Database Develop

Noob question: can you explain me ROMs, Kernels, Radio, Mods, etc ?

Hi all,
I'm quite new to this android stuff, and especially modding. And I have to tell that I feel a bit lost.
After a few days browsing this forum and other places on the internet, I think I know what a ROM and rooting are. But here I see things like kernels, radio, bootloaders... could someone explain me what those are and how they are related together? Or show me an url that explains all this.
Thanks a lot!

Bricolo_fr said:
Hi all,
I'm quite new to this android stuff, and especially modding. And I have to tell that I feel a bit lost.
After a few days browsing this forum and other places on the internet, I think I know what a ROM and rooting are. But here I see things like kernels, radio, bootloaders... could someone explain me what those are and how they are related together? Or show me an url that explains all this.
Thanks a lot!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im not real sure how to explain all this stuff in great detail but i will try and tell you all that i know. I think a kernel has to do with the drivers and things like that. A radio has to do with the everything that uses connections, i guess you would call it. Like your phone's network, wifi, bluetooth, etc. And for the bootloader i don't really know how to explain it but press and hold the power button and the trackball at the same time. thats the bootloader.
This should help some... http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=619153

Bricolo_fr said:
Hi all,
I'm quite new to this android stuff, and especially modding. And I have to tell that I feel a bit lost.
After a few days browsing this forum and other places on the internet, I think I know what a ROM and rooting are. But here I see things like kernels, radio, bootloaders... could someone explain me what those are and how they are related together? Or show me an url that explains all this.
Thanks a lot!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Bricolo!
Welcome to the forums!
I'll help you out here, but you're going to have to do some work too.
How about I do two, and you do two?
[Google]: android "what is a rom"
http://forum.androidcentral.com/hacking/6037-general-rom-faq.html
If you’re new to the Android platform (don’t be bashful, all of us were not too long ago), you’ll see terms floating around the forums that you might not be familiar with. “ROM” is one of those terms. A ROM image is a data file that contains information used on a Read Only Memory chip. For our purposes, that means a complete system image of an Android device. Each Android device has it’s own ROM image that contains files and code needed to boot the device up and run Android on it. But this is only part of a ROM. A ROM also contains a GUI (graphical user interface), required and useful applications, support files for those applications and the kernel. Let’s have a look at the parts that make a ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-general-discussions/37418-what-rom.html
"ROM" is just a generic term for the software that makes up the OS, and a bit of a misnomer. This term could easily be changed to "OS sofware" or "system software". It does mean Read Only Memory, but ROM likely comes from that part of the system memory, since you dont want to be able to write over the system files (easily).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[Google]: android "what is a kernel"
http://androidforums.com/developer-101/62548-what-kernel.html
A kernel is basically the bridge between applications and the data processing at the hardware level. It serves as a level of abstraction for communication.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.applematters.com/article/how-long-will-apple-keep-the-mach-microkernel/
The easy answer is a kernel is the core of any operating system. DOS, Windows, UNIX, OS X and Linux all have some type of kernel. The implementations change but the basic concept remains the same. A kernel interfaces directly with the system’s hardware and is the lowest level of software. There are two types of kernels, micro-kernels and monolithic-kernels.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[Google]: android "what is a radio"
Your site(s) here.
[Google]: android "what is a bootloader"
You can do it!
[Google]: android "what is a X"
Google: It really is that easy

Good stuff Paul, it's refreshing to see someone go out of their way to help a newbie every once in a while

There are more polite ways to respond to this guy. Some people learn through interaction. I'm glad someone went out of their way to explain things to this guy. It's a shame how cut throat this community can be sometimes.

I agree, the attitude and lame jokes are really immature at times. Thanks paul for putting a lil effort and explaining few of the key points than cracking the usual radio is a fm/am joke here, the extreme nerdism almost kills me! lol.

As for the cutthroat and "nerdism" out there in this community, you have to remember, most of us that are regulars are ones that have been on this forum for a loooooooong while and not just in the Nexus One sections. I have migrated from WM to Android and see these posts time and time again.
There are Stickied "Noob" guilds galore, there is a search feature, there are TONS of resources out there for someone who puts in a MINIMAL effort can get this BASIC information.
When I first came here, I didn't just open a new post on "what is a ROM and ..." I read, I researched and when something wasn't clear and needed more information that wasn't out there, THEN I posted.
Those of us that may seem like we have an attitude aren't mean people, we don't expect everyone to come here with all the answers an NO questions, we just have an expectation that they at least put forth a LITTLE effort on figuring something out.
Paul did a great job in searching, but you have to wonder why the OP didn't even TRY and google anything or search here?
The impression I got is that it is not worth the OP's time to even try, so they put up a post asking these questions and expected the community to do all the work for them and compile some massive resource into a post that the OP most likely won't read and then start asking questions that were already answered in replies or links.
I have seen this happen time and time again on this board and others, so yeah, I am a bit of a jerk when someone puts forth no effort of their own.

