Root Questions about root, unlocking, and cab from new spectrum owner.

[android55555]

I am about to buy a used spectrum and I am researching a lot for this phone. I currently have a droid bionic, so I know a lot about Motorola devices and what you can and can't do( in terms of rooting and hacking). I know nothing about LG devices. The first thing I want to do when I get the phone is to root, unlock the boot loader, and install a custom recovery. I looked online but only found these methods for software version v7. My question is if the rooting and unlocking of boot loader method for v7 work for v8? Can you also provide links if you can to where, how, or the instructions to do so.
Also, while reading through the forums, I saw the term "cab" a couple of times. People use that term when they need to restore your phone to stock or something like that(again, I'm new to LG phones). It is similar to the term "fxz" for Motorola phones. If I want to restore my soon to have LG spectrum, do I need to be rooted or have unlocked boot loader with a custom recovery to do so? With Motorola phones, I don't need to be rooted to fxz my phone back to stock. Links would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much!

 

[Uzephi]

First: Welcome to the spectrum section of this lovely forum!

I know what you mean about not knowing the terminology. I came from my HTC Inc back in December. And had a Moto Droid X2 before that. We use the term cab as that is the name of the stock flash file (kinda like Motorola's sbf file). You use a terminal type tool instead of UI tool like RSD lite for flashing back to stock.

Unlike Motorola's, our Spectrum does get it's boot loader unlocked (when you unlock it, CWM will overwrite the stock recovery. I know my X2 still had stock recovery in It's partition when we "hacked" cwm to work for it). This means custom ROMs will overwrite the system partition with the new ROM. Kernel, APNs, etc will be overwritten when flashing a new ROM. We can even flash other basebands. Be very careful of what you flash on this phone because of the things you are able to flash with it. You flash a baseband that had been corrupted from downloading can hard brick your phone. Same with a bad kernel or rom download. While this is a rare scenario, it could still happen.

Just follow the directions of the OP in that ROM/baseband/kernel/etc thread and you will be okay.

 

[android55555]

First: Welcome to the spectrum section of this lovely forum!

I know what you mean about not knowing the terminology. I came from my HTC Inc back in December. And had a Moto Droid X2 before that. We use the term cab as that is the name of the stock flash file (kinda like Motorola's sbf file). You use a terminal type tool instead of UI tool like RSD lite for flashing back to stock.

Unlike Motorola's, our Spectrum does get it's boot loader unlocked (when you unlock it, CWM will overwrite the stock recovery. I know my X2 still had stock recovery in It's partition when we "hacked" cwm to work for it). This means custom ROMs will overwrite the system partition with the new ROM. Kernel, APNs, etc will be overwritten when flashing a new ROM. We can even flash other basebands. Be very careful of what you flash on this phone because of the things you are able to flash with it. You flash a baseband that had been corrupted from downloading can hard brick your phone. Same with a bad kernel or rom download. While this is a rare scenario, it could still happen.

Just follow the directions of the OP in that ROM/baseband/kernel/etc thread and you will be okay.

Thank you very much for the info! Unlike the Motorola phones which have locked boot loaders, does this mean you can use cab files to downgrade android version ( like from 4.0.4 to 2.3.6)? Also, do you have to have certain things on your phone to use cab files (like do you have to be rooted to use them or can you use them anytime you like)?

 

[admn81]

Thank you very much for the info! Unlike the Motorola phones which have locked boot loaders, does this mean you can use cab files to downgrade android version ( like from 4.0.4 to 2.3.6)? Also, do you have to have certain things on your phone to use cab files (like do you have to be rooted to use them or can you use them anytime you like)?

Yes you can downgrade software versions...you will need the correct drivers installed, but there should be a link for them.

 

[android55555]

Yes you can downgrade software versions...you will need the correct drivers installed, but there should be a link for them.

I figure it works exactly like an sbf file and you will loss root permissions right? Sorry for all these stupid basic questions.

 

[reeseboy]

Yes, you will lose root. Cab flash is essentially a factory restore - it formats everything (except your sd card) and reloads the factory setup of the cab version you're using.

And questions are great! Its how we learn what to do

 

[MrB206]

I figure it works exactly like an sbf file and you will loss root permissions right? Sorry for all these stupid basic questions.

