[Q] Rooting and Roms. - Xoom General

Here on Xda, i've seen a lot talked about dealing with rooting and custom Roms.
Now I know rooting will root your device and give you admin privileges, What I don't know is what exactly I would use that for. (This is my first android device)
Also I have no idea what a custom rom is.
Now I know there has been talk about Moto possibly not going through with the 4g upgrade if you're device is rooted and/or running different software other than stock. So all that aside, if I chose to root my device, what benefits would I recieve from doing so (The only one besides the admin privilege (Which I still am unsure of possible uses for those privileges) is that i'll be able to connect to ad hoc wifi spots. Mainly mifi which is my jailbroken iPhone 3gs's tethering app)?
Also, if someone would like to add a little detail, or a link to a good source, what exactly are custom roms?
I don't plan on rooting my device just yet, I'll wait for you excellent people to work out the bugs for us end users, and I'll also wait to see what Moto has to say about this, but I would like to know.
My personal opinion, if Moto does do this about the 4g upgrade, I'd consider it a "bait and Switch" which is illegal. However, if they can prove that for some reason rooting will disrupt the upgrade for any reason, then they might be able to get away with it.

A custom ROM is a modified version of Android. Since Android is partially open source, and there is a huge developer following, you can find some really awesome software that brings a lot more power to your device. Not only that, but with an unlocked bootloader (like the Xoom has), you can flash different kernels to your device, which can fix (or introduce ) bugs or improve performance.
From what I have heard, Moto will refuse to perform the 4G LTE upgrade IF YOU SEND THEM A NON-STOCK Xoom. That is, they don't want to deal with problems because you're sending them incompatible software. Seems reasonable to me.

jondwillis said:
A custom ROM is a modified version of Android. Since Android is partially open source, and there is a huge developer following, you can find some really awesome software that brings a lot more power to your device. Not only that, but with an unlocked bootloader (like the Xoom has), you can flash different kernels to your device, which can fix (or introduce ) bugs or improve performance.
From what I have heard, Moto will refuse to perform the 4G LTE upgrade IF YOU SEND THEM A NON-STOCK Xoom. That is, they don't want to deal with problems because you're sending them incompatible software. Seems reasonable to me.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for your quick response. That helped enough that I'll know what i'm looking for when I go to google it.
I agree with you that it seems reasonable, but my only problem is for the people that have already done this. Releasing a devise with an unlocked bootloader (I only know what this is because i was one of those unfortunate souls that tried to jailbreak a 3gs last year after Apple quietly released a new bootloader) should have meant Moto would assume it would be rooted/flashed/whatever.
I just think that if this is a fact (That doing this will make your device incapable of working with the new hardware) it should have been mentioned a day or two before the release. Or at least the day of.
Does this mean you won't be able to root or put a custom ROM after the upgrade?

With many devices, tethering is a huge boon, however you do not need root for that on this device. There are however quite a few apps that are handy, and require root...
Blueput (ps3 controller in development)
Titanium
Overclocking and Undervolting apps (very nice for battery life)
widgetlocker (lock screan customizations)
widgetsoid (custom pull down options)
and roms...
Think of roms like you would the OS of a PC. Being able to use these roms alows you to keep up with Googles updats, not just motorolas, as well as removing bloatware etc.

jondwillis said:
A custom ROM is a modified version of Android. Since Android is partially open source, and there is a huge developer following, you can find some really awesome software that brings a lot more power to your device. Not only that, but with an unlocked bootloader (like the Xoom has), you can flash different kernels to your device, which can fix (or introduce ) bugs or improve performance.
From what I have heard, Moto will refuse to perform the 4G LTE upgrade IF YOU SEND THEM A NON-STOCK Xoom. That is, they don't want to deal with problems because you're sending them incompatible software. Seems reasonable to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please make sure you note that this is rumor at best and that Moto is still working on a response to this issue. You can follow it through the link I left in the developers forums, or search for it.

Morkai Almandragon said:
With many devices, tethering is a huge boon, however you do not need root for that on this device. There are however quite a few apps that are handy, and require root...
Blueput (ps3 controller in development)
Titanium
Overclocking and Undervolting apps (very nice for battery life)
widgetlocker (lock screan customizations)
widgetsoid (custom pull down options)
and roms...
Think of roms like you would the OS of a PC. Being able to use these roms alows you to keep up with Googles updats, not just motorolas, as well as removing bloatware etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm still a little confused. I know jailbreaking and rooting is different. But just for the sake of explaining myself, I jailbreak my iphone and get Cydia. Are these apps, specifically the ps3 controller, downloadable through the android market/ another market/ or right off the developers site?
Basically if I root my device, do I have to search the web for custom ROMS (I know none are available now, or at least any good one) or is there another market to search through like cydia?
EDIT: I know you can tether, but I am almost positive it is impossible to tether any android device to an ad hoc network. At least my Xoom will not see my ssid, and even trying to manually add this information, the Xoom will insist it can't see the router (or in this case my jailbroken 3gs from att). If I am wrong and it can be tethered to ad hoc networks without rooting PLEASE inform me how. Also if I am right and you can't, can someone please explain to me why not. Why would rooting your device allow you to connect? Why can't it without rooting? I know there is probably a reason behind it, but with the knowledge I have, I cannot come up with any good reason on why it just can't connect to the ad hoc network.

jondwillis said:
From what I have heard, Moto will refuse to perform the 4G LTE upgrade IF YOU SEND THEM A NON-STOCK Xoom. That is, they don't want to deal with problems because you're sending them incompatible software. Seems reasonable to me.
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Click to collapse
I'm sorry, but that is not reasonable. We are talking about a hardware upgrade. Nobody is asking them to touch the software.
If they don't want to install the drivers, that's fine - but they have no right to deny us the hardware we were promised at purchase due to software modification.

firepacket said:
I'm sorry, but that is not reasonable. We are talking about a hardware upgrade. Nobody is asking them to touch the software.
If they don't want to install the drivers, that's fine - but they have no right to deny us the hardware we were promised at purchase due to software modification.[/QUOT
Um, imagine you flash something that makes it impossible for them to correctly batch upgrade your device. You're screwing up their process and costing them money, not to mention slowing down the process for other paying customers. How hard is it to backup your device??
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Click to collapse

RadDudeTommy said:
I'm still a little confused. I know jailbreaking and rooting is different. But just for the sake of explaining myself, I jailbreak my iphone and get Cydia. Are these apps, specifically the ps3 controller, downloadable through the android market/ another market/ or right off the developers site?
Basically if I root my device, do I have to search the web for custom ROMS (I know none are available now, or at least any good one) or is there another market to search through like cydia?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apps that take advantage of root permissions are available through both the android market and from developers' websites. A perfect example of this is the SuperuserPermissions application. You can get it here (on XDA) or in the Market.
RadDudeTommy said:
EDIT: I know you can tether, but I am almost positive it is impossible to tether any android device to an ad hoc network. At least my Xoom will not see my ssid, and even trying to manually add this information, the Xoom will insist it can't see the router (or in this case my jailbroken 3gs from att). If I am wrong and it can be tethered to ad hoc networks without rooting PLEASE inform me how. Also if I am right and you can't, can someone please explain to me why not. Why would rooting your device allow you to connect? Why can't it without rooting? I know there is probably a reason behind it, but with the knowledge I have, I cannot come up with any good reason on why it just can't connect to the ad hoc network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you may be confused on the terminology here. With regard to tablets and phones, when we say we are "tethering" it means we use the device's 3G (or 4G) data connection to create an internet connection for another device (usually a Laptop or other mobile device). This connection can either be over USB, WiFi, and Bluetooth. USB, Bluetooth, and WiFi tethering are possible on the Xoom without root, although on other devices it previously required root (unless your device had a wireless hotspot option which your carrier charged you extra to use).

