Database Develop

New to rooting

I am new to rooting and have been wanting to root my ATT N900A but I honestly have no idea where to start or where to learn the basics. I have read a lot of the forums to try and learn most of it on my own but the lingo has been quite the challenge, some users say things I've never heard of and kind of already advanced more than what I have actually learned. Is there someone who can help me out with my rooting and learning about it all? Please and thank you

Floridaa said:
I am new to rooting and have been wanting to root my ATT N900A but I honestly have no idea where to start or where to learn the basics. I have read a lot of the forums to try and learn most of it on my own but the lingo has been quite the challenge, some users say things I've never heard of and kind of already advanced more than what I have actually learned. Is there someone who can help me out with my rooting and learning about it all? Please and thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you honestly try a search here? I mean just looking down the list of threads I can count 5+ related to your question with answers. But let me humor you here. What version is your baseband? The last three letters. If they are MJ5 then Google Kingo Root and use it. If they are anything else then you will need to look for the Da la verga method.
To find your baseband go to settings, general, about device.

what is your purpose for rooting. I'm afraid you'll just brick your phone..

billaboy25 said:
what is your purpose for rooting. I'm afraid you'll just brick your phone..
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Click to collapse
Exactly. Rooting for no purpose other than to be rooted (which won't do anything for you if that's the only reason you're doing it) is throwing your warranty away for no reason, even if you don't damage the phone.

Solarenemy68 said:
Did you honestly try a search here? I mean just looking down the list of threads I can count 5+ related to your question with answers. But let me humor you here. What version is your baseband? The last three letters. If they are ML5 then Google Kingo Root and use it. If they are anything else then you will need to look for the Da la verga method.
To find your baseband go to settings, general, about device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I rooted my MJ5 Baseband with Kingo Root.
---------- Post added at 11:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:30 PM ----------
Rukbat said:
Exactly. Rooting for no purpose other than to be rooted (which won't do anything for you if that's the only reason you're doing it) is throwing your warranty away for no reason, even if you don't damage the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can always reset the phone back to original factory settings (if you don't trip Knox Counter) and they will never know you rooted.

StormChaser83 said:
You can always reset the phone back to original factory settings (if you don't trip Knox Counter) and they will never know you rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you root your phone for no reason other than to be able to say "I rooted my phone", then you unroot it.
Net result? Five minutes of your life that you'll never get back.
Maybe I'm missing something here, but why would anyone want to waste effort doing something that makes absolutely no difference once it's done? Is there some kind of thrill in having a rooted phone that I missed?

I also used Kingo. it was a no brainer...

Rukbat said:
So you root your phone for no reason other than to be able to say "I rooted my phone", then you unroot it.
Net result? Five minutes of your life that you'll never get back.
Maybe I'm missing something here, but why would anyone want to waste effort doing something that makes absolutely no difference once it's done? Is there some kind of thrill in having a rooted phone that I missed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It takes like 5 minutes. You press the Root button then go do something for 5 minutes. No time wasted. . You do 2 things at once. . LOL

I guess I still don't get it. Press the button, the phone is rooted. You never install rooted apps so ... what's the point? Ir is that the point, that there is no point?

Rukbat said:
I guess I still don't get it. Press the button, the phone is rooted. You never install rooted apps so ... what's the point? Ir is that the point, that there is no point?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not rooted now. Honestly, i do see your point. . I'm sure people root just to say they are rooted. lol. . . When i got my Galaxy S3 last february I rooted. I didn't know what to do with it. . . (I have a Galaxy Note 3 now). I rooted my GN3 a while back just to uninstall the bloatware, but then my phone started screwing up, so i had to reset it. So now most of those bloatware apps are just disabled.

Floridaa said:
I am new to rooting and have been wanting to root my ATT N900A but I honestly have no idea where to start or where to learn the basics. I have read a lot of the forums to try and learn most of it on my own but the lingo has been quite the challenge, some users say things I've never heard of and kind of already advanced more than what I have actually learned. Is there someone who can help me out with my rooting and learning about it all? Please and thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Clearly you are looking for someone to do it for you, no effort on your part.
Look what happens when I copy paste your question into xda search
http://forum.xda-developers.com/sitesearch.php?q=root my ATT N900A

StormChaser83 said:
I'm not rooted now. Honestly, i do see your point. . I'm sure people root just to say they are rooted. lol. . . When i got my Galaxy S3 last february I rooted. I didn't know what to do with it. . . (I have a Galaxy Note 3 now). I rooted my GN3 a while back just to uninstall the bloatware, but then my phone started screwing up, so i had to reset it. So now most of those bloatware apps are just disabled.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I rooted my Galaxy Precedent (the hard way, with adb), just to be able to feel as if I was in a Linux environment, not having everything fenced off from me. I must have also put about a dozen different ROMs on that thing. Tried lots of iffy apps too. But for $40? Not much of a loss if I could never get it working again. (It still works, I just don't use Sprint any more. And for what a used Precedent is worth, I'd rather keep it.)
My N3? Tried Kingo, just to see if it worked. Undid it a few minutes later. I can't think of anything I need root for. Not even TiB. I have all my apps backed up, and my data isn't anything like "deathless prose", so if I lose track of my Solitaire game, I won't lose any sleep. Documents, scans, pictures - all backed up off the phone.
My only "deviation from the norm" is that this phone WILL NOT get updated to 4.4x until the OTA's been out for a few months, and no one screams that it ate their phone. I don't want to be like the people with S3s who jumped on 4.3, only to have expensive mp3 players. And if KitKat turns out to be as thrilling </sarcasm> as I've heard, I won't even bother then. About the only thing I can't do with the N3 is watch live TV, and that's my current cab;e company's fault - I could before I moved and had to change companies.
But root? Not until something comes along that I really need, and that needs root. (There's even a non-root replacement for wireshark.)

