Android and Me » root access

Samsung Galaxy Nexus gets root access ahead of its release

Edgar Cervantes — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:01:34 +0000

There’s still no official release date for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Rumors point to a release later this month, though, and many of you will want your fair share of root access. Luckily, there’s already a way to do this.

MoDaCo ‘s Paul O’Brien has put together “Superboot,” which is a computer program that installs a custom boot image onto your device (or device-to-be). Superboot makes rooting the Samsung Galaxy Nexus as easy as double clicking some buttons. No need to mess with codes, ADB or any other processes that may intimidate the common user.

It’s rare to see a device get root access ahead of its release, or even its release date announcement. Unless you’re a special person, you won’t be able to use this until later this month. Here it is, though! Just hit the source link to download Superboot, and you’ll be all set. Will you be rooting your Galaxy Nexus?

HTC Sensation’s bootloader unofficially unlocked

Dustin Earley — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:19:57 +0000

It’s been nearly two months since HTC first pledged to keep bootloaders unlocked, allowing for the installation of custom ROMs on their handsets. We knew the process wasn’t going to be an easy one, and unfortunately, little to no progress has been shown to the general public. A vague timeline was given at one point for the HTC Sensation, but the hacking and modding community wasn’t ready to just sit down and wait. Hacking team AlphaRevX has successfully designed full unlock, permanent root and s-off (unlocked bootloader) solutions for the Sensation.

The team is working to bring this to the public as soon as possible, along with a solution for the HTC EVO 3D, but no ETA has been given at this time. Going by the speed of how these things have worked in the past, don’t be surprised if it doesn’t take long at all. For the most accurate information regarding the progress of the unlock, always refer back to the origin of this information (a thread on the XDA Developers forums).

If you’re using a Sensation, or Evo 3D for that matter, and waiting for AlphaRevX’s complete s-off, which ROM do you hope to flash first? CyanogenMod 7? MIUI? Just a little less bloated Sense 3.0 ROM? Let us know in the comments below.

Droid X owners are just one click away from a rooted device

Sean Riley — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:39:54 +0000

If you have been wanting to root your Droid X, but the 21 step process we told you about last week seemed about 20 steps too difficult then your ship has finally come in.

Yet another Alldroid user, Sil3ntKi113, has built off the work of Birdman and the crew that first rooted the Droid X last week and simplified things down to basically the two big buttons seen above (warning: Windows only at the moment).

Now as I’m guessing making things this easy may entice some of the newer users to root I want to make a couple things clear.

First of all once you are done with this you will be able to install any of the apps you find in the Market or elsewhere that tell you they are for “root users only,” but it does not enable you to switch to CyanogenMod or any other ROM so don’t try it.

One of the other temptations you might face is to delete some of the bloatware that Motorola and Verizon have bestowed on you in their infinite wisdom. There are some things such as City ID, Blockbuster, and Skype that you can kill with impunity, but under no circumstances should you be deleting anything with Blur in its name and for the love of the double rainbow do not delete the Motorola Backup Assistant as you will find yourself with a 4.3″ brick.

With those caveats out of the way, rooting is awesome and if you haven’t tried it before this method is definitely easing you in gently to the shallow end of the pool with the graphical interface and even a one click option for unrooting.

As some people got a little thrown by finding the source link last time I’ll go ahead and say that you can find the file along with a couple other instructions on how to go about getting your root on by either following the source link or this link right here.

Let us know how it goes for you.

Droid X has been rooted just one week after its release

Sean Riley — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:47:37 +0000

The Droid X’s bootloader may remain locked up tighter than Fort Knox, but thanks to some industrious users from Alldroid the Droid X community at least has root access to sooth their pain.

As the question of why you would want to root always comes up I’ll go ahead and answer it now. Some of the advantages include the ability to use WiFi tethering without shelling out extra cash to your carrier and access to a number of “rooted only” apps in the market including a variety of backup options for your phone.

To reiterate this is only root access and won’t allow you to flash new ROMs yet although I’m sure there are many dedicated folks plugging away on that if for no other reason than to prove to Motorola that they shouldn’t have bothered locking the bootloader in the first place.

The instructions and download can be found by hitting the source link below. This method does require you to use command prompt/terminal and that you have ADB setup so it is a little more complicated than some of the one click options that have been circulating of late, but if you are having any trouble I’m sure someone here will be more than willing to offer their advice.

Let us know how it goes for you and happy rooting.

Update: I rooted myself last night using this method and can confirm that it works just fine for those that might have been leery about it. As a quick PSA while you can remove a number of the pre-installed apps/bloatware you should not remove Motorola Backup Assistant as there are a number of reports that removing that app can brick your phone.

