Rooting for a n00b

pickarooney

Can anyone explain in non-device specific terms what rooting an android device involves and what the benefits are? Is it in any way related to using root access rights in unix?

Atomic Pineapple

pickarooney wrote: »

Can anyone explain in non-device specific terms what rooting an android device involves and what the benefits are? Is it in any way related to using root access rights in unix?

Basically the same, it allows root access to the Linux kernel that Android is built upon.

Rooting it simply means you've gained access to the kernel.

Benefits include more freedom to do what you want with the phone, being able to use root only apps, being able to change to custom ROMS.

pickarooney

Is it a permanent switch or can a device be dropped into root and back to normal? If that makes sense.

Amalgam

You can Root with one click.. and unRoot with one click too. For a good few , if not most, phones available from the Irish operators, it is simple.

You can edit your hosts file, back up your apps, some of the more interesting apps require a Rooted phone.. and the Super User interface will manage and inform you of anything that's requesting root rights.

I'd recommend the following purchases after you've decided to Root your phone.

Root Explorer

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.speedsoftware.rootexplorer&feature=search_result

Titanium Backup root

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.keramidas.TitaniumBackup&feature=search_result

(I had problems purchasing Titanium Backup root using a Dublin City Gift Card, you can also purchase a license key through the developer site and PayPal)

(you don't need a rooted phone for the following link)

You can get your hands dirty.. have a look here.

Android Terminal Emulator

https://market.android.com/details?id=jackpal.androidterm

---

The better (and free) snapshot apps require a rooted phone.

pickarooney

The ATE looks useful. It's for a tablet as opposed to a phone but I assume that makes no difference.

Just to clarify, does Root Explorer do the rooting or do I need to root first and then install RE?

Mr E

Root Explorer is just a file explorer (like Windows Explorer or Ye Olde File Manager).
The nifty thing about it is that it lets you poke around the system folders...

PogMoThoin

One advantage of rooting is being able to use Adfree (adblock) because as you've probably realised android is riddled with ads

jimmycrackcorm

IMHO the biggest advantage seems to be the ability to run app2sd+ to allow more apps to be installed without affecting synchronization.

Amalgam

Root Explorer allows you to change file and folder permissions quickly too, if you decide to edit system files.

---

Just as an overview, here is how I went about rooting my Samsung Europa.

Download the phone application and driver files for the Desktop OS. In this case, the software suite known as Kies, supplied by Samsung.

http://www.samsungapps.com/about/onPc.as

***

Install Kies.

***

A cursory read of the following thread >

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=803682

..then download: SuperOneClick v1.7 from the above.

You'll have to login to get it, there are logins available for XDA at:

http://www.bugmenot.com/view/xdadevelopers.com

Unzip SuperOneClickv1.7-ShortFuse.zip somewhere on your PC.

Make sure you've followed the developer's advice at the start of the XDA thread, before rooting.

You NEED to put your phone in USB Debugging mode.

You NEED to install the Android drivers for your phone. (Kies or your equivalent)

Make sure you DO NOT mount your SD card.

Plug in your phone, browse to your SuperOneClickv1.7-ShortFuse folder and click on SuperOneClick.exe.



Press Root.

The application will root the phone, along with installing the 'Superuser' app.

The application will also run a test to see if the root has been succesful, and give you feedback, on the PC screen.

The Superuser app will allow you to manage what applications have root rights and under what conditions.

Phone icon.



Application UI.





Interestingly, Superuser, on my phone, does survive a hard reset. I'm not sure if that is the case for other phones.

That did it for me.

You should try and install the free version of Titanium Backup root, to see how things go..

Your mileage may vary. Read first, click after.

Amalgam

EDIT - http://www.shortfuse.org/ is the website for the developer of SuperOneClick. No need to login to XDA to download it from the above URL.

Mars Bar

A few questions, can superuser be used on a mac?

What are the drivers for an x8?

Atomic Pineapple

Its much easier to just search for and download Universal Androot or Z4 Mod root to the device and click root.

plonk

http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/index.php?title=HTC_Desire_(GSM):_Full_Update_Guide

Heres a guide, think I might follow it this evening and install cyanogenmod.

Anything else I should be wary of

Notorious97

Nice thread, thanks for the really useful links.

i have a Samsung Galaxy Europa 2.2, what are the benefits for rooting this device? Are there custom roms for the Europa?

LukeS_

The root depends on which phone you have. Them easy one click methods won't work if you have a Desire HD for instance. What phone do you have? That might be a start.

plonk

Just rooted to cm7 and wow.

Why didnt I do this sooner. Its like having a new phone.

seanybiker

LukeS_ wrote: »

The root depends on which phone you have. Them easy one click methods won't work if you have a Desire HD for instance. What phone do you have? That might be a start.

Visionary can root dhd with one click. Ok maybe two because you have to temp root first. Worked for me

Cianos

What should I use to root my HTC Desire, please?

ty

tman

PogMoThoin wrote: »

One advantage of rooting is being able to use Adfree (adblock) because as you've probably realised android is riddled with ads

That makes such a change! Simply clicking thanks just didn't feel like it was enough!!!

jimmycrackcorm

Cianos wrote: »

What should I use to root my HTC Desire, please?

ty

unrevoked3.

