Root Rooting Questions

[TornWizard]

if i root my phone do i need to flash a new ROM on to it or can i run my current os and just get root apps off the market??

 

[LexusBrian400]

"Need" to flash a rom?? That is one of the main benefits of being rooted. Optimized (faster) roms.

 

[TornWizard]

That didn't answer my question

 

[LexusBrian400]

Well if you can run custom roms, isn't it pretty obvious you can just run a stock rom too?

The answer is yes, albeit pointless.

 

[erisuser1]

if i root my phone do i need to flash a new ROM on to it or can i run my current os and just get root apps off the market??

TW,

Your question - as posed - is a little bit odd, but I'll give you an answer which is a little more informative, and (also) without the attitude.

The reason that I say "odd" is that the easiest way of rooting your phone involves overwriting whatever is there to begin with - and that sort of renders your question about preserving the OS moot.

However, there is a way to "root" your phone and maintain your current OS, This means that the answer to your question is "No, you don't need to flash a new rom". (It is slightly more technical than the original (manual) method of gaining root, which is in turn harder than using the PC-based EMA application).

So, the basic answer to your question, though, is "No", and it applies to anyone still on 1.5 or those that have upgraded to the recent OTA-2.1, whether they did it in true OTA fashion, or downloaded the OTA and applied it to the phone as an "update.zip" file.
[SIZE=+2]( This does not apply to any of the Leak versions v1, v2, or v3 - please don't ask. )[/SIZE]

The way this works is a three step process:

1) You replace the bootloader with the S-OFF bootloader using Toastcfh's battery pull method

2) You install Amon_RA's recovery by using fastboot from the PC

3) You make a backup of your current configuration to your SD card with the newly-installed Recovery boot using the "Nandroid Backup" option.

Once you have done this, you are free to either:

- Modify your existing O/S (this requires knowledge of Unix) by adding bits and pieces in order to add "root" to it., or
- Install any one of a number of ROMs, confident in the knowledge that you can restore back to your "factory" O/S (by doing a Nandroid restore from the recovery console) any time you please, if you are not happy with any of the ROMs you try out.


Note that what I have provided here is an outline, not a step-by-step Howto or Tutorial. I am 100% sure it works, having done it multiple times. I have purposely not created a Howto, because you should have an understanding of what is happening at each step before you try it. I will also say that manually adding the correct bits and pieces to your factory O/S in order to get it rooted requires quite a bit of learning on your part if you don't have Unix skills, and in any event, going through all that effort beggars the question, "why not use a ROM where someone has already done this for you?".

eu1

 

[andrizoid]

there is a much easier way of doing this, if you want to root then just follow the instructions in the sticky. it will give you a rooted version of 2.1 so you can get your root apps.

 

[dracozny]

there is a much easier way of doing this, if you want to root then just follow the instructions in the sticky. it will give you a rooted version of 2.1 so you can get your root apps.

all of this is installing a rooted rom. so to answer your question without the babble "NO" you cannot preserve the current OS. back up your data and follow the guide if you want root.

 

[erisuser1]

all of this is installing a rooted rom. so to answer your question without the babble "NO" you cannot preserve the current OS. back up your data and follow the guide if you want root.

It is absolutely possible, and quite easy to slip both the S-OFF bootloader and Amon_RA's recovery partition onto the phone (for 1.5'ers or 2.1-OTA'ers) without even touching the existing /system, /data, and /cache partitions. Preserving the existing OS is exactly what Toastcfh's method does.

In fact, since nobody uses the OS that comes with the "root" PB00IMG.ZIP, you might say that the fact that it gets temporarily installed and also nukes whatever was on the phone before is the principle defect of that rooting method.

The battery pull method uses exactly the same method as the initial steps of all other "root" methods, the only difference being that it is terminated early by the battery pull, so that the pre-existing OS does not get nuked. (Note that the battery pull does not occur during a flashing operation, so it is safe for anyone to do, except perhaps those having poor reading skills.)

Afterwards, you are free to install whatever ROM you like - or go back to the pre-rooted OS, if you like, configured exactly as you had it before you started down the root path. None of the "easy to use" root methods allow that flexibility; but what the heck, they are "easy to use".

