Database Users

[Q] Can someone please explain the rooting on this phone to me?

I apologize if there is already a thread like this, but the search wasnt working.. I know what i can do with my phone once it is rooted, I am just interested in what happens tot he actual phone. I could be wrong, but once i root it isnt it always possible to tell that i rooted it even if i unroot it so therefor all warantees are voided? sorry if im being unclear, i cant think of another way to explain it haha.

The K-Zoo Kid said:
I apologize if there is already a thread like this, but the search wasnt working.. I know what i can do with my phone once it is rooted, I am just interested in what happens tot he actual phone. I could be wrong, but once i root it isnt it always possible to tell that i rooted it even if i unroot it so therefor all warantees are voided? sorry if im being unclear, i cant think of another way to explain it haha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The language on the "warranty void" screen says that unlocking the bootloader "may" void your warranty. On the Nexus One, HTC usually honored the warranty if the issue was with anything hardware related and could not have been the result of software tampering. Granted, that's them and this is Samsung.
Further, unless there is something hidden in the system files that counts the number of times you unlock the bootloader, you can always relock it prior to sending it in for repair with fastboot oem lock.

unremarked said:
The language on the "warranty void" screen says that unlocking the bootloader "may" void your warranty. On the Nexus One, HTC usually honored the warranty if the issue was with anything hardware related and could not have been the result of software tampering. Granted, that's them and this is Samsung.
Further, unless there is something hidden in the system files that counts the number of times you unlock the bootloader, you can always relock it prior to sending it in for repair with fastboot oem lock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So there is a way to kind of undo the root without them knowing? THanks a lot btw. I figured it was something like this.

The K-Zoo Kid said:
So there is a way to kind of undo the root without them knowing? THanks a lot btw. I figured it was something like this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
unlocking the bootloader and rooting are two different things

jblade1000 said:
unlocking the bootloader and rooting are two different things
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh i have no idea what unlocking the bootloader does then.

The K-Zoo Kid said:
Ahh i have no idea what unlocking the bootloader does then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In a nutshell, unlocking the bootloader means you will be allowed to flash non-Google/custom files to the system partition and more or less enables superuser access(aka root). Once thats done, then you "root" the device, push the Superuser.apk which will enable the rooted apps. Please check out the rooted section of my stickied FAQ for more detail on how to do this if you decide to. There are two great threads I link to.
Once you lock the bootloader, you lose access to the system partition and superuser I believe which effectively unroots it.

unremarked said:
In a nutshell, unlocking the bootloader means you will be allowed to flash non-Google/custom files to the system partition and more or less enables superuser access(aka root). Once thats done, then you "root" the device, push the Superuser.apk which will enable the rooted apps. Please check out the rooted section of my stickied FAQ for more detail on how to do this if you decide to. There are two great threads I link to.
Once you lock the bootloader, you lose access to the system partition and superuser I believe which effectively unroots it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So basically if you want to do any sort of mods, flash roms, etc. you need to unlock the bootload and root. Thanks a lot for explaining that. I think i understand it now, but just to clarify, if i unlock the bootloader and root will i be able to get the phone back to stock without samsung knowing that i rooted/unlock the bootloader?

The K-Zoo Kid said:
So basically if you want to do any sort of mods, flash roms, etc. you need to unlock the bootload and root. Thanks a lot for explaining that. I think i understand it now, but just to clarify, if i unlock the bootloader and root will i be able to get the phone back to stock without samsung knowing that i rooted/unlock the bootloader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, to mod/flash roms you need to unlock the bootloader. It's possible that sometime down the road someone may develop a method of gaining root access on the phone without touching it, but it's unlikely given the fact that we can both unlock and lock the bootloader very easily.
Right now, the answer is... more or less. If you make a NAND backup in Clockwork Recovery/Rom manager of your stock ROM, you can restore back to that, fastboot flash the closest thing we have currently to the stock recovery(check development section for this), then relock the bootloader. This will give the phone all appearances of being stock. Unless Samsung has something deep in the system files tracking the number of times you've unlocked/locked(which I doubt, since I'm sure such a system would have been found by now), you should be good to go.
Most people who have returned the phone to Best Buy have noted that they don't even power on the device or check to see if the bootloader is unlocked or if there's a custom recovery on there. But your mileage may vary.

Interesting stuff. I was under the impression that once clockworkmod is flashed there is no way to remove it at this time.
Reading this thread I'm guessing and hoping this is not the case?