Thanks a lot, Paul and the guys that helped
About me asking, and being new here... I DID search on this forum, but didn't find everything I needed. I used the search function, read the sticky threads, googled... After this, I still had questions, meaning that the information I got was not sufficient and that the additional information I was seeking wasn't accessible enough here. So that's why I asked.
If you don't like new people asking questions, but only expect new members to be experienced ones that will arrive with software/tricks/roms/etc "gifts" for you,you should reconsider your lifes. Maybe as sultans or something similar I agree with the remark about nerdy attitudes. Do you really think this is needed? If my topic is unwanted here, some people called moderators will lock or delete it, it seems it hasn't happened so far...

Back to the initial topic...
Well, maybe I did not make things clear enough. I'm not a complete computer noob. I know what a ROM is (not being specific to android devices), what an OS is, how to write a few lines of code, etc...
From what I understood, the bootloader can be see as the bios in a PC. It can execute a few tasks (diagnostics, rom flash, starting the OS...). The ROM contains the OS, software, config, etc...
As I said, what I don't really see is how all the things are related to each other. On this forum (and other places) I see a lot of alternative ROMs. I do understand what they are and their use. However I also see topics about kernels and radios, and that got me a bit lost. Aren't they already included in the ROMs?
Also, I'd like to learn a bit about how alternative ROMs are created. When additional features (applications?) are added to a ROM (features that were existing on other devices), is it "simply" the application files that from the other device that have been included to the ROM? When new features are added (not coming from other devices, like trackball led), how is that made? I assume it is added to the code somewhere, so is all the code available?
Thanks for helping

I'm going to move this thread to the Q&A section, and also clean up the noob bashing. Remember, not only is bashing discouraged throughout the entire site, but doing it in the Q&A section will likely earn you a short vacation from XDA.
Thanks,
NATF

Job interview Qs - need advice

Can all developers please share some information regarding job interviews?
I would like to know how to improve myself in a interview for development and how to improve my answers in order to make myself more appealing.
Here are some questions that i've been asked and would like to know how to improve the answers too:
1) When you need help with coding, what do you do? - what sites do you use? - How do you approach a solution?
2) When do you approach you senior developer?
3) How do you keep up to date ?
4) Give me an example of when you solved a difficult problem using PHP (or whataever language)
Basically many examples need to be given, not sure how to answer them.
There are other questions that I'll ask when they come to mind.

I need some input guys!! or at least guide me in the right direction please

mojo22 said:
1) When you need help with coding, what do you do? - what sites do you use? - How do you approach a solution?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I do go for a site, I first use Google and anything relevant to what I'm already trying to do to solve the problem. If Google doesn't help, or the answers are too vague and I need something more specific then there's no better help out there than StackOverflow. If you don't know it, get to know it
Also, see the next question.
mojo22 said:
2) When do you approach you senior developer?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the above scenario, after you've tried for yourself for a while at least. A senior dev will get narked if you keep hassling them without at least trying to help yourself!
mojo22 said:
3) How do you keep up to date ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Learn to prioritise. There's nothing really more to say about that as it's a personal experience thing. Make sure you keep notes of every task you need to do and mark it done when it's done, no matter how trivial it seems. You get better at it the more you do it.
mojo22 said:
4) Give me an example of when you solved a difficult problem using PHP (or whataever language)
Basically many examples need to be given, not sure how to answer them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is obviously a very personal question that no-one can answer for you. I'm not gonna tell you about any projects I've worked on and had to deal with problems because there's no point. If you give it as an example they'll only ask you to expand on it and you won't be able to. Besides, it's all well and good trying to impress, but don't out-and-out lie at an interview. Basically, they just want to know that you *can* solve problems. Tell them something where you learnt something that you were able to use again - it shows a willingness to learn, the ability to understand there are things you need to learn, and that you can grow from such a situation.
Other than that, be confident and remember that they've got you in for an interview because they're already interested. Also, it's not a 1-way street. They might be arseholes that you'd never work for. The interview is as much for you as it is for them.
Not sure if any of that has been any help, but they're my honest answers anyway.
Good luck, and let us know how you get on

