Don't understand rooting the Nexus S 4G - Nexus S General

Had a long talk with a very cool Sprint rep. about the new Nexus S 4G. He talked completely off the record. Said the phone was completely 'open' so no need for rooting. He said I could install ROM Mgr. Wireless tether, etc., out of the box. But I am hearing of people rooting it. Why?

You need root for SU access. I doubt sprint has it pre-rooted.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

You still have to root it. Its just really really easy.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

StormCell said:
Had a long talk with a very cool Sprint rep. about the new Nexus S 4G. He talked completely off the record. Said the phone was completely 'open' so no need for rooting. He said I could install ROM Mgr. Wireless tether, etc., out of the box. But I am hearing of people rooting it. Why?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The rep is confusing "rooting" to mean "hacking" the phone.
Phones with locked bootloaders and such need to be hacked in order to obtain root, hence the slang "rooting"
With the nexus phones, unlocking the bootloader requires no hacking, it's a simple fastboot command.
You still have to install su to have superuser (root) privileges of course.

Thanks Netarchy. I use your Kernels on my EVO. You rock. I'm trying to figure out the best way to root the S4G on my MacIntel. I looked at the Mac rooting sticky but it looks way confusing and it's a pretty old post. Any direction you or anyone else could provide would be a huge solid. Mucho gracias.

matt2053 said:
You still have to root it. Its just really really easy.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had all the iPhones, jailbroken, and switched on the day the EVO came out. Haven't looked back. It took me weeks and weeks of research before i was confident enough to root (and all the new words I had to learn).
I am not finding that rooting the S4G is going to be easy.....

StormCell said:
Thanks Netarchy. I use your Kernels on my EVO. You rock. I'm trying to figure out the best way to root the S4G on my MacIntel. I looked at the Mac rooting sticky but it looks way confusing and it's a pretty old post. Any direction you or anyone else could provide would be a huge solid. Mucho gracias.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, rooting on a Mac is even easier than a PC. You don't even need to install any special drivers. Simply plug in your phone, boot into recovery.
Then use the terminal to run the adb fastboot commands from the platform-tools folder in the sdk folder (I cant recall exactly what it is...there's guides in the Dev forums for the NexS).
Honestly, it took me less than 5 minutes, and I had never had an android or rooted before when I did it.
UPDATE: Follow this guide. It looks daunting at first glance, but there's only 2-3 technical steps.
Now granted, you are on a 4g version. I wouldn't just automatically follow that guide, because I can't say 100% that it'll work in that way for you. The actual steps are probably the same, but you should make sure that the files to flash are going to be the same. I'd wait for a bit til a guide comes out confirming it.

Not seeing a solid looking thread about rooting the 4g
Is that because the old Nexus S rooting directions apply to the 4g?
Eager to root but want to make sure I do it right, first timer here.
Thanks!

The bulk of the work in those rooting guides is to get drivers to work when your phone is connected via usb and to get adb to correctly communicate commands between the 2 while the bootloader is running.
I waited a few days before I have the guts to do it, but it was very simple to do once I got the PC set up. Out of all the phones (Hero's and EVO's) this was by far the simplest. In fact I used the EVO One Click root method on my EVO and I hated the fact I wasn't in control of the process. It's much better to adb and see the process work, always.

Related

G1 Needs Root and Froyo in Vegas. Any takers?