I had clockworkmod installed but used rom manager to flash the 2.3.1 update and i've now got the stock bootloader back. I guess the ota update does the same? It would seem that getting back to stock is pretty easy.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

xspyda said:
Interesting stuff. I was under the impression that once clockworkmod is flashed there is no way to remove it at this time.
Reading this thread I'm guessing and hoping this is not the case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My apologies, I posted that before I came to the same understanding regarding the stock recovery.
Like the poster above me mentioned there is a NAND backup of stock 2.3.1 you could restore to which has the stock recovery.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

Thanks for the clarification. I'll do some more reading in the dev section

Thanks a lot, this really helped me out a lot. I will proceed to rooting

So, just want to make sure I have this straight... You unlock the bootloader, load custom recovery, SU, and now phone is rooted. If you lock the bootloader, you lose root?
For me, I'm not big on custom roms since I just don't have time to keep things up to date or participate in the bug process, but I do like to maintain backups with Titanium (my primary reason for rooting). So by locking the bootloader down I will not be able to use Titanium. Furthermore, unlocking the bootloader wipes the device. So is there a reason one would not want to keep the bootloader unlocked? Have I completely misunderstood the system?

[Q] Unlocking vs rooting

Potential first time Nexus user coming over from Desire Z.
I intend to transfer my old data from my DZ to the nexus4 when I get it via Titanium Backup. My DZ is rooted with S-off, so it's all good.
I've stumbled over instructions on how to unlock the nexus4 via ABD, but if I'm not wrong, that's only to allow flashing of custom bootloaders and ROMs, right?
Which is to say, unlocking != rooting, and in order for Titanium Backup to work properly, the n4 will have to be rooted as well as SU, busybox etc installed.
Am I on the right track?
Cheers.

nexus come unlock.
unlock = to be use with any carrier
rooting = giving beyond standard permissions such as changing how android does things. EG overclocking, changing your sound "quailty" etc and you said. TB (titanium backup)

Unlock can also mean bootloader unlocking so you can flash/boot from custom recoveries, ROMs, kernels etc (the previous poster was referring to SIM unlocking).
It's just as easy to root, simply install/flash SuperSU via recovery though ChainsDD's Superuser works as well.

Unlawful said:
Unlock can also mean bootloader unlocking so you can flash/boot from custom recoveries, ROMs, kernels etc (the previous poster was referring to SIM unlocking).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Unlawful. Yes, I meant bootloader unlocking.
Unlawful said:
It's just as easy to root, simply install/flash SuperSU via recovery though ChainsDD's Superuser works as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you mean to say that the nexus4 comes rooted? Because installing of any of the SU apps require the phone to already be rooted, which I assume is not the case even for Nexus devices.

endlesstrail said:
Thanks Unlawful. Yes, I meant bootloader unlocking.
Do you mean to say that the nexus4 comes rooted? Because installing of any of the SU apps require the phone to already be rooted, which I assume is not the case even for Nexus devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I doubt it. Be cool if it did
Once you have it unlocked you enter the recovery mode and root it there. I'm probably guessing shortly after its release someone is going to make a program so it does it in few steps.
There won't be anything really out that really requires root, other than TB.

endlesstrail said:
Thanks Unlawful. Yes, I meant bootloader unlocking.
Do you mean to say that the nexus4 comes rooted? Because installing of any of the SU apps require the phone to already be rooted, which I assume is not the case even for Nexus devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nexus 4 does not come rooted. You have to root it.

NeverAlwaysEver said:
Nexus 4 does not come rooted. You have to root it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks guys. I guessed as much.
Yeah, I'll probably have to do without the backup of my apps for a few days until some kind soul manages to root it and posts instructions. Maybe it'll just be a day or a few hours even! :fingers-crossed:

You will be able to unlock the bootloader right away.
Root maybe not. In order to root it you will need either need a custom recovery for the device or a software exploit.
It won't take long but a custom recovery needs to be built and tested first.

It's easy to root a nexus
First you unlock the bootloader=fastboot oem unlock.
Then you use fastboot to flash a recovery. Once recovery is flashed you have to use adb to make it stick(delete the script that overwrite custom recovery with stock) then you flash su. Zip in recovery. Very simple to do
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

Unlawful said:
Unlock can also mean bootloader unlocking so you can flash/boot from custom recoveries, ROMs, kernels etc (the previous poster was referring to SIM unlocking).
It's just as easy to root, simply install/flash SuperSU via recovery though ChainsDD's Superuser works as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just want to clarify, I have not had a nexus device before, but my understanding is that, even on a Nexus, without unlocking the bootloader, one would still need to exploit and mount system as RW first to install SU.

