Root fears?

[divinebovine]

Mega quote!

About the warranties though, when I had jailbroken my iPhone 4 it bootlooped. I actually took it to the Apple Store and they replaced not asking any questions.. (It was rather obvious though since I had a custom boot screen, they didn't even seem to care at all)

Maybe I just got lucky.

It does seem to be a matter of luck. Some people get warranty coverage after rooting (or jailbreaking an iDevice or modding a car or whatever), some do not.

I've rooted several of my devices, but I have yet to root my Galaxy S4. My main reason is stability, after experiencing hundreds of roms on different devices; I've yet to find one that's completely stable. There's always an issue, whether it be random reboots or something small. It's just a matter of the added features outweighing the bugs.

I'll likely end up rooting soon, I just need to get bored with the stock rom first.

Rooting is useful without replacing the ROM. My Venture was the first one ever to be rooted (thanks to a developer here on AF), there were no ROMs, but I was just happy to be allowed to do what I want, no fences, no being treated like a child. I am the master of my devices, I don't like when they condescend.

Lol i took my toys apart to see how they work then couldnt put them back together

Me too. Every one of them. I liked playing with them, but I loved taking them apart and occasionally repurposing their parts, especially motors.

The process from deciding to root my phone to finish rooting it is non-trivial. I know a lot of people say it took them a few minutes. As a first time rooter, I searched for the proper process to root my phone. When I found the instructions, I found them to be non-trivial. It involved connecting my phone to my PC, downloading some files, copying them over, uncompressing them and then doing some unconventional booting of the phone. It took me around 15-20 minutes as a first timer as I was checking every step with the instructions I had.

Perhaps there are differing definitions of "trivial". To me, that description and amount of time is well within the limits of "trivial". I'd call it "non-trivial" when it's much more risky, when there's no good instructions, when it takes hours, when it requires a significant investment in tools, something like that.

I think for many people, rooting is not something that I feel they would see a lot of benefit for the effort and risk. Android phones can already do so much out of the box already. I'm sure there are many features I don't use or even know about. For me, it was just that one feature that I wanted that needed root. I didn't do anything more than install the Keyboard Manager app.

Agreed! While there are folks like me who root almost on principle alone, most have no reason to root; it's not a question of why not, it's a question of why. Most have never even heard of the concept of rooting and have never been driven to search Google for how to get a feature or fix a problem that needs root.

In my honest opinion I think everyone could benefit from Root just because there is no limitations. If its available why keep yourself from it?

What limitations? Keep yourself from what? If Joe Schmoe can read his email, go to web sites, take photos, call, text, and play Words With Friends and Candy Crush Saga, he's getting all he wants out of it. He has reached no limitations, is missing nothing he wants, and would rather watch the game on TV than spend any more time messing with more complicated technologies. Half the time he wishes he had a dumbphone so he wouldn't get those emails from work, too.

I really only use my phones for playing games. I basically don't text or check e-mail or do banking or pretty much anything else (even though I've installed apps for all those), because it's just too damned hard to read. I prefer doing all those things on my 17+" laptops, where I can actually see what I'm doing. On the rare occasions when I need to actually make a call, I do that, too, but that's about the extent to which I use smartphones. So there's just no need.

I too prefer using a traditional computer with a nice large screen, a mouse, and full-sized tactile keyboard.

If you're a user who is not hitting any of the non-root limitations, you're not getting any benefit for the effort. I was like that for about 2.5 years and on my second Android phone before I encountered a situation where rooting was actually necessary.

Word.

 

[Thatdad]

Divine I agree with most of what you said, especially the no fences part. Thats all I meant by that.

Limiting yourself as in not being able to get those neat (and useful) Root apps and sometimes even Roms, but I find a lot of people just like to Root and leave the stock rom on. At least you have these options with Root. But of course for the people who want just a normal phone then Root is definitely not something they would need or want at all.

Another limitation you take away when Rooting is complete battery and CPU control. Everybody wants a battery to last longer. Well when you tweak the CPU and undervolt (CAREFULLY) That can be achievable. Of course everyone has their own opinion on Rooting vs. Stock.

Its all about what benefits said user.

 

[chanchan05]

With great power comes great responsibility.

Rooting process may be easy, but the stuff that it allows you to do to your phone after is what scares some people. Flashing a wrong ROM can cause a brick. Deleting a wrong file can cause a brick. Overclock too muck and you fry your hardware.

Not everyone wants to have to do research and all that. Remember why Apple is so popular? Because it simply works out of the box. And many people actually want that ease.they don't want to have to go to some complicated forum and ask and read and stuff.

 

[funkylogik]

^^ very true that

 

[DragonSlayer95]

But

Many root guides and root disclaimers also state what to do and be careful of not doing once you become rooting. Including flashing roms that are designed for that particular device.

Difference between IOS and android? What you get from apple out of the box is what your stuck with.

Sure for a new android user can take time to get use to and have to poke around and figure it out. But once that's done and they figure out even without root it's very customizable, and if they decide to jump into rooting and learn the disclaimers. Customizing is nearly endless.