Root hack for Samsung Galaxy S also works on U.S. versions

Taylor Wimberly — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:00:16 +0000

Samsung’s Galaxy S lineup has yet to arrive in U.S. stores, but it looks like all their devices will be easily rooted thanks to a hack discovered on the international version. Russian developer LeshaK of Samdroid was the first to gain root access on the Galaxy S (i9000) and the community over at XDA-developers has taken his work and ported it to the U.S. versions of the phone.

Gaining root access is as simple as flashing an update.zip file and it has already been confirmed to work on the AT&T Captivate and T-Mobile Vibrant. Only a single modification to the update script is required for each device so this should also work on the Sprint Epic 4G and Verizon Fascinate when they arrive.

Paul O’Brien of Modaco has already created a custom ROM for the international version, but it has yet to be tested on any of the U.S. models. All the Galaxy S devices are nearly identical so future ROMs should be compatible with minor tweaks.

Now that Google has released the source code for Android 2.2 and Samsung released their code for the Galaxy S, it should only be a matter of time before the community has a stock version of Android 2.2 up and running. Given that this phone is coming to all four tier 1 carriers in the U.S. (and a couple regional ones), I expect a sizable development community will support this device.

SONY XPERIA X10 finally gains root access

Nick Gray — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 17:05:33 +0000

The SONY Ericsson EXPERIA X10 is a formidable phone for Android enthusiasts, but things are about to heat up. The Snapdragon powered Android 1.6 phone has finally been rooted after being available in Europe and Asian since the middle of April.

Those who have used the X10 mainly complain about the fact that it’s running Android 1.6, a build that it nearly a year old. With root access, ROM developers now have the opportunity to cook up some new builds and hopefully give XPERIA X10 owners of taste of Eclair of even Froyo in the coming weeks or months.

For a detailed look at the rooting process and step-by-step instructions, be sure to check out the source link below. Our question to you: does root access change your stance on the XPERIA X10 and what it’s capable of?

HTC’s DROID Incredible finally grows some roots

Nick Gray — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 13:24:08 +0000

HTC’s DROID Incredible has just gained a new feature, root access. For some odd reason, the Incredible has been one of the toughest HTC handsets to crack. Six weeks may not seem like a long time, but it is an eternity compared to the 3-4 days it took to get root access on the Sprint HTC EVO.

At this point, the hack is considered to be extremely difficult and “not very repeatable.” Within the next few days or weeks we should see a much more simple process emerge and them we should start to see a plethora of experimental ROM builds show up all over the net. Root access isn’t for everyone, but if you want to push your DROID Incredible for all its worth, feel free to check out the source link below.

So what’s next on the list? The LG Ally and myTouch 3G Slide look like prime candidates for a little hacking.

3 Ways To Get More Storage Space On Your Android G1

Admin — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 04:00:38 +0000

Did you know the 71MB available for installing applications on your G1 is actually a feature? By limiting the number of apps you can install, you can also limit peoples purchases. This way only the top apps will get used and all the small developers will stop making apps. Sounds kind of stupid, right?

Take a quick scan of any Android related site or forum and you will most likely find people complaining about the limited internal memory for the HTC G1. I have actually seen people try and defend the storage space, but there is no logical reason I see for not allowing apps and games to be partially installed on the users SD card. If you ever want to see games like Spore Origins(80MB) make their way to Android then the SD card must be untilized. There are however, 3 things you can do to address this frustrating issue.

1. Gain root access to your phone. The most direct measure to get apps installed on your SD card is to do it yourself. You can install a prebuilt environment that already supports apps on your SD card that you have formatted to accept. Gaining root access does not take much time for the advanced user, but it is not suggested for the beginner. The mod does prove that this feature is possible, but it needs to be implemented by Google to allow the option.

2. Uninstall everything and do not purchase paid apps. I have seen several people and devs say they are going to boycot the Market, but I think that is a little harsh. I instead suggest that you select the “I need more space on my phone” option when you remove an app. This information is collected by Google and available to the devs. If they see a majority of people removing paid apps because of limited space, I think the devs will become more vocal in their support of this feature.

3. Contact Google and make your voice heard. Previously, one of the biggest complaints against Android was the lack of moderation on comments found in the Market. It took several months, but after many people complained the feature to mark comments as spam was finally added. Since then, the number of spam has been significantly reduced. This does show that if enough people make noise, then priority is given to an issue and it is addressed. If you would like to share your opinion with Google, I suggest posting on the 3 following threads:

If you are content with the current storage space, then do nothing. If you would like to see things change, then I suggest you speak out and make a post.

Interview with Android Hacker JesusFreke

Admin — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:20:44 +0000

When T-Mobile first released the HTC G1, many of the early adopters were Linux users and fans of open source. One of the most sought after features for Android, was the ability to gain root access to the G1. After root access was gained, users began creating their own custom builds of the Android operating system and even replaced the system bootloader. The most popular custom build, and the one I have flashed on my G1, was released by JesusFreke. Since his first release months ago, JesusFreke has continued to push out new builds each time an official update is sent out from Google.

