Root [MetroPCS/CDMA] Solved: Rooting 4.1.2 Jellybean without installing CWM or TWRP, or a custom/modded ROM

[ktchong]

Instructions are here: CF-Auto-Root by Chainfire

It uses ODIN to flash SuperSU but keeps the stock recovery and does not install a custom recovery (CWM or TWRP). It keeps the ROM as close to the stock version as possible.

When selecting a CF-Auto-Root file from autoroot.chainfire.eu, select the SCH-R530U (US Cellular variant) to substitute for SCH-R530M (MetroPCS variant).

 

[ktchong]

^ updated title and post.

Old title: Is there a way to root 4.1.2 Jellybean without installing CWM or a custom recover?

 

[Shabbypenguin]

yes, find an exploit

 

[ktchong]

yes, find an exploit

So is there no way to use Odin to flash root without installing CWM?

And I'm not gonna ask if I can remove CWM after flashing the root because I know that thing is almost impossible to remove once it gets onto a system... it's almost like some sort of virus (in terms of how difficult it is to remove CWM.)

 

[Shabbypenguin]

So is there no way to use Odin to flash root without installing CWM?

And I'm not gonna ask if I can remove CWM after flashing the root because I know that thing is almost impossible to remove once it gets onto a system... it's almost like some sort of virus (in terms of how difficult it is to remove CWM.)

odin flashes partitions, if you make a rooted MB2 partition then you could flash that. or a rooted kernel, or recovery.

 

[ktchong]

odin flashes partitions, if you make a rooted MB2 partition then you could flash that. or a rooted kernel, or recovery.

I do not plan to flash custom ROM or kernel. That's why I really do not need CWM. I don't know anything about flashing partitions and don't really need to flash partitions.

The problem with CWM is that if a phone has CWM or another custom recovery, the phone may not be able to receive OTA updates from Samsung. Once CWM gets onto a system, it is almost impossible to remove it without rolling back or messing around with the firmware. I have no use for CWM because I do not flash custom ROM, and CWM will only cause problems for me down the road with OTA updates. So CWM offers no benefits and only potential headaches and hassles for me.


Here's my plan:

1. Use Odin to flash root into my phone BUT without installing the CWM (and possibly without the BusyBox; I have BusyBox Pro and don't want the two versions to conflict.) I really just want the root and SuperSU.

2. Use Triangle Away to immediately reset the flash counter.



Still looking for a way to Odin-flash root without installing CWM.

 

[Shabbypenguin]

I do not plan to flash custom ROM or kernel. That's why I really do not need CWM. I don't know anything about flashing partitions and don't really need to flash partitions.

The problem with CWM is that if a phone has CWM or another custom recovery, the phone may not be able to receive OTA updates from Samsung. Once CWM gets onto a system, it is almost impossible to remove it without rolling back or messing around with the firmware. I have no use for CWM because I do not flash custom ROM, and CWM will only cause problems for me down the road with OTA updates. So CWM offers no benefits and only potential headaches and hassles for me.


Here's my plan:

1. Use Odin to flash root into my phone BUT without installing the CWM (and possibly without the BusyBox; I have BusyBox Pro and don't want the two versions to conflict.) I really just want the root and SuperSU.

2. Use Triangle Away to immediately reset the flash counter.



Still looking for a way to Odin-flash root without installing CWM.

cool, lemme know how you figure that out

 

[airtioteclint]

So I seen a few of your posts, and you seem to be your worst enemy.

You say cmw is too much trouble to remove. (all you gotta do is flash stock recovery in odin)

You say you don't need cwm because it's looped on you in the past, and you don't flash roms. (it only bootlooped BECAUSE you flashed a rom) besides, that was an issue with LG, not Samsung...

 

[ktchong]

cool, lemme know how you figure that out

So is there a way to do that? I don't know much about Odin; have never used it myself. I've only been reading about it during the past couple days.

 

[ktchong]

You say you don't need cwm because it's looped on you in the past, and you don't flash roms. (it only bootlooped BECAUSE you flashed a rom) besides, that was an issue with LG, not Samsung...

I've never flashed a ROM before, and I don't plan to do so.

Actually, ROM Manager installed the CWM on my LG Esteem. After that, I'd never used either ROM Manager or CWM. (so it turned out to be a waste of money because I paid for the Premium version.) CWM popped up a few times during reboot and put me in bootloops for no reason, but I found fixes for bootloops.

The real hassles came when I wanted to resell the phone and wipe it clean. I did not even remember I had CWM on the phone until it went into a bootloop when I was uninstalling apps and rebooting the phone. That's when I found out there is no simple way to remove CWM. I had to roll back firmware to finally get it off my phone, and that's not an easy, simple or short process. CWM has offered no real benefit but only grief for me. That's why I do NOT want CWM on my phones again. Now that I've read reports of Samsung OTA updates would not work on a phone that has CWM, I have even more reasons to avoid it.

I do not understand why CWM does not have an option to uninstall/remove itself, or just make it easy for people to remove it. Especially now that some newer phones have flash counters and refuse to update OTA when CWM is present on a phone.

 

[Shabbypenguin]

So is there a way to do that? I don't know much about Odin; have never used it myself. I've only been reading about it during the past couple days.

as i explained, the only thing you are flashing in odin is full partitions, no matter which ones

 

[ktchong]

as i explained, the only thing you are flashing in odin is full partitions, no matter which ones

What exactly does it mean?

