Root Rooted Vs. Stock

[TripsYou]

I have almost lost all patients on waiting for Froyo to come out and I don't expect it to come out until late January (maybe). So...I am wanting to know....Root....or remain with Stock? What are the perks of Rooting? Why would you remain with Stock?

Just looking for a 2nd opinion on what to do, Thanks!


I know the poll is messed up. Very sorry for the FRUSTRATION!!!...it may have caused you.

 

[Odinos]

its simple, rooting is better in all ways.. except: warranty

as soon as you root your device your warranty expires completely. this is the reason im waiting 2 years before rooting mine

 

[Timberline]

When I bought my Captivate a few weeks ago I had every intention of remaining stock. I didn't see the point in rooting as the Andoid OS gives us a lot of power out of the box w/o the "need" to root / jailbreak like the iPhone.

In the meantime, I've read enough here and on other Android sites that I'm about 95% sure that I will root and flash a custom ROM and probably do so over the Christmas holidays when I'm off for two weeks.

The reason for my change of heart? Simply that even IF FroYo was released today it will be ATT's implementation of FroYo with all the bloatware, limitations and handicaps that entails. Some of the custom ROMs appear to be stable, fast, and power efficient - what's not to like?

ETA: as far as the warranty issue, you can unroot the device back to stock if needed. I figure worst case scenario is if I brick my device. Then, since I have the insurance plan on mine, I toss it in a canyon, pay the $50 deductible and get a new phone.

 

[CrimsonPride]

yea you can always unroot and not worry about warranty. also ive never heard of a phone bricking from a root so i wouldnt be too worried about that either

 

[sremick]

I have almost lost all patients on waiting for Froyo to come out

You lost all your patients, Dr. Trips? Wow, that's serious financial impact.

What are the perks of Rooting? Why would you remain with Stock?

The Captivate FAQ is your friend:

Root - CapFAQ

Warning that the Froyo ROMs out are hacked-up versions of early unfinished "betas" leaked for other hardware. There are frequent quirks and incompatibilities, such as no haptic feedback on the home button, bluetooth headset issues, and even wired headset issues. And it often seems they fix one thing, only to break another... for example, a guy thought he fixed the wired headset issue and released a new version... only to have people discover after release that now the built-in mic on their phone no longer worked.

So, it's "user beware" when going this route. Things go wrong, and often. You can even brick your phone. It's not for the faint of heart.

 

[Odinos]

rooting dosnt expire the warranty, its unlocking the boot-kinda-idontknowtheword thingie that makes it expire. if u remove that, u will see an unlocked padlock on ur bootscreen and even if u unroot u wont be able to get rid of it.

 

[CrimsonPride]

rooting dosnt expire the warranty, its unlocking the boot-kinda-idontknowtheword thingie that makes it expire. if u remove that, u will see an unlocked padlock on ur bootscreen and even if u unroot u wont be able to get rid of it.

ive rooted, flashed many roms, bricked my phone a dozen times and never seen this boot-kinda-idontknowtheword thingie. i have no doubt in my mind if i sent my phone into samsung as-is they would tell me i have no warranty and not repair my phone most likely, if it was indeed broken.

but rooting does void the warranty, it just does. but it can be easily undone

 

[Odinos]

ive rooted, flashed many roms, bricked my phone a dozen times and never seen this boot-kinda-idontknowtheword thingie. i have no doubt in my mind if i sent my phone into samsung as-is they would tell me i have no warranty and not repair my phone most likely, if it was indeed broken.

but rooting does void the warranty, it just does. but it can be easily undone

i remember. its unlocking the bootloader that voids the warranty. unlocking this bootloader is necessairy for rooting but is also irreversable

source: What is rooting and why should I do it? The pros & cons of Android rooting

 

[JadeEyedWolf]

I have almost lost all patients on waiting for Froyo to come out and I don't expect it to come out until late January (maybe). So...I am wanting to know....Root....or remain with Stock? What are the perks of Rooting? Why would you remain with Stock?

Just looking for a 2nd opinion on what to do, Thanks!

Currently I am running the latest Froyo version of Cognition with the JJ4 kernel and I couldn't be happier (minus the useless GPS of course, but that's a completely separate issue).

I recommend this particular ROM because it's pretty stable, very quick, and just personally like the interface (although I do use LauncherPro).

Honestly, with all the one-click downloaders for root and one-click Odin kernel swaps, and especially how easy it is to upgrade using Clockwork Mod, there's really no reason why anyone who can read and follow some simple instructions shouldn't have a quick and seamless upgrade.

Better battery, Froyo, no sign of AT&T anything, unfiltered market access, Wifi/USB tethering, and a phone that you can what YOU want with it are all good reasons to say goodbye to stock and hello to something WAY better!

Some useful thing to search for:
One-click root for Captivate
JJ4 or JI6 kernel for Captivate (preferably the Odin 1-click flashing tool)
Market Access.apk
Cognition 2.3b6

Good luck!

