Why Do We Root? (Then vs. Now)

[MichelleCooper]

Cooooooooool

 

[Texas501]

Minminguard Xposed Module blocks ads like nobody's business. Need to be rooted to do so. I love it.

 

[EarlyMon]

Whole lotta owners of the turbo encabulator up in here - I'll declare Slug lmao. Along with whomever invented the meme using the word, borked.

As to the OP question in the subject - why do we root, then vs now, I'll answer. As for the litany suggested by CS, that's not happening, your lifetime is too short lmao.

Here's the great thing about operating system designers / vendors and system app providers / vendors (you will see what I did there) - they help us.

Here's what they suck at - they help us.

And the only answer for the wrong help at that level - admin access and control, aka root in Android - from the Linux, where root is the name of the admin account and a description of read-write access to the root of the operating system.

First, why not root.

If your your admins - the phone makers and carriers - are doing it right, don't interfere - if it ain't broken, don't fix it.

Second, why root.

Your admins - the phone makers and carriers - never get it right. You're likely to buy to buy a coffee for a scruffy nerf-herder on a dark and stormy night and discover that he designed your phone's key features and have an epiphany - the first of which is that you've ignored scruffy nerf-herders all your life so what else have you borked thinking that you were doing the right thing? The second one of which is that if you root, you'll be redeemed. And fortunately, you will.

First and I am not making this up - install a proper firewall.

Check out "Android Firewall"

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jtschohl.androidfirewall

In the time that it would take you to first agree because it sounds like common sense and then decide to Google just to make sure, you could be done with setting it up. If in doubt, include my handle in your search. I don't pretend nor suggest that you'll be impressed - just that you'll do it so you don't have to read more.

Next as stated above - a proper ad blocker. Like others, I recommend Ad Away.

Yeeser beeser, yippee yi yo kay A, and whoop calay, lookie the gone ads - yeah. No. When the shine is off the perma-silver on the plastic what you really avoided is all the malware you wouldn't have otherwise. Avoid malware fer crying out loud! Lol

Why that instead of a non-root solution? Because bingo.debobbie.bop.com is not how the internet finds things - it's by a name look up - and a good root name blocker short-circuits the name lookup before damage happens.

Next - deep backup and restore - only possible with root.

Those are immutable reasons enough.

Icing on the cake is all else - removing the effects of bloatware and fancy installs.

Regardless of your device, the first rule of rooting is to read, read, read and read some more.

If you're ready - take control. It's your device.

 

[Palmetto Fellow]

Regardless of your device, the first rule of rooting is to read, read, read and read some more.

I can't emphasize this enough.

I consider myself to be rather technically savvy, but I have little experience or know-how with this sort of thing. Terms like Baseband, Radio (not the hardware, the software part), Recovery, NAND, so on and so forth...they don't come naturally to me. I've learned a lot, but I still have to read things several times to let it all sink in.

Read, read, read. I read everything several times over in these forums before I ever rooted each phone. Watch youtube videos as well. I even ask questions about why certain things are done so you can know what each step accomplishes. Try reading about people's disasters with rooting to help learn what NOT to do. The last thing you want is to run into a surprise halfway through rooting, and not know what it means or how to continue.

It took me many weeks to build up enough courage to root my HTC Evo 3D. Most people use the paperclip trick, which involves touching two pins together to complete a circuit (1 pin to a ground). This somehow messes with the phone's normal procedure, and bypasses some form of security...thus allowing you to root. I may have been able to explain it better at the time...but that's one example in a nutshell. It also required you to tap it twice within 1.5 seconds of each other. Many people could not get the timing right for 50 attempts. I got luck I guess.

I've rooted every Android phone I've owned (3 so far) and am currently on my 4th. This is my first phone with Verizon, and the bootloader is locked, so I can't root right now if I want to (or can I?). I'm not buying the Developer Edition Note 4 for $699...so I'll wait for the powers that be to crack it.

 

[scary alien]

Check out "Android Firewall"

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jtschohl.androidfirewall

Hmm, looks like that package no longer exists, EM? :headscratch:

Plenty of other firewalls in the Play Store, but I'd rather try a tried-and-true one recommended by someone like yourself...

Wondering if they pulled and/or renamed it after the whole "can't prefix your app name with 'Android'" purge that happened to us devs a couple of months back...?

 

[EarlyMon]

Pretty sure it does, I just now used that link from your quote -

 

[scary alien]

Totally weird...both links/URLs still give me "Not Found" (We're sorry, the requested URL was not found on this server.) errors...

I'm using Chrome on my desktop and I also just tried it from Chrome on my N5...? (also tried IE w/o success).

Not sure what I'm doing wrong here...

edit/follow-up: a search using the developer name reveals an empty Play Store page.