USSENTERNCC1701E said:
Just want to clarify, I have not had a nexus device before, but my understanding is that, even on a Nexus, without unlocking the bootloader, one would still need to exploit and mount system as RW first to install SU.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Without unlocking the bootloader, it's much more difficult to root and as you said, one would need to use an exploit and then do as you have said. However, Nexus devices do come with the luxury of unlockable bootloaders for a multitude of reasons .
endlesstrail said:
Do you mean to say that the nexus4 comes rooted? Because installing of any of the SU apps require the phone to already be rooted, which I assume is not the case even for Nexus devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think Chainfire meant that in case you wanted to switch from Superuser to SuperSU or if you're just installing the APK (the application). If you do want to root, you should just flash the zip file found here in a custom recovery which does everything for you.

Unlawful said:
Without unlocking the bootloader, it's much more difficult to root and as you said, one would need to use an exploit and then do as you have said. However, Nexus devices do come with the luxury of unlockable bootloaders for a multitude of reasons .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. Bytheby, my only experience in the past with non-hack bootloader unlocking is with HTCunlock. Have past nexus devices had a permanent watermark even after relocking? I'm hoping that's not the case, cause extensive googling does not have anyone explicitly saying one way or the other, so maybe only HTC is that jacked.

I just want to clear up some terminology to stop people getting confused...
Bootloader a.k.a HBoot - This is the piece of software that runs before anything else on the phone. It basically packages it all up, tells what to run in what order e.t.c Every computer device has a bootloader in some form or another, be it an Android Phone, iPhone, Windows PC, iMac e.t.c. The HBoot is accessible by switching your phone off, then holding down volume down as you turn it back on. The first line of the HBoot will tell you if you are S-OFF or S-ON.
Recovery - The recovery is the piece of software that allows us to write files to partitions while they aren't being used. It is the portal to allow us to flash custom ROM's and kernels. There are custom recoveries with more options than the stock such as ClockworkMod.
Superuser a.k.a su or Root - This is a user that is present on all linux distros that allows higher permissions than standard users have access to. Certain apps need superuser permissions to function, such as Titanium Backup.
A bootloader is traditionally locked. This means it stops you from writing to any partition on the device other than data. What is always true of Nexus devices, and now true of most consumer devices, there is an offical method for unlocking the bootloader. With HTC, you have to download some software, with Nexus devices, it is as simple as booting into fastboot mode, and typing the command "fastboot oem unlock" (assuming you have fastboot installed on your connected PC / mac).
Although this unlocks the bootloader (which by the way resets your device to factory settings), you still aren't rooted. You now have the ability to flash images to the previously locked partitions. Once you have access to write to partitions, the easiest method of rooting is installing a custom recovery (fastboot flash recovery recovery.img, and then using that to flash a superuser zip.
There are exploits for rooting, which either eman the recovery partition gets written to without the bootloader unlocking OR the su files get pushed to the system partition while the bootloader is locked. These exploits are more tricky and are getting harder to find, but allow you to gain root access without voiding your warranty.
To answer someone else's question, when you unlocked the bootloader on the Nexus One you got a watermark on the bootsplash, I don't know about any Nexus after that.
EDIT - Unlocked Phone: To throw some further clarification, when people talk about "unlocked phones" what they actually means is carrier. This term pre-dates smartphones, and a locked phone just meant that if you bought your phone through a carrier, you could only use it on their network, so no other SIM would work unless you bought a code off them to unlock it. This only applied to GSM phones (not CDMA) and s still practised today. The Nexus 4 will not be carrier locked wherever you buy it.

l0st.prophet said:
I just want to clear up some terminology to stop people getting confused...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the excellent clarification. It's much clearer now.

USSENTERNCC1701E said:
Thanks. Bytheby, my only experience in the past with non-hack bootloader unlocking is with HTCunlock. Have past nexus devices had a permanent watermark even after relocking? I'm hoping that's not the case, cause extensive googling does not have anyone explicitly saying one way or the other, so maybe only HTC is that jacked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both the Galaxy Nexus and the Nexus 7 don't have anything changed when you unlock the bootloader (apart from an unlocked lock image on the boot screen beneath the Google logo and then it disappears after going to the boot animation). I would assume this was the same with the Nexus S . Also another good thing about Nexus devices is that you can relock the bootloader after unlocking it and it will be back to a stock configuration (assuming you're on the Google-built ROM).