What's needed to work on the Bootloader

What are we needing in order to figure out how to unlock or bypass the AT&T Bootloader?
I downloaded the stock files and have the aboot.mbn and the sbl1/sdi.mdn files. I have never worked on bootloader files before, but have some experience modding kernel and ROM level code.
This may be ignorant on my part - but since we have the files, couldn't we open and manipulate the code that is currently restricting 3rd party recoveries, kernels and ROMS?
What is needed? And/or, could we not utilize the modified bootloaders from another device with similar architecture? Perhaps like the Note 3 or even the S4; not to mention the T-Mobile S5? Since the T-Mobile and AT&T versions of all Samsung phones are almost identical, I would assume that would be the easist route - at least to help determine the differences that are restricting our device.....
Let me know if anyone needs these files or has info on what to look for within them.... I'm happy to mod anything on my end.
Thanks !

Because it is locked we can't just flash over it with another one due to signatures and miss match.
Need to research into the os and associated code to find an exploit that can be used like safestrap.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

TheArtiszan said:
Because it is locked we can't just flash over it with another one due to signatures and miss match.
Need to research into the os and associated code to find an exploit that can be used like safestrap.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or if someone that works at AT&T or Samsung would be nice enough to leak a signing key or a signed unlocked bootloader.

Key from Tmobile S5
T-mobile S5 is rooted. Can we find the signing key used for Tmobile phones? Is there is a remote chance keys are same?
Will recoveries on Tmobile and ATT phone be same?

yoonus said:
T-mobile S5 is rooted. Can we find the signing key used for Tmobile phones? Is there is a remote chance keys are same?
Will recoveries on Tmobile and ATT phone be same?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats a good question. I wonder if we know how many keys the S5 will accept for signed updates? I.e. Is there a Samsung and a AT&T key for all S5's or is it per model or is it derived somehow from the IEMI.

Why would the developers even waste their time on the AT&T S5? They know the story behind it. Same ol' thing. I would rather have them actually develop roms on the T-Mobile S5, which we all can use btw, instead of wasting time on trying to unlock the bootloader. If it could be hacked, it would have, LONG AGO!

yoonus said:
T-mobile S5 is rooted. Can we find the signing key used for Tmobile phones? Is there is a remote chance keys are same?
Will recoveries on Tmobile and ATT phone be same?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How would the key used for the G900T be helpful? Its not like the key is on some partition somewhere

MattMJB0188 said:
Why would the developers even waste their time on the AT&T S5? They know the story behind it. Same ol' thing. I would rather have them actually develop roms on the T-Mobile S5, which we all can use btw, instead of wasting time on trying to unlock the bootloader. If it could be hacked, it would have, LONG AGO!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well to be fair, if you took the best developers and hardware/software hackers in the world and put them in a room with an amazing salary.. it would be hacked..
So lets not say that its impossible. It is just extremely difficult and beyond the scope of the few developers (if any) that are still around trying to crack into it. The problem is that there aren't that many people that just want to sit around trying to figure out a way to make it work, they would rather move to different phones and carriers instead, because its just overall easier.

MattMJB0188 said:
Why would the developers even waste their time on the AT&T S5? They know the story behind it. Same ol' thing. I would rather have them actually develop roms on the T-Mobile S5, which we all can use btw, instead of wasting time on trying to unlock the bootloader. If it could be hacked, it would have, LONG AGO!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, hate to burst anyone's bubble who has a G900A, but it's not going to happen... EVER. Options are to hold out for a developer edition phone from Samsung or get a T-mobile version... which is exactly the same thing minus the restrictions. Or if you are pissed at AT&T, just find another carrier. Maybe if there was enough churn from this, they would stop doing it.

enigma99a said:
Yep, hate to burst anyone's bubble who has a G900A, but it's not going to happen... EVER. Options are to hold out for a developer edition phone from Samsung or get a T-mobile version... which is exactly the same thing minus the restrictions. Or if you are pissed at AT&T, just find another carrier. Maybe if there was enough churn from this, they would stop doing it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The s5 will get root same as the s4 did. People just need to be patient. There is definitely a dev that is working to unlock this thing. Everyone said the same thing about the s4 and now look

enigma99a said:
Yep, hate to burst anyone's bubble who has a G900A, but it's not going to happen... EVER. Options are to hold out for a developer edition phone from Samsung or get a T-mobile version... which is exactly the same thing minus the restrictions. Or if you are pissed at AT&T, just find another carrier. Maybe if there was enough churn from this, they would stop doing it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
People like you make me laugh. Not even 2 weeks after release and you're already declaring the device will NEVER get root. Lol.

karmuh said:
People like you make me laugh. Not even 2 weeks after release and you're already declaring the device will NEVER get root. Lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea I don't think its fair to say it "will never" or "cannot be" done.