That was my reason for rooting some odd 2 years ago.

 

[funkylogik]

Yeah you can do amazing things to an unrooted android homescreen, youre only limited by your imagination... but then you start wantin to customise other stuff.. geeks like us do anyway

 

[Thatdad]

With great power comes great responsibility.

Rooting process may be easy, but the stuff that it allows you to do to your phone after is what scares some people. Flashing a wrong ROM can cause a brick. Deleting a wrong file can cause a brick. Overclock too muck and you fry your hardware.

Not everyone wants to have to do research and all that. Remember why Apple is so popular? Because it simply works out of the box. And many people actually want that ease.they don't want to have to go to some complicated forum and ask and read and stuff.

Can't argue with that. Now I'm no Dev or anything but I like my freedom (Rooting/Jailbreaking)

I'm a learner. I love to learn, absolutely love it. Especially devices.

Although ease of use is nice, I don't mess with System Files ever. Never needed to. But I would love to flash a nice Rom for my Premia. I like aesthetics of devices, but I wouldn't mind learning about scripts.

 

[Thatdad]

Yeah you can do amazing things to an unrooted android homescreen, youre only limited by your imagination... but then you start wantin to customise other stuff.. geeks like us do anyway

Yes! 100% Agree.

 

[jefboyardee]

There is a murky correlation between performing ones first root and losing ones virginity.

Even bricking and STDs equate to something bad as a result of doing something otherwise very good.

 

[Thatdad]

There is a murky correlation between performing ones first root and losing ones virginity.

Even bricking and STDs equate to something bad as a result of doing something otherwise very good.

I agree... Kind of. That is true. But to keep yourself from headaches and heartaches follow the Golden Rule: If you don't know what it is or what it does.. DO NOT TOUCH!

If you follow that it should be fine.

 

[funkylogik]

Lmao i love this forum

EDIT "golden rule, protect yer tool" :thumbup:

 

[badblue1]

I rooted my phone about 2years ago main purpose was "bloatware ".I don't know if anyone has owned a LG optimus phone, but it is known for its lack of internal space. I have never owned a computer, so i was a little hesitant in rooting because just a little over a year ago all of the unbrick guides involved using a computer. So i have done quite a bit of reading before i decided to root, which really paid off, but i still managed to brick my phone (cost me $40.00 dollars to unbrick). But now, at least in our all things root subforum, the Devs have come a long, long way in recoveries and roms, it's just amazing. I really don't need a computer to unbrick my phone anymore, with recoveries like zengarden and cot, i have gotten my self out of bootloops, and the dreaded blue fastboot screen! A year ago i would have a brick, but with the zengarden recovery, no problem.

Actually the LG Op V forum is getting kind of boring because the MiRaGe rom built by mrg666 is so stable, that there are no problems with it.

I have found that nowadays, at least in our root forum, the problems are coming from the lack of taking the time to read the guides and stickies.

No offense to new members, but if you want to root your phone, at least take the time to read the guides and stickies, that's why the Devs put them there, we went through all the problems and bricked and unbricked our phones so you don't have to.

I wish we had some of these guides when i first rooted, my life would have been a little less frustrating, these guides now are so noob friendly all you have to do is read and follow direction.

People want root : read, read, read then read it again, then ask questions. ;-)

 

[Thatdad]

I rooted my phone about 2years ago main purpose was "bloatware ".I don't know if anyone has owned a LG optimus phone, but it is known for its lack of internal space. I have never owned a computer, so i was a little hesitant in rooting because just a little over a year ago all of the unbrick guides involved using a computer. So i have done quite a bit of reading before i decided to root, which really paid off, but i still managed to brick my phone (cost me $40.00 dollars to unbrick). But now, at least in our all things root subforum, the Devs have come a long, long way in recoveries and roms, it's just amazing. I really don't need a computer to unbrick my phone anymore, with recoveries like zengarden and cot, i have gotten my self out of bootloops, and the dreaded blue fastboot screen! A year ago i would have a brick, but with the zengarden recovery, no problem.

Actually the LG Op V forum is getting kind of boring because the MiRaGe rom built by mrg666 is so stable, that there are no problems with it.

I have found that nowadays, at least in our root forum, the problems are coming from the lack of taking the time to read the guides and stickies.

No offense to new members, but if you want to root your phone, at least take the time to read the guides and stickies, that's why the Devs put them there, we went through all the problems and bricked and unbricked our phones so you don't have to.

I wish we had some of these guides when i first rooted, my life would have been a little less frustrating, these guides now are so noob friendly all you have to do is read and follow direction.

People want root : read, read, read then read it again, then ask questions. ;-)

Very well said. Oh and yes I did have the LG Optimus and the storage was atrocious lol.

Hopefully people who keep bricking their phones come across this thread and your post, because what you said is not said nearly enough at all. Thank you for your wisdom. Highly appreciated.

 

[Hadron]

I agree... Kind of. That is true. But to keep yourself from headaches and heartaches follow the Golden Rule: If you don't know what it is or what it does.. DO NOT TOUCH!

If you follow that it should be fine.