PlanBSTi said:
There won't be anything really out that really requires root, other than TB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I beg to differ; DroidWall is the one utility I refuse to live without, and that requires root.
Other than that and TitaniumBackup though, you're quite right; the new stock features of JellyBean mean I likely won't even bother with any major third-party modifications. Indeed, I'm thinking this'll be the first 'phone in many a year which I won't be installing a custom ROM on for at least the first six months of use.

PlanBSTi said:
There won't be anything really out that really requires root, other than TB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, the irony is I really only use TB because I'm switching ROMs. I disagree though, I really like the extra customization that comes with a lot of custom ROM's. But I've run phones for a few months with OEM skins, while waiting on an exploit. I agree there won't be a pressing need for root.

I guess you guys like to actually see ads on your phones.

albundy2010 said:
I guess you guys like to actually see ads on your phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually don't find many apps to have very intrusive ads at all. I also feel better knowing I'm not ripping off the devs

albundy2010 said:
I guess you guys like to actually see ads on your phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never actually ended up with an air push app, and the rest of the ads really don't bother me, sometimes I'll go on a clicking spree to support devs. If it really bothers me I buy the full version or uninstall it.

How to Root with Minimum Impact

Hi,
I'm expecting my Nexus 4 some time this week and I'd like a little help.
I have a htc one x at the moment. A while after I got it, I decided to unlock it and use custom rom etc.
With the nexus 4, I just want to root it without disrupting anything if possible. The one thing I don't want to mess up is getting the Ota updates as I couldn't get that to work again on my one x.
So to summarise, I want to root my Nexus 4 whilst retaining the ability to get Ota updates and full functionality as normal. Can anyone help?

You'll need adb/fastboot + the appropriate drivers.
-unlock BL via fastboot,
-flash recovery via fastboot,
-flash SU zip via recovery,
-leave BL unlocked, no reason to relock it.
That's it. Don't remove, or rename any system apps if you want the OTA to apply. You can even flash OTA's via a custom recovery, this will likely be available here prior to you getting a notification.
Good info here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2010312

So there is no way to root the device without unlocking the bootloader and flashing the custom recovery?
I'm basically in the same boat. I'm developing android apps and want to use log reading apps but I don't want to have any custom rom/recovery on the phone.

mseebass said:
So there is no way to root the device without unlocking the bootloader and flashing the custom recovery?
I'm basically in the same boat. I'm developing android apps and want to use log reading apps but I don't want to have any custom rom/recovery on the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know when you are on other phones, you are actually unlocking the bootloader via a exploit or through the manufacturers developer center.
You need a custom recovery in order to obtain root. It is a must need, without it you cannot be rooted.
Only way to change your recovery is to unlock the bootloader. Having a locked bootloader locks it so your recovery can't be changed. So.... You get the idea
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

mseebass said:
So there is no way to root the device without unlocking the bootloader and flashing the custom recovery?
I'm basically in the same boat. I'm developing android apps and want to use log reading apps but I don't want to have any custom rom/recovery on the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can do it via adb with an insecure boot image, outlined here below the CWM method: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1993331&highlight=insecure
If you do it the CWM, or TWRP way you can flash the stock recovery again. You absolutely have to unlock the bootloader however, no way around that.
CF Root is another option: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2025274

i just want to make sure you know that if by some circumstance you lose ota that you can always just download the zip of the update here and flash in recovery. there really is no reason for ota that i can see on a nexus device. its here as soon as its released pretty much.

phermey said:
i just want to make sure you know that if by some circumstance you lose ota that you can always just download the zip of the update here and flash in recovery. there really is no reason for ota that i can see on a nexus device. its here as soon as its released pretty much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Convenience? With CWM it even patches on first boot so you don't lose root or anything so I like being able to do OTA (well the one update so far) vs. having to connect to my desktop.

threeclaws said:
Convenience? With CWM it even patches on first boot so you don't lose root or anything so I like being able to do OTA (well the one update so far) vs. having to connect to my desktop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no reason to connect to desktop if you have recovery. you can come here on your phone or 'chrome to phone' it over. find the thread. click the download link. then reboot in recovery and flash.