P.S. Backup your stuff!! This process will make it like you're getting a fresh new phone! Anything you installed, any settings you change, anything that's on the phone's internal system memory get's wiped! Make SURE you save all your contacts to the SIM card (not the SD) or sync up to your google account if use google contacts (which is amazing btw). If you approach this process knowing this, and prepare accordingly, it is SO worth it!

P.P.S. Google keeps track of at least all of the apps that you bought (and most free ones too) on the marketplace, so re-downloading and re-installing everything you had before should be fairly painless too.

 

[CrimsonPride]

i remember. its unlocking the bootloader that voids the warranty. unlocking this bootloader is necessairy for rooting but is also irreversable

source: What is rooting and why should I do it? The pros & cons of Android rooting

do you know what phone that is off of, because i have never seen it on a captivate

 

[BigCiX]

i'm still stock. All i really want is the lag fix and flash. GPS is completely fixed with GPS Samsung restore app.

 

[Odinos]

do you know what phone that is off of, because i have never seen it on a captivate

good question, wich i cant answer unfortunately xD

 

[Copronymous]

I tried and tried and TRIED to be patient and wait for FroYo. Finally, though, I got fed-up with the lag, wifi issues, gps issues, etc: rooted, flashed to Perception Build 7 (non-OC/UV) and am really, really thrilled.

With the tools that have been developed it was super super easy. I even went back to stock then reflashed the ROM just to be sure I had the skill.

When FroYo is released for AT&T phones, I will probably just continue to use one of the custom ROMs.

(Heck these guys are already working on Gingerbread for us.)

I was highly, highly skeptical about flashing. Now that it's done, I'm doing backflips.

 

[reinbeau]

I would just like to point out the title of the poll and the actual poll have little to do with each other.

View Poll Results: Do you use Stock or ROMs?
Rooted

5 50.00%
Stock





Do you use stock or ROMs? Um, the poll asked if you were rooted or running stock, nothing about running ROMs. Rooting and ROMs are two different things, as most know here.....

 

[calsax]

I was very hesitant to root, but after doing a lot of reading on XDA-Developers, I decided there was really nothing to lose. It is unbelievably easy to flash back to stock if you're not happy with the ROM you flash. I am currently running Perception Build 5 (had problems with both 6 and 7), and don't have any issues (other than GPS, which I have given up on). Do some research on XDA-Developers before you do anything, and make sure you have the tools you need to get back to stock. Then try different ROMs on for size. Each one has its proponents, and while all are similar, there are differences. As SRemick noted, all are works in process, and all are based on leaked, early versions of Froyo. I disagree with his conclusion that they shouldn't be used, however. For me, the bottom line is less AT&T on my phone, more speed, and much improved battery life.

I love my Captivate!!!!!!

 

[bruceinman]

Rooting also gives superuser permissions to freeze bloatware among other things w/o flashing a ROM.
So I voted Rooted and Stock

 

[TripsYou]

Root = unlock phone for superuser privlages
ROM = type/version of OS

Right??

 

[tylerdurdin]

Rooting also gives superuser permissions to freeze bloatware among other things w/o flashing a ROM.
So I voted Rooted and Stock

This is an excellent point, remember just because you root your phone, does not mean you have to flash a rom. I ran 2. 1 for quite a while with just root and removed bloat and the phone was pretty sweet no issues at all. For me the gateway drug was RyansOCLF. I have been running the AT&T leak since oct. 1, rooted it stripped it and it is perfect, I do love froyo.

BTW Has anyone heard or know what the flaws of the AT&T leak were I have experienced nothing since install other than the voice call volume meter will not go all the way up, the volume does but the green bar does not. No big deal to me at all, was just wondering Sorry for being a little of topic.

 

[bruceinman]

BTW Has anyone heard or know what the flaws of the AT&T leak were I have experienced nothing since install other than the voice call volume meter will not go all the way up, the volume does but the green bar does not. No big deal to me at all, was just wondering Sorry for being a little of topic.

Does the Kernal support phone routing to the wired headset.
This has been a deal breaker for me on all ROMs I have seen and keeps me on 2.1.

 

[sremick]

I would just like to point out the title of the poll and the actual poll have little to do with each other.

View Poll Results: Do you use Stock or ROMs?
Rooted

5 50.00%
Stock

Do you use stock or ROMs? Um, the poll asked if you were rooted or running stock, nothing about running ROMs. Rooting and ROMs are two different things, as most know here.....

Yes, poll doesn't make sense as worded. So I haven't voted.

Rooted, stock ROM.

 

[viny2cool]

Rooted and flashed...The poll question is wrong

Its should be root vs unroot...and stock vs custom rom...

 

[Misha24]

i'm still stock. All i really want is the lag fix and flash. GPS is completely fixed with GPS Samsung restore app.