Heres a good link that explains Custom ROMs and Rooting.
And probably the most popular custom ROM is Cyanogen Mod.. heres a little blurb from their website.
CyanogenMod (pronounced sigh-AN-oh-jen-mod), is a customized, aftermarket firmware distribution for several Android devices (See above for supported devices & how to install CyanogenMod on said devices). Based on the Android Open Source Project, CyanogenMod is designed to increase performance and reliability over Android-based ROMs released by vendors and carriers such as Google, T-Mobile, HTC, etc. CyanogenMod also offers a variety features & enhancements that are not currently found in these versions of Android.
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Click to collapse
Hopefully once Honeycomb's source is posted, they will take it and apply their "mods" and tweaks to it and release a new version for our tablet. (which is likely since it has an unlocked boot loader.)
Now regarding the 4G upgrade not being applied to rooted devices.. theres a easy work around. Once it comes time to send it to Moto, simply flash everything back to stock and relock the bootloader. Moto won't even be able to tell that anything has been done to it. Then once you get it back with its fancy new LTE radio installed, unlock the bootloader again and go ahead and re-root it.

Related

android 2.0 and rogers htc magic

simple ? do u guys think htc will also update htc magic/rogers 32a with 2.0 like the hero? im pretty sure they will but i want to know if the xda community thinks that as well.
Yeah i like to know too. would be cool to have a Eclair Magic
well, it seems like rogers doesn't give a cr*p about it's customers (i.e.,still no donut 1.6 yet...still not paid apps), so I wouldn't hold your breath for eclair or sense UI... maybe 6 months after everyone else gets it.
porky1981 said:
well, it seems like rogers doesn't give a cr*p about it's customers (i.e.,still no donut 1.6 yet...still not paid apps), so I wouldn't hold your breath for eclair or sense UI... maybe 6 months after everyone else gets it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Canadian carriers are bottom feeding scum. They provide horrible levels of service at the highest rates, while making huge profits.
As a long time Rogers customer I doubt you will ever see a 2.0 update from Rogers. 6 months to 1 year after the rest of the world they will roll out a 2.0 phone and offer it as a sign your life away for another 3 years upgrade.
Root and enjoy the freedom to load and run what you want.
Rogers blows
Yeah ... I wouldn't put money on Rogers coming up with a 2.0 release any time soon.
I sent them a formal complaint about the half-assed state of their android OS (on Dream) ... all I got back was a long email full of fluff and BS. About twice the length of my complaint with absolutely no content. There wasn't a single answer to any of my questions, just the usual "valued customer" BS.
Canadian carriers are truely scum. Let's hope with Bell and Telus going GSM, this'll create some competition and things get better ... though I think it'll just turn into a group Monopoly where they all get together and find the best way to gouge the customers.
ok what about finding an official google branded rom and installing it on a 32A Magic
It not only in Canada =/
In Denmark the HTC Magic (32a) is not affected by the carriers, so its up to HTC to release ROM updates, but they never do...
Havent seen 1.6, no official HTC Sense on the way and I wont even wait for android 2.0.....
People can always say "go root and install some custom ROM". Well yeah its nice, but it will never be like having the stock ROMs =/
I have to disagree on this one.
Rooting your phone is ultimately better than having the Rogers-provided stock ROM for a number of reasons like:
- One-touch FULL backup and full RESTORE of your whole phone;
- Wireless tethering;
- Ability to go on the Market and purchase apps as required;
- App2SD and swapping capability, etc.
OK well i might be buying a 32A Magic, but i was wondering if original google ROM with OTA updates can be used on the 32A
Root account
Does unlocking root account voids the warranty?
bmassico said:
I have to disagree on this one.
Rooting your phone is ultimately better than having the Rogers-provided stock ROM for a number of reasons like:
- One-touch FULL backup and full RESTORE of your whole phone;
- Wireless tethering;
- Ability to go on the Market and purchase apps as required;
- App2SD and swapping capability, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well yea, compared to a branded phone.
But as he said: In Denmark HTC phones are not branded, no sim-lock no nothing. Meaning the phones haven't been altered at all.
And I would rather have a rom especially built for a certain device, than a cooked version designed for a completely different one.
Just like Sense before there was an official HTC release.
Sure it was fast and most things work, however some things just could'nt be fixed properly.
Regarding wireless tether.
Would'nt it be possible to develop a program not needing root access?
Eskibo said:
Regarding wireless tether.
Would'nt it be possible to develop a program not needing root access?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not easily. Android is built on top of a customized Linux and the underlying permissions and rights are pretty fundamental to the OS. You could open everything up to allow non root users the access they need but I bet that "bad things" (highly technical term for difficult to debug file system changes, corruption, etc... would happen as some other poorly written program could then trash the OS. Plus you would have to deal with how the Dalvik machine sitting on top would complicate things. Perhaps once it is opened up to allow running user applications in C it might be simpler, though they are still going to be running virtual.
Much, much simpler to use SuperUser Permissions and explicitly grant access rights to specific programs.
bjtheone said:
Not easily. Android is built on top of a customized Linux and the underlying permissions and rights are pretty fundamental to the OS. You could open everything up to allow non root users the access they need but I bet that "bad things" (highly technical term for difficult to debug file system changes, corruption, etc... would happen as some other poorly written program could then trash the OS. Plus you would have to deal with how the Dalvik machine sitting on top would complicate things. Perhaps once it is opened up to allow running user applications in C it might be simpler, though they are still going to be running virtual.
Much, much simpler to use SuperUser Permissions and explicitly grant access rights to specific programs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. Also, the wireless tether program that everyone uses is essentially just a gui for executing the necessary iptables commands to handle the routing/nat stuff. Iptables has been in existence for like 10 years now. That's way more than you can say for products like PDANet.
One of the things that makes Linux more secure than other OS's is that it inherently has user separation built in. The advantages that are gained from this far outweigh the minor inconveniences.
I checked a few days ago and the source hadn't been released yet.
Apparently someone here has ripped the 2.0 from a Moto Droid and put it on a G1 (Dream), but according to the same article it's not issue-free yet.
I'm sure Cyanogen would be on it as soon as the source is released
Sense UI on Magic
Came across this:
Sense UI on Magic
Epicardium said:
Came across this:
Sense UI on Magic
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Old news. I hasn't made it to Canada. I read somewhere that HTC may be releasing it to Rogers around Christmas.
porky1981 said:
well, it seems like rogers doesn't give a cr*p about it's customers (i.e.,still no donut 1.6 yet...still not paid apps), so I wouldn't hold your breath for eclair or sense UI... maybe 6 months after everyone else gets it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually the reason why Canada (Bell, Telus, Rogers) still don't have paid apps on their Android devices is because the Carriers want a piece of the action. They watch Apple rack in a TON of cash and now they want a cut of the profits.
Eskibo said:
Regarding wireless tether.
Would'nt it be possible to develop a program not needing root access?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No wireless tether requires root access, there is not way to tether without it. It plays around with some settings in the phone that only root access will give you.
tozes said:
Does unlocking root account voids the warranty?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does, but you can always unroot if you need warranty service.