phermey said:
no reason to connect to desktop if you have recovery. you can come here on your phone or 'chrome to phone' it over. find the thread. click the download link. then reboot in recovery and flash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also could drop it into dropbox but that is all more work than just hitting "install" on my phone, it isn't like updates are released with enough frequency that the amount of work matters but like I said OTA is more convenient for me and CWM made it even more convenient. The OP may have completely different reasons for wanting OTA.

phermey said:
i just want to make sure you know that if by some circumstance you lose ota that you can always just download the zip of the update here and flash in recovery. there really is no reason for ota that i can see on a nexus device. its here as soon as its released pretty much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i think you must have missed that part in bold. no reason to be a smart a$$ either when you are the one who didnt know there is no reason to connect to desktop.
remember... the whole reason for this thread in the first place is because the op lost ota on his last phone by rooting it. all i did was try to let him feel at ease.

ORStoner said:
Hi,
I'm expecting my Nexus 4 some time this week and I'd like a little help.
I have a htc one x at the moment. A while after I got it, I decided to unlock it and use custom rom etc.
With the nexus 4, I just want to root it without disrupting anything if possible. The one thing I don't want to mess up is getting the Ota updates as I couldn't get that to work again on my one x.
So to summarise, I want to root my Nexus 4 whilst retaining the ability to get Ota updates and full functionality as normal. Can anyone help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just use the nexus 4 toolkit, follow it's directions/steps - Can't get any easier or less impact than that. Install Drivers, unlock bootloader and root. Done. OTA still work, install busybox from the play store if needed.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1995688

phermey said:
i think you must have missed that part in bold. no reason to be a smart a$$ either when you are the one who didnt know there is no reason to connect to desktop.
remember... the whole reason for this thread in the first place is because the op lost ota on his last phone by rooting it. all i did was try to let him feel at ease.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wasn't being a smart ass nor was I unaware of other ways to get an OTA update, you said there was no reason for OTA on a nexus device and I responded why someone would want it.

clockcycle said:
Just use the nexus 4 toolkit, follow it's directions/steps - Can't get any easier or less impact than that. Install Drivers, unlock bootloader and root. Done. OTA still work, install busybox from the play store if needed.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1995688
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't use toolkits take the time and learn how to do it yourself so if you get into situations where you messed something up you know how to fix it as you know how adb and fast boot will work.
Toolkits are not worth the short cut
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

Can I just unlock the bootloader, fastboot boot not flash cwn and install root from there.
Also, how does unlocking bootloader affect warranty?
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium

ORStoner said:
Can I just unlock the bootloader, fastboot boot not flash cwn and install root from there.
Also, how does unlocking bootloader affect warranty?
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the best way to do it. Yes you can fastboot boot cwm so it'll be temp and just install supersu zip. Regarding warranty for bootloader, it originally came locked so should you need to return it, warranty will be voided if you unlock it. However, it would really be just fastboot oem lock if you need to relock it. The state won't show relocked if you do it. It'll be plain locked
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Is it possible to root 4.3 locked bootloader without wiping all data

I know it was possible previously to root without unlocking the bootloader.
Is it still possible? something people are working on? or not possible and backup everything first.
Thanks in advance
Mark

mark1holland1 said:
I know it was possible previously to root without unlocking the bootloader.
Is it still possible? something people are working on? or not possible and backup everything first.
Thanks in advance
Mark
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't know that was ever possible on the Nexus 7. I bought one of the first available, and from the moment I got it I had to unlock the BL to root. Thought it was always like that. Nothing's changed as far as I can tell. On other devices, sure you can root with a locked BL, but for the N7, you've always had to unlock first, and with it being so easy, I don't think anyone's motivated enough to cook up a workaround.