Archer said:
If I do go for a site, I first use Google and anything relevant to what I'm already trying to do to solve the problem. If Google doesn't help, or the answers are too vague and I need something more specific then there's no better help out there than StackOverflow. If you don't know it, get to know it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was indeed my exact answer! For some reason that is seen as a 'junior' solution believe it or not! I'm so pissed cause that is what people do...even seniors.
Archer said:
Learn to prioritise. There's nothing really more to say about that as it's a personal experience thing. Make sure you keep notes of every task you need to do and mark it done when it's done, no matter how trivial it seems. You get better at it the more you do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The question was more regarding, how do you keep up to date with software/tech basically. For example Wordpress has been updated. How did you know about it etc.
There is a new CMS system, how do you find out about it? etc.
Archer said:
This is obviously a very personal question that no-one can answer for you. I'm not gonna tell you about any projects I've worked on and had to deal with
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did try answer this question as you stated, it is hard though cause there was like 12 of them, giving constant examples was a PITA. I deal with it every day yet I found it awkward to sit there and tell a stranger all about it and that I am capable of handling it....
Archer said:
Other than that, be confident and remember that they've got you in for an interview because they're already interested. Also, it's not a 1-way street. They might be arseholes that you'd never work for. The interview is as much for you as it is for them.
Not sure if any of that has been any help, but they're my honest answers anyway.
Good luck, and let us know how you get on
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for your answer It DOES help! :good:
I will try to learn these pointer so that they are second nature. I need to boost my confidence too it's just that I try not to be arrogant and it actually become a downhill after that.
I need to improve my answers and don't know where to ask!

mojo22 said:
The question was more regarding, how do you keep up to date with software/tech basically. For example Wordpress has been updated. How did you know about it etc.
There is a new CMS system, how do you find out about it? etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In that case, tech blogs with RSS feeds. I use iGoogle as my home page both at home and at work and it has different feeds on there for different bits of tech (web development, windows development, mobile development etc..)
Also, I think confidence is best when it's natural. If you've not got it yet then just keep getting better at what you're doing and you'll eventually get it. I've been doing it a long time now so only get a slight flutter of nerves at interviews. It's normally just a case of answering questions honestly and asking a couple of good ones back and I get the job. There's a lot of people out there doing development work, but not that many that have stuck it out and got actually good at it. Stick at it and you'll become a valuable commodity!

Archer said:
In that case, tech blogs with RSS feeds. I use iGoogle as my home page both at home and at work and it has different feeds on there for different bits of tech (web development, windows development, mobile development etc..)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, what sort of feeds are you subscribed too?
I think I need to do something like this. Also, is it productive for developers to be on G+? Is there a benefit?
You know the answer to the question about solving a problem was to go to the original source, like wordpress has their own codex/reference site. Php has theirs, jQuery and all that. I use those site but didn't even consider stating it in the interview.
Archer said:
Also, I think confidence is best when it's natural. If you've not got it yet then just keep getting better at what you're doing and you'll eventually get it. I've been doing it a long time now so only get a slight flutter of nerves at interviews. It's normally just a case of answering questions honestly and asking a couple of good ones back and I get the job. There's a lot of people out there doing development work, but not that many that have stuck it out and got actually good at it. Stick at it and you'll become a valuable commodity!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I plan to stick at it, since its putting food in my plate but I need to get better since like yesterday! Its been my life since January, really focusing on it but now trying to get a balance in my life back again.
Do you have any advice or pointers that you'd like to share from your experience please?
Thanks for your time Archer

Here's a list of the feeds I have on the "development" tab of my home page...
MSDN .Net Blog
Android Developers Blog
Visual C# News
Windows Phone Developers Blog
jQuery Blog
Just have a search for blogs that are relevant to your interests and most of them will either work as an RSS feed direct, or will have an RSS or Atom link, both of which are perfect for iGoogle (or other RSS readers).
I do use G+, but not in a professional capacity at all. To be honest though, I don't use any social networks for anything professional. I probably would if I had my own business and needed to market myself, but I don't so it's just not relevant.
As for pointers, the only thing I can really say is that when someone presents you with a challenge, look at it as an opportunity to enhance your knowledge and skill-set. I've seen many programmers respond with "Yeah, you can't do it like that. We'll do it like this instead." That's bull. There's virtually nothing you can't make your computer or website do, with just some imagination and perseverance. And it goes without saying, the more you enjoy it the better you're likely to be at it.
So what field are you going into? You said you've been doing it since January, but I expect you've been doing it a lot longer than that. Is this your first time developing as a career?

