Root Motorola Does it Again! :(

[PerCompLLC]

It probably won't matter as most of us have already downloaded the SBF, and the devs will undoubtedly get their collective hands on the official Froyo release and re-release it without the bloat, but this was posted on Engadget yesterday evening:

Motorola says leaked Droid X Android 2.2 build won't be updated to the official release -- Engadget

I love Motorola's hardware, but it sucks that they want to lock down open source software. They are a HARDWARE company, not a software company...

 

[phobic]

Wow. They personally make the best Android hardware but I don't think I can support them much longer. I understand they want to protect their IP and devices or whatever but no other company has done anything remotely close to what they are doing.

 

[Scooter70]

It's not open source software. As soon as Motorola/Verizon/HTC/Sprint/Whoever puts their own modifications in, it becomes their own intellectual property. As such, they are allowed to distribute or protect it as they see fit.

With the tools and ROMs that we already have at our disposal, we have enough to either flash back to stock 2.1 and get the official update OR stay on the dark side and continue using developed ROMs from the likes of Pete, Birdman, Chevy, et al. Personally, I'm willing to stay on the dark side. Hopefully these guys will find a way to compile ROMs from source sooner or later so that we never have to worry about Motorola/Verizon releasing software ever again.

 

[PerCompLLC]

It's not open source software. As soon as Motorola/Verizon/HTC/Sprint/Whoever puts their own modifications in, it becomes their own intellectual property. As such, they are allowed to distribute or protect it as they see fit.

Yes I am aware of that... The point is that the Android OS is indeed open source. Since Motorola is a HARDWARE company, they shouldn't be f'ing it up with their own crappy overlay and bloat... I understand that they can (and they obviously do), but in my very humble opinion, they shouldn't.

I'm just venting. Please don't clutter up the thread with actual facts!

With the tools and ROMs that we already have at our disposal, we have enough to either flash back to stock 2.1 and get the official update OR stay on the dark side and continue using developed ROMs from the likes of Pete, Birdman, Chevy, et al. Personally, I'm willing to stay on the dark side. Hopefully these guys will find a way to compile ROMs from source sooner or later so that we never have to worry about Motorola/Verizon releasing software ever again.

I AGREE 100%!!!

 

[Retrokid223]

i have a feeling there going to try to completely lock down the droid x on the upcoming 2.2 upgrade which will make a custom recovery useless. if they do im selling my X and moving to HTC

 

[phobic]

i have a feeling there going to try to completely lock down the droid x on the upcoming 2.2 upgrade which will make a custom recovery useless. if they do im selling my X and moving to HTC

Yeah this crossed my mind as well. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see them plug up some holes 2.1 has currently. It's always a cat & mouse game with hackers vs the companies but not even Apple has done anything like this with the iPhone, though they easily could.

 

[Travisimo]

Remember, people, that the X was supposedly locked down from the start. Then we got root. Then we got leaked 2.2. Now we're getting the first taste of custom roms.

Most likely they will be trying their best to plug holes from 2.1. That said, new holes will always open up and there will almost certainly be ways to root the official 2.2.

If not, just don't update! Start using custom builds and wait for Gingerbread. At that point, there will probably be another hole to upgrade.

 

[PerCompLLC]

Remember, people, that the X was supposedly locked down from the start. Then we got root. Then we got leaked 2.2. Now we're getting the first taste of custom roms.

Most likely they will be trying their best to plug holes from 2.1. That said, new holes will always open up and there will almost certainly be ways to root the official 2.2.

If not, just don't update! Start using custom builds and wait for Gingerbread. At that point, there will probably be another hole to upgrade.

+1

 

[Zumi]

So for those of us that are rooted with 2.1, will we still get the OTA to 2.2 and still be rooted?


Or should we watch for the upgrade and not allow it just yet? I'd hate to lose root!

 

[irishpride]

I have zero intention of flashing the OTA when it does show up. My phone is rooted, deodexed, and has some of the bloat removed and it's running near perfect, much better than when it was stock. Like Scooter said, once the OTA comes out, there will be custom ROMs based on it following shortly after.

So, Motorola, you can keep your OTA, the Android dev community has been putting together custom ROMs far better than anything you've put out since the beginning.

 

[OMJ]

I think I am one of the few but I dont have a problem with this. The updates that get pushed OTA are generally specifically made to go from one build to another. I am not surprised in the least that Motorola is not going out of there way to make and push an OTA for a build that they did not officially release or approve of.

Despite the fact that HTC did help out Evo users on Leaked builds in the past they didnt do much for Eris users that got the Leaked 2.1. Im not sure if they ever did help those guys out or not but I think this is one of the things that goes along with installing a leak.

