[International / GSM] [HOW TO] Root the GSM/HSPA+ Samsung Galaxy Nexus

[scary alien]

.
There is no "root exploit" required to root the Samsung Galaxy Nexus since it comes with an unlockable bootloader. So, this means that there is not soon likely to be a 1-click or easy rooting app to run that exploits something in Ice Cream Sandwich in order to root the phone.

Here are the basic steps that need to be done in order to root the GNex:

1. Unlock the bootloader (warning: this does wipe the internal "SD card" portion of your phone)
2. Gain write access to the /system partition
3. Install the root binaries (su / Superuser.apk)

~ ~ ~ note about su.zip for ICS 4.0.4 (when flashing from ClockworkMod) ~ ~ ~

Note: some users who have upgraded to Android 4.0.4 have reported that older versions of su.zip from the clockworkmod site does not give them root. You can use this file: View attachment su.zip (from su.zip - File Shared from Box - Free Online File Storage) instead which IS reported to work).

~ ~ ~

Unfortunately, the biggest hurdle for folks using Microsoft Windows will be issues relating to getting the proper Samsung USB drivers installed and working properly. Please take note of the several options listed at the bottom of this post. For Mac and Linux users, this is fortunately not an issue.

The second biggest hurdle will be getting the adb and fastboot utilities installed and understanding how to use them.

Note: I did experience some hangs while using the fastboot and adb utilities when my USB cable was plugged-in to a USB 3.0 port; these issues disappeared when I reverted back to a USB 2.0 port.

Quick notes about adb / fastboot:

Spoiler

Rooting the Samsung Galaxy Nexus does require use of command-line utilities like adb and fastboot.

If you don't have both adb and fastboot installed anywhere, it might be easiest to download and extract the sdk-tools.zip file referenced in the "Mini-SDK" section of this thread ADB Guide to a folder on your PC of your choosing (take note of this folder/directory's name).

Note for Linux users: you might (probably will) have to resecure the adb and fastboot utilities after installing (i.e., chmod a+x adb and chmod a+x fastboot); additionally, you'll probably have to use the sudo utility when invoking these utilities; for example: sudo ./adb devices or sudo ./fastboot devices

These are two very different tools for use when your device is in a very specific mode:

• fastboot
  
  - to use this utility, your phone must be in fastboot mode (also known as bootloader mode) which can be reached by powering-down your phone and restarting it by pressing and holding the volume-up AND volume-down AND the power buttons UNTIL you see the little green Android laying on his back with door on his chest open (you'll also see "Start" in big, green text at the top and "FASTBOOT MODE" in very small red text just below the Android
  
  - other ways to get into fastboot / bootloader mode:
  
  
  • when you are finally rooted, you can use an app like Quickboot and selecting "Bootloader"
    
    
  • when you do have fastboot working, you can also use the fastboot reboot-bootloader (Windows) or ./fastboot reboot-bootloader (Mac / Linux) command to re-launch the fastboot/bootloader mode
  
  - you can verify that you have fastboot USB connectivity by issuing a fastboot devices (Windows) or ./fastboot devices (Mac / Linux) from a command session wherever you have the fastboot utility installed
  
  - the output of an "fastboot devices" command should be look something like this:
  

  sdk-tools> [B][COLOR="purple"]fastboot devices[/COLOR][/B]
  [COLOR="Blue"]<device serial #>   fastboot[/COLOR]

• adb (Android Debug Bridge)
  
  - you can use the adb utility at two different times/modes on your phone:
  
  
  • when you are booted normally into Android and have enabled USB debugging (Settings -> System -> Developer options -> USB debugging (checked))
    
    
  • when you are booted into a custom recovery (like ClockworkMod); custom recoveries support adb connectivity so you can invoke a shell, push / pull files, etc.
  
  - you can verify that you have adb USB connectivity by issuing a adb devices (Windows) or ./adb devices (Mac / Linux) from a command session wherever you have the adb utility installed
  
  - the output of an "adb devices" command should be look something like this:
  

  sdk-tools> [B][COLOR="purple"]adb devices[/COLOR][/B]
  [COLOR="Blue"]<device serial #>   device[/COLOR]

If you are a Windows user and you have trouble establishing connectivity when using these utilities, try installing a different set of USB drivers (see the list of USB drivers at the end of this post).

Your best bet will be to take your time, do your reading and research, and make sure you understand what you are about to do before doing it. Perusing the threads and posts here will go a long way towards letting you see what other issues folks have encountered.

Unlocking The Bootloader

*** Warning *** unlocking your bootloader will completely wipe your device's internal "SD card", so backup what you need / want to beforehand.

All of the rooting methods require that you have an unlocked bootloader. I've included this section here first and made reference to it in the root methods below it.

[SIZE="4"][COLOR="Red"][B]Note: be aware that the first reboot after you've unlocked the
bootloader (via [COLOR="Black"]fastboot oem unlock[/COLOR]) can take up to five (5) 
minutes to finish; you'll see two cycles of the boot animation 
before it finishes.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/B]

Since unlocking the bootloader does a factory reset, the dalvik-cache, etc. 
needs to be rebuilt upon reboot (this takes times); [U]just be patient and do [b][COLOR="Red"]not[/COLOR] [/b]
pull the battery...let the reboot complete.[/U]

[COLOR="Blue"]If you do/did get antsy and pulled the battery before the boot completed, 
just relock (fastboot oem lock) and unlock (fastboot oem lock) the device 
and then reboot.[/COLOR]

Click the Show button below for in-line instructions to unlock the bootloader:

Spoiler

A. if you already have the Android SDK installed with both the adb and fastboot utilities, go ahead and skip to step B.

If you don't have both adb and fastboot installed anywhere, it might be easiest to download and extract the sdk-tools.zip file referenced in the "Mini-SDK" section of this thread ADB Guide to a folder on your PC of your choosing (take note of this folder/directory's name).