Thanks for those links, thought i'd share some that i've found, might be use to somebody:
http://www.codecademy.com/
http://railsforzombies.org/
http://teamtreehouse.com/
http://www.netmagazine.com/
http://sass-lang.com/
http://haml.info/
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/
http://net.tutsplus.com/
Archer said:
Just have a search for blogs that are relevant to your interests and most of them will either work as an RSS feed direct, or will have an RSS or Atom link, both of which are perfect for iGoogle (or other RSS readers).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you know what news just made it out Yesterday!! LOL
iGoogle will be removed ! in about 14 months I think...how bad is that, just when I was about to sign up and set myself up ahhhh :silly:
I use to use it but not for productive reasons.
Will need to hook myself up in some other way now.

mojo22 said:
Thanks for those links, thought i'd share some that i've found, might be use to somebody:
http://www.codecademy.com/
http://railsforzombies.org/
http://teamtreehouse.com/
http://www.netmagazine.com/
http://sass-lang.com/
http://haml.info/
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/
http://net.tutsplus.com/
Do you know what news just made it out Yesterday!! LOL
iGoogle will be removed ! in about 14 months I think...how bad is that, just when I was about to sign up and set myself up ahhhh :silly:
I use to use it but not for productive reasons.
Will need to hook myself up in some other way now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know - I saw it this morning when I opened my browser and immediately thought about this thread lol.
I'm gutted as it's the perfect home page for my needs. All their advice about getting weather widgets and looking on the Play Store for replacements has got nothing to do with having an RSS reader home page.
Thanks for the extra links - I'll have a look through them.

Should I root

Does rooting provide any protection against malware or does it make it worse?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Best protection against malware = user.

If you just root, and don't use a custom recovery and custom ROMs, immediately install SuperSU, antivirus, and make sure you protect yourself. SuperSU will at least notify you when an application is trying to use root permissions (aka - modify or access system files) which is not something you want every program doing.
The nice thing about having root is you can change things on your phone a launcher can't touch - boot animation, screen DPI, backup apps like Titanium Backup, and of course clearing out carrier bloatware.
If you do go with a custom recovery, TWRP for example, and flash ROMs, CyanogenMod for example, you are often provided with SuperSU tools and other options as part of the package. Just be very sure you are using images from reputable sources. Lord knows what kind of stuff someone who published a custom ROM could get off your device if they had ill intents.
If you are new to rooting, flashing, etc then I would suggest starting with root access only. Explore what you can do with it, learn it, and be conscious of security as you go. After you are comfortable with it, try CyanogenMod to see how a custom ROM really differs from stock.

Rooting will not give any protection against malware you have to install antivirus or use any app that will help you against this with root

Oh, and to answer the question 'should you root'... We tinker with all the things because we like to. We like knowing how all the things work. We like having more control of all the things. If you don't like this, then don't.

clago87 said:
Does rooting provide any protection against malware or does it make it worse?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android is blamed for earning malware for your device but hey! the user of the device is 100% responsible for it. Stop clicking on spammy links and visiting those websites which allow you to earn malware Problem will be solved.
Now rooting. Rooting is the best way to taste your android device at fullest. Use custom ROM, tweak the kernel and much more

clago87 said:
Does rooting provide any protection against malware or does it make it worse?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not an expert and have found the site to be filled with a lot of great, detailed information including howto instructions if you decide to root. I've rooted a few phones but not the N6 yet. I'm waiting for 5.1 to be available only because I'd rather the OTA download and didn't want it to break root and have to spend a day playing with the phone to get it set up again. Yes, lazy too. My two cents:
There were a few articles back when 5.0 was being released saying how root for this OS would need to bypass much of the built-in security features with this OS version. I don't have a clue if it is true. If I decide to root, I'll go back and see if this is a real problem.
Why root? The exposed framework gives you nice features. Apps can have access to the phone os/hardware that is blocked, for example, you can get the notification LED to work, the battery statistics allow more access so you can see what app is killing your battery. There was one or two other apps I used that required root, can't recall now.
Its easy to say malware is a user problem, some of it is like careless sideloading. But I have no idea if a web page is loading something on my phone. Worse, if you look at the permissions you grant apps, you would load very few on your phone. I find the service providers , like T-Mobile (mine) and Verizion (Fios) to be the worst in asking for access to the phone data for no apparent reason. Does my app to see visual voicemail really need access to my microphone and camera or apps I have loaded on the phone? In my opinion this is spyware as you have no idea what is being uploaded to the app developer. Many of the apps in google play have questionable permission requirements.
That's actually another reason to root, the xposed xprivacy module (haven't used it). Or, using a DNS that will filter malware web site (I think you need root to change the DNS in Android). I'm not sure about the status of xposed on the nexus 6 so you have to read the threads. I don't know why you want to root, so you have to determine if it is worth the effort.