PunchLick said:
Yea I don't think its fair to say it "will never" or "cannot be" done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. It can be done and it will be done. Anyone thinking otherwise is pretty naive. But then again, it's expected from those who don't even have the AT&T model, but continue to post in the AT&T section.

nbrent1007 said:
The s5 will get root same as the s4 did. People just need to be patient. There is definitely a dev that is working to unlock this thing. Everyone said the same thing about the s4 and now look
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This thread is about the boot loader, not getting root.
---------- Post added at 09:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:04 PM ----------
PunchLick said:
Yea I don't think its fair to say it "will never" or "cannot be" done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. Again, there is a difference from root and unlocking the bootloader. I was referring to the bootloader as that's what this thread is discussing. I never said it was impossible, it is quite possible just takes a lot of hard work. My prediction is that it will never be fully unlocked.

enigma99a said:
This thread is about the boot loader, not getting root.
---------- Post added at 09:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:04 PM ----------
No. Again, there is a difference from root and unlocking the bootloader. I was referring to the bootloader as that's what this thread is discussing. I never said it was impossible, it is quite possible just takes a lot of hard work. My prediction is that it will never be fully unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't want to even have to worry about if it will or not, because I don't know who or how many are working on an exploit..
That's why I am switching to the One M8, but either way if/when something does change I may switch back.. I just would rather have fun now!

PunchLick said:
I don't want to even have to worry about if it will or not, because I don't know who or how many are working on an exploit..
That's why I am switching to the One M8, but either way if/when something does change I may switch back.. I just would rather have fun now!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can always put in a bounty in the Verizon thread. So devs like myself who have experience cracking and exploiting might show some interest

enigma99a said:
You can always put in a bounty in the Verizon thread. So devs like myself who have experience cracking and exploiting might show some interest
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Id rather just not worry about it.
I do love Samsung, but HTC is the ethical choice.
Another one might be moving to TMO, but we shall seeee.......

PunchLick said:
Id rather just not worry about it.
I do love Samsung, but HTC is the ethical choice.
Another one might be moving to TMO, but we shall seeee.......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1. Loved Sammy but went to M8.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using xda app-developers app

enigma99a said:
You can always put in a bounty in the Verizon thread. So devs like myself who have experience cracking and exploiting might show some interest
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that bounty is up there pretty high already just sayin

cyberace1985 said:
that bounty is up there pretty high already just sayin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the problem is SELinux is an extremely tough nut to crack(and I'm guessing you could easily get a six figure payday for an unknown SELinux/PaX kernel exploit in the black market at this point). Pretty much every linux kernel vulnerability exploit code I've seen fails on all of my boxes with SELinux, PAX and hardened GCC(one of these protection mechanisms always ends up killing the exploit before it can deliver its payload). Do we know exactly what SELinux and PAX(if any) features were enabled in the .config that Samsung used to compile the kernel (and if a hardened toolchain was used for the userland)? At least from what I've seen a properly configured SELinux box with Pax and hardened GCC is one of the toughest boxes to crack. I guess what we can hope for is that someone at Samsung did something stupid otherwise its quite possible we could be waiting for awhile(unless a key or signed unlocked bootloader leaks).
(edit: This applies to getting root through a kernel exploit.(Although with SELinux that isn't enough you need to not only be UID0 root but you also have to switch the role to sysadm_r. The bootloader I'm not 100 percent sure on the secure boot process but my understanding from reading other dev's threads is that this will be even harder than getting a root escalation in the SELinux kernel). Although if we could crack the bl we could just inject root easily.

[Q] Bought a seemingly rooted phone on Swappa and I'm concerned...

OK, I'm going to start by saying I know pretty much nothing about rooting and I may come across as a paranoid conspiracy nut, but here goes.
I recently bought a Note 3 on Swappa. In the description, the seller said that he had removed all of the AT&T Bloatware, but the phone was not rooted. He also stated that a system reset would restore the AT&T apps. Well, the first thing I did was a system restore, but the AT&T apps were still gone. Not that I care about the apps really, but it seemed weird.
Today, I downloaded the "Root Checker" app on the Play Store and it told me that my phone was, in fact, rooted. I also downloaded SuperU and it verified that as well. I've also gotten Titanium Backup (Root) and it shows I'm rooted.
I posted a message on my sale page at Swappa mentioning this, but the seller is adamantly denying that the phone is rooted. He says they use their "own process" to remove the bloatware.
My question in all of this is is this: Is this something I should be concerned about? The seller seems less than honest about the phone being rooted. He is a "trusted seller" which is one reason I bought from him, but I'm super paranoid that there might be something on my phone that I'm unaware of. (a keylogging app, etc...) Is there any way to tell this? How do I go about truly returning my phone back to its original state? I system reset didn't unroot it.
Any advice from people out there much more knowledgeable than me about this?
EDIT: well, I took andygev35's advice and restored back to factory. However, I enjoyed playing around with the things that being rooted allowed, so I re-did it. A huge waste of time? Maybe, but at least I have some peace of mind over the whole thing now. Thanks to everyone!