The state of Android homebrew.

When the G1 came out it was the only Android powered device so modding it worked for everybody. And it was just one brand, HTC, so this forum was a one stop destination for modding our phone.
However, things have changed, now there are multiple phone with incompatible hardware from different manufacturers. Now a custom rom made for the G1, won't work on a DROID for example and vise versa. This complicates things quite a bit.
Right now Cyanogen mods are the best thing for our G1 and maybe the best thing for Android as a whole. I'm used to the build in tether capability and apps to SD and compcace and the other perks of a modded rom. But if I wanted to upgrade my phone, I would lose it all.
There are no Cyanogen mod for anything other than G1 and myTouch phones as far as I know and if I were to upgrade to DROID, I would lose root, lose tether, lose apps to SD, lose everything about my phone that makes it my phone.
Everything I wrote may not be facts, I don't really know what goes on at other forums, but I know that we don't have roms build to run on the DROID and we don't have them built to run on the HERO hardware, it's all for G1 and myTouch, and it seems to me that if I don't ha.ve on of those phones, I lose everything.
I do understand that this forum is for HTC devices which DROID and a few other's are not which is why I don't see homebrew for them. Is there a another website similar to this that supports all Android hardware?
These are thoughts that have been running through my head lately. If I am totally wrong here, please let me know.
I would say check out websites such as androidcommunity.com, androidandme.com, phandroid.com. The developers might not be on there but you can probably find links to where there are custom roms for the phones.
And you are right about different phones having different development oppurtunities. I thought about this today and realized that the next android phone I get not only has to be what I want but also be a popular phone that will attract developers such as cyan, maxisma, jac, manup and everyone else. My best guess and hope is that it will be a snapdragon android handset, hopefully for T-Mobile USA.
What we'll end up having to do is pick our phones based on it's community support and what kind of home brew is available for it.
The reason I love the G1 is the fact that it's rooted and has a large community. This phone is the best on the market, all things considered, because the rooted OS allows so much.
If and when the Droid is rooted, when a GSM version is released, and when it has T-Mo's 3G bands, I will move to it. But all those may not happen for another year or more. If you haven't played with a Droid yet, do so. Incredible speed and the best screen I have ever seen on a phone. Till then, G1 all the way.
The man is right, we have a problem on the dev side.
I think though, once 2.0 gets standard, we'll only need root for a few things like tethering and setting the CPU clock. Really cyanogen's only advantage is optimization, but once 2.0 and snapdragon rolls around, who cares? We'll always want to tinker, but it won't eclipse getting the phone you want.
The big problems right now are that the market isn't getting what it needs. Nothing compares to the HTC widgets, yet instead of cloning them on the market, we try and run a ROM that doesn't even work on our phones! We still don't have BT in Hero and it may just never happen.
2.0 will be what we need as a base, but the market needs our help now.
I'd contest the cyanogen are the best rom's.. maybe for someoen who wants to flash an upgrade every 3 days.. but for the majority of users.. Dwang is the way to go. Lengthy discussion about this, is over here..
alec.baldwin said:
I'd contest the cyanogen are the best rom's.. maybe for someoen who wants to flash an upgrade every 3 days.. but for the majority of users.. Dwang is the way to go. Lengthy discussion about this, is over here..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks but this thread is not about who has the best rom.
The point is, when you get a new Android phone, your rom of choice won't be available for it. So what do you do?
alec.baldwin said:
I'd contest the cyanogen are the best rom's.. maybe for someoen who wants to flash an upgrade every 3 days.. but for the majority of users.. Dwang is the way to go. Lengthy discussion about this, is over here..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think we all get it already, YOU are dwang's biggest fan
But, to stay on topic. My G1 is the first HTC device I've ever owned and I've only discovered XDA since I've had it, and I think that because of the community involvement here and the custom roms that have come out, I will definitely lean towards another HTC phone when I look for my next upgrade, and it will definately be an android phone.
Also another thing to look at is the availability of the phones that are out to actual dev's. Unless people are donating phones, I doubt everyone can just run out and pick up all the latest devices, and network restrictions/preferences that come along with them.
I think the easiest solution is as follows:
1. Find the dev you like best.
2. Find the phone you like best.
3. Buy phone you like best.
4. Buy/Create a donate link to get said dev the same phone.
Assuming said dev doesnt turn around and craigslist the phone you bought him/her, you have (hopefully) ensured said dev will migrate and develop on your favorite hardware.
Not the best solution but probably the most reliable.
alec.baldwin said:
I'd contest the cyanogen are the best rom's.. maybe for someoen who wants to flash an upgrade every 3 days.. but for the majority of users.. Dwang is the way to go. Lengthy discussion about this, is over here..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seriously dude, are you going to diss me in every thread? What do you even contribute to this community? I've not received any patches or even logs of the "problems" you claim.
cyanogen said:
Seriously dude, are you going to diss me in every thread? What do you even contribute to this community? I've not received any patches or even logs of the "problems" you claim.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For real.
Alec, you're like the little annoying brother that no one wants to be around.
Grow up, let your balls drop, and enjoy your phone, your life, and whatever rom you want.
But, you don't have to go around dissing well-respected devs.
The Droid hasn't been out long enough for a community to gather around it. Many of the Android big names are waiting to get GSM versions before tinkering.
Also, remember that the HTC Dream was in circulation well before it launched last year. The Android development phone is identical to the Dream, with the only difference being some swish art on the back cover. The hardware and software were free-flowing long before it landed in our hands. In contrast, the Droid was a much more secretive launch; we've only just got Eclair source code, and the SDK was kept under wraps by a non-disclosure agreement (probably to conceal the nuclear bomb that is Google Maps Navigation).
I find the cracking of the Droid to be inevitable. The poor thing is going to be broken just as much as our Dreams were. Just give it time.
As for ROMs being available over a span of phones, I'm not sure that's even a good idea. Android variants like XROM, cyanogenmod, The Dude's ROM, yadda yadda... they're all about maximising the capabilities of the Dream. Not the Droid, the Dream. Adding in features that the hardware can support, changing CPU frequencies, Apps2SD, all that jazz. Droid ROMs will be built around adding in core features, like Apps2SD, and whatever else the Droid has tucked away. Likewise, speed optimisations may not be portable between phones, as what gives the Dream a boost may hinder the Droid.
For me, features of a ROM are not the best part of homebrew Android builds. The best part is being able to upgrade your phone outside of the carrier's say-so. If T-mobile have no plans to push Eclair to Dreams, I will install it myself. I am not tied down by the say-so of a room full of suits three thousand miles away. If T-mobile don't include an app that I like, such as the IM app or the Amazon MP3 store (which T-mobile UK don't), I can get ROMs with them myself. If a carrier would rather I didn't tether without paying for my bandwidth twice, I can do it anyway, so long as I'm not an idiot.