Hey guys.. Basically I'm still sort of new to Rooting, and flashing, and doing all these other things. I have the Nexus One and I was told it's much easier to root and unlock it than something like the G1. then doing the Danger SPL also has me worried.
Basically my mother has the G1, and she used to love it, but between using my N1, and it just getting older she's really starting to complain she wants a new phone.. The 1.6 Email client sucks compared to 2.2 & I'd really like to throw Cyan 5.08 or CM 6 on her G1.
Basically is there anyone in Vegas that would do this procedure for me for a small fee? I cant risk messing it up as she needs it for work n such. PM me if you're in vegas! Thanks!
Froyo isnt avalable for the G1 yet, there are a couple of smashed together builds, but nowt with everything working.
xguntherc said:
Hey guys.. Basically I'm still sort of new to Rooting, and flashing, and doing all these other things. I have the Nexus One and I was told it's much easier to root and unlock it than something like the G1. then doing the Danger SPL also has me worried.
Basically my mother has the G1, and she used to love it, but between using my N1, and it just getting older she's really starting to complain she wants a new phone.. The 1.6 Email client sucks compared to 2.2 & I'd really like to throw Cyan 5.08 or CM 6 on her G1.
Basically is there anyone in Vegas that would do this procedure for me for a small fee? I cant risk messing it up as she needs it for work n such. PM me if you're in vegas! Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your better off doing it yourself its not hard. (That's what she said)
And after your done rooting I suggest flashing a 2.2 (Eclair) ROM.
because their the most stable and fastest.
Well, basically I've rooted and flashed many rom's and updates on my Nexus One. But I had someone helping me from Androidcommunity.com and made it easy because we had a few snags and I'm new to fastboot and never done much in command prompt either.
I was told it's much harder, and easier to screw up when rooting a G1. and doing the Danger thing so i can use something like CM5 is even riskier.. Thats why i'd like to just get someone to do it.
as long as I follow instructions it's not to bad is it
If you look around in the development section...you'll see fireats got versdions of cm5 that don't require the dangerspl.
Also, if your mother is needing this phone for business....don't go messing around with it.
Oh and if by email you mean exchange, check out Touchdown in the Market.
This is the site i used when I rooted for the first time. it was easy.
http://theunlockr.com/2010/04/26/how-to-root-the-htc-g1dream/
Rooting the G1 is actually easier than a lot of other phones. The aforementioned 1-click method is probably the easiest way to go. Even though I no longer use my G1 as my daily driver, I still flash it pretty regularly. All my friends with G1's usually have me root their phones. So far I haven't bricked one yet so u should be all good. I'm in Vegas too so if u have any questions, lemme know. Having said that, you should be all good.
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
I used this video to root my G1. YOUTUBE for the rescue!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8F7FVISb7w - part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H00kN2K2Q_8&feature=related - part 2
and remeber... the most hepful guide of all http://lmgtfy.com/?q=How+To+Root+G1+in+One+Click.
i clicked your lmgtfy link just because i was curious if there was a 1 click procedure and was too lazy to type the search...+1 for you, next time hide the lmgtfy, it makes it that much better when they don't suspect it.
I personally used the guide on CyanogenMod's Wiki (im new on the forums so i cant link its addy but just google "Full Update Guide - G1/Dream Firmware to CyanogenMod" if youre interested) when i was first learning. It's been updated so everything is current. Its well written and pretty easy to follow, IMO.
Also, there is a shoutbox on CM's forums you could use to ask for help in realtime should you get in a jam. Just do your homework, be confident, and read the instructions!

[Q] I've searched, no one asked: Should I root my Vibrant?