If you're worried about anything unsavory that may be hidden on your phone, you could always restore back to factory condition using the guide and files in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2838117
Sent from my AT&T Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk®

andygev35 said:
If you're worried about anything unsavory that may be hidden on your phone, you could always restore back to factory condition using the guide and files in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2838117
Sent from my AT&T Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk®
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, and holy crap - just glancing at that it looks like a total pain in the ass. This is why I never bothered to root in the first place. Do you think I'm being too paranoid? Or is is worth doing all this?

It's actually quite simple. I know it may look overwhelming at first glance, but there's really nothing to it. Basically the easiest method is to use the all-in-one file. Just download that, put your phone in download mode, plug it into your computer, run the Odin program, place the all-in-one file in the AP slot in Odin and click start.
Sent from my AT&T Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk®

andygev35 said:
It's actually quite simple. I know it may look overwhelming at first glance, but there's really nothing to it. Basically the easiest method is to use the all-in-one file. Just download that, put your phone in download mode, plug it into your computer, run the Odin program, place the all-in-one file in the AP slot in Odin and click start.
Sent from my AT&T Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk®
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK. I may do this when I get home. Thanks.

Honestly though I do feel you're probably worrying over nothing.. But I'd go back to stock so you can obtain updates if you desire
Sent from my XT907 using XDA Free mobile app

mrkhigh said:
Honestly though I do feel you're probably worrying over nothing.. But I'd go back to stock so you can obtain updates if you desire
Sent from my XT907 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree it's probably nothing to worry about, but if he's anything like me, any doubt I have will always be there somewhere in the back of my mind nagging at me [emoji15]. Restoring wipes out any of that doubt.
Sent from my AT&T Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk®

Don't Worry, Be Happy
Why wouldn't anyone want access to the root files in THEIR phone ???
You have root access to your PC or Mac, why would anyone want a provider to lock down their phone making things inaccessible.
You're not renting the phone, it's Yours (always try and have root access if possible).
google up moborobo and download it, its free and gives u full access to your phone, please download it and check it out -
You will love all the stuff you can do with a rooted N3 -

andygev35 said:
I agree it's probably nothing to worry about, but if he's anything like me, any doubt I have will always be there somewhere in the back of my mind nagging at me [emoji15]. Restoring wipes out any of that doubt.
Sent from my AT&T Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk®
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess what bugs me the most is that the seller INSISTS that it wasn't rooted, when it clearly is. Its a "methinks he doth protest too much" situation. If he just owned up to it, I'd be less paranoid. If he can't be honest about the obvious, it makes me worry about the less obvious.
I've learned a little, and I'm kind of digging some of the options available now that I know its rooted. Considering spending this Saturday to restoring it back to "normal" and then maybe re-rooting it to have some of the things that I now realize I kind of want. I'm kind of worried I'm going to funk it up though... Jailbreaking seemed to be a much easier process, and harder to screw up.

Since we now have nc2 Odin files you are relatively safe in doing a restore.
Sent from my XT907 using XDA Free mobile app

ThePorter said:
I guess what bugs me the most is that the seller INSISTS that it wasn't rooted, when it clearly is. Its a "methinks he doth protest too much" situation. If he just owned up to it, I'd be less paranoid. If he can't be honest about the obvious, it makes me worry about the less obvious.
I've learned a little, and I'm kind of digging some of the options available now that I know its rooted. Considering spending this Saturday to restoring it back to "normal" and then maybe re-rooting it to have some of the things that I now realize I kind of want. I'm kind of worried I'm going to funk it up though... Jailbreaking seemed to be a much easier process, and harder to screw up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too am a former Jailbreaker and am so glad I jumped the fence out of Apple's walled garden. I do have to say, at least Apple readily provides the latest firmware for their devices. I can't understand why AT&T won't let Sammy publish our Odin files. As @mrkhigh stated, we DO now have the Odin files (probably gained in some nefarious manner by a sympathizing Best Buy employee), so now you can safely let the experimenting begin without worry.
Sent from my AT&T Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk®

I'm curious to find out if it is actually a clone... The HDC Galaxy Note 3 is a damn good clone of the real thing and it ships rooted. They are pretty cheap and can fool almost anyone... If it is a clone, he might have been selling it to make more than he spent and didn't know it's rooted.
If it's not, it is possible that he either bought it from someone else and didn't know that it is rooted, or it is a stolen device.
I would call AT&T and give them the IMEI number to check that. Do not mention root or anything like that, just ask them to check it to see if it's flagged.

graydiggy said:
I'm curious to find out if it is actually a clone... The HDC Galaxy Note 3 is a damn good clone of the real thing and it ships rooted. They are pretty cheap and can fool almost anyone... If it is a clone, he might have been selling it to make more than he spent and didn't know it's rooted.
If it's not, it is possible that he either bought it from someone else and didn't know that it is rooted, or it is a stolen device.
I would call AT&T and give them the IMEI number to check that. Do not mention root or anything like that, just ask them to check it to see if it's flagged.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty sure it's a real AT&T - I took it to the store and had them check the IMHO when I had it activated. I finally just uprooted and flashed the 4.4.2 stock on it (I'm learning the terminology here so hope that's right) from the first post.
The guy is a trusted seller and has sold tons of phones in Swappa. He advertises on all the Samsung at&t phones that he removes the bloatware but does NOT root the phone. But, it was.
In the end, I'm happy with the phone. Seller was less than honest about his process and hopefully he didn't steal all my bank info, haha, but the phone works great.

