Root Flashing to update while rooted (with xposed)

[electricpete]

I just did my first flash to update to current security level (Feb) since I first set up my new phone in December. It's probably a routine thing for you guys, but it was a first time for me. So I'm leaving my notes here in case they may be of use to anyone else (and I'll probably come back here next month to remind myself of what I did).

I roughly used the steps here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6/help/how-security-update-ota-twrp-t3307409/page2

Basically fastboot flashed all images except userdata and recovery. And a few erase's and reboots sprinkled in with the order listed (I'm not sure exactly why/when those are required, I just follow the steps). Then flash supersu.zip in twrp, clear space for xposed, and flash xposed.zip in twrp.

I was pleasantly surprised to see everything came back exactly the way I left it, including xposed which had same modules enabled, and same module options selected. I can't tell that anything whatsoever about my phonhe has changed except by looking at settings / about phone.

The next time I do it, I'm going to try to take notes of the smaller details and post them here so I'll have an even easier recipe to follow.

 

[johnlgalt]

I use a tool called House of Nexus to flash the full system block images. Developer is re-writing some code to allow for installing systemless root immediately after installing a full system image, and the code can already install root, TWRP or another recovery, and allow you to not lose your userdata.

The new version will allow those of us who are running without encryption to take new versions of Android and maintain the unencrypted state without having to root and then format userdata. Furthermore, for those who want to lose the encryption but not be rooted, he is adding a method to delete the SU image file afterwards so that you can flash a full system package, root to allow for no encryption, and then list root do the system is not encrypted but also not rooted.

This tool is my go to for all things Nexus, because CF's FlashFire still can't do everything yet. But House of Nexus had been around for a long time, originally developed as House of Moto, back when he and I both had BIONICs.

ChainFire had confirmed to everyone that Systemless Root, aka SuperSU 2.70 RC, patches the kernel to allow one to Tenon's encryption. No more searching for patched kernels on the net not waiting for someone to patch a brand new kernel.