You may have guessed that I have a very dim view of cell carriers.
With root, we are free to do as we like. This is the real killer feature of homebrew, and the Droid will benefit from it too.
Anyway...
dwang said:
I want to acknowledge cyanogen, daproy, cyrowski, loccy, and alla for their contributions to the android community.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems dwang himself has a much higher opinion of the man than a certain other someone.
AthlonBoy said:
The Droid hasn't been out long enough for a community to gather around it. Many of the Android big names are waiting to get GSM versions before tinkering.
Also, remember that the HTC Dream was in circulation well before it launched last year. The Android development phone is identical to the Dream, with the only difference being some swish art on the back cover. The hardware and software were free-flowing long before it landed in our hands. In contrast, the Droid was a much more secretive launch; we've only just got Eclair source code, and the SDK was kept under wraps by a non-disclosure agreement (probably to conceal the nuclear bomb that is Google Maps Navigation).
I find the cracking of the Droid to be inevitable. The poor thing is going to be broken just as much as our Dreams were. Just give it time.
As for ROMs being available over a span of phones, I'm not sure that's even a good idea. Android variants like XROM, cyanogenmod, The Dude's ROM, yadda yadda... they're all about maximising the capabilities of the Dream. Not the Droid, the Dream. Adding in features that the hardware can support, changing CPU frequencies, Apps2SD, all that jazz. Droid ROMs will be built around adding in core features, like Apps2SD, and whatever else the Droid has tucked away. Likewise, speed optimisations may not be portable between phones, as what gives the Dream a boost may hinder the Droid.
For me, features of a ROM are not the best part of homebrew Android builds. The best part is being able to upgrade your phone outside of the carrier's say-so. If T-mobile have no plans to push Eclair to Dreams, I will install it myself. I am not tied down by the say-so of a room full of suits three thousand miles away. If T-mobile don't include an app that I like, such as the IM app or the Amazon MP3 store (which T-mobile UK don't), I can get ROMs with them myself. If a carrier would rather I didn't tether without paying for my bandwidth twice, I can do it anyway, so long as I'm not an idiot.
You may have guessed that I have a very dim view of cell carriers.
With root, we are free to do as we like. This is the real killer feature of homebrew, and the Droid will benefit from it too.
Anyway...
It seems dwang himself has a much higher opinion of the man than a certain other someone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You seem to have almost got my point but not quite. Of coarse DOID doesn't need Cyanogen MOD specifically. But would you buy an Android phone if there weren't a mod that lets it do the things that we are used to and have only become available by modding? Apps to SD, tethering, themeing?
Sure DROID might get all these things though a custom rom but we won't see it on this website. The problem is that things will get too spread out and hard to find with all these new hardware options.
What would be nice is a rom that works on nearly every Android device that just adds root access to the phone and some basic universal packages like A2SD and tethering etc. That way you can buy any Android device you want and still have these basic privileges.
Do you think something like that would be possible?
Pinesal said:
You seem to have almost got my point but not quite. Of coarse DOID doesn't need Cyanogen MOD specifically. But would you buy an Android phone if there weren't a mod that lets it do the things that we are used to and have only become available by modding? Apps to SD, tethering, themeing?
Sure DROID might get all these things though a custom rom but we won't see it on this website. The problem is that things will get too spread out and hard to find with all these new hardware options.
What would be nice is a rom that works on nearly every Android device that just adds root access to the phone and some basic universal packages like A2SD and tethering etc. That way you can buy any Android device you want and still have these basic privileges.
Do you think something like that would be possible?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Beats me, man. I'm not a developer. But I think it's unlikely.
For the DROID (and other/future android phones) is Apps2SD really necessary? The only reason why we need it on our phones is because of the pathetic amount of internal space the G1 has, the same goes for Swap Partitions etc.
As long as people buy the phone there is always going to be someone who is smart enough to work on rooting it IMO. And even without root what do you really lose? The only things I think I would really miss are Wireless Tether and Bluetooth File Transfer (Which I THINK is in 2.0 anyway).
I'm not buying a new phone until it's rooted and Cyanogen has it too.
My biggest requirement for any android phone..and any cell phone in general is the keyboard. I bought the G1 because of the keyboard and lucked out with the high number of developers available for it. I didn't find this place for several months during the time when the grandfather of the G1 mod program was still active =) JF!. I enjoyed all the modding and updating because I personally feel that the phone is, well mine. And I should be able to do what ever I want with it. I had picked up the V3C Razer because it could play MP3's. I get it home and then discover that the Verizon Nazi's completely locked down that feature so you where forced to use their service at an additional cost. Of course the motorola dev/repair/store software allowed us to get in a enable the various features that Verizon required to be locked. I also love the Aps2sd. No matter what phone you have, the internal memory will never be enough. And with the Cliq supporting 32gig sd cards, a full keyboard, and NOT verizon was enough for me. I'm patient and confident it will be rooted eventually. If not, I still have my G1 and I still do Cyanogen updates and play around with it. And when my contract is up with Tmob(renewed for the Cliq), I'll see who has the next most popular rooted phone with a keyboard and switch over. I just really hate people telling me how to use a device I own. Its like going to McDonalds and having them dictate what condiments to put on my BigMac and Fries, and then telling me I can only eat it a certain way and which hand to use. If Cyanogen was down with the Cliq, or interested in it. I may be willing to ship him my phone to see what he can come up with.
As far as a universal O/S for all phones, isn't that just the core Android software with specific drivers provided by each manufacturer and custom UI? There should be a way to make 1 O/S for all android phones, then have update packs with the drivers and UI enhancements and add-ons for each android phone released? Not sure of the SPL locks though. Thats a bit beyond me. But i wouldn't think it would be to hard to run Cyanogen on the Cliq or droid provided the correct drivers and such where bundled with it. Kind of like slipstreaming a service pack into a bootleg Windows OS . Each phone eventually has to release the source code which contains the drivers for that phone. Thats how we get the Cliq's OS onto the G1, should work the other way around too. Sounds easy, but Cyanogen's Rom should run on my Cliq, provided the drivers are slipstreamed into it for the Cliq...right? Only problem is root.. :/ hehehe
and there he flames again...alec.baldwin, no one has the problems you have with cyanogen's latest. actually, lets delve into this...what exactly are your "problems" with 4.2.5? PLEASE, answer this question so cyanogen can dutifully fix the "problems" you are having.
You might check out some of the Q/A threads to first learn how to properly flash cyanogen's ROM. It is slightly different than Dwang's because Cyanogen uses the legal method. In fact, check out www.cyanogenmod.com and you might find a ton of useful info on getting cm to work on your phone.
Best of Luck,
njuncos
P.S. Cyanogen, mad props on once again reaching over a million thread views on your latest. Now you own 3 of the top 4 most viewed threads of all time in Dream Android Development!