You have to root to remove all bloatware...
---------- Post added at 10:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:32 AM ----------
Good to know though. *cheers*

Yeah, I asked him about that and he said they "have their own process to remove bloatware" that does not require root".
Like I said, he was a little squirrely about it.

ThePorter said:
Yeah, I asked him about that and he said they "have their own process to remove bloatware" that does not require root".
Like I said, he was a little squirrely about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im sure its probably because he sells a lot of devices and didn't realize the one he sold had root.
Then when he talked to u he realized that u r uneducated about the subject so he thought he would bs u.
Of course one would have to have root access to remove root files.
I still don't understand why ur making such a big fuss?
If u don't feel like u lucked out, (like the rest of us do) just send the flipping thing back!
Did you download free moborobo?

Before he downloads that app... Excuse me... Complete PC suite.
Why do you think he needs it? I haven't seen anything on XDA about it, other than from you. And most everything I find on google/YouTube is Arabic, Chinese and Japanese.
It seems you are trying to advert it to new users that are unknowing and willing to take advice from most anyone.
I can give 2 things right now that are the same thing and one of them does not require a full PC suite.
Oh... And they are well known on XDA to be safe to use.

graydiggy said:
Before he downloads that app... Excuse me... Complete PC suite.
Why do you think he needs it? I haven't seen anything on XDA about it, other than from you. And most everything I find on google/YouTube is Arabic, Chinese and Japanese.
It seems you are trying to advert it to new users that are unknowing and willing to take advice from most anyone.
I can give 2 things right now that are the same thing and one of them does not require a full PC suite.
Oh... And they are well known on XDA to be safe to use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, you're right. I looked at it but it seems to be completely unnecessary.

Just a general reminder, use of unknown applications can be dangerous. Please use caution in downloading, using or recommending anything you don't know to be safe.

Stryke_the_Orc said:
Just a general reminder, use of unknown applications can be dangerous. Please use caution in downloading, using or recommending anything you don't know to be safe.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excuse me but this is not an unknown app, it has been around for years and works wonderfully !!!
I have been using it since I got my N3 at thanksgiving and it works great, installs downloaded apk files in a snap, allows you easy navigation to your entire phone.Doesn't spam you. It just works great. I'm only recommending it because I have USED it for 9 months, (and you guys can't even google it?)
Since when do mods and forum gurus recommend staying away from something they have never used it, or even spent 10 secs researching ????
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=moborobo+review
I was only trying to help OP out. it is a great and FREE app for rooted devices, sorry for wasting ur time OP -
(ps - I found the software while trying to transfer my contacts and sms messages from my 4s to N3, which worked perfectly and easily, (after trying other stuff). It was after that I discovered how nice it manages everything)

Help prove to my mother that it's extremely hard to brick a Nexus

So I dropped my Galaxy S4 and destroyed the display, rendering it useless. Then I ordered a Nexus 6 and its amazing! I love it. I had rooted my S4 successfully and I had some root apps running, which I came to love and now I'm having trouble to live without them.
I want to root my Nexus 6, but my mom won't let me. She says she wants to learn more about the risks.
I don't understand her reasoning because rooting a Samsung on Verizon is extremely tricky compared to a Nexus, and I was able to do that without any problems. From what I can tell the risk is very low for a Nexus, and it's hard to completely brick as long as you don't go flashing the wrong stuff and I probably won't go flashing anything fancy until there are some more ROMs for Marshmallow. And if I ever do physically break it, its really easy to go back to stock and make it like it was never even messed with. I've tried to tell her this but she won't listen.
If anyone has a minute, can someone confirm and possibly reinforce my statement? I'd love to root this baby in the next few days. Thanks!

zfrnz said:
So I dropped my Galaxy S4 and destroyed the display, rendering it useless. Then I ordered a Nexus 6 and its amazing! I love it. I had rooted my S4 successfully and I had some root apps running, which I came to love and now I'm having trouble to live without them.
I want to root my Nexus 6, but my mom won't let me. She says she wants to learn more about the risks.
I don't understand her reasoning because rooting a Samsung on Verizon is extremely tricky compared to a Nexus, and I was able to do that without any problems. From what I can tell the risk is very low for a Nexus, and it's hard to completely brick as long as you don't go flashing the wrong stuff and I probably won't go flashing anything fancy until there are some more ROMs for Marshmallow. And if I ever do physically break it, its really easy to go back to stock and make it like it was never even messed with. I've tried to tell her this but she won't listen.
If anyone has a minute, can someone confirm and possibly reinforce my statement? I'd love to root this baby in the next few days. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tell her that you won't use a phone with restrictions. Give the phone back. Be strong, don't complain. Just leave the phone alone.

