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.
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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.
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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.
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unlocking the bootloader and rooting are two different things

jblade1000 said:
unlocking the bootloader and rooting are two different things
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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?
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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] Backup before root?

Hi, how can i back up before root/unlocking boot loader? i want a backup incase i screwup

You don't have to unlock bootloader. Use 'Gingerbreak' instead. It's very easy and no harm to your data.

so how do i back up?
Like incase i want to go back to factory reset.

dabinn said:
You don't have to unlock bootloader. Use 'Gingerbreak' instead. It's very easy and no harm to your data.
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So you only need Gingerbreak and then fastboot (Bin4ry tutorial)?

For getting root gingerbreak alone is enough. If you also want an unlocked bootloader (not necessary for root anymore) you'll indeed get some extra work.

[Q] Unlock without wipe?

Has anyone figured out a way to unlock this device without having it do a factory reset?
What's the reason for the wipe anyways? I don't understand why this has to happen.

I guess it's impossible, but you can try Carbon Backup to backup your apps+data, it works without root
Sent from my Nexus 7 running Android 4.2.2

I actually have root and titanium backup but it's a pain to backup and restore. Would be nice if the device simply didn't rest itself when unlocked.

Maybe one day the app "Boot Unlocker for Nexus Devices" will support the Nexus 7
Sent from my SK17i running Android 4.1.2

Yeah, something like that is what I'm looking for.
I wonder what method the app uses to unlock other devices.

xxbeanxx said:
I actually have root and titanium backup but it's a pain to backup and restore. Would be nice if the device simply didn't rest itself when unlocked.
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Weird question how did you root without unlocking bootloader? and why do you need to unlock the bootloader, if you're already rooted?

clockcycle said:
Weird question how did you root without unlocking bootloader? and why do you need to unlock the bootloader, if you're already rooted?
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I relocked after flashing su (for security reasons). I don't have a need to unlock again right now but wanted to know if it was possible just in case I wanted to flash a zip in the future.

xxbeanxx said:
I relocked after flashing su (for security reasons). I don't have a need to unlock again right now but wanted to know if it was possible just in case I wanted to flash a zip in the future.
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Ok, makes sense. I did the same thing and couldn't find a way either, and just went at it the same way as initially, wiping.

I've heard that the rationale for forcing a memory wipe when unlocking the bootloader was to protect your data in case your device fell into the wrong hands. If someone steals it and can't get past your lockscreen, they won't be able to get to your device's memory via usb. They can try unlocking the bootloader, but that will wipe the device's memory clean. The thief will be able to use your device but the data is safe. If the bootloader is unlocked, the thief can plug in the phone or tablet, go mucking around in your files, and steal your identity as well as your device.
This is why using a device with an unlocked bootloader is not as safe as using one that is locked. It is also why a new security feature was added to 4.2.2 and adb, although I haven't plugged in my Nexus 7 to find out how it works.

getoffmylawn said:
I've heard that the rationale for forcing a memory wipe when unlocking the bootloader was to protect your data in case your device fell into the wrong hands. If someone steals it and can't get past your lockscreen, they won't be able to get to your device's memory via usb. They can try unlocking the bootloader, but that will wipe the device's memory clean. The thief will be able to use your device but the data is safe. If the bootloader is unlocked, the thief can plug in the phone or tablet, go mucking around in your files, and steal your identity as well as your device.
This is why using a device with an unlocked bootloader is not as safe as using one that is locked. It is also why a new security feature was added to 4.2.2 and adb, although I haven't plugged in my Nexus 7 to find out how it works.
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Thats a good reason.
4.2.2 on my nexus 4, when I plugged it into the pc, a box poped up on the n4 asking perrmission showing the pc's key..

FWIW, I found this.. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2068207

Bootloader unlock necessary?

Read some threads talked about un-boot risk without unlock bootloader. Is this necessary for 6p? Thanks

chiawei said:
Read some threads talked about un-boot risk without unlock bootloader. Is this necessary for 6p? Thanks
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Can you please clarify exactly what you're asking? I believe having the bootloader unlocked is a must, even if you have no plans on flashing ROMs or anything like that. I'll tell you why. Unlocking the bootloader wipes the device. It's better for you to do this while you're in control and can backup your data first. If you have problems with your phone in future and need to flash the factory images to revive it, you'll need an unlocked bootloader. You might not have access to your data at this time to be able to back it up first. This means you'll be forced to unlock the bootloader and wipe all of your data. Sure, you'll have to live with a little warning each time your phone boots up, but that's much better than losing your data if something goes wrong.
Sent from my Nexus 6P

thanks

relocking bootloader

I can't remember if relocking the bootloader wipes the device or not. I know unlocking it does, but I want to relocking for android pay and don't want to be shocked if it wipes the data.

318sugarhill said:
I can't remember if relocking the bootloader wipes the device or not. I know unlocking it does, but I want to relocking for android pay and don't want to be shocked if it wipes the data.
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It shouldn't wipe your data, but I think you would want a stock recovery if you do lock it.

Fe Mike said:
It shouldn't wipe your data, but I think you would want a stock recovery if you do lock it.
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Everything is stock, I just unlocked it to flash factory images. I'm not rooted or anything on this device. Just want to use Android pay again. With the Android beta program, u never know what things might not work so I keep it unlocked to be able to roll back to whatever I liked best. But darn android pay and bootloader anymore.....

Fe Mike said:
It shouldn't wipe your data, but I think you would want a stock recovery if you do lock it.
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I actually went to relocking it today, and it gives me a warning that it WILL wipe the device upon relocking the bootloader. I'm leaving it alone as I just got my pixel and unlocked that. I'll relocking it when I'm ready to sell this.

318sugarhill said:
I actually went to relocking it today, and it gives me a warning that it WILL wipe the device upon relocking the bootloader. I'm leaving it alone as I just got my pixel and unlocked that. I'll relocking it when I'm ready to sell this.
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Really? I was under the impression it didn't, that's bad info on my part. Sorry, Thank you