[Q] Why should I root my Atrix? Request feedback from people with a rooted Atrix

As my question implies, can anyone break it down for me as to why it is a good move to root my phone? I'm on AT&T right now, with ADW EX home launcher. I'm happy with the overall speed. Can you list out some advantages of rooting? I'm not looking for the general reasons to root, I want reasons SPECIFIC to the Atrix on AT&T. Sideloading and Amazon app store are the only two reasons I have so far. What is the advantage in terms of battery life, speed, stability, overheating etc? What about compatibility with future motorola updates? Thanks!
sideloading and amazon app pretty much sums it up for now, and the ability to install psuedo roms like gingerblur and Gladiatrix
Oh. that brings me to the second point, rooting lets you remove bloat apps and install apps that need root, like this new app I'm trying called LBE Security Service.
Later on, when custom roms and kernels are made, you'll have to have Superuser access (root) before you can access those parts of the data.
Advantages in terms of battery life, speed, stability etc? It depends on the rom you load. Some roms may boast extended battery life/speed and if you install those, you would have those extra features. For now, since we have nothing of that sort, you will remain stock with root, but you'll be ready if/when something comes out.
Last word, I say root it. It lets you customize your android experience. You can install new fonts, remove that ATT bloatware, and you can sideload (try out betas, etc)
(Oops, real last word)
Compatibility with future updates? You'll probably have to flash with SBF to update from now on instead of OTA, but thats a preference anyway. In the end, you will be able to update fine, so don't worry about it. Though if you are lazy to do research and actually invest time into your phone, I say don't root it because theres no point. If you want to experience android in its fullest and customize as much as you can, ROOT is the only way.
Hope I hoped.
Rooting Advantages:
-Sideloading
-P-ROMS (basically an enhanced theme)
-Custom Themes
-Custom Apps such as Applanet(best app you'll ever come across)
-Battery life is extended a bit, nothing drastic though
-Speed seems be a bit better, nothing greatly drastic
-The heat production is pretty much the same
-Memory does free up a bit more (mostly in the P-ROMS)
-Bloatware removed (lots of useless ****)
Disadvantage
-issues with P-ROMS, sometimes when installing they work properly and sometimes they don't.
-Root access sometimes lost if unused for a long period of time.
I'd say wait until the bootloader either gets hacked or bypassed because you'll save yourself tons of heartache.
Mafisometal said:
-Root access sometimes lost if unused for a long period of time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never heard that!
Well About root, you can make your phone really yours adding new features or customizing everything you want: You can add support for Cisco VPNs, enable hotspot and sideloading, change the clock speed of your phone processor, and so on!
chaitu45 said:
As my question implies, can anyone break it down for me as to why it is a good move to root my phone? I'm on AT&T right now, with ADW EX home launcher. I'm happy with the overall speed. Can you list out some advantages of rooting? I'm not looking for the general reasons to root, I want reasons SPECIFIC to the Atrix on AT&T. Sideloading and Amazon app store are the only two reasons I have so far. What is the advantage in terms of battery life, speed, stability, overheating etc? What about compatibility with future motorola updates? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dont. No reason for you to root.
If you haft to ask a question like this than dont
Mafisometal said:
Rooting Advantages:
-P-ROMS (basically an enhanced theme)
-Custom Apps such as Applanet(best app you'll ever come across)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*P-roms are not just enhanced themes. They include tweaks and mods in them.
*Applanet promotes piracy and hurts the developers communities. Promoting it in XDA is prohibited by the way.
Mafisometal said:
Rooting Advantages:
-Sideloading
-P-ROMS (basically an enhanced theme)
-Custom Themes
-Custom Apps such as Applanet(best app you'll ever come across)
-Battery life is extended a bit, nothing drastic though
-Speed seems be a bit better, nothing greatly drastic
-The heat production is pretty much the same
-Memory does free up a bit more (mostly in the P-ROMS)
-Bloatware removed (lots of useless ****)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reported for promoting theft (Applanet)
Sent from WinBorg 4G via XDA premium app
CaelanT said:
Reported for promoting theft (Applanet)
Sent from WinBorg 4G via XDA premium app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Childish.
While I don't agree with people using App Planet and ripping of developers, he never said "download app planet and get all those awesome apps for free" or "you can steal em!"
He answered the guys question based on his beliefs and not ours. You can not fault him for telling the truth as he sees it.
DarrellRaines said:
Childish.
While I don't agree with people using App Planet and ripping of developers, he never said "download app planet and get all those awesome apps for free" or "you can steal em!"
He answered the guys question based on his beliefs and not ours. You can not fault him for telling the truth as he sees it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"(best app you'll ever come across)" is more than just a recommendation.
Why you think he told the OP applanet is the best he will ever come across? What is it applanet has to be that? think about it and be logical.
CyberPunk7t9 said:
"(best app you'll ever come across)" is more than just a recommendation.
Why you think he told the OP applanet is the best he will ever come across? What is it applanet has to be that? think about it and be logical.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have thought about it. The OP asked a question and to the person who answered, he answered honestly and told him what he thought.
Remember, our right is sometimes someone elses wrong, and vice versa. It all depends on perspective.
He may have said applanet, but he never said download it. All I am saying is it was childish for him to be reported for mentioning the app and that he uses it. It would be much the same as someone admitting the downloaded mp3s from a torrent site. Just because someone mentions one, it does not mean he is telling people to go to that site and download music he has not paid for and has no legal right to do it.
Besides are we not on a website that has software dedicated to screwing over our carriers and voiding our agreements with the carriers? You can not call foul on one person and not the others.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
DarrellRaines said:
I have thought about it. The OP asked a question and to the person who answered, he answered honestly and told him what he thought.
Remember, our right is sometimes someone elses wrong, and vice versa. It all depends on perspective.
He may have said applanet, but he never said download it. All I am saying is it was childish for him to be reported for mentioning the app and that he uses it. It would be much the same as someone admitting the downloaded mp3s from a torrent site. Just because someone mentions one, it does not mean he is telling people to go to that site and download music he has not paid for and has no legal right to do it.