Simple answer is No.
if you're asking if you should root then you do not know what root is and the benefits to it. if you are happy with the phone and all the apps you have suit your needs, then stay as you are and do not download any dodgy apps from the play store

IINexusII said:
Simple answer is No.
if you're asking if you should root then you do not know what root is and the benefits to it. if you are happy with the phone and all the apps you have suit your needs, then stay as you are and do not download any dodgy apps from the play store
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldn't agree more. If you have to ask, the answer is no.

IINexusII said:
Simple answer is No.
if you're asking if you should root then you do not know what root is and the benefits to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Terrible answer! Just because someone doesn't already know something is piss poor justification for telling them not to learn it.
If someone asked the forum if there were any benefits in C#, would you tell them not to bother learning to program, just keep buying Microsoft products?
FFS...

Elnrik said:
Terrible answer! Just because someone doesn't already know something is piss poor justification for telling them not to learn it.
If someone asked the forum if there were any benefits in C#, would you tell them not to bother learning to program, just keep buying Microsoft products?
FFS...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What a terrible response. is root a programming language?

Elnrik said:
Terrible answer! Just because someone doesn't already know something is piss poor justification for telling them not to learn it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it is the best answer. He is not asking to learn it, he is askign us to make a decision as to whether he should root or not. If he knows the benefits of root, he should make teh decision himself based on the usecase. If he doesn't know the benefits, he should read a sticky thread that lists the benefits. If he doesnt know whether he should root, then he shouldnt because it is not something to um and ahh over.

Rooting in and of itself will have no effect on your getting infected with malware or not. It may affect the degree in which something can muck up your system, because if rooted, that program can get further into the OS than if you were not.
Now, that said, the real meat of it is that if you allow sideloading, that's the one that will let apps install from downloaded files, etc.
Ever notice where they say all the android handsets are getting infected? not here in the US anyways.
If you stick to known downloads and are not trying to get hacked apps, you won't have to worry.
I have to agree with RootSU here, his last paragraph sums it up nicely.

IINexusII said:
What a terrible response. is root a programming language?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I can't resist using your own logic... If you don't know that root isn't a programming language, you shouldn't root. You probably shouldn't even reply to posts. Further, If you can't understand the example I provided, I'm not going to waste my time and explain it. You should just go read the stickies on the benefits of examples, or something. After all, you shouldn't um and ahh over this.
Facetiousness aside, if you read my example you'd see that I in no way called root a programming language. My entire point is that there are better ways to tell someone not to root. If your point to the OP is this: No, you shouldn't root because it can be dangerous, can brick your device, and that you really need to do your homework on it before you just go and do it, then tell them that! Don't condescend to them and/or future readers of the thread that not knowing it is reason enough not to do it ever. It's insulting. At least it is to me. It IS a discouragement, and in IMO, and in the spirit of XDA, we should try to point people in the right direction so they can learn and make them aware of the risks and benefits so they can make informed decisions. Sure, if it's already been covered, post a link to the thread or sticky. No need to rewrite it. But sending the message of "If you don't already know, abandon all hope now" is crap.
If you disagree with me, then I'll agree to disagree with you.
That's the last I'll say about this.
Peace

Elnrik said:
Terrible answer! Just because someone doesn't already know something is piss poor justification for telling them not to learn it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I interpreted it to mean that learning more about root and what it might offer/require of a user is probably best before actually rooting and then deciding later on if that's what you really wanted to do. That is, being conservative here is probably not the worst suggestion.
- ooofest

PLEASE HELP ME! my phone is "rooted" with 3 third-party apps my BF installed!