And for all the rooted users it really makes no difference because an OTA will take away root and probably close the most recent exploit to gain root. And everyone wants to keep root right. (You can always sbf back to 2.1 and root again but thats a pain and kinda defeats the purpose of accepting the OTA)

 

[Retrokid223]

I have zero intention of flashing the OTA when it does show up. My phone is rooted, deodexed, and has some of the bloat removed and it's running near perfect, much better than when it was stock. Like Scooter said, once the OTA comes out, there will be custom ROMs based on it following shortly after.

So, Motorola, you can keep your OTA, the Android dev community has been putting together custom ROMs far better than anything you've put out since the beginning.

I think I am one of the few but I dont have a problem with this. The updates that get pushed OTA are generally specifically made to go from one build to another. I am not surprised in the least that Motorola is not going out of there way to make and push an OTA for a build that they did not officially release or approve of.

Despite the fact that HTC did help out Evo users on Leaked builds in the past they didnt do much for Eris users that got the Leaked 2.1. Im not sure if they ever did help those guys out or not but I think this is one of the things that goes along with installing a leak.

And for all the rooted users it really makes no difference because an OTA will take away root and probably close the most recent exploit to gain root. And everyone wants to keep root right. (You can always sbf back to 2.1 and root again but thats a pain and kinda defeats the purpose of accepting the OTA)

these two post made me love my phone much more i dont want to give it up i love it

 

[TheXFactor]

Motorola is a hardware company. The fact that they now seem to be in the software business is quite troubling. In fact, besides the economy, blur is the 2nd biggest issue we have. LOL.

The D1 took them from the brink of extinction to a player again. Now they are ****ing with what made them successful.

Motorola is now the phone nazi of the world. Too bad. Awesome hardware, everything, not so much.

 

[PerCompLLC]

As I said in the OP (at least I meant to), Motorola has created one of the best pieces of cell phone hardware I have ever had the pleasure of owning. It is awesome what has been done through the rooting process! Long live the Devs that have made it possible!

 

[yawdapaah]

Motorola is a hardware company. The fact that they now seem to be in the software business is quite troubling. In fact, besides the economy, blur is the 2nd biggest issue we have. LOL.

The D1 took them from the brink of extinction to a player again. Now they are ****ing with what made them successful.

Motorola is now the phone nazi of the Android world. Too bad. Awesome hardware, everything, not so much.

There, I fixed it for you.

 

[sic0048]

Why do people even care about this. If anything, it should be beneficial to those people already on the leaked 2.2 release. They don't have to worry about getting a forced upgrade that might make them loose root, etc.

If it turns out the official 2.2 release is a major improvement over the leaked version, all we have to do is go back to 2.1 using the sbf file and load up the official 2.2 release. I've gone back and forth about a half dozen times already due to various reasons and it is super simple to do.

I don't know why everyone is bitching about Motorola. If the forced the upgrade on those on the leaked version everyone would be bitching about that too. I'd rather be in control of my own destiny which is the way it is going to happen now.

 

[HalfFrozen]

Unless there is something that they release that comes with the Official 2.2 that I cannot live with out, I could care less.

F**k you Motorola, bunch'a sore losers.

 

[WalmartSecurity]

NBD.

Birdman > Motorola. Always has been, always will be.

 

[BuTbKa]

+1 on that

Why do people even care about this. If anything, it should be beneficial to those people already on the leaked 2.2 release. They don't have to worry about getting a forced upgrade that might make them loose root, etc.

If it turns out the official 2.2 release is a major improvement over the leaked version, all we have to do is go back to 2.1 using the sbf file and load up the official 2.2 release. I've gone back and forth about a half dozen times already due to various reasons and it is super simple to do.

I don't know why everyone is bitching about Motorola. If the forced the upgrade on those on the leaked version everyone would be bitching about that too. I'd rather be in control of my own destiny which is the way it is going to happen now.

 

[izomiac]

Although it's a quibble, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that the Droid X runs ~20% proprietary software, and ~80% GPLv2 software. Adding a proprietary bit to a Linux distro doesn't mean you can claim ownership of the whole thing. You can choose not to distribute, but if you do distribute there are rules you must follow.

The way I see it, Motorola will fall somewhere in this list:

• Nice: Provides an optional update to the leaked 2.2 that doesn't brick (even with modifications) and preserves root.
• Indifferent: Provides an update that doesn't target the leaked 2.2, so no OTA forced upgrade.
• Mean: Indiscriminately attempt to update the leaked 2.2 to an unrooted 2.2, which might cause bricks.
• Evil: Indiscriminately attempt to update the leaked 2.2, but the update always causes bricks. Blame the leak for the problems, DMCA takedown the recovery files, and refuse to reflash if a customer brings in an affected phone. Officially announce that the only solution is to buy a new phone.