Ok...
No one has debated or have asked this question:
Should I root my Vibrant?
I'd like to actually see a debate whether or not rooting is better or stock is better. I know you have to root in order to do custom ROM, but what I'm trying to achieve on this thread is, the benefits of rooting (since I know there are plenty). I just want to give noobs and new users of Vibrant the flexibility of deciding whether they need to root, or not. I myself, have a rooted vibrant, and LOVE IT.
So, is rooting for me? Should I root the Vibrant? Or stick with the stock?
P.S.
I used "me" as an example. It isn't necessary that I want to ask the question, i just thought it's better if i put "me" on the question...
Rooting is ALWAYS better.
Certainly the VAST majority of people do not need to root their phones for any reason. I have several friends with Vibrants that are quite happy with their phones as-is.
You gain absolutely nothing by rooting your phone, there is absolutely no difference in any way shape or form except you can now do modifications that non-rooted phones can not. The question isn't whether to root or not, the question is whether or not you want to do something with/to your phone that requires root access.
For me, I would have had to stick with my Blackberry simply to have tethering ability, it is a feature I have had to use many, many times. Since I never got Kies working right, I had no choice but to root in order to install MobileAP which has been a real life saver for me when I absolutely had to have internet access on my laptop and their was no alternative. This is the same reason I had to root my wife's 3G Slide. She absolutely has to have internet access and it is her only means to get it in some places.
That will probably be the only reason for her. Me, being a techie, I have flash Franken-Twiz, Bionix 1.8, 1.9, and am now running Fusion and absolutely love my phone now.
djquick said:
Rooting is ALWAYS better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How come it is ALWAYS better? What makes rooting better for you?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
@ Kerry
Well put. Hopefully this would bring light to new users.
Personally, rooting is a must for me, because of the fact I'm always on the road, having a tethered phone has an advantage.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
I rooted because I could...
I like the ability to do different things with my phone - I'm not one to leave it stock if I don't have too.
but it's weird, I haven't jailbroke my ipod yet - never really felt the need to nor the desire.
with my phone (and this is my first android) it just seemed like the right thing to do, then after bricking during the OTA I dived right into flashing ROMs and overclocking...yeah, rooting like a gateway drug...and I'm so happy...
but I was the noob on rooting/flashing/ etc up until the other week...and now I have a flashing problem...hahahaha
I rooted my phone just to delete the bloatware.
There is a whole section of "things to do with root" in the general sticky....
I mean, that IS the reason to root... to open up options.
Want to control which apps can open at startup? Want to tether? Want to flash a custom rom? Want to overclock the processor? Want to get rid of bloatware? Want to create backups of your phone for an "oh $hit" moment?
I really do not see any reason not to. Especially since it is so easy to get back to stock/non-root.
I owned a G1 previously and never thought rooting was for me. Less than 2 weeks after getting my Vibrant I decided to give rooting a go and instantly loved it. I was actually mad at myself afterwards for not even considering rooting my G1 and running stock for almost 2 years. I don't even use custom ROMs but I love being able to take screen caps, Mobile AP, and being able to block ads.
djquick said:
Rooting is ALWAYS better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That depends on who is using the phone. I mean for someone that doesn't care for rom or doing anything other than making phone call, text, and browse the web, he or she will not really need to root. They will not find root better. Like my GF thinks root is too much work and hassle. For me, I think root is better since i actually like to try new roms and get updates before the OTA. Root will give you the ability to tether and use custom recovery to backup/restore.
Now to the OP, it just depends on what you are looking to do with your phone. If you are just using it to make calls and browse the web, you can just keep it unrooted. If you plan to use tethering or make any system changes, you will need to root. Also, if you root, it doesn't mean you have to do anything else to your phone. You can still keep it in its stock form and have the option to do whatever you want later. It's up to you.
Shakespeare Said it is better to root
Shakespeare says it is better to root Ahhhh .... Yes to Quote:
"to Root or not to root"... that is the question
"Is it better to suffer the slings and bloatware from the carrier" or to
Just Root the phone and make it more versatile, delete the bloat and do what and when you want to the phone YOU own
I personally never like outside controls on objects that I buy.... neither would Shakespeare
Rooting is always better unless you are only interested in the retail version only type device.
Listen to Kerry G he has it right
Tether
Just a note! I can tether with PDAnet using bluetooth and I'm not rooted.
Rooting isn't a requirment to tether, However there may be other options that do require root access.
Great feedback.
s15274n said:
There is a whole section of "things to do with root" in the general sticky....
I mean, that IS the reason to root... to open up options.
Want to control which apps can open at startup? Want to tether? Want to flash a custom rom? Want to overclock the processor? Want to get rid of bloatware? Want to create backups of your phone for an "oh $hit" moment?
I really do not see any reason not to. Especially since it is so easy to get back to stock/non-root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, somehow i knew s15274n would reply. Not many people know that rooting is a good thing or a bad thing. They don't know that they got options. I've been reading and been surfing on XDA for a long time, I had an old handle here, when WinMo was popular. But then when i got promoted, I started to be on the road, i've lost touch (and my account i closed).
Many people I encounter across the country don't know why they should root, or skeptical to root. Since I got the Vibrant, i rooted it right away, and plenty of my clientèle are amazed of what that Android phone can do. Most have Crackberry, and I've led them to this site and found it very usefull.
They don't see the stickies, or such, so i made a thread that i could access on my phone to show them. They ask the same thing all the time, "Should I root/Why do you root/I'm afraid to root/I don't know Andriod" Most of them don't have the time to read stickies. SO, i tell them. But I tell them of what MY opinion is (and why I wanted to root), and so i decided to thread and ask other people's opinion on why they would root.
Great feedback guys
oka1 said:
Shakespeare says it is better to root Ahhhh .... Yes to Quote:
"to Root or not to root"... that is the question
"Is it better to suffer the slings and bloatware from the carrier" or to
Just Root the phone and make it more versatile, delete the bloat and do what and when you want to the phone YOU own
I personally never like outside controls on objects that I buy.... neither would Shakespeare
Rooting is always better unless you are only interested in the retail version only type device.
Listen to Kerry G he has it right
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good one!