Very easy to follow

remember to do a reset on the phone before running it (after you have the hboot usb driver installed). this caught me out but it was painless after that.

kc66

I like the Desire's stock ROM. Is it possible to add apps2sd and keep existing apps?
I installed Adfree but ads are still showing in games.... any ideas? Phone is definitely rooted.

PogMoThoin

kc66 wrote: »

I installed Adfree but ads are still showing in games.... any ideas? Phone is definitely rooted.

Did you do the download and install hosts file and reboot after?

LukeS_

seanybiker wrote: »

Visionary can root dhd with one click. Ok maybe two because you have to temp root first. Worked for me

Yes it can, but it's not recommended. Also that doesn't S-Off so you can't flash ROM's etc. can you? You should be using gfree to root and unlock and S-Off (I've read it's the same for both HD and Z).

LukeS_

kc66 wrote: »

I like the Desire's stock ROM. Is it possible to add apps2sd and keep existing apps?
I installed Adfree but ads are still showing in games.... any ideas? Phone is definitely rooted.

No. It has to be cooked into a ROM. Use Titanium Backup Paid version and backup then flash a ROM with A2SD and restore.
or you could download the app on the Market which just moves the .apk's but I don't think that apps widgets will work after that.

hidinginthebush

Cianos wrote: »

What should I use to root my HTC Desire, please?

ty

I used unrevoked, it was pretty painless, there's a thread on here that explains it quite clearly (I think the thread is titled "desire 1 click root", and it features step-by-step instructions), though googling "unrevoked desire root instructions" should get you started if you can't find it.

kc66 wrote: »

I like the Desire's stock ROM. Is it possible to add apps2sd and keep existing apps?
I installed Adfree but ads are still showing in games.... any ideas? Phone is definitely rooted.

You can use the froyo version of apps2sd, which moves a portion of certain apps to the fat32 part of your sd card.

You need a rooted phone to set up a2sd, also you must partition your sd card to contain an ext2/3/4 part as well as the fat32. What happens then is a2sd tricks your phone into thinking the ext2/3/4 partition on your sd card is simply part of your on-board internal memory, thus enabling you to store more apps on your phone. I really isn't that difficult to do, there are step-by-step instructions for that out there too.

I think you can get roms though that feature sense, if you like it?

I think Adfree is designed to block ads in your browser, the ads in games can only be removed by buying said app (I think).

kc66

PogMoThoin wrote: »

Did you do the download and install hosts file and reboot after?

Did that twice, still the same. Should it work on any ROM? Im still on HTC Desire stock as mentioned previously. Edit: Seems from xda-developers there are problems with replacing hosts file on some roms. Looking into it now.

LukeS_ wrote: »

No. It has to be cooked into a ROM. Use Titanium Backup Paid version and backup then flash a ROM with A2SD and restore.
or you could download the app on the Market which just moves the .apk's but I don't think that apps widgets will work after that.

Thought so, thanks.

jimmycrackcorm

There's some good coverage on the differences between the apps2sd versions here:
http://android.modaco.com/content/htc-desire-desire-modaco-com/311380/froyo-vs-a2sd-vs-a2sd/

tman

hidinginthebush wrote: »

I think Adfree is designed to block ads in your browser, the ads in games can only be removed by buying said app (I think).

It modifies the hosts file, so any attempts to connect to specific ad sites will be declined and the ad won't be displayed, this should work regardless of which application the request is coming from.
I guess some apps will have the ads hard coded in them so it won't work for them, but it works a treat for anything that connects to the internet to retrieve ad info (the free version of Angry Birds Rio is a prime example)

Amalgam

As tman said, works with anything, as it dead ends anything listed in the hosts file. Regardless of who or what they are, if it is listed, it'll be blocked. Games or browser.

It is very easy to place the hosts file on the phone yourself. If AdFree kicks up, just dump it into /etc using Root Explorer. Remember to change folder permission to r/w (read/write) to drop the file in, then back to r/o (read/only) when done.

The hosts file has no file appendix, it should just be named 'hosts', no .txt or anything else, after it.

I found a little script to roll your own hosts file using multiple Android sources. I'll dump it in a new thread once I'm done mopping the floors..

EDIT: Be aware, so games and apps are known to blank and\or edit a hosts file, ****ty behaviour, but some do try and edit it. I have seen this quoted over on XDA, but forget the specifics.

pickarooney

If/when I upgrade my firmware, will I have to root again from scratch?

The_B_Man

nah, root stays unless you flash a stock rom, like what would come with the phone when you buy it.

I've only ever rooted once, but flashed ROMs about 3 or 4 times, and have never lost root.


BTW, for the people who like the HTC Sense look, you can still have that by flashing a custom ROM that is BASED on Sense. It'll have "sense" in the title somewhere if it is. I think its just the same task bar at the bottom, phonebook integration, and the same widgets, but with all the custom ROM speed/battery tweaks and updates.