zfrnz said:
So I dropped my Galaxy S4 and destroyed the display, rendering it useless. Then I ordered a Nexus 6 and its amazing! I love it. I had rooted my S4 successfully and I had some root apps running, which I came to love and now I'm having trouble to live without them.
I want to root my Nexus 6, but my mom won't let me. She says she wants to learn more about the risks.
I don't understand her reasoning because rooting a Samsung on Verizon is extremely tricky compared to a Nexus, and I was able to do that without any problems. From what I can tell the risk is very low for a Nexus, and it's hard to completely brick as long as you don't go flashing the wrong stuff and I probably won't go flashing anything fancy until there are some more ROMs for Marshmallow. And if I ever do physically break it, its really easy to go back to stock and make it like it was never even messed with. I've tried to tell her this but she won't listen.
If anyone has a minute, can someone confirm and possibly reinforce my statement? I'd love to root this baby in the next few days. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just tell her your grandma`s phone is rooted too

NLBeev said:
Tell her that you won't use a phone with restrictions. Give the phone back. Be strong, don't complain. Just leave the phone alone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I did that then she would get pissed and just take the phone away... Stock is better than no phone at all. If I give her some evidence then that would most likely do the trick. I've learned that if I go about things in smart ways and don't get angry, I get what I want more often. Thanks though

gee2012 said:
Just tell her your grandma`s phone is rooted too
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol... My grandfather's phone actually is rooted. He's got sprint though and they're better when it comes to fixing rooting.

Your mother is just being cautious. Yeah, the chances of brick on nexus phones are slim, but that depends on how much you know about rooting and such; or how well you can follow instructions to the letter. And, like any other phone, Nexus' can be very expensive to fix if damaged too much (hard brick). Especially with the Marshmallow update, anything can go wrong. If you're confident in what you're doing, go for it. Otherwise, listen to your mother.

zfrnz said:
If I did that then she would get pissed and just take the phone away... Stock is better than no phone at all. If I give her some evidence then that would most likely do the trick. I've learned that if I go about things in smart ways and don't get angry, I get what I want more often. Thanks though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, be consequent, the phone is yours or not. You can not change the idea that there risks. Because there is a risk.
You could change the strategy. The risk is not the rooting process. The risk is the person that roots the phone. Show/tell her that you know all the howto's. You must give the impression you are an expert.

toledodj said:
Your mother is just being cautious. Yeah, the chances of brick on nexus phones are slim, but that depends on how much you know about rooting and such; or how well you can follow instructions to the letter. And, like any other phone, Nexus' can be very expensive to fix if damaged too much (hard brick). Especially with the Marshmallow update, anything can go wrong. If you're confident in what you're doing, go for it. Otherwise, listen to your mother.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah but compared to rooting an S4 a nexus is not risky at all... And wugfresh toolkit works on Marshmallow so that makes it even easier

zfrnz said:
Yeah but compared to rooting an S4 a nexus is not risky at all... And wugfresh toolkit works on Marshmallow so that makes it even easier
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't know the toolkit could now root Marshmallow. I could've sworn using it would brick the phone. If the root toolkit can do it, by all means go for it

toledodj said:
I didn't know the toolkit could now root Marshmallow. I could've sworn using it would brick the phone. If the root toolkit can do it, by all means go for it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This page has mixed answers... One guy said it worked but another got bootloop. But a boot loop is easy to get out of and that seems like the worst thing that happened

zfrnz said:
Yeah but compared to rooting an S4 a nexus is not risky at all... And wugfresh toolkit works on Marshmallow so that makes it even easier
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Last remark. Arguments won't change the idea's of your mother. Tell her you should be very happy when your phone is rooted. Because of the customizing possibilities, like the use of layers.
Happiness is a state of mind and you will remember many many years later the fun of using a smartphone that was rooted. Thanks to your mother.

first off, it is EASY to brick a nexus, especially if you go the toolkit route. why? because when you use a toolkit you never learn how to do anything, like fixing your device, or how to actually root properly. that said, if you do decide to go that way, ill expect to see a thread titled.. "my mom was right about me bricking my n6".

zfrnz said:
This page has mixed answers... But a boot loop is easy to get out of and that seems like the worst thing that happened
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Still a hassle though. Luckily, I've never heard of anyone hard-bricking a nexus
---------- Post added at 01:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:00 PM ----------
simms22 said:
first off, it is EASY to brick a nexus, especially if you go the toolkit route. why? because when you use a toolkit you never learn how to do anything, like fixing your device, or how to actually root properly. that said, if you do decide to go that way, ill expect to see a thread titled.. "my mom was right about me bricking my n6".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In that case, it's always wise to learn both methods. From my experience, as long as you unlock the bootloader and enable USB debugging, the root kit is foolproof

It's possible her concern isn't about bricking but data security risks?
Sent from my P01MA using Tapatalk

toledodj said:
Still a hassle though. Luckily, I've never heard of anyone hard-bricking a nexus
---------- Post added at 01:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:00 PM ----------
In that case, it's always wise to learn both methods. From my experience, as long as you unlock the bootloader and enable USB debugging, the root kit is foolproof
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
both methods? theres is only one right method, pressing a button isnt a method. but, once you learn the proper method, feel free to use a toolkit. the problem is that a lot of newbies use toolkits, then run into easily fixable problems that they cant solve.
and it appears that you dont read much, as very many have bricked their nexus. most common way recently is by running into a bootloop without having your bootloader unlocked nor the option to unlock it enabled. thats a 100% brick, and its happened to very many people.