Besides are we not on a website that has software dedicated to screwing over our carriers and voiding our agreements with the carriers? You can not call foul on one person and not the others.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with what you're saying on the general level and not just specifically our topic here.
All what we're saying plain and simple.. XDA does not allow warez/applanet topics.
You can find many closed topics like this one:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1022363
This could have been avoided. OP's questions were about rooting. Applanet does not even require it.
CyberPunk7t9 said:
I agree with what you're saying on the general level and not just specifically our topic here.
All what we're saying plain and simple.. XDA does not allow warez/applanet topics.
You can find many closed topics like this one:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1022363
This could have been avoided. OP's questions were about rooting. Applanet does not even require it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh I know it's against the rules and I have a huge problem with people not paying for their apps.
I am just not a big fan of the pot calling the kettle black. Technically using pdanet or any of the free tethers to bypass our carriers system is the same as screwing a good developer out of money.
The fact that we will report someone for mentioning applanet while many still do other methods to screw someone over, well it seems childish. Maybe I should just shut up and move on, but then I would feel wrong for not saying something.
However on topic, if you don't know why you should root, then you shouldn't consider it. Rooting will not make your experience with your phone any better or worse. It just allows you to install a few apps such as the amazon store and those found here on XDA on your phone. Technically you can do more with it, but the pros do not often out weigh the cons. Unless you have a need, don't bother with rooting.
xredjokerx said:
sideloading and amazon app pretty much sums it up for now, and the ability to install psuedo roms like gingerblur and Gladiatrix
Oh. that brings me to the second point, rooting lets you remove bloat apps and install apps that need root, like this new app I'm trying called LBE Security Service.
Later on, when custom roms and kernels are made, you'll have to have Superuser access (root) before you can access those parts of the data.
Advantages in terms of battery life, speed, stability etc? It depends on the rom you load. Some roms may boast extended battery life/speed and if you install those, you would have those extra features. For now, since we have nothing of that sort, you will remain stock with root, but you'll be ready if/when something comes out.
Last word, I say root it. It lets you customize your android experience. You can install new fonts, remove that ATT bloatware, and you can sideload (try out betas, etc)
(Oops, real last word)
Compatibility with future updates? You'll probably have to flash with SBF to update from now on instead of OTA, but thats a preference anyway. In the end, you will be able to update fine, so don't worry about it. Though if you are lazy to do research and actually invest time into your phone, I say don't root it because theres no point. If you want to experience android in its fullest and customize as much as you can, ROOT is the only way.
Hope I hoped.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the informative and thorough response. I'm an avid Android user since 1.5 and have rooted older Android phones many times. My intention with asking this question was to understand if the Atrix truly benefits from rooting or are users rooting it for bragging rights. The troubles I've faced with custom ROMs for previous android devices were many, ranging from innumerable patches and add-ons to multiple FCs regularly. Since the Atrix is my primary phone I would prefer stability in a custom ROM as opposed to features which I won't end up using often like HDMI mirroring (this is a personal opinion, i'm sure other users have other requirements).
chaitu45 said:
Thank you for the informative and thorough response. I'm an avid Android user since 1.5 and have rooted older Android phones many times. My intention with asking this question was to understand if the Atrix truly benefits from rooting or are users rooting it for bragging rights. The troubles I've faced with custom ROMs for previous android devices were many, ranging from innumerable patches and add-ons to multiple FCs regularly. Since the Atrix is my primary phone I would prefer stability in a custom ROM as opposed to features which I won't end up using often like HDMI mirroring (this is a personal opinion, i'm sure other users have other requirements).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IMO a custom ROM is not necessary. Stock Atrix + root + one of the launchers is more than enough. My phone is rooted so that I can enable sideloading/Amazon app store and also for Titanium backup to backup everything. The other 'fun' stuff like hdmi mirroring, hulu, etc are ok but not must haves.
edit: root also so I can put my ringtones in /system/media/audio/ringtones and not lose ringtone assignments every time the phone sdcard and sdcard-ext unmounts/mounts.
You do not need to have root permissions to remove ATT bloatware. With latest OTA, they removed root requirement to uninstall their software, but they haven't done anything to allow us side-loading. I hope that this will be addressed in the next OTA.
I am a new android user (Atrix first Android phone) and I have enjoyed the rooting experience. Root explorer is worth the price of admission imho and the other day I had a problem that I couldn't fix without a rooted phone. (now using autostarts to prevent music on my device playing automatically when the phone connects to my truck via bt). And I like the control I have over my phone since it is rooted (freezing apps, etc).
In regards to updates how hard it is depends on how you mod your phone. If you do the webtop hack you will have to put the oem files back prior to updating. If you have apps frozen I believe you need to thaw them. Other than that it is just a matter of preserving root (which means about 5 minutes using adb to hide root and then after you update restoring it; no big deal)
chaitu45 said:
As my question implies, can anyone break it down for me as to why it is a good move to root my phone? I'm on AT&T right now, with ADW EX home launcher. I'm happy with the overall speed. Can you list out some advantages of rooting? I'm not looking for the general reasons to root, I want reasons SPECIFIC to the Atrix on AT&T. Sideloading and Amazon app store are the only two reasons I have so far. What is the advantage in terms of battery life, speed, stability, overheating etc? What about compatibility with future motorola updates? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Control. You do not have it ATM. Rooting is exactly that, the most possible control you can gain over the phone, software wise.
#1 reason I rooted my atrix is simply to add a custom rom onto it. I don't like the look of the stock motoblur so I got rid of it asap.
i'm sure there are tons of reasons to root the phone but if you're afraid to do it because you might brick your phone or something there's a lot of tutorials that will guide you step-by-step on how to do it. I actually made a tutorial myself.
that's for the actual rooting process and if you need to downgrade your phone here's the other part of it. doing a fresh SBF Flash.
ok i'm not sure why my youtube links came out like that and i'm not sure how to fix it either any help from anybody?