B. turn off (power down) your device

C. connect the USB cable between the phone and your PC if you haven't already

D. on your PC, start-up a terminal session (Windows Command Prompt for Windows; Terminal for Mac or Linux) and navigate to the directory/folder where the adb and fastboot utilities are located:

+ for Windows, you need to start-up a Windows Command Prompt (DOS window) and type the following (for example, assuming that your adb / fastboot files are in the c:sdk-tools folder):

[B][COLOR="purple"]cd c:sdk-tools[/COLOR][/B]

+ for Mac/Linux, start-up a Terminal session and type the following (for example, assuming that your adb / fastboot files are in the sdk-tools folder):

[B][COLOR="Purple"]cd sdk-tools[/COLOR][/B]

E. next, boot your phone into fastboot mode (press and hold both the volume-UP and volume-DOWN buttons and then press the power button)

F. if you are using Windows, install the appropriate Samsung USB drivers; note: there are several USB driver options listed at the bottom of this post; this one in particular worked very well for me and others:

[ADB/FB Driver] Naked Samsung Driver 1.7 - xda-developers

Here are some detailed notes that I took when I installed this driver on my system:

Spoiler

- download the Naked Samsung 1.7.zip driver referenced above

- extract that files contents to a folder like Naked Samsung 1.7

- connect your phone to your Windows PC via the USB cable

- fire-up your Device Manager:

• Windows Start button
• Control Panel
• Hardware and Sound
• select Device Manager from under the Devices and Printers section

- identify the Other devices section

- right click the Galaxy entry and select Uninstall

- right click the Galaxy entry and select Update Driver Software...

- select Browse my computer for driver software

- use the Browse... button and navigate to the folder where you extracted the Naked Samsung 1.7.zip file (make sure the Include subfolders checkbox is checked)

- browse to that folder name and click the OK button

- you'll be returned to the Update Driver Software - Galaxy screen; click the Next button

- you might see a red-tinted Windows Security warning saying "Windows can't verify the publisher of this driver software";

- that's okay, click the Install this driver software anyway section

- the driver software will then be installed

- after installation, you should see the window is now titled: Update Driver Software - SAMSUNG Android ADB Interface and it will say "Windows has successfully updated your driver software", etc.

- press the Close button

- notice the the yellow warning icon is now gone and you now have a new SAMSUNG Android Phone section in the Device Manager window and a SAMSUNG Android ADB Interface entry underneath it

- you should now be able to communicate with your device with adb or fastboot (when in the appropriate mode for each)

G. let's verify that fastboot can "see" your device

note: for simplicity's sake, I'm using the generic "fastboot" command name here; your fastboot utility might actually be named:

+ for Windows: fastboot.exe or fastboot-windows.exe
+ for Linux: fastboot or fastboot-linux
+ for Mac: fastboot for fastboot-mac

- from your PC, enter the following to verify that the fastboot utility can see your phone:

For MS/Windows:

[B][COLOR="Purple"]fastboot devices[/COLOR][/B] [COLOR="blue"]       (list connected devices)[/COLOR]

For Mac/Linux:

[B][COLOR="Purple"]./fastboot devices[/COLOR][/B] [COLOR="blue"]       (list connected devices)[/COLOR]

- you should see something similar to this:

sdk-tools> [B][COLOR="purple"]fastboot devices[/COLOR][/B]
[COLOR="Blue"]<device serial #>   fastboot[/COLOR]

J. next, you'll unlock the bootloader

*** Warning *** the next command (fastboot oem unlock) will completely wipe your device's internal "SD card"), so backup what you need / want to beforehand

Also, please note that after you issue the unlock command, you will be asked, on your phone, to acknowledge that you want the bootloader to be unlocked and that you understand that doing so will void your warranty. Use your volume rocker/keys to select the confirmation and press the power button to actually confirm.

For MS/Windows:

[B][COLOR="Purple"]fastboot oem unlock[/COLOR][/B]            [COLOR="blue"](unlock the bootloader)[/COLOR]

For Mac/Linux:

[B][COLOR="Purple"]./fastboot oem unlock[/COLOR][/B]            [COLOR="blue"](unlock the bootloader)[/COLOR]

J. That's it, your bootloader should now be unlocked and you are ready for your next step. You phone should still be in fastboot mode at this point.

If you simply wanted to unlocked the bootloader and now want to reboot your phone, you can issue a "fastboot reboot" (for Windows) or "./fastboot reboot" (for Mac/Linux) to reboot the device normally (note/warning: since unlocking the bootloader does a factory reset, your next reboot after unlocking will take about five minutes to complete--so be patient and wait for the boot animation to finish-up).

If you are not ready to reboot, but need to do other fastboot-related operations, then your phone is still in fastboot mode and ready for you.

- = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = -

Wug's Galaxy Nexus Root Toolkit

Pros:

-- guides you through all the tasks
-- works for both GSM and LTE versions of the device

Cons: none, really

AF link and discussion:

http://androidforums.com/verizon-galaxy-nexus-all-things-root/477365-here-you-go-one-step-unlock-root-relock-unroot.html

Direct link:

Wug's Galaxy Nexus Root Toolkit

- = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = -

ClockworkMod Method (courtesy of Koushik Dutta)

Pros:

-- simplest and fastest from what I've found
-- works for both GSM and LTE versions of the device
-- does not require a special (insecured) boot.img file

Cons: requires both adb and fastboot USB connectivity

Spoiler

Brief description:

- download su.zip flashable root package and proper version of ClockworkMod
- put phone in fastboot mode
- soft-boot or flash ClockworkMod custom recovery
- push the su.zip file to your phone via adb
- flash the su.zip root package in ClockworkMod to install root
- reboot phone

Resources

1. Download the su.zip flashable (via CWM) root package (note for Mac users: apparently in some browsers, .zip files get auto-unzipped / un-packed / extracted when you download; you don't want this to happen for the su.zip file; here's a link about preventing this: How would you stop Mac from automatically unzipping files?)

Note: some users who have upgraded to Android 4.0.4 have reported that the above su.zip from the clockworkmod site does not give them root. You can use this file: View attachment su.zip (from su.zip - File Shared from Box - Free Online File Storage) instead which IS reported to work).

Note: if you download the su.zip file directly from your phone to the /sdcard directory (folder), then you won't have to push it later via adb.

2. Download the version of ClockworkMod appropriate / specific to your carrier:

• Verizon / VZW (CDMA) version: Clockwork Recovery for Galaxy Nexus (CDMA)
  
  File name: recovery-clockwork-5.5.0.4-toro.img
  MD5: b2d31c29b7ef785f9c0802a12264d322
  File size: 5,263,360 (bytes)
  
  
• GSM version: Clockwork Recovery for Galaxy Nexus (GSM)
  
  File name: recovery-clockwork-5.5.0.2-maguro.img
  MD5: 445887336a863573997ccbaeedddc984
  File size: 5,427,200 (bytes)

Instructions

A. unlock your bootloader (see the Unlocking The Bootloader section above)

B. make sure you phone is connected with the USB cable to your PC

C. place both the su.zip and the selected ClockworkMod recovery .img file in the directory with your fastboot and adb utilities

D. next, boot your phone into fastboot mode (press and hold both the volume-UP and volume-DOWN buttons and then press the power button)

E. start-up a command prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac / Linux) session as outlined in the Unlocking The Bootloader section above and change to the folder / directory where your fastboot utility, adb utility, su.zip, and selected recovery .img file are located

Note for Windows users: we will be using both the adb and the fastboot utility below, so you'll need to make sure you have USB drivers installed that will recognize your device while in both modes. The [ADB/FB Driver] Naked Samsung Driver 1.7 - xda-developers works very well and there are other USB driver options listed at the bottom of this post.

