bootloader, flashed custom recovery, and installed SuperSU to root... then installed root capable apps like Adfree, Wifi Tether for root, Greenify, or others that don't mess with system files and the like, you can just flash stock recovery back on to take an OTA.
If you unlock the bootloader, flash custom recovery, and install SuperSU to root... then alter the build.prop, remove or rename the BLOAT APK's from your phone, install Xposed, etc. You'll have some work to do getting back to "stock" to take the OTA.
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Does this also apply to moto x non-dev devices?

dmonleo said:
Does this also apply to moto x non-dev devices?
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Yes. Every device with an unlocked bootloader is essentially a 'non official' Dev edition (although unlike the Dev edition, your warranty is void).

We always got "swappa"!

dmonleo said:
Does this also apply to moto x non-dev devices?
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While Not Explicitly stated on -> http://mark.cdmaforums.com/MotoX-OTA.html yes, that info about the conditions for taking an OTA applies to ALL Moto X's... Dev Edition, Non-Dev Edition, Moto Maker, Retail, etc. With locked bootloader and with Unlocked Bootloader.
What @samwathegreat replied to you is very accurate. From a functional stand point, once you unlock the bootloader on a Non-Dev Edition... your phone acts as if you have a Dev Edition.. (Except your warranty is void). And it doesn't matter if you have a Rogers Wireless, Sprint, GSM Unlocked, etc... and got your code from Moto, or you had a Verizon Non-Dev or ATT or Republic wireless and got the code from the Chinese website or middleman.

Will Lollipop include a new bootloader?

I have an xt1053 with unlocked bootloader, root, and TWRP. When Lollipop is released for moto x, will I lose all that and have to unlock again? What are the risks of updating?

Maybe, probably, who knows. I make it a point to never accept OTAs. Within a day or two devs will capture it, work it over, and release a version that is safe to flash. Just be patient one it's released.

OTA will always break root so you have to re-root. It does not relock your bootloader so you don't have to re-unlock.
If you have an unlocked bootloader there's usually no reason to avoid OTA. only those who have root with locked bootloader avoid OTAs since they risk not getting back root. Unlocked means you can flash custom recovery which means you can get root back.
BUT: You should always revert to stock recovery before taking OTA. doing it while carrying custom recovery will at the very least result in failed OTA, or worse.... So just revert to stock, take ota and thereby losing root, flash custom recover, flash superSU and have root back.
* So obviously this means you shouldn't take OTA unless you have the appropriate stock recovery on hand to flash back to stock.
xt5300 is an HP Pavilion Notebook PC. I think you mean xt1053.

dtg7 said:
xt5300 is an HP Pavilion Notebook PC. I think you mean xt1053.
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Doh! That's what happens when I don't get sleep. Edited to fix. Ty

How to root UK moto x (xt1052)

Hi there, I have a UK moto x model xt1052. I am looking to root and flash custom ROMs onto my device, but am concerned that I will brick the device by using a method intended for a different model of moto x.
The UK moto x was shipped with android 4.4.2, later updated to 4.4.4 so there are no earlier builds of android to downgrade to.
Any help will be appreciated.
Timsteels

Figure out if you can, and want to unlock your bootloader.... Then go to the One Stop Shop root thread sticky at the top of the general section. It has all your options.
---------- Post added at 07:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:30 PM ----------
And root methods have nothing to do with your model. It mostly has to do with locked or unlocked bootloader state.

timsteels said:
Hi there, I have a UK moto x model xt1052. I am looking to root and flash custom ROMs onto my device, but am concerned that I will brick the device by using a method intended for a different model of moto x.
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Process to root the X is the same whether you have an XT1052, XT1053, XT1056, XT1060, etc. As KJ said, with 4.4.4 its all about can you unlock your bootloader or not. (and do you mind voiding your warranty doing so since you don't have a Developer Edition X).
See the One Stop Shop thread, in particular this post -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/mot...-confusion-t2826159/post54671918#post54671918
timsteels said:
The UK moto x was shipped with android 4.4.2, later updated to 4.4.4 so there are no earlier builds of android to downgrade to.
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And you do NOT WANT TO DOWNGRADE!!!!! Doing so you will risk bricking your phone now, or when you later take an OTA. There are many warnings posted in the forums to not downgrade, and many threads started by those who have ignored the warnings and tried to downgrade and have bricked their phones!!!
Besides that, two key parts, GPT.Bin (partition table), and Motoboot.img (contains bootloader, TZ and a few other parts) will NOT downgrade successfully once on 4.4.2, 4.4.3 or 4.4.4. so any past exploits requiring the older roms wont work anyway.

So unlocking the boot loader is the same process as the us variants of the moto x? I just don't want to turn my phone into a paperweight! I'm not too worried about the warranty, as I am usually careful with my phones.

Unlocking and recovery and ROOT is all the same on any X. What matters is Android version (cause locked 4.4.4 guys can't root in any way), locked or unlocked bootloader and that's about it.
An unlocked X is the same no matter a Dev Edition or any other. All the same.
As far as bricking... The only time that's a giant threat is trying to downgrade. Not saying an X has never been bricked another way, cause everything we do has some risk to it. But most issues are curable.

Ok thanks for the info! And in terms of custom roms, do I need to install one built for the xt1052, or will other ones also work?

That is not something I know about. Never flashed one. Just stock and gravity box.
Read the opening post of rom threads, should have what devices it's for. ?

Ok thanks again! Is there much point in installing the exposed framework or anything similar?

I think many rooted X members here use Gravity Box while on stock rom... So they can customize some things. ?

Ok cool. I will have a look and decide if I want to go ahead. Thanks for all the assistance

timsteels said:
Ok thanks again! Is there much point in installing the exposed framework or anything similar?
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Many root, install Xposed and some modules to customize their phone rather than running any Custom Roms because the custom roms often lose the Moto features like the notifications and such.