We were lucky enough to sit down with JF for a few minutes and get his thoughts on Android and the future of his releases. If you are interested in learning more about “rooting” your phone, read to the end of the article where I include the appropriate links. Root access is suggested for advanced users only. You can break your phone if you do not know what you are doing.

Task Manager for Root Users

Android and Me: What are your thoughts on Android as a mobile platform?

JesusFreke: I really like that it is open source. I would say that was the #1 reason that I bought the phone. It’s unfortunate that we can’t currently build from source an equivalent build to the officially released ones, but it sounds like it will get to that point eventually. I really hope they make it so that we can at least run the Google apps on our own custom builds. I think a *lot* more people would be running a custom build if we could.

AAM: What inspired you to release your own builds for Google Android? Do you have a history of hacking phones or releases for other platforms?

JF: It was mostly a case of being in the right place at the right time, with the right knowledge. I had pre-ordered my G1 so I was one of the first people to get one. At first, we didn’t know about the infamous “root bug” of course, so once I had got my phone, I was bummed that I didn’t have root access. I spent some time looking around in the source, trying to find some way to get root. One of the areas that I had investigated heavily was the recovery image, so I had become familiar with it. A week or two later, the root bug was found and everyone was happy that they could get root on their phone. Then the dreaded RC30 came out which fixed the root bug. Since I was already familiar with the recovery image and how the updates worked, I was ready to dissect the RC30 update and create a new one with root access re-enabled. Shortly after my first “root-enabled” RC30 update, I released another version with a few more modifications and features.. and I just kept going from there.

I don’t have any experience with other mobile platforms. The G1/Android is my first “smart” phone, and the first phone/mobile community that I’ve been an active member of.

AAM: How would you rate Google’s relations with open source developers in respect to Android?

JF: I think it’s awesome that you can connect to #Android on freenode and talk to some of the very same developers that work on Android. Not to mention all the Android related google groups. There are certainly still some rough spots to be sanded out with their support for open source (can’t use google apps on builds from source), but I definitely feel that they are headed in the right direction in this area.

Superuser Whitelist

AAM: Can you share with us what you do when you are not are not writing code?

JF: I have some unusual hobbies. I enjoy unicycling, slacklining, playing the didgeridoo and playing various types of percussion – my current focus is on the Indian tabla. I also enjoy reading, mostly fantasy and science fiction books, and listening to various forms of world music (among other things).

AAM: Over 100k users have visited the forums where your Android releases were first posted. Do you have any idea how many people have downloaded and are running your work?

JF: Based on the downloads on the various mirrors that I release my firmware on, my best guesstimate is around 5k people.

AAM: I have seen quite a few users send you donations in appreciation for your work. Has this altered the amount of time you spend on your releases?

JF: Yeah, I’ve received a fair amount of donations, and I’m very appreciative to those who choose to donate. It does not affect the amount of time I spend though. This is a “fun” hobby project for me. I do it because I enjoy doing it, and the amount of time I put into it reflects that. For me, that usually means periods of very intense activity, followed by breaks of low activity as I recover.

AAM: Multi-touch is one of the features that got a lot of people interested in rooting their phones. Will you continue to add new functionality to the G1 when possible?

JF: Yes, I will continue to add functionality where it’s possible. Currently we are limited to what types of functionality we can add, because we can’t rebuild some of the components from source. Or rather, we can’t build them in a way that is compatible with the official releases. The multi-touch stuff was mostly done by lukehutch. He, ryebrye and zinx found a way to implement the underlying multi-touch support with changes just in the kernel, which is one of the components that we *can* rebuild from source. They also made changes in the Browser application to use the new multi-touch support.

Terminal Emulator on Android

AAM: Do you have any future plans for your releases you can share with us? Will we be seeing an auto-updater in the next major release?

JF: I don’t plan to include an auto-updater in my build, but there is one that is being developed that users will be able to install from the market. In general, I don’t include Android applications in my builds, at least not ones that can be installed seperately, because I think it’s better to give the user the choice to install it or not. Additionally, when I include an application in the firmware, it makes it harder to upgrade or uninstall it. Finally, space in /system is at a premium, so it’s better to have applications like that installed normally, so they are stored in /data on the phone, rather than /system.

The 2 exceptions are the Superuser application, because it provides a more secure way to get root access on the phone, and the Terminal Emulator application, which I consider an “essential” application.

I would definitely like to add the ability to restore backups directly from recovery mode, instead of having to use fastboot to do the restore. Other than that, I only have a few minor changes currently planned, but nothing too major.

If you would like to follow the progress of JesusFreke and his releases please check out his blog. If you are interested in rooting and flashing your phone, head over to the XDA-developers forum. Please share your experiences and questions with rooting in the comments.