F. now, at this point, we will start-up ClockworkMod custom recovery; we can either soft-boot (load it from your PC into your phone's memory; this method will not replace the currently installed recovery partition on your phone) or flash it (overwrite the currently installed stock recovery image on your phone):

• to soft-boot (does not flash / overwrite) your currently installed recovery image:
  
  Spoiler

  For MS/Windows:
  
  - command for [COLOR="Red"][B]Verizon / VZW CDMA[/B][/COLOR] recovery:
  
  [COLOR="Purple"]fastboot [B]boot[/B] recovery-clockwork-5.5.0.4-toro.img[/COLOR]
  
  - command for [COLOR="Blue"][B]GSM [/B][/COLOR]recovery:
  
  [COLOR="purple"]fastboot [B]boot[/B] recovery-clockwork-5.5.0.2-maguro.img[/COLOR]
  
  For Mac/Linux:
  
  - command for [COLOR="Red"][B]Verizon / VZW CDMA[/B][/COLOR] recovery:
  
  [COLOR="Purple"]./fastboot [B]boot[/B] recovery-clockwork-5.5.0.4-toro.img[/COLOR]
  
  - command for [COLOR="Blue"][B]GSM [/B][/COLOR]recovery:
  
  [COLOR="purple"]./fastboot [B]boot[/B] recovery-clockwork-5.5.0.2-maguro.img[/COLOR]
  
  ###
  
  - your phone should now boot into ClockworkMod custom recovery

• to flash / overwrite your currently installed recovery image:
  
  Spoiler

  [B]For MS/Windows[/B]:
  
  - command for [COLOR="Red"][B]Verizon / VZW CDMA[/B][/COLOR] recovery:
  
  [COLOR="Purple"]fastboot [B]flash recovery[/B] recovery-clockwork-5.5.0.4-toro.img[/COLOR]
  
  - command for [COLOR="Blue"][B]GSM [/B][/COLOR]recovery:
  
  [COLOR="purple"]fastboot [B]flash recovery[/B] recovery-clockwork-5.5.0.2-maguro.img[/COLOR]
  
  [B]For Mac/Linux[/B]:
  
  - command for [COLOR="Red"][B]Verizon / VZW CDMA[/B][/COLOR] recovery:
  
  [COLOR="Purple"]./fastboot [B]flash recovery[/B] recovery-clockwork-5.5.0.4-toro.img[/COLOR]
  
  - command for [COLOR="Blue"][B]GSM [/B][/COLOR]recovery:
  
  [COLOR="purple"]./fastboot [B]flash recovery[/B] recovery-clockwork-5.5.0.2-maguro.img[/COLOR]
  
  ###
  
  - after you've flashed the recovery, use the [B]volume keys[/B] to change the 
  green "[COLOR="Green"]Start[/COLOR]" arrow/banner to the red "[COLOR="Red"]Recovery mode[/COLOR]" one
  
  - select that mode by pressing the [B]power button[/B]--that will actually 
  launch the new custom recovery

G. after you see ClockworkMod custom recovery appear on your phone

- okay, if you haven't already put the su.zip file in the /sdcard, then we'll need to push (send) it over to your phone from the PC; there is an issue that I finally figured-out that ClockworkMod won't mount the /data partition (and therefore, your /sdcard directory that's symbolically linked to the /data/media folder) until you've done this sequence at least once:

- > from the main ClockworkMod Recovery screen / menu
- > select install zip from sdcard
- > that will take you to the Apply update from .zip file on SD card screen / menu
- > select choose zip from sdcard
- > you'll see a slight pause while the /data partition is mounted
- > now, you'll see a list of files on your /sdcard in the Choose a zip to apply screen
- > don't choose anything right now, navigate to +++++Go Back+++++ to return to the previous menu
- > hang here on the Apply update from .zip file on SD card screen / menu for now

- next, you'll need to push (send) the su.zip (flashable root package) to your phone's internal memory ("SD card"):

[B]For MS/Windows[/B]:

[COLOR="purple"]adb push su.zip /sdcard/[/COLOR]       [COLOR="Red"](notice the trailing forward slash)[/COLOR]

- or -

[COLOR="purple"]adb push su.zip /data/media/su.zip[/COLOR]

[COLOR="Blue"](I included the second version of this command because the first didn't work 
for me at times (CWM wasn't always "seeing" the file I just pushed))[/COLOR]

[B]For Mac/Linux[/B]:

[COLOR="purple"]./adb push su.zip /sdcard/[/COLOR]      [COLOR="Red"](notice the trailing forward slash)[/COLOR]

- or -

[COLOR="purple"]./adb push su.zip /data/media/su.zip[/COLOR]

[COLOR="Blue"](I included the second version of this command because the first didn't work 
for me at times (CWM wasn't always "seeing" the file I just pushed))[/COLOR]

###

here's what the output looks like on my Windows PC:

c:\gnex\sdk-tools> [B]adb push su.zip /sdcard/[/B]
[COLOR="blue"]4346 KB/s (1126078 bytes in 0.253s)[/COLOR]

H. next, we'll need to navigate in ClockworkMod to flash the su.zip root package

navigation tips:

- use the volume key / rocker to navigate
- use the power button to select an entry

what to do:

- select the "install zip from sdcard" entry

- select the "choose zip from sdcard" entry

- navigate to the bottom of the displayed menu options, you should see your "su.zip" entry there; select it

- after you flash the su.zip file, navigate to the "*****Go Back*****" entry; select it to return to the prior menu screen

- navigate back again to the first / main screen

- select the "reboot system now" entry

I. when you phone finishes rebooting, you should now have root

- = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = -

Superboot Method (courtesy of Paul O'Brien of MoDaCo)

Pros:

-- simpler method for rooting (installs root binaries for you)
-- works for both GSM and LTE versions of the device

Cons: you'll still need to use fastboot to unlock your bootloader (if you haven't already)

Spoiler

This method automates the installation of the su / Superuser binaries for you; click the "Show" button below for details on how this works:

Spoiler

I unpacked the boot.superboot.img file into its kernel and ramdisk components and saw that the init.rc script (in the ramdisk) was modded to invoke the /superboot/superboot.sh script which temporarily remounts /system as read/write and installs/secures the su binary and the Superuser app.