My Experience Thus Far

Just got my shift today, and so far I'm head over heels with it I know I can't give a legitimate review until I've had it for at least a few weeks, so I'll make sure to pop back in after I've had it for a bit. The only complain I have at this point is the volume button placement; I've been accidentally tapping it as I close the slider. I have found a solution though! Get in the habit of placing your thumb a bit more to the right while using the keybboard, OR moving one or both of your thumbs to the top and bottom of your phone before closing the slider.
Sent from my attic using a telegraph.
Glad to hear you're liking it so far! I've had mine for two days now and I'm proud to say I'm also head over heels.
I didn't think I'd be able to stand running Sense again, but it really flies on this phone. Volume placement doesn't bother me. Only thing that does is bloatware (man HTC really put a lot on this one!) Most of that is already gone, however.
I was looking around and it seems like there is no permanent root yet. Did you temp root and remove the bloatware? What are the downside to temp rooting over per rooting?
Sent from my attic using a telegraph.
Nmott93 said:
I was looking around and it seems like there is no permanent root yet. Did you temp root and remove the bloatware? What are the downside to temp rooting over per rooting?
Sent from my attic using a telegraph.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I did.
The only downside I see is use of what root users deem necessary apps doesn't stick on reboot. Well, that and the obvious lack of rom selection.
S-Off is just a whole different game. I'm used to using fastboot commands, etc.
We'll see permaroot before too long and I'm sure we'll have great rom and theme selection after that.
Sorry for the stupid questions, but what exactly is a ROM? I'm still pretty new to the whole Android scene ;( S-off and Fastboot Commands as well
Sent from my attic using a telegraph.
Nmott93 said:
Sorry for the stupid questions, but what exactly is a ROM? I'm still pretty new to the whole Android scene ;( S-off and Fastboot Commands as well
Sent from my attic using a telegraph.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Think of a rom as a modified, sometimes heavily, version of the phone's operating system.
You'll see AOSP roms, that's Android the way Google meant it to be.
Sense roms, modified versions of HTC's releases.
I would give you a few great links but I'm on phone at the moment. I'll get them to ya a little later.
Haven't temp-rooted my shift because I thought I read that any bloatware you remove will come-back after re-boot. Can you comment?
smoothtaste said:
Yes I did.
The only downside I see is use of what root users deem necessary apps doesn't stick on reboot. Well, that and the obvious lack of rom selection.
S-Off is just a whole different game. I'm used to using fastboot commands, etc.
We'll see permaroot before too long and I'm sure we'll have great rom and theme selection after that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
geekdaddy said:
Haven't temp-rooted my shift because I thought I read that any bloatware you remove will come-back after re-boot. Can you comment?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've seen reports of both.
Everything that I have removed has stayed gone. I haven't rebooted, but my phone has dies, so that's essentially the same thing.
I'm waiting for perm root and some healthy ROM development before I go back to the Shift. I thought thse things were like roted within 2 weeks of thier release though?
@Nmott93 - I've gathered a small collection of links to better guide you through your questions than I myself can in words.
You'll notice most users in these forums are extremely helpful. I think the biggest pet peeve is when people ask questions that are all ready answered in the op. Don't worry about them though!
Permanent Root or Temporary. Which is for you?
Custom ROMs for Android Explained: Why you want them.
What S-Off Is and How To Gain It - Doesn't apply to our phones, yet, but great read.
AOSP: Android Open Source Project - Home Site, lots of information.
Cyanogen(mod) - The most popular non-stock rom on any phone that I've had, still, not for everyone.
I hope that these links are informational for you, and I've got plenty more saved away if you want anything else!
Jeez, thanks! I'll start reading through these when I get to work
Sent from my attic using a telegraph.

[Q] Just got my MT4G... very neat, but questions...