Ok and if I root, unlock bootloader and install xposed, will my phone still receive the ota updates? Or is it a case of reversing the procedure to get the ota updates?

timsteels said:
Ok and if I root, unlock bootloader and install xposed, will my phone still receive the ota updates? Or is it a case of reversing the procedure to get the ota updates?
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First you can't install an OTA with a custom recovery (like TWRP, CWM, Philz) on the phone. You'll get stuck in a boot loop.
Next, in every OTA there is a "pre-validation check" (a manifest file which contains a list of items to be checked and a SHA type hash code for a type of check sum verification of each part/file its looking at.)
Anything that alters your phone from what the Pre-Validation check is looking for will cause the OTA to fail. So if you modify or remove and system files, have the wrong recovery, etc., those parts would not pass the pre-validation check so the OTA would fail.
Xposed also needs to be disabled, or it will cause the OTA's pre-validation checks to fail.
So it really comes down to what you do after you root.
If you flash TWRP, Root, install Xposed and a few modules, and nothing else, then to take an OTA, you'll need to disable Xposed (there is a flashable zip on your /SDcard to do this), then flash stock recovery.img back on your phone, then you can take the OTA. Once the OTA is successfully installed, you can re-flash custom recovery, re-root if necessary, and re-enable Xposed.
If you rename/delete/modify files from /system (like some do to get rid of bloat), you'll need to un-do that.
If you're like me, I just unlocked, rooted, and installed apps that use root (like Root Explorer, Greenify, Wifi Tether for root), so all I do is flash stock recovery on, take the OTA, and if I lost root, flash TWRP and re-root.
For more see -> http://mark.cdmaforums.com/MotoX-OTA.html

Ok that's good to know. I'll have a think about it. I may wait until lollipop comes out for the moto x.

Lollipop preparation advice needed

Hi all, I was wondering if it would be less of a hassle to keep my BL unlocked Moto X stock until Lollipop OTA comes out OR if it might actually be harder to install recovery, root, etc when 5.0 is on the phone? IIRC KK made some changes that caused hassles on rooting, recovery install for some phones. I have Dev Edition, thanks

Although lollipop is making it difficult to root, you would still be able to unlock your BL on lollipop. Since it appears you don't have a need to root right now, I would just wait until lollipop. The reason to wait is if you install a recovery or freeze apps, you won't be able to install OTA until you restore stock recovery etc.
As long as you have an unlocked / unlockable BL, you will always be able to install a custom recovery / root.

PsychoKilla666 said:
Hi all, I was wondering if it would be less of a hassle to keep my BL unlocked Moto X stock until Lollipop OTA comes out OR if it might actually be harder to install recovery, root, etc when 5.0 is on the phone? IIRC KK made some changes that caused hassles on rooting, recovery install for some phones. I have Dev Edition, thanks
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it depends.
With an unlocked bootloader we should continue to be able to flash a custom recovery, and custom rom.
However, there are several unknowns right now, including when will we see Lollipop for the X? Which variant of the 2013 X (Dev vs ATT vs VZW vs Sprint, etc) will get it first? When will soak tests start? When will the carriers finally push it, etc?
Then we don't know how hard or easy it will be to root. At first a custom kernel was needed to root Lollipop, but now it seems Chainfire has found away around that http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/1...w-to-root-lollipop-without-a-modified-kernel/ Until we see L on a 2013 X, we wont know for sure.
In any case, its always less hassle to keep your phone STOCK if you want to take an OTA. The OTA's need stock recovery on the phone in order to install. Also, diverting from stock can mean changes which will cause the OTA's pre-flash validation checks to fail, and the OTA to not install.

US Cellular is STILL on 4.4.2 lol 5.0 seems a hundred miles away still. Glad I'm unlocked, rooted and stock (Xposed Gravitybox) best combo IMHO.

[Q] Jellybean to Lollipop

I've searched and found variations on these questions in other posts, but I didn't come across any pertaining quite to my situation, so I wanted advice before I do something wrong and brick my phone.
I have a Sprint Moto X, unlocked & rooted, running 4.2.2 (I think pre-camera update). I'd like to upgrade to stock Sprint Lollipop (when it comes out) & stay unlocked & rooted.
My understanding of the steps that need to be taken:
1. Unroot my device
2. Re-lock my device
3. Flash TWRP and boot to recovery
4. Flash stock Sprint Lollipop
5. Unlock, then re-root device
Is any of this extraneous, or am I leaving anything out? Do I need to upgrade to KitKat before going to Lollipop?
I also have Xposed installed and I have tweaked the PRL on my device ... this shouldn't complicate the upgrade, right?

Relocking is useless, and unless you know what you're doing, flashing stock updates in custom recovery shouldn't be done. You don't necessarily need to unroot either, just make sure all stock system files are still in place.
Sent from my Moto X

imnuts said:
Relocking is useless, and unless you know what you're doing, flashing stock updates in custom recovery shouldn't be done. You don't necessarily need to unroot either, just make sure all stock system files are still in place.
Sent from my Moto X
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i have a sprint X and if i am going to update this is how i have allways done it with no issues at all.
you can leave your bootloader unlocked that is no a issue. but i always take OTA's and you cant take a OTA with a modded system. so i allways just flash my stock firmware package. that way it removes my custom recovery. Root, and all Xposed changes. Then i take the OTA and just reinstall TWRP, then SuperSU then what ever else you want.
this is the safest way i have found to update, the nice thing about Unlocked Sprint phones is we can easily Root are phones via TWRP and SuperSu.
just my .02 you can do it how ever you like but this is how i am going to do it when the OTA finally comes out if it ever does.