Not that I'm condoning defying your mom's explicit wishes, but she's not even going to know if you root it. Better to ask forgiveness after than permission before...

If you learn to do everything manually and not use a toolkit then it is quite hard to brick a Nexus device. BUT, I've not rooted my last two (N5 and this N6) as there's no point these days.
Bricking will occur if you try and take a short cut or don't follow instructions.

simms22 said:
both methods? theres is only one right method, pressing a button isnt a method. but, once you learn the proper method, feel free to use a toolkit. the problem is that a lot of newbies use toolkits, then run into easily fixable problems that they cant solve.
and it appears that you dont read much, as very many have bricked their nexus. most common way recently is by running into a bootloop without having your bootloader unlocked nor the option to unlock it enabled. thats a 100% brick, and its happened to very many people.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mentioned unlocking the bootloader and enabling USB debugging when using the root kit

toledodj said:
I mentioned unlocking the bootloader and enabling USB debugging when using the root kit
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
id even unlock my bootloader even if i never rooted.

simms22 said:
id even unlock my bootloader even if i never rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine is always unlocked also

What are the benefits to rooting Tab S2?

ok, i just got a tab s2 from christmas party, and im wondering what are the benefits to rooting the tablet
im all about rooting and all, as my note 5 is rooted running MOAR. And you can check my profile, ive done a good bit of themeing over the past few years.
but as for the Tablet, what good would root serve? should i root or pack it back up and get the gift receipt to exchange it for something else?

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JoeyDuran said:
ok, i just got a tab s2 from christmas party, and im wondering what are the benefits to rooting the tablet
im all about rooting and all, as my note 5 is rooted running MOAR. And you can check my profile, ive done a good bit of themeing over the past few years.
but as for the Tablet, what good would root serve? should i root or pack it back up and get the gift receipt to exchange it for something else?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting this will give you the option to do anything a rooted device can do.

Root it. Then let me know when theme it so I have a desire to root. Wait, you didn't get the 9.7, did you? ?

Basically this, do you want the keys to your house or do want someone else to have them and let them decide which parts of the house you're allowed to access?

ashyx said:
Basically this, do you want the keys to your house or do want someone else to have them and let them decide which parts of the house you're allowed to access?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, it could be argued that rooting in the hands of inexperienced users is a bit like handing the keys to the house to someone else. Plus there are rooms out there that you don't want people wandering into aimlessly. Think cockpit of a jetliner.
For me the main benefits are AdAway, xPosed, Tasker with secure settings, and ability to delete bloat ware rather than freeze it.

GroovyGeek said:
Well, it could be argued that rooting in the hands of inexperienced users is a bit like handing the keys to the house to someone else. Plus there are rooms out there that you don't want people wandering into aimlessly. Think cockpit of a jetliner.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That may have some credibility if you gave your keys to someone else, but I neither do that nor give any of my devices to anyone else to play with.
I'm the pilot, so I'm in the cockpit and in charge of the jet.

ashyx said:
That may have some credibility if you gave your keys to someone else, but I neither do that nor give any of my devices to anyone else to play with.
I'm the pilot, so I'm in the cockpit and in charge of the jet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For you absolutely, for the typical user it is more like buying the budget fare and then being asked to fly the plane. For someone who needs to be told "what is rooting" or asks what it can do for them I would not be so sure the benefits are clear. This is not intended to put down the OP, we all need to learn and some learn by asking the right questions from more experienced users.

GroovyGeek said:
For you absolutely, for the typical user it is more like buying the budget fare and then being asked to fly the plane. For someone who needs to be told "what is rooting" or asks what it can do for them I would not be so sure the benefits are clear. This is not intended to put down the OP, we all need to learn and some learn by asking the right questions from more experienced users.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It comes down to this as far as I'm concerned, you can either be the driver or the passenger. [emoji6]

GroovyGeek said:
Well, it could be argued that rooting in the hands of inexperienced users is a bit like handing the keys to the house to someone else. Plus there are rooms out there that you don't want people wandering into aimlessly. Think cockpit of a jetliner.
For me the main benefits are AdAway, xPosed, Tasker with secure settings, and ability to delete bloat ware rather than freeze it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the most helpful post to answer what the OP was originally asking. After rooting, you can install custom ROMs that could give things like extended battery life or the ability to overclock your processor. It may not need it now, but future applications may refuse to run, or run slowly when installed unless you update your operating system. Samsung will eventually stop providing updates, but often there is support for the device by the XDA community who want to continue to use the tablet long after Samsung "retires" it.
As for right now, I'm leaving my device mostly stock until there becomes a strong reason to root.

Lucas155 said:
As for right now, I'm leaving my device mostly stock until there becomes a strong reason to root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's how I feel too. There's really nothing I need to do now that requires root access.

For me it was worth it just for the Xposed module that allows all apps to be used in multiwindow ?