So first off, I'm new to Android, the MT4G is the first I will Android phone I will have have ever owned. I have been on Unlocked/Jailbroken iPhones for 2 years and I did the unlocks/jailbreaks myself. Now I'm sick of slow incompatible bands, anyways, I just got my MT4G, I have lots of questions.
Lots of questions, some easy, some... not so easy?
1. What's the main difference between perm root vs visionary? It seems like perm root is relatively difficult still and I don't want to risk bricking my phone...
2. What rom/kernel/firmware should I use? I've never dealt with so many variables when I was on the iPhone.
3. So I got "panel = 1", looks like I will try to get it replaced... Can I still play with my phone for the next few days, then get it backed up and when the "good" phone comes in, I can restore that backup? Therefore allowing me to keep all the stuff I did in the downtime of the new phone coming in.
Thank you in advanced!
DisturbedAle said:
So first off, I'm new to Android, the MT4G is the first I will Android phone I will have have ever owned. I have been on Unlocked/Jailbroken iPhones for 2 years and I did the unlocks/jailbreaks myself. Now I'm sick of slow incompatible bands, anyways, I just got my MT4G, I have lots of questions.
Lots of questions, some easy, some... not so easy?
1. What's the main difference between perm root vs visionary? It seems like perm root is relatively difficult still and I don't want to risk bricking my phone...
Visionary is only the first step to permroot, bit it's not difficult and you won't brick if you read all directions and follow them all to the letter. I personally recommend grankins guide, not the ultimate one, as it was the easiest for me to do.
2. What rom/kernel/firmware should I use? I've never dealt with so many variables when I was on the iPhone.
That's the great thing about android: you get to pick all these roms are amazing, it just depends on what features you're looking for.
3. So I got "panel = 1", looks like I will try to get it replaced... Can I still play with my phone for the next few days, then get it backed up and when the "good" phone comes in, I can restore that backup? Therefore allowing me to keep all the stuff I did in the downtime of the new phone coming in.
Theoretically, yes. Just nandroid backup once rooted and clockwork recovery is installed, and you should be able to resoree from that on your new phone once you root it.
Thank you in advanced!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any other questions, feel free to pm me or hit me up on Google talk (same username). And don't for get to hit thanks if this helped
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
Thanks! Going back to rom/kernel/firmware, is there a master list that allows me to compare them all?
DisturbedAle said:
Thanks! Going back to rom/kernel/firmware, is there a master list that allows me to compare them all?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, the resource Bible posted by tiger013 under the development section it should be up to date on all the latest roms , kernels and themes. It also contains the rooting guide I told you about, along with several others.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
Just do a little research and learn what things are. (IE: What a kernel is vs a ROM)
Then it gets a little easier when you learn the android terminology. Learn the basics, and you should be fine as well. Like getting ADB to recognize your phone.

[Q] Random Thought

Does it bug anyone that one click rooting takes way more than 1 click? (Not that I use one click programs for my Xoom)
No. It bothers me that people are so stupid that they want and use the so called one click methods period. Even more so on a device with a unlocked bootloader.
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk
albundy2010 said:
No. It bothers me that people are so stupid that they want and use the so called one click methods period. Even more so on a device with a unlocked bootloader.
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's wrong with that method? I haven't rooted yet partly due to lack of knowledge.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App
haha. me too. its asking for a bricked device if u ask me
That's the point. Acquire the knowledge.
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk
RadDudeTommy said:
What's wrong with that method? I haven't rooted yet partly due to lack of knowledge.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You dont need alot of knowledge and the guids are ez to follow. The problem with one click's are they dont expose you to ADB so when something goes wrong with the one click you wont know what to do. ADB is something that I avoided but with an unlocked bootloader its a good place to learn. just my opinoin
sgtagem said:
You dont need alot of knowledge and the guids are ez to follow. The problem with one click's are they dont expose you to ADB so when something goes wrong with the one click you wont know what to do. ADB is something that I avoided but with an unlocked bootloader its a good place to learn. just my opinoin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very well said. I have rooted two android devices previously, but the Xoom gave me my first experience using adb. It came in very handy when I got into a soft brick and was able to negotiate my way out of it. I still experience some anxiety whenever I'm about to mod my Xoom, but it helps to have some basic knowledge (and know what you don't know). Also, read and follow the directions and get everything prepared in advance.
okantomi said:
Very well said. I have rooted two android devices previously, but the Xoom gave me my first experience using adb. It came in very handy when I got into a soft brick and was able to negotiate my way out of it. I still experience some anxiety whenever I'm about to mod my Xoom, but it helps to have some basic knowledge (and know what you don't know). Also, read and follow the directions and get everything prepared in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so true. i hate soft bricks. I still worry about messing it up but knowing commands help.

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