PLEASE HELP ME! my phone is "rooted" with 3 third-party apps my BF installed!
I noticed that my nexus 6 was acting funny, and since my boyfriend purchased this phone for me- he set the entire thing up. The day it arrived, he plugged my phone into his laptop and started typing away at what looked like a black screen and a boxy white font with a bunch of rom codes etc(at this point, i was totally clueless and oblivious to what he was doing)...
Then, he would sporadically bring up specific texts that i had sent, and at times would randomly pinpoint specific addresses and times and asked me about them(mind you, they were my friends homes) which left me to wonder "how the hell did he even know about that text or specific location unless my phone is hacked??"
so, i took my phone to a specialist who confirmed that my phone was rooted with a custom ROM along with 3 third-party apps "kernel adiutor", "pure nexus", and "xda labs".
Once i called tech support for my phone, they said they couldn't help me because they're third party apps that are not legal to use in the first place.
long story short, his mom confirmed recently that he in fact has my phone hacked. can somebody please give me insight on the apps he installed and the purpose they serve?? what kind of access/capabilities does he have now that my phone is rooted even if i restore my phone???

Kernel Auditor Xda labs and pure nexus are not phone hacking apps Xda lab is app by xda community and Kernel Auditor is for tweaking the kernel and i think Pure Nexus is a Custom Rom for the Nexus
If you want to get rid of this you can ask service centre to flash Stock Rom of Nexus phone
Sent from my SM-A9000 using XDA-Developers mobile app

Download a factory image from here: https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images
Follow the instructions on the webpage. Doing this will wipe your phone and put it back to 100% stock.
Also lol @ this:
vneedshelpASAP said:
Once i called tech support for my phone, they said they couldn't help me because they're third party apps that are not legal to use in the first place.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

You have a very *very* serious problem.
As khanboyz007 says, the apps you mention are entirely pukka, totally normal, nothing suspicious.
But...
If you can't trust your boyfriend so much that you have to post for help from anonymous strangers, then your problem is far deeper than your Nexus 6. From the technical side of your description, he's done nothing at all wrong, but from reading between the lines you don't trust him, and *that's* a dealbreaker.
Why are you asking us instead of him? Give him a chance to explain. Maybe there's nothing more sinister than you (clearly without any technical knowledge... sorry...) don't have your phone password-protected and he's just looked at your texts - in itself a breach of trust, but still not justifying posting in a public forum to strangers.

dahawthorne said:
You have a very *very* serious problem.
As khanboyz007 says, the apps you mention are entirely pukka, totally normal, nothing suspicious.
But...
If you can't trust your boyfriend so much that you have to post for help from anonymous strangers, then your problem is far deeper than your Nexus 6. From the technical side of your description, he's done nothing at all wrong, but from reading between the lines you don't trust him, and *that's* a dealbreaker.
Why are you asking us instead of him? Give him a chance to explain. Maybe there's nothing more sinister than you (clearly without any technical knowledge... sorry...) don't have your phone password-protected and he's just looked at your texts - in itself a breach of trust, but still not justifying posting in a public forum to strangers.
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I wouldnt say that at all. If he can tell where she has been and what text she is sending then he installed one of the many monitor apps onto her phone which is illegal.
My advise would be to completely wipe your device. Flash a stock rom and dont let him touch your device.
As for your personal life no one can or has any right to say anything about that. Do what you think is best.

If he knows the locations you've been at its possible he has your google+ share location set where it's shared with him. Or possibly he had set up an email for you on it and is signing into it to track your location. As far as the apps you mentioned they are %100 percent legal, most carrier don't know anything about rooting or custom Roms and will not give you adequate advice. But as they said, you can just flash the stock image, make your own Gmail to sign in or make sure to change your Gmail password. After you do make sure that that you put a password on your device that he doesn't know.

"then he installed one of the many monitor apps onto her phone"
Isn't that what I said...? No trust. This isn't in any way a technical question - it's about their relationship.
And since I've seen your many posts here over the years I know you've got a fair amount of life experience, in which case I can assume that you know of Occam's Razor - the simplest explanation is likely to be the correct one, and the simplest explanation here is not that he's installed a monitoring app but is simply looking at the phone. I stand by my comments.
"no one can or has any right to say anything about that"
Yes, I agree, it would be none of my business - *if* she hadn't asked for my advice (as well as yours).
If she has so little trust in her partner, and has asked for advice (technical or otherwise), then the answer has to be "Look very carefully at your relationship".
(P.S. To avoid the inevitable "sexist" comments, yes, I've assumed it's a female poster, but I'm aware that there are alternatives).

To be honest I think it might be a moot point as he is most likely part of this forum and has seen this post.

Then he's got the message...