The only caveat about using the Superboot method is that you'll still have to unlock your bootloader (if you haven't already) with the fastboot oem unlock command which Superboot cannot directly address.

This means you'll still need to follow the instructions in the section Unlocking The Bootloader above.

Reference

[MOD] 30 Nov r3: Superboot - rooting the GSM + LTE Galaxy Nexus

- or -

30 Nov r3: Superboot - rooting the GSM + LTE Galaxy Nexus

Resources

Superboot R3: r3-galaxynexus-superboot.zip

File size (bytes): 6,080,107
MD5 checksum: c827e540aa0262adc2ded86a91c68492

Reference this thread for information on checking MD5 sums: MD5 Verification

Instructions (also see the instruction threads above)

A. download the Superboot zip file (r3-galaxynexus-superboot.zip) above and extract to a directory

B. boot your phone into fastboot mode (press and hold both the volume-UP and volume-DOWN buttons and then press the power button)

C. choose your installation platform to run the installation script:

- Windows:

+ double click the install-superboot-windows.bat file

- Mac:

+ open a Terminal window to the directory containing the files
+ type chmod +x install-superboot-mac.sh
+ type ./install-superboot-mac.sh

- Linux:

+ open a Terminal window to the directory containing the files
+ type chmod +x install-superboot-linux.sh
+ type ./install-superboot-linux.sh

Note for VZW LTE Galaxy Nexus phones: it appears that the boot.superboot.img file, when used on the VZW LTE Galaxy Nexus, might hang (it did for me, but not for others; I suspect I just didn't wait long enough) and not finish booting. It will, however, get the root apps (su / Superuser.apk) installed and root your phone. You'll just need to do a battery-pull and restart after waiting a few minutes after executing the above installation scripts.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Slightly) Easier Manual Method (for now, GSM devices only!)

Pros: like the manual method, but doesn't require that you install Android SDK for adb / fastboot
Cons: still requires that you enter fastboot and adb commands

Spoiler

There is an easier version of the manual method described above since it basically relieves you of the need to install the Android SDK just to get the adb and fastboot utilities installed.

This method is outlined here Free Your Android - How to Root the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (Manual Method) and I've re-summarized the steps for you below.

Resources

GNexus-root-package-FYA.zip: GNexus-root-package-FYA.zip

File size (bytes): 29,943,902
MD5 checksum: 51f8c7b09b4e3e6a31d669a71aaeead4

Reference this thread for information on checking MD5 sums: MD5 Verification

Instructions

A. download and extract the GNexus-root-package-FYA.zip file as referenced above in the Resources section, paying attention to the location where the files have been extracted (for example, you might extract it to the c:\gnexroot folder)

B. if you are using Windows, install the Samsung USB drivers (double-click the Samsung_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones_v1_4_6_0.exe executable from the c:\gnexroot folder and follow its instructions); there are also several other USB driver options listed at the end of this post suggested by various people that might end-up working better for you.

C. turn off (power down) your device

D. connect the USB cable between the phone and your PC

E. from your PC, navigate to the c:\gnexroot directory (or wherever you've extracted the above files):

+ for Windows, you need to start-up a Windows Command Prompt (DOS window) and type the following:

[B][COLOR="Purple"]cd c:\gnexroot[/COLOR][/B]

+ for Mac/Linux, start-up a Terminal session and type the following (to navigate to the gnexroot folder where the files were extracted):

[B][COLOR="purple"]cd gnexroot[/COLOR][/B]

F. next, boot your phone into fastboot mode (press and hold both the volume-UP and volume-DOWN buttons and then press the power button)

G. let's verify that fastboot can "see" your device

- from your PC, enter the following to verify that the fastboot utility can see your phone:

For MS/Windows:

[B][COLOR="Purple"]fastboot devices[/COLOR][/B] [COLOR="blue"]        (list connected devices)[/COLOR]

For Mac/Linux:

[B][COLOR="Purple"]./fastboot devices[/COLOR][/B] [COLOR="blue"]        (list connected devices)[/COLOR]

- you should see something like this:

c:\gnexroot> [B][COLOR="purple"]fastboot devices[/COLOR][/B]
[COLOR="Blue"]<device serial #>   fastboot[/COLOR]

H. unlock your bootloader (see the Unlocking The Bootloader section at the top of this post)

I. next, you'll soft-boot with the insecured boot image

For MS/Windows:

[B][COLOR="purple"]fastboot boot boot.img[/COLOR][/B]         [COLOR="blue"](soft-boot the insecured boot image)[/COLOR]

For Mac/Linux:

[B][COLOR="purple"]./fastboot boot boot.img[/COLOR][/B]         [COLOR="blue"](soft-boot the insecured boot image)[/COLOR]

note: you are not flashing a new boot image here--you are just soft-booting an insecured one that will allow the /system partition to be remounted in read/write mode; if you shutdown or reboot again before you've installed the su program and Superuser.apk files, then you'll have to restart back at step K.

J. your phone will now reboot and start in unsafe mode (so you can remount /system and install the root binaries); note, the next time you boot normally, the bootloader will be back in the normal/safe secured mode.

K. after the phone reboots, be sure to turn on USB debugging on your phone:

[B]Settings [/B]-> [B]Applications [/B]-> [B]Development [/B]-> [B]USB debugging[/B] ([COLOR="Blue"]checked[/COLOR])

L. Finally, install the root programs / binaries to your phone:

- from your PC, enter (or better yet copy/paste) the following commands:

It might be a good idea to verify that you have [B]adb [/B]USB connectivity:

For MS/Windows:

[B][COLOR="Purple"]adb devices[/COLOR][/B]                [COLOR="blue"](does adb "see" your device?)[/COLOR]

For Mac/Linux:

[B][COLOR="Purple"]./adb devices[/COLOR][/B]                [COLOR="blue"](does adb "see" your device?)[/COLOR]

If you see something like this:

[COLOR="Purple"][B]adb devices[/B][/COLOR]
[COLOR="Blue"]List of devices attached
<your device's serial #>        device[/COLOR]

then you do have [B]adb [/B]connectivity (proceed to the next [B][COLOR="purple"]adb [/COLOR][/B]command below). 
If you don't see something similar to the above, then check the following:

- USB debugging is enabled
- an adb USB driver is installed (Windows PCs)

For MS/Windows:

[B][COLOR="Purple"]adb root[/COLOR][/B]                [COLOR="blue"](restart adbd daemon with root permissions)[/COLOR]
[B][COLOR="purple"]adb remount[/COLOR][/B]             [COLOR="blue"](remount /system partion in read/write mode)[/COLOR]
[B][COLOR="purple"]adb push su /system/bin[/COLOR][/B]  [COLOR="blue"](copy su program binary to the phone)[/COLOR]
[B][COLOR="purple"]adb push Superuser.apk /system/app[/COLOR][/B]  [COLOR="blue"](copy the Superuser app to the phone)[/COLOR]
[B][COLOR="purple"]adb shell chmod 06755 /system/bin/su[/COLOR][/B]   [COLOR="blue"](re-secure w/root permission/access)[/COLOR]
[B][COLOR="purple"]adb shell chmod 06755 /system/app/Superuser.apk[/COLOR][/B] [COLOR="blue"](re-secure w/root permission/access)[/COLOR]

For Mac/Linux:

[B][COLOR="Purple"]./adb root[/COLOR][/B]                [COLOR="blue"](restart adbd daemon with root permissions)[/COLOR]
[B][COLOR="purple"]./adb remount[/COLOR][/B]             [COLOR="blue"](remount /system partion in read/write mode)[/COLOR]
[B][COLOR="purple"]./adb push su /system/bin[/COLOR][/B]  [COLOR="blue"](copy su program binary to the phone)[/COLOR]
[B][COLOR="purple"]./adb push Superuser.apk /system/app[/COLOR][/B]  [COLOR="blue"](copy the Superuser app to the phone)[/COLOR]
[B][COLOR="purple"]./adb shell chmod 06755 /system/bin/su[/COLOR][/B]   [COLOR="blue"](re-secure w/root permission/access)[/COLOR]
[B][COLOR="purple"]./adb shell chmod 06755 /system/app/Superuser.apk[/COLOR][/B] [COLOR="blue"](re-secure w/root permission/access)[/COLOR]

Also, if you'd like to install a [COLOR="Blue"]busybox[/COLOR] (available here: [ATTACH]24794[/ATTACH]), 
you can extract the [COLOR="Blue"]busybox[/COLOR] file from the attached file to the same directory 
where the su and Superuser.apk files are located, and do the following:

For MS/Windows:

[B][COLOR="purple"]adb push busybox /system/bin[/COLOR][/B]  [COLOR="blue"](copy busybox program to the phone)[/COLOR]
[B][COLOR="purple"]adb shell chmod 0755 /system/bin/busybox[/COLOR][/B]   [COLOR="blue"](re-secure program w/execute access)[/COLOR]

For Mac/Linux:

[B][COLOR="purple"]./adb push busybox /system/bin[/COLOR][/B]  [COLOR="blue"](copy busybox program to the phone)[/COLOR]
[B][COLOR="purple"]./adb shell chmod 0755 /system/bin/busybox[/COLOR][/B]   [COLOR="blue"](re-secure program w/execute access)[/COLOR]

Finally, you'll reboot your phone:

For MS/Windows:

[B][COLOR="purple"]adb reboot[/COLOR][/B] [COLOR="blue"](reboot your phone)[/COLOR]

For Mac/Linux:

[B][COLOR="purple"]./adb reboot[/COLOR][/B] [COLOR="blue"](reboot your phone)[/COLOR]

That's it...you should have root when the reboot completes. You'll be asked for permission from the Superuser (whitelist) app to allow root permissions for any app that you invoke that requests it.

- = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = -

-=< Root Warning / Disclaimer >=-

Spoiler

Quick note / disclaimer: as always, you are ultimately responsible for any root-related activities on your phone. You should understand not only the benefits of rooting, but also any possible consequences (voided warranty, boot-loops, bricking, etc.) that might occur as a result of your root-related actions.

AndroidForums.com / Phandroid.com, its owner, and staff are not liable for any root actions you might undertake as a result of information used from this site.

Reading, researching, understanding, and carefully following the published steps and instructions can go a long way towards helping to make your rooting efforts a successful one.

-=< Credits (Peter Alfonso / Paul O'Brien / XDA's davioxx) >=-

Spoiler

All credit goes to the following folks (I'm just re-summarizing what has already been developed and published by them):

* Peter Alfonso for the insecure boot.img file which allows the system partition to be remounted in read/write mode so that the root programs may be installed.

* Koushik Dutta for ClockworkMod and his many other contributions

* Paul O'Brien of MoDaCo and XDA for Superboot

* davioxx at XDA for his [HOWTO] Root Your Stock Galaxy Nexus - xda-developers thread

* Free Your Android - How to Root the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (Manual Method)

-=< Windows USB drivers >=-
(alternative versions contributed / suggested by various people):

Spoiler

I'll keep updating this list as members report their success with various versions.

ADB/FB Driver Naked Samsung Driver 1.7 [ADB/FB Driver] Naked Samsung Driver 1.7 - xda-developers

(the one above worked great for me on Windows 7 Professional, 64 bit)

fastboot / adb (courtesy of 1wayjonny): Naked Samsung Driver 1.4.8.0.zip

fastboot (courtesy of Gyannea): Galaxy_usb_driver.zip

fastboot (courtesy of jocke.anell): usb_driver.zip (good reports for this one)

adb (courtesy of Gyannea): SAMSUNG_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones_1.4.8.0.exe

(tip: click on the link that says "Softpedia Secure Download (US) [EXE]")

adb: Samsung_USB_Driver for_Moblie_Phones_v1_4_6_0.exe

adb: http://junefabrics.com/android/driver.php

Still having USB connectivity issues after having tried the drivers above? Try a different USB port on your computer and/or a different USB cable (sometimes its NOT the software ). Good luck!

-------------------------------------------
Cheers and thanks!