Just like sbf on a moto, except we use a hacked LG tool to restore, whereas the sbf tool is freely offed by Motorola. It's a bit more involved than flashing a moto, but the same process as sbf... So if you've sbf'd, you can cab an LG device.

 

[android55555]

I get my new used spectrum on Thursday or Friday. Any thing I need to do or know about before I root and unlock boot loader on the weekend? I'm a noob at LG phones so anything, even the smallest or most basic advice, is greatly appreciated. Thank you guys for even bothering to help me!

 

[Neph81]

If you're running Win8, you'll need Koush's Universal ADB driver to root the device. Other then that, this thing is rock solid and easy to use/modify.

 

[android55555]

I read somewhere that I'm going to need the lg USB drivers. Where do I get them. I can't find it in the forums, or I'm looking in the wrong place.

 

[Uzephi]

I read somewhere that I'm going to need the lg USB drivers. Where do I get them. I can't find it in the forums, or I'm looking in the wrong place.

LG's site has it in the "support" area. Took me a bit to find them also. The official ones worked for me on win 7

 

[megaghostgamer]

As far as going back to gingerbread I don't believe you can. Last time I tried flashing the cab it errored. I've redownloaded and all. I don't know if they stopped support for it or what, I now own a Droid and I haven't had to use SBF yet. On a side note , somewhat this week I'm going to try to get Miui 4.2.2 ported to y'all.

 

[android55555]

As far as going back to gingerbread I don't believe you can. Last time I tried flashing the cab it errored. I've redownloaded and all. I don't know if they stopped support for it or what, I now own a Droid and I haven't had to use SBF yet. On a side note , somewhat this week I'm going to try to get Miui 4.2.2 ported to y'all.

That's nice to here! The spectrum seems to have more development than my droid bionic :/...

 

[megaghostgamer]

Chat with me more about the Rom at Codyrockz@gmail.com , but I can't see how the bionic doesn't have more development. I mean y'all have hashcode support and many cm10.1 Based Roms , LiquidSmooth , Avatar , PacMan. Y'all do support official Jelly Bean which is an up from the Spectrum.

 

[android55555]

I just read online that the lg spectrum has gsm radios. Does that mean I could use the phone in different countries? I'm traveling to the Philippines in a month and I would love to be able to make phone calls there.

 

[Uzephi]

I just read online that the lg spectrum has gsm radios. Does that mean I could use the phone in different countries? I'm traveling to the Philippines in a month and I would love to be able to make phone calls there.

I wish. All we have is CDMA radio and the LTE 700mhz sim slot.

If we had a GSM radio, we would have a second sim slot, no?

 

[android55555]

I wish. All we have is CDMA radio and the LTE 700mhz sim slot.

If we had a GSM radio, we would have a second sim slot, no?

Crap, I forgot the spectrum takes a regular sized sim, and I'm pretty sure it has gsm radios. The droid RAZR and droid 4 had locked gsm radios when they were released. Verizon unlocked the gsm radios in them with the ICS update. If the spectrum had a micro sim card (or had another sim slot), Verizon probably would also have unlocked the gsm radios with a software update. The verizon 4glte regular sim is different in size compared to the regular sim cards of gsm phones (for example, at&t straight talk sims are bigger), so that's probably why they didn't unlock ours. The size of a micro sim card is the same world wide. That's why the current 4glte smartphones that are world phones take micro sim cards, except iPhones.
I don't know if what I said is correct. I remember reading it in a forum when I researched if the droid bionic was a world phone back in 2011.

 

[android55555]

Wow... I just read online the lg spectrum has only 4 GB of internal storage. How much space does it leave for me to install apps?

 

[megaghostgamer]

Around 1.7GB lol. That's a big downgrade from your 16GB, and you'll only be able to install 1 Rom at a time with CWM.

 

[reeseboy]

It normally came with 4gb internal plus a 16gb SD card...

 

[megaghostgamer]

It normally came with 4gb internal plus a 16gb SD card...

He mean't apps but yeah 4GB. 1.7GB is apps.

 

[reeseboy]

Ahh okay. My bad... I should pay better attention while I read.

 

[megaghostgamer]

Ahh okay. My bad... I should pay better attention while I read.

You're fine, I just didn't want to get him confused on how much is used for apps.

 

[android55555]

Hey my droid bionic takes a regular sized sim. I can just transfer my sim card to the lg spectrum and it will be activated right?

 

[Uzephi]

If the sim fits, then yes