Or this is just a prank. Like I'm getting private messages from people who haven't even posted yet to fix their phones.

istperson said:
Or this is just a prank.
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Yes, that same thought had occurred to me. I give the benefit of the doubt unless there's a clear sign that it's a joke, and this one does come close to the edge...
A lot of effort for a not-funny joke though. It would be good if the OP provides some feedback - I do get very fed up with people asking for advice, which is given maybe by half a dozen people who have taken the time and trouble to provide it, only for the OP to vanish into the ether without so much as a "thank you" button press.

Step one, flash the phone back to stock using the links provided eariler posts.
Step two, dump the loser - he is too controlling, and this will never change...

Now that the personal advice has been given, let's bring this thread back to troubleshooting device issues, not relationship issues . Thanks for your cooperation.

vneedshelpASAP said:
.... my boyfriend purchased this phone for me- he set the entire thing up.
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Your friend has set up your phone the same way as he should do for himself.
There nothing wrong with rooting and the apps you mentioned.
My idea is that ask him very friendly to flash the latest official stock Rom.
Tell him that you prefer the official rom of Google.
Because you want official support when there is something wrong. And you don't need root acces because you only use 'normal' apps.
As everything there are disadvantages.
A rooted phone allows you to install layers. That makes it possible to choose dark themes. And that's important when you need a better battery life.

I Bet he's using Cerberus. Go into your settings>apps, select to include system apps. You'll be looking for a app name: system framework. If you see this He is tracking you using Ceberus, . This app/service is pretty awesome. I was able to track my phone down, see the texts sent, turn the mic on and listen to where my phone was at. .
Like everyone said flash a new rom. clean slate. Then dump dude, there should be no need for that crap.
Here's the link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lsdroid.cerberus&hl=en

vneedshelpASAP said:
I noticed that my nexus 6 was acting funny, and since my boyfriend purchased this phone for me- he set the entire thing up. The day it arrived, he plugged my phone into his laptop and started typing away at what looked like a black screen and a boxy white font with a bunch of rom codes etc(at this point, i was totally clueless and oblivious to what he was doing)...
Then, he would sporadically bring up specific texts that i had sent, and at times would randomly pinpoint specific addresses and times and asked me about them(mind you, they were my friends homes) which left me to wonder "how the hell did he even know about that text or specific location unless my phone is hacked??"
so, i took my phone to a specialist who confirmed that my phone was rooted with a custom ROM along with 3 third-party apps "kernel adiutor", "pure nexus", and "xda labs".
Once i called tech support for my phone, they said they couldn't help me because they're third party apps that are not legal to use in the first place.
long story short, his mom confirmed recently that he in fact has my phone hacked. can somebody please give me insight on the apps he installed and the purpose they serve?? what kind of access/capabilities does he have now that my phone is rooted even if i restore my phone???
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to me, a "specialist", it sounds like he did you a favor, by rooting your device, and adding apps that you will need to control your own phone. your "own" i say because otherwise you are just using someone elses device, that you happened to pay for with your money. so, instead of posting a pissy thread, id do a little more research on how to control your own phone, and then tell him thank you.
oh, btw, just because the apps arent from the play store, it does not make them illegal to use, at all. you can use whatever app you want, from wherever you want, LEGALLY.

I'm coming round to istperson's point of view - this thread is beginning to look more and more like an elaborate pointless hoax, and not a very funny one.
There are far too many of these threads where people ask a question and then disappear without the courtesy of a sign-off or even a "thank you". Very discouraging, and makes me less keen on spending my time here trying to help timewasting ingrates...

I'm gonna close this thread for now. If the OP has anything else to add they can contact me again to reopen it.
Not all apps are legal. It really depends on where you are living. As an example. Things like keyloggers, call recorders (depending on local laws) screen recorders and things of this nature are completely legal in some countries like China, while being completely illegal in other places in the world.
Also installing tracking software of any kind on someone's device is also illegal.
We have to remember that many people search for help on something, reg to the forum to get the answer and dont come back until they have another issue. This is becoming far more common as of late.

Introducing myself

Hi guys and gals.
I'm here to learn how to hack my new Xiaomi Pad 5. The MIUI is awful and sometimes overrides my defaults. Although the hardware is good. I don't trust neither Xiaomi nor Google.
I'm rather a newbie to Android (before my iPhones I had Nexus 5). Recently coming from Apple devices. I decided to switch system because Apple did me wrong and I was a good customer. I don't want to emphasize here but Apples behaviour is rather disturbing.
At the moment my base is Switzerland. I'm native Italian and German speaking and I know some other languages. I'm rather old you'll say but my mind is young.
So far i learned that I've to install ADB on the Mac. Than TWRP on Pad 5. I like to research.
The greeting message in this board was appealing and gave me a good feeling. I'll look around here.
I want to install Magisk. It seems rather interesting.
Have a wonderful day y'all.
Best.
Skianto