No Custom ROMs on WP8 Devices

Hi I wanted to buy a wp8 device but after reading this article I gave up buying a wp8 device. Because no custom roms is a deal-breaker for me. So looks like its not possible to unlock wp8 devices for now but I don't know is it gonna be in the future. I'm asking because I don't know how unlocking process works because I never used a wp device. I know how android system works but I have no idea about wp devices. So if you guys can explain if it can be done in the future or why we will never be able to unlock wp8 devices. :good:
Edit: Its no longer a deal-breaker for me I thought unlock was important as much as jailbreak on iphone and root on android. But thanks for helping me realise wp devices do not need unlock
Edit2: I bought a lumia 920. You guys were right wp is awesome. Only things I am missing from android is file explorer, rotation lock and notifications.
Yes you definitely dont know much about WP. You never used one, but you know that custom ROMs are dealbreaker for you. Nice.
Just to let you know, custom roms are not important at all in WP. They dont bring much improvement, far less than in android.
martan1981 said:
Yes you definitely dont know much about WP. You never used one, but you know that custom ROMs are dealbreaker for you. Nice.
Just to let you know, custom roms are not important at all in WP. They dont bring much improvement, far less than in android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can be right, custom roms means a lot on android and jailbreak means a lot for iphone. So I thought unlock is important like jailbreak/root. But if not, I'm definitely gonna buy a wp8 Thanks for the info about roms. I want to ask, can we install local apps like we can do at android without unlocking?
Windows Phones do not need custom ROMs, because all the mess that's happening on base ROMs for android is not present, which is why custom ROMs exist for android in the first place, and not because of customization or whatever else then less enlighten users use ROMs for.
mcosmin222 said:
Windows Phones do not need custom ROMs, because all the mess that's happening on base ROMs for android is not present, which is why custom ROMs exist for android in the first place
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Er, custom ROMs aren't "needed" anywhere.* They exist because developers have an itch for some feature or bugfix not available in stock - in other words, they have something that improves over stock in some way. Perhaps you should read the feature lists of some WP custom ROMs.
No possible improvements over stock is not a good thing no matter how you spin it. That said, I think the OP is overreacting calling it a "deal-breaker". Well, it depends on what you're looking for in "jailbreaking". This jailbreak feature, for one, won't be available.
*Edit: You know this because the users of custom ROMs are always in the vast minority.
Something that needs improvement is messed up in my books sooo....
Yeh the Op is kinda exaggerating with the deal-breaker though.
mcosmin222 said:
Something that needs improvement is messed up in my books sooo....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I've just pointed out, improvement is not needed. On the other hand, is improvement improvement? Why, yes.
thebobp said:
Er, custom ROMs aren't "needed" anywhere.* They exist because developers have an itch for some feature or bugfix not available in stock - in other words, they have something that improves over stock in some way. Perhaps you should read the feature lists of some WP custom ROMs.
No possible improvements over stock is not a good thing no matter how you spin it. That said, I think the OP is overreacting calling it a "deal-breaker". Well, it depends on what you're looking for in "jailbreaking". This jailbreak feature, for one, won't be available.
*Edit: You know this because the users of custom ROMs are always in the vast minority.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bite your tongue, sir: custom roms are practically necessary for android. Stock ROMs have faulty GPS drivers, crapware, bloatware, SPYWARE even. I have a friend who bought a low end android phone from sprint. Two mistakes: being on sprint and going low end on android. It's getting better, but android is a huge resource hog, and having all the carrier crap on there makes it worse. My friend's phone is quite literally unusable; it locks up very often. Even after I hard reset it for him. On android, stock is [probably] ALWAYS bad.
WP8 however.... I have a custom ROM for my WP7 device, but everything I've done with the custom ROM is natively supported in WP8. So I guess I could live with a stock WP8 ROM. The only thing I'd be missing out on is free tethering.
Carriers, if you charge for tethering... **** you.
^ in your opinion.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
link68759 said:
Bite your tongue, sir: custom roms are practically necessary for android. Stock ROMs have faulty GPS drivers, crapware, bloatware, SPYWARE even. I have a friend who bought a low end android phone from sprint. Two mistakes: being on sprint and going low end on android. It's getting better, but android is a huge resource hog, and having all the carrier crap on there makes it worse. My friend's phone is quite literally unusable; it locks up very often. Even after I hard reset it for him. On android, stock is [probably] ALWAYS bad.
WP8 however.... I have a custom ROM for my WP7 device, but everything I've done with the custom ROM is natively supported in WP8. So I guess I could live with a stock WP8 ROM. The only thing I'd be missing out on is free tethering.
Carriers, if you charge for tethering... **** you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Free tethering? My experience tells me that only the Dell Venue Pro is incapable of wi-fi tethering because of the chipset. The carriers have disabled the feature but a lot of phones can be interop unlocked and have the feature enabled. Heck, the Quantum requires little effort since it has an onboard reg edit tool. Google be thy friend.
Amazing! (And incredibly stupid!)
This will eventually flood this forum with unhappy users, wishing to mod their devices...after having seen their cool AOS counter parts.
Nothing to mod it works out of the box. I dont even see a point in current custom roms wp7.5..just few added apps & unlocked for piracy (ok "homebrew")
Hacking is by definition something that should be impossible.
Hacking is based on using some unpredicted exploit to workaround security.
If today we knew that Custom Roms would be going to be possible on WP8 then Microsoft could fix the exploit.
Don't blame Microsoft for this of course, you know most (I did not say every) people wants to unlock their phone to sideload pirated apps.
That's simply the truth. This is what happens all around me on iPhone and Android ecosystem.
Now the real question is : how much interesting (or clever) is speaking about the existence of exploits on something you don't even own/know ?
Articles like the linked one looks nothing more than a big flame to me, and this topic is no different.
P.S. It is really funny to find out some users are particularly attracted by this kind of topic, isn't it?
You realize that the place you're posting to caters to the small percentage of people who want / use any flexibility afforded them, right?
The elegance of a closed system (relatively speaking) is the stability you can accomplish. This is the apple model to a tee, and for most people it's fine.
BUT, flexibility is where windows the traditional OS, Android, and Linux shine. There are always optimizations that can be done, always tweaks, custom apps galore. Android ROMs have spoiled us, masses be dammed.
Sent from my LT30p using Tapatalk 2
dragonide said:
Hacking is by definition something that should be impossible.
Hacking is based on using some unpredicted exploit to workaround security.
If today we knew that Custom Roms would be going to be possible on WP8 then Microsoft could fix the exploit.
Don't blame Microsoft for this of course, you know most (I did not say every) people wants to unlock their phone to sideload pirated apps.
That's simply the truth. This is what happens all around me on iPhone and Android ecosystem.
Now the real question is : how much interesting (or clever) is speaking about the existence of exploits on something you don't even own/know ?
Articles like the linked one looks nothing more than a big flame to me, and this topic is no different.
P.S. It is really funny to find out some users are particularly attracted by this kind of topic, isn't it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It has began.
I actually am for Custom ROMs. Sorry, but Devs sometimes just do a better job at things. A Interop Unlocking and Custom ROMs made my Trophy a heck of a lot more enjoyable to use.
And I disagree with all the lock downs MS has in place. Email, messaging clients, browsers, keyboards. We are all stuck with one version. No chance to use versions a Dev could provide that would give us more options and features. Sometimes, Devs just do things better. The MS locked apps I listed, among others, can all be improved upon. Rather than waiting or hoping MS does more to improve them, itd be a lot nicer to have options of 3rd party devs.
lugi93 said:
Nothing to mod it works out of the box. I dont even see a point in current custom roms wp7.5..just few added apps & unlocked for piracy (ok "homebrew")
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So WP8 has a file explorer?
lugi93 said:
Nothing to mod it works out of the box. I dont even see a point in current custom roms wp7.5..just few added apps & unlocked for piracy (ok "homebrew")
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that I have WP8 I no longer have custom ROMs, and here's a list of things I'm missing.
-Being able to back up and restore isolated storage (aka game saves and apps with braindamaged devs who don't export to skydrive)
-Setting goddamn custom notification sounds.
-Enabling internet sharing on AT&T
-Bluetooth file transfer for unsupported files
-USB Video out
And the biggest thing was updates to the latest build (7.8), because you either have to wait years to get the stupid thing, or you just never get it. WP8 seems to have solved that issue, but it's a big thing for 7.x
There is significantly more homebrew than apps that can be pirated too... So no, WP8 is not perfect out of the box yet.
Sent from my Windows 8 device using Board Express Pro
IMHO there is stil need for custom roms with WP8. This system for many might need to be changed. For example (I had Lumia 920 but beeing annoyed I've sold it) People Hub. I had Facebook account and LinkedIIn configured and connected with Microsoft Account. Hopefully People Hub allows me to display only those people from my Outlook Account with photos of them from LinkedIn or Facebook. That's good. Where is the problem - mail app which seems not to use People Hub filtering and after I've started writing somebody's email it was trying to suggest me all of the people from my linkedin and facebook. Facebook is a toy for me, email is a tool for work. I dont's wanna havve facebook contacts in my email. What's more - I don't wan't to see non skype contacts on my skype list. How to solve it ? Only custom rom may help with modified People Hub service.
dansus72 said:
So WP8 has a file explorer?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you're not being sarcastic, and really asking- i'm taking no offense of malice either way, just answering
no, there is no file explorer. this is hotly debated over and over again as to wether its a needed feature or just a 'gimmie' app on other platforms. some even argue that a file explorer on wp8 makes it insecure. whatever.
i'm seeing fewer and fewer posts here on xda pertaining to wp. even the extremely optimistic wpcentral forum is turning a little more 'real' since MWC turned into a nokia-only festival for wp.
anyway, i'm getting sidetracked. hope i answered your question nicely