 

[scary alien]

Maybe you can still see it because you have it installed? :dontknow:

Looks like Jason Tschohl forked a version of Droidwall to create that app:

https://github.com/skullone/android_firewall​

Looks like the source was last updated about 5 months ago.

I'll have to do a little more research re. all of these .

Thanks!

 

[Palmetto Fellow]

That link doesn't work for be either.

 

[Gmash]

I have Droidwall. Is Android Firewall better for some reason?

 

[EarlyMon]

I have Droidwall. Is Android Firewall better for some reason?

DroidWall is old, not updated since 2011. I'm sure it still works, but it may be lacking features - pretty sure I used to recommend that back in the day but you can do better.

The one I'm using was forked from it (based on it iow).

The successor to DroidWall fixes some stuff and would probably be the right update for you -

Check out "AFWall+ (Android Firewall +)"

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dev.ukanth.ufirewall

It's current as of August of this year, full details at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1957231

I'm trying to remember why I switched to the one I'm using. Lol it'll come to me at some point.

Meanwhile, try the above.

 

[EarlyMon]

And for real security info -

Check out "Network Connections"

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.antispycell.connmonitor

Dev came and posted it on our app announcements - best thing to happen to security since the invention of the firewall.

 

[argedion]

I started with my HTC EVO 4G. I originally did it to get rid of the bloat and reclaim space. I came here after a Google search and one of our residents was very helpful in getting me prepared to learn this new (to me anyways) way of life. I played with all kinds of ROMs Recoveries and Kernel Settings. I've updated my splash screens using fastboot commands. I have had only one real disaster that I sorta recovered from but Wifi was killed and it wasn't worth the effort anymore. When I got my Samsung Galaxy Centura I rooted it immediately as I have done with all my devices. That phone took me back to the original reasons for rooting. It was a complete POS. I now have a Google Nexus 5 and of course its Rooted, ROM'D and Custom Recovery'd. I don't have to worry about as many things as I used to for rooting but the main reason for rooting still remains and that is Freedom! My Device My Choice.

 

[Gmash]

And for real security info -

Check out "Network Connections"

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.antispycell.connmonitor

Dev came and posted it on our app announcements - best thing to happen to security since the invention of the firewall.

Hmm, I installed it, but I don't think I'm smart enough to know what to do with that information lol.

 

[EarlyMon]

Hmm, I installed it, but I don't think I'm smart enough to know what to do with that information lol.

Begin a recording session, open ES File Explorer, attempt to log in to Dropbox using a dummy account, not your own.

Go immediately back to Network Connection and explore where ES went.

Last I checked, that password - in fact the entire login screen - was a product of the ES Chinese servers.

Stop recording, add ES to your firewall blacklist.

 

[SoulTerror]

I used to root my Samsung Moment and HTC 4G for the reasons the OP stated, but since I got the Motorola Maxx HD that was removed from me. But now that I can just disable an app helps a lot. I'm looking to upgrade next month and would like to be able to add custom ROMs. Still on the market of which phone to get.

 

[MichelleCooper]

I'm going to wait till after the new.year to root my cell. I don't want to mess with it before the holidays. But I do have another cell the same which I will practice on first. And I've been reading and reading and reading. I feel still I can still mess up, lol. I think I'm a chicken right now, lol.

 

[codezer0]

There is one persistent reason I root that has stuck with me since I first discovered it way back.

Simply... system-level ad-blocking. Considering the obnoxious power draw from some of these apps that want to have an adbar or popups, anything I could do to cut that crap out on my end was always on the table.

It used to be that some of these adblocking tools were available on the Play Store, until Google explicitly changed their policies to ban these useful tools. But that hasn't stopped my desire to have them. And I have no need for the likes of Knox for that matter.

That said, I disagree with the notion of manufacturers voiding warranties for wanting to root. Why should they care if you're not in a use case where keeping it "pure" matters?

Given recent carrier troubles, I also wanted to make sure I had a phone that wasn't tied to any one carrier anymore. And at least according to here, it seems that my new unlocked Note 3 is an International version, even though the product box shows it being a US model. Not that I'm complaining...

 

[VBAEngineer]

Data mining implications that are allowed from third party, let alone for google . I recently switched from I phone never seen data mining at this stage. Is so blatant open in order to download an app they force to agree with gmail policies, and you need to get gmail. In order to comment they force to get the worst failure in Internet to social networking +Google account[ which tried to be facebook competition but failed miserably and now forcing people to get in] and another data mining tool for google. Not even going into build in apps of Google that do massive data mining or the phone sync or your carriers programs like famous IQ.Data mining at android is insane not only some apps reuqire the phone and basic info, but all your activity and some time purchase activity.I would suggest not only root but S-off and install a rom mod as CyanogenMod although even them send data to google servers. http://androidforums.com/threads/some-help.888958/ Android is the worst platform for data privacy and security not to speak about the failure that marketshare is so ghetto trash, in america whoever curates it should be f ashamed. The recommendation have nothing to do with your apps , music and book, but mostly with users and trends and even they throw google politics even with all the data mining they do they cant customize to your preferences. Everything in stock android is
ridiculous from data mining to the rest to the endless security holes to the messed up trash that is marketshare for android .