I doubt the OP actually wants to go to the trouble of learning enough about Unix/Linux to manually fix up his stock OS so that it he/she can enable root-privileged apps; it is highly likely that an easier method would be compatible with his/her skill set, and I would be likely to recommend that, because there are ROMs which are better than what he/she is currently using anyway.

OTOH, it is misinformation to say that "no, you can not preserve the existing OS", when in fact you can.

eu1

 

[TornWizard]

Thanks guys. So it will be easier to just root and flash sensible or vanilla on it

 

[Rossco_Pee]

Thanks guys. So it will be easier to just root and flash sensible or vanilla on it

Judging from those long well-written write-ups........I would say just flash a new ROM.

 

[TornWizard]

ok cool now i need to find a good ROM with HTC sense still on it anyone know any?

 

[TornWizard]

ok so any ideas, good ROM with HTC sense still turned on....

 

[jxnrxy]

there's a couple different ones...are you just looking to use the widgets?

 

[TornWizard]

I'm looking to use the whole thing basically I want the pop up on the bottom and most of the widgets

 

[jxnrxy]

I'm looking to use the whole thing basically I want the pop up on the bottom and most of the widgets

pm'd

 

[TornWizard]

I'm looking at evil eris 2.0.1 any one using It and like it the screen shots and specs look prety much what I want to have

 

[TornWizard]

ok.... nandroid???... how-to?

 

[char561]

If you are refering to a nandroid backup all you do is boot the phone in recovery mode (power on + vol up) and select backup and then NAND backup and it will do it.

 

[jcase]

TW,

Your question - as posed - is a little bit odd, but I'll give you an answer which is a little more informative, and (also) without the attitude.

The reason that I say "odd" is that the easiest way of rooting your phone involves overwriting whatever is there to begin with - and that sort of renders your question about preserving the OS moot.

However, there is a way to "root" your phone and maintain your current OS, This means that the answer to your question is "No, you don't need to flash a new rom". (It is slightly more technical than the original (manual) method of gaining root, which is in turn harder than using the PC-based EMA application).

So, the basic answer to your question, though, is "No", and it applies to anyone still on 1.5 or those that have upgraded to the recent OTA-2.1, whether they did it in true OTA fashion, or downloaded the OTA and applied it to the phone as an "update.zip" file.
[SIZE=+2]( This does not apply to any of the Leak versions v1, v2, or v3 - please don't ask. )[/SIZE]

The way this works is a three step process:

1) You replace the bootloader with the S-OFF bootloader using Toastcfh's battery pull method

2) You install Amon_RA's recovery by using fastboot from the PC

3) You make a backup of your current configuration to your SD card with the newly-installed Recovery boot using the "Nandroid Backup" option.

Once you have done this, you are free to either:

- Modify your existing O/S (this requires knowledge of Unix) by adding bits and pieces in order to add "root" to it., or
- Install any one of a number of ROMs, confident in the knowledge that you can restore back to your "factory" O/S (by doing a Nandroid restore from the recovery console) any time you please, if you are not happy with any of the ROMs you try out.


Note that what I have provided here is an outline, not a step-by-step Howto or Tutorial. I am 100% sure it works, having done it multiple times. I have purposely not created a Howto, because you should have an understanding of what is happening at each step before you try it. I will also say that manually adding the correct bits and pieces to your factory O/S in order to get it rooted requires quite a bit of learning on your part if you don't have Unix skills, and in any event, going through all that effort beggars the question, "why not use a ROM where someone has already done this for you?".

eu1

People please don't pull the battery during rooting, this is dumb. If it accidental got pulled during hboot flash, or radio flash you have a brick. Its about the only way to brick an Eris.

Erisuser,

Considering how non techie many of the people on these forums are, I wish you had not posted this. You know some moron is going to try this, pull at the wrong time, result in a brick. and then blame you or the devs for a bricked phone.

jcase

 

[LexusBrian400]

ok cool now i need to find a good ROM with HTC sense still on it anyone know any?

Which Is EXACTLY what I told you in the first post of this thread, yet you shunned me.