Skianto said:
Hi guys and gals.
I'm here to learn how to hack my new Xiaomi Pad 5. The MIUI is awful and sometimes overrides my defaults. Although the hardware is good. I don't trust neither Xiaomi nor Google.
I'm rather a newbie to Android (before my iPhones I had Nexus 5). Recently coming from Apple devices. I decided to switch system because Apple did me wrong and I was a good customer. I don't want to emphasize here but Apples behaviour is rather disturbing.
At the moment my base is Switzerland. I'm native Italian and German speaking and I know some other languages. I'm rather old you'll say but my mind is young.
So far i learned that I've to install ADB on the Mac. Than TWRP on Pad 5. I like to research.
The greeting message in this board was appealing and gave me a good feeling. I'll look around here.
I want to install Magisk. It seems rather interesting.
Have a wonderful day y'all.
Best.
Skianto
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Welcome to XDA! Enjoy the forums, and let me know if you need help with anything.

ethical_haquer said:
Welcome to XDA! Enjoy the forums, and let me know if you need help with anything.
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Hello ethical_haquer
Thank You very much for Your kind words. I appreciate it very much.
It's the first time I'm in such a forum.
Honestly when I saw the MIUI and it's behaviour I was concerned about the privacy issues and I "panicked" a bit. I knew that Google spies on us and I was prepared. But these people from Xiaomi are even worse it seems. They make me troubles with the VPN and the private DNS. Fortunately Browsec has the feature of always on.
In order to get developer USB access and backup the device in my old MBP I needed to register with Xiaomi and you know what they gave me an id starting with triple 6. Rather weird
Here is summertime I have a lot to do and enjoy the summer biking Probably I'll start in Autumn with this project
As I found out the device could be bricked "messing" around with rooting and ROM's. I need to research more to be more sure to take the risk.
I'll surf here and see if there's a "save" way or do You know a safer way? I know only taxes and death are for sure but I would appreciate Your opinion very much in order to understand and evaluate even better.
Have a nice day.

Skianto said:
Hello ethical_haquer
Thank You very much for Your kind words. I appreciate it very much.
It's the first time I'm in such a forum.
Honestly when I saw the MIUI and it's behaviour I was concerned about the privacy issues and I "panicked" a bit. I knew that Google spies on us and I was prepared. But these people from Xiaomi are even worse it seems. They make me troubles with the VPN and the private DNS. Fortunately Browsec has the feature of always on.
In order to get developer USB access and backup the device in my old MBP I needed to register with Xiaomi and you know what they gave me an id starting with triple 6. Rather weird
Here is summertime I have a lot to do and enjoy the summer biking Probably I'll start in Autumn with this project
As I found out the device could be bricked "messing" around with rooting and ROM's. I need to research more to be more sure to take the risk.
I'll surf here and see if there's a "save" way or do You know a safer way? I know only taxes and death are for sure but I would appreciate Your opinion very much in order to understand and evaluate even better.
Have a nice day.
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Click to collapse
I try to avoid Google as well.
Skianto said:
In order to get developer USB access and backup the device in my old MBP I needed to register with Xiaomi and you know what they gave me an id starting with triple 6. Rather weird
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Click to collapse
It sure is!
What are you planning to try out on your phone? Don't be to worried about bricking it, although not uncommon it's mostly do to people not understanding what they're doing. If you just want to root it I would flash Magisk. Although honestly I wouldn't bother with rooting it before you install a custom ROM. Which will remove lots of the crap-ware and spy-ware that's built in. A custom ROM will run faster too. Once again, feel free to ask any questions!

ethical_haquer said:
I try to avoid Google as well.
It sure is!
What are you planning to try out on your phone? Don't be to worried about bricking it, although not uncommon it's mostly do to people not understanding what they're doing. If you just want to root it I would flash Magisk. Although honestly I wouldn't bother with rooting it before you install a custom ROM. Which will remove lots of the crap-ware and spy-ware that's built in. A custom ROM will run faster too. Once again, feel free to ask any questions! To say it in short. Weird things are happening with MIUI.
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Briefly I want to get rid of MIUI and Google. Weird things happened lately.
So far many say LineageOS and Magisk, others blah.
Than appstore. Aurora or FD. I've some apps I would like to keep.
It's a tablet Xiaomi pad 5.
Than the question security..
It's really not easy to find out the best