Odin flashes in the entire partition that (I assume) overrides and replaces the current partition... Isn't that like just wiping the partition and losing all data in the partition?

 

[Shabbypenguin]

What exactly does it mean?

Odin flashes in the entire partition that (I assume) overrides and replaces the current partition... Isn't that like just wiping the partition and losing all data in the partition?

correct. you can only gain root via the 3 partitions like i said

 

[ktchong]

urg... I think I'd just wait for the exploit then. How long does it usually take for someone to come up with a root method after a new OS version comes out?? I have a bunch of apps that stop working without root, (CallRecorder, Titanium Backup, etc.)

 

[Shabbypenguin]

however long it takes for you to find one.

 

[thatguy96]

urg... I think I'd just wait for the exploit then. How long does it usually take for someone to come up with a root method after a new OS version comes out?? I have a bunch of apps that stop working without root, (CallRecorder, Titanium Backup, etc.)

Bro bottomline: no exploit in near future if one method for rooting is near universal and works well

 

[ktchong]

Bro bottomline: no exploit in near future if one method for rooting is near universal and works well

There is where you are wrong. There have always been more than one rooting methods for each phone I've used and researched. A phone usually has two or three alternatives for rooting methods. Every Android phone with every OS version has at least one non-flash method for rooting, and you know that's how it is. The Odin flash method has been around for awhile, yet we had at least two other alternative rooting methods because, guess what, not everyone wants to "flash" some unknown partition or ROM into their phone, and not everyone wants to install Odin on their PCs.

 

[edgeez25]

There is where you are wrong. There have always been more than one rooting methods for each phone I've used and researched. A phone usually has two or three alternatives for rooting methods. Every Android phone with every OS version has at least one non-flash method for rooting, and you know that's how it is. The Odin flash method has been around for awhile, yet we had at least two other alternative rooting methods because, guess what, not everyone wants to "flash" some unknown partition or ROM into their phone, and not everyone wants to install Odin on their PCs.

What their trying to tell you is unless you become a developer or a new magic man appears this wont happen... The Shabby guy your talking to is the magic man here and I if he told you its not coming it most likely will not...


Im not sure if you have looked around but only place that people go in on the Metro S3 is here.. and really of your not gonna use it what does it matter if its there just pretend its not there..

Flash and does thisb three times and all will be good...


I HAVE STOCK RECOVERY I HAVE STOCK RECOVERY I HAVE STOCK RECOVERY AND WALA....

 

[ktchong]

CWM will cause issues with future OTA updates and increment the flash counter every time you reboot the phone. All those guys just keep pushing people to install CWM on their phones without disclosing the very serious pitfall, i.e., won't be able to apply OTA update in the future.

Anyway, as I've said, there are always multiple methods to root a phone. I found CF-Auto-Root by Chainfire thatflashes SuperSU without installing CWM or any custom recovery via ODIN, (as updated in my first post in this thread.) So that is the method I'm gonna use. I just need to find out which CF-Auto-Root version is compatible with the MetroPCS variant of Samsung Galaxy S3.

 

[nuttmeg]

Bottom line is Odin is the way to go and besides odin is your only way. And also if you delete something you not suppose to or freeze an app or whatever and get stuck in boot loops, how are you going to fix it?

Oh and you know some metro stores have a root checker system they use to see if your phone has been rooted and once it finds it, it automatic flags your phone in their system and voids your warranty and that came from my 1 of my source who owns a couple of stores. And just by deleting SU app, it will still leave files behind and your binaries still have root files left behind unless you know what to delete from there.

 

[Shabbypenguin]

maybe you could message him and get him to add support for our device? i hear he is real quick on the turn around for device requests.

it seems you have this whole android thing figured out and dont need me to post in here any further, ill stop spamming this thread with my silly information.

 

[ktchong]

I already sent an inquiry to Chainfire. I suspect the CF-Auto-Root repository already has a variant that works with SCH-530M. I just do not know which one. I need to re-root my phone ASAP. I just absolutely do not want CWM on my phone.

 

[confed]

I already sent an inquiry to Chainfire. I suspect the CF-Auto-Root repository already has a variant that works with SCH-530M. I just do not know which one. I need to re-root my phone ASAP. I just absolutely do not want CWM on my phone.

Use Odin to install cwm and root then use Odin to put the stock recovery back. I don't understand the long drawn out questioning going on here. Damn.

 

[ktchong]

Use Odin to install cwm and root then use Odin to put the stock recovery back. I don't understand the long drawn out questioning going on here. Damn.

I do not even want to install CWM onto my phone in the first place. Not even for a little while. Don't know what kind of hassle I'll have to go through to remove CWM if I install it again... Urgh... Hell no.

 

[n4zty]

what you can do is just install mobile odin pro and take that update.zip from cache/fota and open it in mobile odin pro as ota/update zip and preserve your root as you update in result u have a stock rooted rom with not custom recovery. or you can also download metropolis 1.1.0 and open it in mobile odin lite which is free somewhere and since shabby already added susper u to it u have nothing to do cept open and flash. seems you want root on your rom but dont want recovery for any reason not sure what to say to that... makes no sense recovery does not mess with your experience that u have with your at all i mean unless u dont download into recovery mode u wont even know that its there. anyways replacing recovery is the number one easiest thing to do on your phone and like i said if u want stock samsung recovery just flash the update.zip and that should put it back on your phone.