 

[scary alien]

-
To install Koushik Dutta's ClockworkMod custom recovery for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, you'll need to:

• unlock your bootloader
• download the appropriate (GSM or LTE) CWM .img file for your particular device
• don't forget to verify the MD5 checksum of the download before you flash it!
• put your phone into fastboot mode
• flash the CWM .img file via fastboot
• enjoy your new custom recovery

Instructions

A. unlock your bootloader (see the Unlocking The Bootloader section in the first post (#1) above)

B. download the version of ClockworkMod appropriate / specific to your carrier:

• Verizon / VZW (CDMA) version: Clockwork Recovery for Galaxy Nexus (CDMA)
  
  File name: recovery-clockwork-5.5.0.4-toro.img
  MD5: b2d31c29b7ef785f9c0802a12264d322
  File size: 5,263,360 (bytes)
  
  
• GSM version: Clockwork Recovery for Galaxy Nexus (GSM)
  
  File name: recovery-clockwork-5.5.0.2-maguro.img
  MD5: 445887336a863573997ccbaeedddc984
  File size: 5,427,200 (bytes)

C. place the selected ClockworkMod recovery .img file in the directory with your fastboot and adb utilities

D. make sure you phone is connected with the USB cable to your PC

E. next, boot your phone into fastboot mode (press and hold both the volume-UP and volume-DOWN buttons and then press the power button)

F. start-up a command prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac / Linux) session as outlined in the Unlocking The Bootloader section above and change to the folder / directory where your fastboot utility, adb utility, su.zip, and selected recovery .img file are located

Note for Windows users: we will be using both the adb and the fastboot utility below, so you'll need to make sure you have USB drivers installed that will recognize your device while in both modes. The [ADB/FB Driver] Naked Samsung Driver 1.7 - xda-developers works very well and there are other USB driver options listed at the bottom of the first post above.

G. okay, now we will flash (install) the selected ClockworkMod custom recovery image to your phone's recovery partition:

[B]For MS/Windows[/B]:

- command for [COLOR="Red"][B]Verizon / VZW CDMA[/B][/COLOR] recovery:

[COLOR="Purple"]fastboot [B]flash recovery[/B] recovery-clockwork-5.5.0.4-toro.img[/COLOR]

- command for [COLOR="Blue"][B]GSM [/B][/COLOR]recovery:

[COLOR="purple"]fastboot [B]flash recovery[/B] recovery-clockwork-5.5.0.2-maguro.img[/COLOR]

[B]For Mac/Linux[/B]:

- command for [COLOR="Red"][B]Verizon / VZW CDMA[/B][/COLOR] recovery:

[COLOR="Purple"]./fastboot [B]flash recovery[/B] recovery-clockwork-5.5.0.4-toro.img[/COLOR]

- command for [COLOR="Blue"][B]GSM [/B][/COLOR]recovery:

[COLOR="purple"]./fastboot [B]flash recovery[/B] recovery-clockwork-5.5.0.2-maguro.img[/COLOR]

- after you've flashed the recovery, use the [B]volume keys[/B] to change the 
green "[COLOR="Green"]Start[/COLOR]" arrow/banner to the red "[COLOR="Red"]Recovery mode[/COLOR]" one

- select that mode by pressing the [B]power button[/B]--that will actually 
launch the new custom recovery

* * * * * * * * *

If you wish to simply soft-boot (load ClockworkMod into your phone's memory from your PC and boot it without flashing / over-writing the currently installed (presumably stock) recovery, you can use this process:

Spoiler

For MS/Windows:

- command for [COLOR="Red"][B]Verizon / VZW CDMA[/B][/COLOR] recovery:

[COLOR="Purple"]fastboot [B]boot[/B] recovery-clockwork-5.5.0.4-toro.img[/COLOR]

- command for [COLOR="Blue"][B]GSM [/B][/COLOR]recovery:

[COLOR="purple"]fastboot [B]boot[/B] recovery-clockwork-5.5.0.2-maguro.img[/COLOR]

For Mac/Linux:

- command for [COLOR="Red"][B]Verizon / VZW CDMA[/B][/COLOR] recovery:

[COLOR="Purple"]./fastboot [B]boot[/B] recovery-clockwork-5.5.0.4-toro.img[/COLOR]

- command for [COLOR="Blue"][B]GSM [/B][/COLOR]recovery:

[COLOR="purple"]./fastboot [B]boot[/B] recovery-clockwork-5.5.0.2-maguro.img[/COLOR]

- your phone should now boot into ClockworkMod custom recovery

H. optionally root your phone while you're here

Spoiler

- download the su.zip flashable (via CWM) root package and place in same folder with the adb utility

- once ClockworkMod custom recovery is booted-up and showing on your screen, you'll need to push (send) the su.zip (flashable root package) to your phone's internal memory ("SD card") via the adb utility:

[B]For MS/Windows[/B]:

[COLOR="purple"]adb push su.zip /sdcard/[/COLOR]       [COLOR="Red"](notice the trailing forward slash)[/COLOR]

-- or --

[COLOR="purple"]adb push su.zip /data/media/su.zip[/COLOR]

[COLOR="Blue"](I included the second version of this command because the first didn't work 
for me at times (CWM wasn't always "seeing" the file I just pushed))[/COLOR]

[B]For Mac/Linux[/B]:

[COLOR="purple"]./adb push su.zip /sdcard/[/COLOR]      [COLOR="Red"](notice the trailing forward slash)[/COLOR]

-- or --

[COLOR="purple"]./adb push su.zip /data/media/su.zip[/COLOR]

[COLOR="Blue"](I included the second version of this command because the first didn't work 
for me at times (CWM wasn't always "seeing" the file I just pushed))[/COLOR]

###

here's what the output looks like on my Windows PC:

c:gnexsdk-tools> [B]adb push su.zip /sdcard/[/B]
[COLOR="blue"]4346 KB/s (1126078 bytes in 0.253s)[/COLOR]

- next, we'll need to navigate in ClockworkMod to flash the su.zip root package

navigation tips:

- use the volume key / rocker to navigate
- use the power button to select an entry

what to do:

- select the "install zip from sdcard" entry

- select the "choose zip from sdcard" entry

- navigate to the bottom of the displayed menu options, you should see your "su.zip" entry there; select it

- after you flash the su.zip file, navigate to the "*****Go Back*****" entry; select it to return to the prior menu screen

- navigate back again to the first / main screen

- select the "reboot system now" entry

- when you phone finishes rebooting, you should now have root

Flashed custom recovery won't "stick"?

Do this:

- remount /system in read/write mode (use something like the Root Explorer app or ES File Explorer; both have root modes (check the app's settings) for remounting /system as writable)

- rename the /system/recovery-from-boot.p to /system/recovery-from-boot.p-bak

(note: you could delete it, but renaming is much safer since its easily reversible)

- you could also do this manually in an adb shell or on-phone Terminal session:

+ mv /system/recovery-from-boot.p /system/recovery-from-boot.p-bak


Mini-FAQ

Q: what's a custom recovery good for?

A: several cool things:

• making and restoring Nandroid (full phone) backups
• flashing / installing custom ROMs and update.zip type files
• wiping / clearing various phone partitions, battery stats
• fix permissions

Q: how do you navigate the menus in ClockworkMod for the GNex?

A: navigation tips:

- use the volume key / rocker to navigate
- use the power button to select an entry

Q: can I flash the stock recovery back if I no longer want a custom recovery?