There's a second Golden Rule too: even if you think you do know what it does, take a nandroid before touching it.

Won't help if you really mess up (say corrupt the bootloader), but for mere ROM problems that's your get out of jail free card.

 

[nicka3200]

If you have a reason to root then do it. I rooted my HTC Desire 2 years ago to address storage issues & improve battery life. Rooting & a custom ROM achieved that for me. Because these were problems for many desire owners (& the phone was quite popular) there was lots of dev support.

I now have the HTC One X+ which doesn't have the same issues. Its not so popular so doesn't have any where near the same dev support. Rooting seems much more complicated than the desire. The reason I bought this phone was because it suited my needs. I see no compelling reason to root (yet).

 

[Stannis the Mannis]

I rooted my old Optimus One, tried to flash AOKP but forgot to flash gapps then ended up flashing CM9, then i flashed a stock ROM and everything worked ok but tried to flash a custom kernel and my phone bricked. I wasn't as patient as I should have been so I stuffed up. I won't root this phone yet because I don't want to take any chances, i'll probably root it once I get a new phone just to try and do it properly. Also rooting this phone seems to be more complicated than the Optimus One.

 

[divinebovine]

I agree... Kind of. That is true. But to keep yourself from headaches and heartaches follow the Golden Rule: If you don't know what it is or what it does.. DO NOT TOUCH!

If you follow that it should be fine.

If you follow that then you don't learn as much!

I rooted my phone about 2years ago main purpose was "bloatware ".I don't know if anyone has owned a LG optimus phone, but it is known for its lack of internal space.

I'm hoping to upgrade to an Optimus Slider. Imagine your Optimus with the screen cut in half, the bottom half replaced by an almost unusable physical qwerty, slightly less storage, worse battery life, and no aftermarket support (such as extended batteries)...and that'd be the Venture. PITY ME!

Well I knew what I was getting into with it, and for $27 it beats the hell out of the dumbphone it replaced.

But yeah, bloatware/lack of internal space was probably the biggest reason. Eliminated bloatware, started using link2sd, eventually folks started making ROMs, and now it's semi-tolerable at times. I hope to experiment with mounting a SD partition as /data, then there'd be zero need to mess with link2sd and never any issue of dalvik cache refilling on reboot and what not...

 

[Thatdad]

If you have a reason to root then do it. I rooted my HTC Desire 2 years ago to address storage issues & improve battery life. Rooting & a custom ROM achieved that for me. Because these were problems for many desire owners (& the phone was quite popular) there was lots of dev support.

I now have the HTC One X+ which doesn't have the same issues. Its not so popular so doesn't have any where near the same dev support. Rooting seems much more complicated than the desire. The reason I bought this phone was because it suited my needs. I see no compelling reason to root (yet).

It's definitely not a good idea to root if you don't have a good reason to. Yeah I think there comes times were if something is way to difficult just don't do it.

Or get a friend who knows how.

 

[jefboyardee]

There is a murky correlation between performing ones first root and losing ones virginity.

I think there comes times were if something is way to difficult just don't do it. Or get a friend who knows how.

That

 

[funkylogik]

That

 

[DirtyDee]

This seems slightly like a why'd you root thread so my input, My first phone was a metro pcs huawei M835, i had no need to root it plus never even heard of the term. I had it for about 5 months then I got my Admire, which was a huge step up for me.. at that point, my appetite was whet. I soon found out about rooting, but waaaaay to timid to try it. was going to do it honest I was but I downloaded the wrong drivers i went yeah not going to do this and chickened out. soon I got my motion, and wanted more from it so i joined u p here and took the plunge after that I somehow became a "Phone guy" (like the guy who fixes your computer for you see vid in link) all I did was read and every brick was fixable 5 Reasons The Guy Fixing Your Computer Hates You - YouTube

 

[divinebovine]

my appetite was whet.

I thanked your post because you used the correct word that most people would not use.

 

[DirtyDee]

I thanked your post because you used the correct word that most people would not use.

I used it right because I seen used like that (star wars knights of the old republic) of you can't tell writing in my only Langue isn't my strong suit, but speaking it is. I get quite a few "You talk like a white boy" statements from people

 

[Thatdad]

I used it right because I seen used like that (star wars knights of the old republic) of you can't tell writing in my only Langue isn't my strong suit, but speaking it is. I get quite a few "You talk like a white boy" statements from people

I've never seen it before Lol. Thank you I learned something new today.

Now for the rooting of your phone..
That's actually kind of funny. I use to never be good with computers, but after playing with them I somehow became the guy that could fix my friends computers.

But unfortunately I have only been able to fix Windows since my friends won't use Linux.. I would love to learn to fix a Linux machine though.

 

[DirtyDee]

I've never seen it before Lol. Thank you I learned something new today.

Now for the rooting of your phone..
That's actually kind of funny. I use to never be good with computers, but after playing with them I somehow became the guy that could fix my friends computers.

But unfortunately I have only been able to fix Windows since my friends won't use Linux.. I would love to learn to fix a Linux machine though.

the only thing stopping me from going full windows is the fact my Ubuntu won't install WIne always says I have a broken package.