absinthesummer said:
I didn't know that was ever possible on the Nexus 7. I bought one of the first available, and from the moment I got it I had to unlock the BL to root. Thought it was always like that. Nothing's changed as far as I can tell. On other devices, sure you can root with a locked BL, but for the N7, you've always had to unlock first, and with it being so easy, I don't think anyone's motivated enough to cook up a workaround.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, absinthesummer...
Yes, there was (and still is, if you're still on JB 4.2.2) a method available of rooting without unlocking the bootloader. And it was ridiculously easy to do. Avoiding unlocking the bootloader also avoids the factory reset, and consequential wipe.
Sadly however, under Jellybean 4.3, this exploit no longer works, and it seems unlikely a similar root-without-unlocking-the-bootloader type exploit, will become available anytime soon. Which, from a security point of view, is actually (probably) a good thing.
mark1holland1 said:
I know it was possible previously to root without unlocking the bootloader.
Is it still possible? something people are working on? or not possible and backup everything first.
Thanks in advance
Mark
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, mark1holland1...
As, I've mentioned, the old 'motochopper exploit' no longer works under JB4.3, so if you want root, you're going to have to do it the old fashioned way...
------------------------------------------
Backup the stuff on your Nexus 7...
Unlock the bootloader...
Fastboot flash a Custom Recovery (CWM or TWRP)...
Using that Recovery, flash Chainfires SuperSU root updater zip...
Copy all your stuff back to the Nexus 7...
Not difficult to do... just tedious and time consuming.
------------------------------------------
...it's either the above, or wait around indefinitely for a genius developer to find another exploit, which, given the security enhancements of JB4.3 does seem hugely unlikely.
Rgrds,
Ged.

GedBlake said:
Hi, absinthesummer...
Yes, there was (and still is, if you're still on JB 4.2.2) a method available of rooting without unlocking the bootloader. And it was ridiculously easy to do. Avoiding unlocking the bootloader also avoids the factory reset, and consequential wipe.
Sadly however, under Jellybean 4.3, this exploit no longer works, and it seems unlikely a similar root-without-unlocking-the-bootloader type exploit, will become available anytime soon. Which, from a security point of view, is actually (probably) a good thing.
Hi, mark1holland1...
As, I've mentioned, the old 'motochopper exploit' no longer works under JB4.3, so if you want root, you're going to have to do it the old fashioned way...
------------------------------------------
Backup the stuff on your Nexus 7...
Unlock the bootloader...
Fastboot flash a Custom Recovery (CWM or TWRP)...
Using that Recovery, flash Chainfires SuperSU root updater zip...
Copy all your stuff back to the Nexus 7...
Not difficult to do... just tedious and time consuming.
------------------------------------------
...it's either the above, or wait around indefinitely for a genius developer to find another exploit, which, given the security enhancements of JB4.3 does seem hugely unlikely.
Rgrds,
Ged.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many thanks for a recent concise and informative post!
I was mainly being lazy with regards to not wanting to wipe everything and start again! I have helium installed to back everything up, guess Ill try to get a clear day to do it all........

GedBlake said:
Hi, absinthesummer...
Yes, there was (and still is, if you're still on JB 4.2.2) a method available of rooting without unlocking the bootloader. And it was ridiculously easy to do. Avoiding unlocking the bootloader also avoids the factory reset, and consequential wipe.
Sadly however, under Jellybean 4.3, this exploit no longer works, and it seems unlikely a similar root-without-unlocking-the-bootloader type exploit, will become available anytime soon. Which, from a security point of view, is actually (probably) a good thing.
Hi, mark1holland1...
As, I've mentioned, the old 'motochopper exploit' no longer works under JB4.3, so if you want root, you're going to have to do it the old fashioned way...
------------------------------------------
Backup the stuff on your Nexus 7...
Unlock the bootloader...
Fastboot flash a Custom Recovery (CWM or TWRP)...
Using that Recovery, flash Chainfires SuperSU root updater zip...
Copy all your stuff back to the Nexus 7...
Not difficult to do... just tedious and time consuming.
------------------------------------------
...it's either the above, or wait around indefinitely for a genius developer to find another exploit, which, given the security enhancements of JB4.3 does seem hugely unlikely.
Rgrds,
Ged.
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Click to collapse
Hmm, wow thanks for the info. I never knew that! I just remember my first N7 every post said Step 1:Unlock your bootloader... lol had I known there was a way around it I might have tried it! But my first 16gb and my later 32gb were both unlocked and rooted within hours of buying them, so perhaps I just wasn't motivated enough to look for it.
I could see how or why that would be desirable though I guess... before I bought my S3, I had an LG L9 that the only way you could unlock the BL was to root then flash/update (LG Update tool hack) the firmware meant for the international version of the phone, which mirrored(!!!) the entire display both horizontally and vertically. Then fastboot the oem unlock and unlock the best way you could with that kind of touch screen lol, THEN re-flash standard rooted firmware for the US back over it... Seriously NOT worth it! Because even if the mirroring went away with the right firmware, the boot logo would still be mirrored and it was possible your screen would not return to normal. So forget about any warranty at that point. But, I gotta hand it to the devs on that device- now they were some motivated folks. They went to a lot of trouble to unlock that BL. You could root and install CWM without unlocking, but if you flashed CM and it was buggy or something, there was no turning back to stock. We were left with mods only unless we wanted to do alll that work.
That just reminds me how thankful I am for my S3 and N7s.