 

[EarlyMon]

Data mining implications that are allowed from third party, let alone for google . I recently switched from I phone never seen data mining at this stage. Is so blatant open in order to download an app they force to agree with gmail policies, and you need to get gmail. In order to comment they force to get the worst failure in Internet to social networking +Google account[ which tried to be facebook competition but failed miserably and now forcing people to get in] and another data mining tool for google. Not even going into build in apps of Google that do massive data mining or the phone sync or your carriers programs like famous IQ.Data mining at android is insane not only some apps reuqire the phone and basic info, but all your activity and some time purchase activity.I would suggest not only root but S-off and install a rom mod as CyanogenMod although even them send data to google servers. http://androidforums.com/threads/some-help.888958/ Android is the worst platform for data privacy and security not to speak about the failure that marketshare is so ghetto trash, in america whoever curates it should be f ashamed. The recommendation have nothing to do with your apps , music and book, but mostly with users and trends and even they throw google Jewish politics even with all the data mining they do they cant customize to your preferences. Everything in stock android is
ridiculous from data mining to the rest to the endless security holes to the messed up trash that is marketshare for android .

Wow.

Ok.

S-off is unique to HTCs and it's a removal of the encrypted signature security on a few of the storage partitions - so you can flash new radio firmware, bootloaders and PRI data - it's rarely required to flash a non-Sense rom like CM. Worst case in those if your phone is s-on is to simply flash the boot image separately.

Next up - Carrier IQ. Ok - that would be the same Carrier IQ that Apple was putting into iOS until caught by complaining customers.

As for Google data mining - yeah. Welcome to Google. They're an advertising company and you're getting a lot for free from them - how do you think they pay the bills lmao? And it says so on their various account preferences pages.

Opt out.

Don't use Google+ if you don't trust it - it won't kill you to not leave stunning comments everywhere.

BTW - if you're that convinced that Google+ is that into data mining (and I'd agree that they are) then they are not a failure compared to Facebook in the way you intended.

Nothing but nothing data mines like Facebook. Google and Apple still dream of getting to that level lol!

As for the worst platform for security - yeah - until you pierce through the absolute fantasy-land that iOS users believe that they live in - because statistically, they're about the same (OK - Android is a little better, just not by much).

And all of it can be fixed with good rooting.

BTW - everything about your ranting just screams troll but - welcome to the forums. For your racist remark that I've removed, I've given everyone the pleasure of your absence until next year.

And if you really think that your iPhone didn't data mine the hell out of you, you simply didn't know how to look.

 

[funkylogik]

Nice one Emon :thumbup:

 

[Yamalito]

Hello , to be root administration is. The best way to sue your phone,. Why? Because to be root you may erase a lot of applications that doesn't work and you may to install applications that, they are going to support to boost all the system android, for example: Clean Master support to clean junks files and the boost the ram . other app is cm battery that close apps are open auto startup and auto restart. Other app is es file explorer , where you may to delete the system apps that you don't like.

 

[Unforgiven]

I changed my vote as I rooted both my N7's for backups.

 

[The_Ty]

I'd say I have less reason to root now than ever. Recently picked up a Note 4 and it was like 98% of what I wanted, Touchwiz saves a lot of the reasons for rooting, and the extra stuff like multi window is great.

Rooted this phone recently, mostly for the ad blocker (otherwise I could have lived with it as is). Since I went to the 'trouble' though I added some Xposed and Wanam modifications, removed loud volume warnings etc. I don't find bloatware the biggest hassle ever but again since it was rooted I got rid of a lot.

As for the dangers of rooting, I've done it to a Galaxy S2 and S4 (as well as this device) and never had problems. Long as you follow the instructions and get the file to match your specific phone model (please research this carefully), you can't go wrong.

If you look into ROMs and sideloading mods that's where things get trickier, but in terms of just rooting it's pretty safe. A lot of the cautionary posts are for the 0.005% of people where it does go wrong, because of how serious it is and they followed bad advice or got confused

 

[El Presidente]

It's not really a case of not liking your phone style, but most manufacturer skins don't offer much in the way of customisation, root can allow you to tweak most things to exactly how you want them. I generally like what Sony does with the base skin on my phone, but root allows me to add the finishing touches that make my phone, mine.

Whilst the process of obtaining root and some of the stuff you do isn't risk free, I'd hazard a guess that most issues arise from rooting because people don't follow the instructions or don't make backups etc before they start messing about with what root can do.