Ramer said:
Root it. Then let me know when theme it so I have a desire to root. Wait, you didn't get the 9.7, did you? ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry ramer, just seein this...havent been keeping up with xda lately. and i got the 8.0 one

I want to root my new S2 so badly I can hardly stand it because I have a hard time living without AFWall+, AdAway, and Titanium Backup. However, this is my first Samsung device since the Galaxy S2, which had "Triangle Away". Now I'm worried that the thing will break on me within the warranty period and Samsung will refuse to repair it because of the Knox flag.
I'm more curious what the reliability of these tablets has been before I do anything to mine that precludes me from returning it or getting warranty service.

ashyx said:
It comes down to this as far as I'm concerned, you can either be the driver or the passenger. [emoji6]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with this. Rooting gives you the option to kill off ads, really backup the device, install software you want (like an adblocker ), not what google/samsung wants you to install (anything but an adblocker).
For me, it started with rooting, as I wanted a real backup. Now I root stock and run titanium backup, adblock, when there is, xposed with minminguard (even better adblocker) and as soon as I get a build working or someone else beats me to it, I install Lineage (previously known as CyanogenMod) to get rid of all bloat and install the apps I want. (yeah, even opengasps gets that treatment, pico only)
My wife was using my CM Moto G 2014 for a while and when she wanted to replace it, she went for one on which Lineage was available... Having to learn a different way of using the phone was the reason to switch to 1 interface for all. (and the restore of her settings with TB was nice as well )
---------- Post added at 05:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:27 PM ----------
jshamlet said:
I want to root my new S2 so badly I can hardly stand it because I have a hard time living without AFWall+, AdAway, and Titanium Backup. However, this is my first Samsung device since the Galaxy S2, which had "Triangle Away". Now I'm worried that the thing will break on me within the warranty period and Samsung will refuse to repair it because of the Knox flag.
I'm more curious what the reliability of these tablets has been before I do anything to mine that precludes me from returning it or getting warranty service.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine had a bad charger port, while I was developing CM for it. (T810) Flashed stock, KNOX flag triggered, they checked and repaired. However, I'm in Europe and manufacturers have to prove that messing with software caused the breakage before they can void warranty. (Which they usually don't try, as it's to much a legal hassle)

T_I said:
I agree with this. Rooting gives you the option to kill off ads, really backup the device, install software you want (like an adblocker ), not what google/samsung wants you to install (anything but an adblocker).
For me, it started with rooting, as I wanted a real backup. Now I root stock and run titanium backup, adblock, when there is, xposed with minminguard (even better adblocker) and as soon as I get a build working or someone else beats me to it, I install Lineage (previously known as CyanogenMod) to get rid of all bloat and install the apps I want. (yeah, even opengasps gets that treatment, pico only)
My wife was using my CM Moto G 2014 for a while and when she wanted to replace it, she went for one on which Lineage was available... Having to learn a different way of using the phone was the reason to switch to 1 interface for all. (and the restore of her settings with TB was nice as well )
---------- Post added at 05:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:27 PM ----------
Mine had a bad charger port, while I was developing CM for it. (T810) Flashed stock, KNOX flag triggered, they checked and repaired. However, I'm in Europe and manufacturers have to prove that messing with software caused the breakage before they can void warranty. (Which they usually don't try, as it's to much a legal hassle)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in the US, where we seem to enjoy letting corporations have their way with us. Given the scare I had last night with the battery*, I think I'm going to stay stock until at least a few weeks or months have gone by to avoid infant mortality issues.
*The battery levels dropped significantly faster than I was expecting, and then refused to recharge past 98% until I power cycled the tablet.

Hi, thank you all for the replies here, I would have 3 related questions:
Is there any way to root the SM-T719 without triggering KNOX/installing recovery?
Will root had any bad influence on Miracast or similar screen casting techniques or on audio? (I had a Sony and if the DRM keys where not found the screen cast and some other proprietary enhancements like Bravia didn't function after unlocking the bootloader, don't understand if KNOX is similar).
If so, can this be reversed?
Thanks!

ccris said:
Hi, thank you all for the replies here, I would have 3 related questions:
Is there any way to root the SM-T719 without triggering KNOX/installing recovery?
Will root had any bad influence on Miracast or similar screen casting techniques or on audio? (I had a Sony and if the DRM keys where not found the screen cast and some other proprietary enhancements like Bravia didn't function after unlocking the bootloader, don't understand if KNOX is similar).
If so, can this be reversed?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Short of an engineering kernel, which hasn't been found to my knowledge, no. Rooting will trip Knox on this device. This is irreversible, so make absolutely sure it won't be an issue before tripping it.
However, the only thing you really lose is Knox related features, such as secure storage (and possibly your warranty depending on location). I've not really found any functionality missing or damaged beyond that. The Tab S2 doesn't support Samsung Pay as it stands, which is the only other thing that typically gets axed with the warranty bit is set.
Unlike Sony, which for some reason thinks their software is so special they need DRM on the device, Samsung only borks things which are legitimately tied to a known secure device, and the list is pretty short on this tablet.

I'm not really sure if it's related but didn't notice this before rooting... When using an app (Tapatalk/Play Store/Opera browser) sometimes there's a glitch, like for 1-2 seconds the display refreshes the content, this might be repeted every 15-30 seconds... anyone else noticed something similar? thanks!

ccris said:
I'm not really sure if it's related but didn't notice this before rooting... When using an app (Tapatalk/Play Store/Opera browser) sometimes there's a glitch, like for 1-2 seconds the display refreshes the content, this might be repeted every 15-30 seconds... anyone else noticed something similar? thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what are the root apps you are using?
Sent from my LG-H918 using XDA Labs