I got the lag fix from voodoo and its amazing.. The phone is crazy fast. Now I heard you can uninstall the Kernel it puts on or modifies. But I am not rooted except what I just loaded.

Mike

 

[dario69]

Do some research on XDA-Developers before you do anything, and make sure you have the tools you need to get back to stock. Then try different ROMs on for size. Each one has its proponents, and while all are similar, there are differences. As SRemick noted, all are works in process, and all are based on leaked, early versions of Froyo. I disagree with his conclusion that they shouldn't be used, however. For me, the bottom line is less AT&T on my phone, more speed, and much improved battery life.

I love my Captivate!!!!!!

You pretty much negated your main point about making the phone better - "all are works in process (progress), and all are based on leaked, early version of Froyo". This gets back to my one argument about custom roms - and this is coming from someone that has customized his phones for over five years or even longer, I forget, starting with the XDA and Jam phones. Everyone pontificates about the virtues of custom roms in their posts then include negatives. "Well my phone has spotty coverage, bluetooth is inconsistent and I drop more calls. Other than that the custom rom is great". I see this with WinMo and now again with Android.

Now I understand the frustration, really. I am trying to find a custom rom for my HD2 and while WinMo is nice I am hoping to find a working Android build. But I know with two degrees of separation and running an OS from an SD card I am not expecting perfection. But for my Captivate I want the current functional I am getting or more. I know a custom rom promises this but when core functionality is spotty or inconsistent I just can't help but find a walking contradiction in the cheer leading for custom roms when the verdict is still out on these "works in progress, early leaks".

If Samsung abandons us I will go the custom route but I think they need a little more time to show their true commitment to this platform. I say this because in my opinion the Captivate - minus the GPS and occasional lag - is close to perfection. It isn't like a WinMo phone. Heck, with Android I don't even notice the bloat like my ATT smartphones. I know your mileage may very on this topic but I notice so many comments about custom roms being the solution to this update crisis but remember - the devil is in the details. I am still not sold on the quality of these builds. I guess I am being fussy but maybe I was spoiled with some solid WinMo builds from EnergyRom and Dutty.

 

[sremick]

I might consider a custom ROM based on the official 2.2 for the Captivate, once it's released, so that I know I'm running code actually designed for the Captivate's unique hardware... if said custom ROM offers significant-enough improvement over stock. Maybe.

A custom ROM based on the final official Captivate 2.2 that did away with RFS entirely in all places would be rather interesting.

I also might consider a custom ROM even more-seriously once we reach the definite end-of-line as far as what Samsung is going to officially offer for the Captivate (like, if they state that 2.3 will be the last Android they release for it, and then someone hacks up a 3.0 that works 100%).

 

[tylerdurdin]

You pretty much negated your main point about making the phone better - "all are works in process (progress), and all are based on leaked, early version of Froyo". This gets back to my one argument about custom roms - and this is coming from someone that has customized his phones for over five years or even longer, I forget, starting with the XDA and Jam phones. Everyone pontificates about the virtues of custom roms in their posts then include negatives. "Well my phone has spotty coverage, bluetooth is inconsistent and I drop more calls. Other than that the custom rom is great". I see this with WinMo and now again with Android.

Now I understand the frustration, really. I am trying to find a custom rom for my HD2 and while WinMo is nice I am hoping to find a working Android build. But I know with two degrees of separation and running an OS from an SD card I am not expecting perfection. But for my Captivate I want the current functional I am getting or more. I know a custom rom promises this but when core functionality is spotty or inconsistent I just can't help but find a walking contradiction in the cheer leading for custom roms when the verdict is still out on these "works in progress, early leaks".

If Samsung abandons us I will go the custom route but I think they need a little more time to show their true commitment to this platform. I say this because in my opinion the Captivate - minus the GPS and occasional lag - is close to perfection. It isn't like a WinMo phone. Heck, with Android I don't even notice the bloat like my ATT smartphones. I know your mileage may very on this topic but I notice so many comments about custom roms being the solution to this update crisis but remember - the devil is in the details. I am still not sold on the quality of these builds. I guess I am being fussy but maybe I was spoiled with some solid WinMo builds from EnergyRom and Dutty.

I see your point but I think the guys flashing roms and rooting, do this more as a hobby than for sheer functionality. Lets be honest if the GPS thing did not happen there would not be all this flutter over the phone in the first place, it just made it easier to flash and not feel like your doing something wrong to a brand new phone. I believe that 99% of the people on this site are just having fun, and I dont believe that anyone here thinks it is cut and dry better to root and flash. Having said that, to me rooting and flashing is awesome , and is the only way to truly make your phone yours, for instance last week I changed that dreadful samsung boot-up music to the Darth Vader quote "Don't be to proud of the technological terror you've constructed" and also have him saying "Yes master" when I power off. To me a rooted device may not be as stable but I feel that a rooted device is much more fun.