Glad to see you finally made up your mind... after a bunch of nonsense posts, including ,as jcase stated, the very iffy post on battery pulling during root which is the very BEST way to own an HTC Droid Eris Paperweight.

 

[erisuser1]

jcase, LexusBrian400:

I'm not trying to start any arguments, and will agree with you that as a general concept - for almost every device that allows firmware to be flashed - that it is a horrible, horrible idea to randomly remove power while the flash memory is being written. Under normal circumstances, even thinking of such a thing should make the hair stand up on the back of your neck.

The way HTC structured the flashing operation using the "PB00IMG.ZIP" method, though, is a little different than most other devices: rather than just flashing everything back-to-back in one go, it first flashes the bootloader, and then goes through a reboot cycle so that it is the newly flashed bootloader that performs all the subsequent flashing operations. Among other things, that means that there is an interval of time, which can be visibly observed on the display, where no flashing of the device is going on.

Moreover, when the reboot occurs, the entire 100+ MB zip file is unpacked for a second time before any further flashing occurs. That takes roughly 60 seconds to do that - after the reboot, there's no device flashing going on for maybe a minute or more!

Now, the bootloader is pretty small (512 kB), and so it flashes pretty quickly. Could someone yank the battery out during the 1/4 second it takes to complete that flash? Perhaps, if they intentionally tried to do that (it is actually difficult to press a button on the front of the phone and rearrange your hands to grasp the phone to pull the battery without a second or two expiring), but certainly not if they follow instructions, to wit: Wait for the screen to go dark before you pull the battery.

While it's more dangerous to go out on the freeway than staying home, and it is true that some people shouldn't ever venture there because of their physical/mental condition(s), that doesn't also mean that no-one should use a freeway. Everyone should try to realistically appraise the risks involved, and make choices based on their individual preference for risk and reward.

In this particular case, I think the risks involved are less than what you make them out to be; although I will also admit that the rewards (preserving everything from a pre-rooted system) are not huge either - no doubt newbs sitting on the fence about rooting probably view that option as having more value than it really has.


$.02

eu1

 

[dommecca]

Hey guys,
Long-time lurker, first time poster here. I am getting a new eris from verizon tomorrow (sending the old one back because of a hardware issue) and I really want to root the phone. I'm a pretty intelligent guy, but I'm having trouble following all of this. I'm not sure if the OP asked the exact question I'm about to, or if it was just answered too. So don't yell at me. here goes:

In order to gain root, from 1.5, does the phone need to be rooted AND THEN flash a custom rom (which I'm hoping is easier than it sounds when I actually try it)? OR does flashing the custom from over 1.5 actually do the rooting for me? I do understand the concept that some roms are basically going to look and feel and act exactly like 2.1 (only they are root roms), and others will change the phone completely. I get that. I just don't understand if I need to root with the 2.1 rom, and then move on to whatever custom rom I want, or if the custom rom itself is all I need to get to the end result of a rooted eris.

I know that was long, and probably irritating to you guys. Please bare with me, I'll get this.

 

[TornWizard]

read this.

http://androidforums.com/all-things-root-eris/53963-guide-stock-1-5-latest-root-2-1-a.html

it will work for the 2.1 OTA update too since it is the same bootloader

 

[tommy_ed]

if I root, will it wipe out my sd card or contacts?

 

[erisuser1]

if I root, will it wipe out my sd card or contacts?

Your SD card will not be wiped out simply by rooting. If you decide to use "a2sd" (or "apps2sd") after you are rooted by partitioning the SD card, then in that specific case you do need to make a backup before you partition. Probably you should just back up the SD card anyway; it's good to get in that habit and it's nearly effortless to simply copy the whole card to your PC/Mac.

Your contacts will get wiped out if they are "phone" contacts, but not if they are "Gmail" contacts. So, either you need to back them up yourself, or do nothing, depending on which type of contacts they are. You might be able to use HTC Sync to back up your phone contacts, depending on your computing circumstances, or you can use an App that backs them up to the SD card. (I think that HTC Sync is a bit of an overkill - you might want something simpler like an app)

Search this forum for a contacts backup app; I would give you a recommendation, but all my contacts are Gmail contacts, so I don't use one.

eu1