Verizon Samsong Galaxy Note 4 Root Help!?!

I just need some help. I have been using a guide which was working perfectly at first but then it failed due to a faulty battery. Got a new battery and its still not rooting properly. If anyone is will to share some guidance I would really appreciate it.

MICONA14 said:
I just need some help. I have been using a guide which was working perfectly at first but then it failed due to a faulty battery. Got a new battery and its still not rooting properly. If anyone is will to share some guidance I would really appreciate it.
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Why would root fail due to a flauty battery?
Install a custom recovery first then flash SuperSU. Use Odin. Check YouTube. Flash twrp. Then flash SuperSU. You have a custom recovery and root. If you want only root try alps like kingroot.

The faulty battery didn't have enough power to turn the phone back on after the root made it reboot. It just kept putting it into a bootloop.
The guide I was using said to use Kingroot to temproot it (it rooted once and then got stuck in the bootloop, which is were the phone is currently now) and then SuperSU to perm root it but now I can't even get more than 55% with Kingroot before it shuts itself down.
I thought the bootloop was my fault from ****ing with it so I flashed twrp onto it and it now has a little broken lock that says custom over it but the twrp commands don't come up so I still can't put the ROM on it.

If your on 5.1.1 better use kingoroot for a high success rate and after that you NEED to unlock bootloader first and then flash twrp. If you dont unlock bootloader you cant flash twrp.
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA-Developers mobile app

rodynares said:
If your on 5.1.1 better use kingoroot for a high success rate and after that you NEED to unlock bootloader first and then flash twrp. If you dont unlock bootloader you cant flash twrp.
Sorry I am new to this ****, I don't know how to unlock bootloader?
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MICONA14 said:
rodynares said:
If your on 5.1.1 better use kingoroot for a high success rate and after that you NEED to unlock bootloader first and then flash twrp. If you dont unlock bootloader you cant flash twrp.
Sorry I am new to this ****, I don't know how to unlock bootloader?
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Why would you use Kingroot or Kingoroot if not to unlock the bootloader? Neither will give you a stable root and both have the potential of calling home to China with your personal data.
If you need to unlock your bootloader there are threads in this subforum that will tell you how to do it. However, I'd strongly suggest that you do some serious study into what you're doing and why before you attempt it.
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Why would you use Kingroot or Kingoroot if not to unlock the bootloader? Neither will give you a stable root and both have the potential of calling home to China with your personal data.
If you need to unlock your bootloader there are threads in this subforum that will tell you how to do it. However, I'd strongly suggest that you do some serious study into what you're doing and why before you attempt it.[/QUOTE]
My roommate from college was telling me to do this and was helping me but he did a half as way of explaining this stuff so thats why I came here. The Kingroot and Kingoroot is to unlock bootloader? I thought they were for a temproot? Not to be a pest but would you be so kind to explain?

MICONA14 said:
Why would you use Kingroot or Kingoroot if not to unlock the bootloader? Neither will give you a stable root and both have the potential of calling home to China with your personal data.
If you need to unlock your bootloader there are threads in this subforum that will tell you how to do it. However, I'd strongly suggest that you do some serious study into what you're doing and why before you attempt it.
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Click to collapse
My roommate from college was telling me to do this and was helping me but he did a half as way of explaining this stuff so thats why I came here. The Kingroot and Kingoroot is to unlock bootloader? I thought they were for a temproot? Not to be a pest but would you be so kind to explain?[/QUOTE]
You need temporary root at which time you can deploy the exploit that will unlock the bootloader and give you full root. That's what Kingroot or Kingoroot do for you. What they may or may not do for you is give your phone cooties and call home to China with your personal information.
Can I hold your hand and walk you through rooting your phone? Yeah, I could, but I won't. The guys that developed the exploit think it's a good idea for someone to have at least a clue as to what they're doing. I happen to agree with that. Rooting is fairly safe for your phone so long as you're willing and able to follow directions exactly.
Read up on the process of rooting. There are three or four threads in the general section that tell you how. If you think you're up for it, do it.