A: Yes, for the VZE LTE GNex, you can flash this stock recovery image

(I'll dig-up a link for the GSM stock recovery image and post it here, too)

Q: do you have to install a custom recovery to become rooted?

A: no, but you can root via custom recovery (see above and in the first post above)

Q: how do you put your phone in fastboot / bootloader mode?

A: from a powered-off state, press (and hold!) volume-UP and volume-DOWN and power (keep holding all three until you see the little green Android laying down with his chest plate open)

Q: how do I get into recovery (custom or stock)?

A: three ways (so far):

• use the (free) Market app Quick Boot (Reboot) and select "Bootloader"
  
  
• put your phone in fastboot / bootloader mode (see above) and use the volume keys to toggle the mode (displayed at the top of the screen) to "Recovery" and select that mode by pressing the power button
  
  
• via an adb reboot recovery command
  

 

[EddyOS]

Paul O'Brien's method just has a Windows batch file to do it all for you - it's a lot easier

 

[scary alien]

Paul O'Brien's method just has a Windows batch file to do it all for you - it's a lot easier

Yes, that's the third option above (Superboot).

Some Windows folks might get a little tripped-up if they haven't yet unlocked their bootloaders with fastboot, though (i.e., requiring installing the Samsung USB drivers and getting fastboot installed).

I'm also going to be updating the first (or second) post with how to root by unlocking the bootloader, installing a custom recovery, and flashing an su.zip type file.

Cheers!

 

[EddyOS]

To be honest, if they don't know how to setup adb/fastboot then they shouldn't really be trying to unlock their phone!

 

[Gyannea]

When you say that 'fastboot devices' will completely wipe your phone does that mean the entire operating system or JUST the applications and setups that I have personally installed and any data that is due to my actions? In otherwords, am I back to a 'fresh' operating system or do i have to re-install the operating system?

 

[scary alien]

When you say that 'fastboot devices' will completely wipe your phone does that mean the entire operating system or JUST the applications and setups that I have personally installed and any data that is due to my actions? In otherwords, am I back to a 'fresh' operating system or do i have to re-install the operating system?

Oh, apologies here, Gyannea! Definitely my bad and a mistake in where that warning ended-up.

A "fastboot devices" will NOT wipe the device... I added that section after I put the warning about the "fastboot oem unlock" (which WILL wipe your device) and failed to move the warning to the proper place (which I have now down, by the way).

So, just to be clear, the "fastboot devices" is simply to ensure that the fastboot utility can see / communicate with your device.

The "fastboot oem unlock" command will actually wipe the device (I'm guessing that its similar to a factory reset).

You won't have to reinstall the operating system, but I'm pretty sure you'll lose your "setup" (apps and data settings, etc.). This is why you normally do this right after you get your device and before you've done any setup that you would have to re-do as a result of unlocking the bootloader.

Does that make sense?

Sorry again for the misunderstanding .

Cheers!

 

[Gyannea]

Okay, thanks. It does. I already did a fastboot oem unlock and I did lose a trivial amount of stuff (one app that I am developing anyways). My real goal is to install hcidump on the phone because the new HDP Bluetooth implementation appears to be having issues at the connection level.
However, when I try push, remount, mount, etc. I get a 'not allowed. If I do an 'su' in the adb shell I get that the command doesn.t exist. I've been sweating with USB drivers and unlocking since yesterday evening ALL to put hcidump in system/xbin!!

 

[scary alien]

Okay, thanks. It does. I already did a fastboot oem unlock and I did lose a trivial amount of stuff (one app that I am developing anyways). My real goal is to install hcidump on the phone because the new HDP Bluetooth implementation appears to be having issues at the connection level.
However, when I try push, remount, mount, etc. I get a 'not allowed. If I do an 'su' in the adb shell I get that the command doesn.t exist. I've been sweating with USB drivers and unlocking since yesterday evening ALL to put hcidump in system/xbin!!

Are you are looking at / using the first, manual method above?

Did you do the "adb root" before the "adb remount"?

Also, after you do the soft-boot (step K) of the unsecured boot image, it only "lasts" for one reboot cycle...i.e., for the purpose of the manual method, its just booting the unsecured boot image so that you'll be able to do the adb commands shown in step N to insert the root binaries (su and Superuser.apk).

You could insert your hcidump binary at the same time / place that you are doing the su/Superuser.apk files--you'll just need to make sure you've done the soft-boot right before trying to connect with adb to push the files.

Does that make sense?

Hope that helps!

Cheers!

 

[Gyannea]

I'm going to do the manual method. This sequence (from the read me file in the boot image and su package you referred to):

fastboot boot boot.img:

the device will reboot and start in unsafe mode where you can enable adb as root usually on production devices this is not possible.
Be sure to enable adb debugging on menu.
Back to command prompt and then

adb root

adb remount

adb push su /system/bin

adb push Superuser.apk /system/app

adb shell chmod 06755 /system/bin/su
adb shell chmod 06755 /system/app/Superuser.apk

my additions:

adb push hcidump /system/xbin
adb push hciconfig /system/xbin
etc.

adb reboot

Just to add to this story was the frustration I was having was finding all the necessary USB drivers to run both adb and fastboot for this phone. On this model, GT-19250, fastboot will not run without a second special driver (the adb driver is the Samsung_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones_v1_4_8_0.exe which seems to be well known). Took me forever to even find out that I needed a second driver for fastboot. If I am permitted (and learn how) I should upload these files to this site so someone else can be spared the agony.
My only concern is that this is a very new phone with ICS on it that I need in order to make an app that used the new HDP Bluetooth....which unfortunately seems to have some holes. I'm just not sure this older stuff wont be 'bricking' this device!

and to top it all off I am very new to Android!

 

[scary alien]

Yes, that sounds and looks right to me...I carefully cobbled-together the instructions from the XDA page that I referenced above and added some additional notes that I thought would help clarify things.

I wish I had my hands on my VZW Galaxy Nexus...

Are you an app dev? I've got a couple out there on the market...its a fun "hobby", LOL.

Good luck and let me know how it goes .

 

[Gyannea]

It was successful. After 24 hrs of searching for drivers and trying to figure out why things dont work, hcidump and friends are finally loaded on the phone and I have actually used them.

WHOW! How hard it can be to copy one small file.

 

[scary alien]

It was successful. After 24 hrs of searching for drivers and trying to figure out why things dont work, hcidump and friends are finally loaded on the phone and I have actually used them.

WHOW! How hard it can be to copy one small file.

Glad to hear!