Reasons to Unlock BL and Root?

Hi Guys,
One of the Essential bandwagoners here, thanks to Amazon ! So far, I really like the phone, short of my ridiculously bad, bad wifi radio, with the weakest device connection I have ever seen to my router and even worse 5ghz network experience with sometimes network not even found on my phone. But the rest of the phones and devices in my home are A-OK!
Anyway, outside of the issue above, which some people claim they don't even have. Others say Android P, and Custom Kernels may or may not have helped, can you guys share the reasons to really unlock and root the phone for anything I might be missing? I find the stock set up to be plenty fast/lightweight, bloat-free, great battery life, and no SafetyNet issues with Android Pay or what have you. Can you share anything I may be missing, especially with these workarounds?:
1. Ad-Blocking - Use Samsung Internet with Ad-Blockers
2. YouTube Vanced for background play
3. Poor Camera - I heard you can just get the APKs of the GCAMs that make it work very close to the Pixel? I haven't tried this, any recommendations on where to start?
4. Ads in apps - Either buy to remove (good ones) or find modded versions
5. Updates seem to come fast from Essential, too bad the company couldn't last!
Looking for your expert thoughts on reasons to root or try Custom ROMs, especially losing things like Android Pay, potential instability, etc...
Magisk allows you to pass safety net, nothing is unstable as far as I know, and this is xda...we break stuff, root and unlock bootloaders
ProFragger said:
Hi Guys,
One of the Essential bandwagoners here, thanks to Amazon ! So far, I really like the phone, short of my ridiculously bad, bad wifi radio, with the weakest device connection I have ever seen to my router and even worse 5ghz network experience with sometimes network not even found on my phone. But the rest of the phones and devices in my home are A-OK!
Anyway, outside of the issue above, which some people claim they don't even have. Others say Android P, and Custom Kernels may or may not have helped, can you guys share the reasons to really unlock and root the phone for anything I might be missing? I find the stock set up to be plenty fast/lightweight, bloat-free, great battery life, and no SafetyNet issues with Android Pay or what have you. Can you share anything I may be missing, especially with these workarounds?:
1. Ad-Blocking - Use Samsung Internet with Ad-Blockers
2. YouTube Vanced for background play
3. Poor Camera - I heard you can just get the APKs of the GCAMs that make it work very close to the Pixel? I haven't tried this, any recommendations on where to start?
4. Ads in apps - Either buy to remove (good ones) or find modded versions
5. Updates seem to come fast from Essential, too bad the company couldn't last!
Looking for your expert thoughts on reasons to root or try Custom ROMs, especially losing things like Android Pay, potential instability, etc...
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My boot loader was unlocked from day one.
No instability issues. I can pass safetynet with Magisk with no issues.
Your #5. Stop spreading rumors. Company appears to be just fine.
BakedTator said:
Magisk allows you to pass safety net, nothing is unstable as far as I know, and this is xda...we break stuff, root and unlock bootloaders
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tech_head said:
My boot loader was unlocked from day one.
No instability issues. I can pass safetynet with Magisk with no issues.
Your #5. Stop spreading rumors. Company appears to be just fine.
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Hey Guys - Thanks for sharing your experiences on stability, SafetyNet and etc. May I get more input from you guys on what's superior, per se, on the Custom ROMs? Or when using custom Kernels and Governors?
@tech_head - Weren't there reports that there will be no Essential 2? Which is a disappointment, I like this phone other than the poor radio issue I have . Sorry wasn't trying to spread rumors, I thought Andy himself said there would be no Essential 2? And of course, without a product in place, I'd saying the updates to PH-1 would be finite, no?
Thanks for everyone's responses!
ProFragger said:
@tech_head - Weren't there reports that there will be no Essential 2? Which is a disappointment, I like this phone other than the poor radio issue I have . Sorry wasn't trying to spread rumors, I thought Andy himself said there would be no Essential 2? And of course, without a product in place, I'd saying the updates to PH-1 would be finite, no?
Thanks for everyone's responses!
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Click to collapse
Yes, there was one unsubstantiated report from Bloomberg.
No confirmation from any other source.
Tethering is my number 1 reason.
I just signed up again for the free year of Sprint, and hotspot is no longer included. Hotspot was something we used constantly to get my daughter's tablet working in the car, or if I'm on call and need to get my laptop online to use Citrix.

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