I did a search for the Samsung_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones_v1_4_8_0.exe file you referenced and came up empty...can you link the download / reference place for us?

Cheers and thanks!

 

[teddyearp]

@scary, now I am a total n00b as far as this phone is concerned, but from what I have read about rooting the Nexus S, I am _thinking_ that step J _should_ be sufficient and will give the user a warning on the phone's screen about voiding their warranty and such and (maybe) step K _might_ not be needed since the bootloader is now unlocked?

Total speculation at this point, I doubt I will have one of these in my hands until next year because of finances . . . .

Just checking . . . . .

 

[scary alien]

@scary, now I am a total n00b as far as this phone is concerned, but from what I have read about rooting the Nexus S, I am _thinking_ that step J _should_ be sufficient and will give the user a warning on the phone's screen about voiding their warranty and such and (maybe) step K _might_ not be needed since the bootloader is now unlocked?

Total speculation at this point, I doubt I will have one of these in my hands until next year because of finances . . . .

Just checking . . . . .

teddyearp,

Well, the bootloader comes locked and you still have to manually unlock it with the "fastboot oem unlock" command. So, the phone is locked but is unlockable.

Does that make sense?

Cheers!

 

[teddyearp]

teddyearp,

Well, the bootloader comes locked and you still have to manually unlock it with the "fastboot oem unlock" command. So, the phone is locked but is unlockable.

Does that make sense?

Cheers!

Oh yes, it makes perfect sense, I'm not quite that much of a noob. I was speculating that all we need to do is fastboot oem unlock and then go right to the moving and chmod of the su binary and Superuser.apk without the boot.img step.

 

[scary alien]

Oh yes, it makes perfect sense, I'm not quite that much of a noob. I was speculating that all we need to do is fastboot oem unlock and then go right to the moving and chmod of the su binary and Superuser.apk without the boot.img step.

Ah, yes...I understand you now--that's kind of what I thought before I started digging around and that's why I started this thread: so that I would be prepared with what I needed to know and figured I'd share it with you guys.

I'm guessing that the unsecured boot.img that we have to soft-boot is somewhat akin to having S-OFF on HTC devices and allows you to remount the other partitions as read/write.

This is all new to me, too...wish I had a device in-hand so I could post screenshots, etc. ...soon....soon .

Cheers!

 

[Penguissimo]

Thanks for the great guide, mate! Just one question&#8212;is it possible to relock the bootloader and leave no trace of it having ever been unlocked? I know that unlocking the Nexus One left a permanent mark, but I've read that the NS could be relocked...do you know which is true of the GN?

 

[scary alien]

Thanks for the great guide, mate! Just one question

 

[teddyearp]

I just want to point out a couple more things, if I may. First, I would be wary of using any file that is designed for the GSM version of this phone, i.e. the CWRecovery. In my past experience with other phones there can be just enough differences to make a disaster sometimes occur.

Second, there are a couple of typos here and there. In the OP, in one of the 'code' sections you left out one of the 'r's in Superuser.apk, so those who do come along and just copy/paste those commands will have trouble. Also, in Gyannea's post above where the text was copied from the 'readme.txt' file in the manual .zip file, we are told to adb push su to /system/bin and Superuser.apk to /system/app, but then the chmod 0755 is missing the full path (so I added it in red):

chmod 0755 /system[B][COLOR=red]/bin[/COLOR][/B]/su
chmod 0755 /system[B][COLOR=red]/app[/COLOR][/B]/Superuser.apk

I know this is fixed in the OP, but it's the little things like that that usually trip people up. Plus with the A855 we used to 'mkdir /system/xbin' and put the su and busybox binaries in there, just for kicks.

And speaking of busybox, I think it would be good if we, as this thread matures, include installing that right in the same 'breath', shall we say, as rooting. The following is somewhat shortened, but after pushing su, busybox, and Superuser.apk, we could then just drop to adb shell in one command, do the other chmod commands listed above without 'adb shell' at the beginning and then add this:

cd /system/xbin (or cd /system/bin)
chmod 0755 busybox
busybox --install .

I know I'm going on too much, but with the A855 we used 'chmod 6755' for su, don't know if this makes that big a difference and finally, in the 'resources' file in the OP, the fastboot file for windows is named pretty much that, "fastboot-windows.exe" so if we issue the command, "fastboot oem unlock" our windows machines will give a "file (or command) not found" error.

OK, I'm done with my dribble, I hope this isn't taken that I am stepping on anyone's toes.

Thanks

 

[scary alien]

teddyearp,

Hey, great feedback--I appreciate it a lot and appreciate the careful reading.

I fixed the mis-spelling of the Superuser.apk that you pointed-out (thanks!).

I can't (am not allowed) to fix other folk's posts without their permission, so hopefully, Gyannea will see this and make the edits that you mentioned.

Yes, I agree with you that pushing a busybox at the same time as root would be good. I'll find a good, public download link and publish that in the above (hopefully tomorrow)--if you've got one handy, let me know .

Re. the fastboot-windows.exe thing, I've had a fastboot.exe hanging-around my desktop and laptop for quite a while and have only recently been seeing references to both versions. Many are making references like "use fastboot (or fastboot-windows.exe as appropriate)", so I'll edit my stuff above to reference things the same way.

I've also got something cooking to make installing / using fastboot and adb a little easier...should have something additional to update the first posts by tomorrow.

Also, as you might have noticed, I'm gathering notes for publishing information about installing and using custom recovery in the second post.

Its a work in-progress (both post one and two) and I very much appreciate your attention to this detail and your feedback! Thank you!

Cheers!

 

[VoidedSaint]

*stickied*

 

[scary alien]

*stickied*

LOL, took you long enough!

Thought it would be bad-form to sticky my own thread this early (at least until I actually got the flipping phone, eh?).

Thanks!

 

[teddyearp]

scary alien, thanks. And to VoidedSaint, thanks. It's late for me, but I think I have everything we need to put together a great root/busybox guide (I found the best stuff in the "GNexus-root-package-FYA" file in the OP). Oh yeah, as far as a good public download link, look no further than my sig (well, until that computer decides to go down~every 3-5yrs or 6-8months, depends).

More tomorrow morning or at the latest tomorrow eve.

 

[teddyearp]

Well, I took the above file, extracted it, took out the driver package (some people will already have them) and then put in busybox. Direct link:

http://ted.servepics.com/gnex/GNexus-root-busybox-package-nodriver.zip

It's in my i515 folder below, but please go ahead and put it in a dropbox as well since my server can get cranky sometimes.

Ooops, edited my sig and now its gone. . . .

and now it's back . . . lol