Root Keeping up with this hobby via macbook

[trophynuts]

does anyone here own a macbook that they use as their computing device as far as rooting phones and what not. Specifically using RSD lite and sbf'ing droids.

My real question is do you run a Virtual Environment running Windows..(parrallels , vmware, virtualbox)

or do you use bootcamp and load Windows on to the same hard drive as the primary?

thanks in advance for any info.

 

[EarlyMon]

It's easy to use a Mac as-is for rooting HTCs or the Huawei Ascend - if you need more than command-line tools and adb, then probably Parallels or VMWare is sufficient.

 

[Bugly]

you could go bootcamp, its easy enough to run and stable, too!

 

[Aggie12]

Run linux off a live CD. With this method you would need a blank CD. Download any free linux distro. (I recommend ubuntu 10.10 LTS or 11.04). Then on a jump drive you would put a file called sbf_flash and the SBF file itself. Then insert the live cd in your MBP and open up "startup disk" easily found using spotlight search. Tell your MBP to restart booting from the CD. Then linux will boot up and it takes some time and it will come to the linux install screen. Click "try linux" and you will be running linux straight off the CD without changing your HD. plug in the USB drive with the two files and then open up a terminal and cd to the usb directory. run the following commands.
chmod +x sbf_flash
sudo ./sbf_flash SBF_file_name.
it will then SBF the phone. No drivers necessary. No RSDlite. No hassle.

I do all my stuff from a MBP 4,1 and it handles it perfectly. I actually created a small partition <20 GB to install ubuntu on so I don't need the CD.

There's no reason to pay for bootcamp or any other thing especially for a copy of windows since windows sucks anyway. jk to all you windows users.

 

[EarlyMon]

With BSD under the hood on a mac and easily accessed, why bother with Linux for just rooting?

 

[trophynuts]

Run linux off a live CD. With this method you would need a blank CD. Download any free linux distro. (I recommend ubuntu 10.10 LTS or 11.04). Then on a jump drive you would put a file called sbf_flash and the SBF file itself. Then insert the live cd in your MBP and open up "startup disk" easily found using spotlight search. Tell your MBP to restart booting from the CD. Then linux will boot up and it takes some time and it will come to the linux install screen. Click "try linux" and you will be running linux straight off the CD without changing your HD. plug in the USB drive with the two files and then open up a terminal and cd to the usb directory. run the following commands.
chmod +x sbf_flash
sudo ./sbf_flash SBF_file_name.
it will then SBF the phone. No drivers necessary. No RSDlite. No hassle.

I do all my stuff from a MBP 4,1 and it handles it perfectly. I actually created a small partition <20 GB to install ubuntu on so I don't need the CD.

There's no reason to pay for bootcamp or any other thing especially for a copy of windows since windows sucks anyway. jk to all you windows users.

pardon my newbness. what is MBP? Your plan sounds like a good way. lol also i am a hardcore windows junkie but its all good. If it makes you feel any better when i took my Windows7 certification class the instructor taught it on a mac via running Windows 7 in a virtual environment lol.

 

[trophynuts]

With BSD under the hood on a mac and easily accessed, why bother with Linux for just rooting?

what is BSD?


The reason for all the questions is i'm considering buying a new macbook pro 13. I have always been a windows man. To be honest though i really like the form factor of the Macbook pro's and the hardware specs. I need a good laptop that will last me about 5 years. From all that i've read a macbook pro will do that. Any thoughts on that?

Being a windows fan and also a fan of MOTO phones i have to be able to sbf my phones. So that is my primary concern. I appreciate all of the feedback.

 

[Deleted User]

Any thoughts on that?

You pay a premium for the hardware and form factor, and for the privilege of running MacOS. If you're okay with the premium to acquire the hardware and the OS, then knock yourself out.

You trade a lot of flexibility in your hardware and price points, though. Obviously there are a LOT more form factors and specs to choose from in the PC world, so you have the option of picking exactly what you need. There are plenty of Windows laptops that will also be good and last 5 years, since that was your only criteria specified.

Frankly, the Apple-religious will tell you that Macs are so much more stable than PCs but I've supported thousands of machines of varying types and Macs have a plenty-high failure/problem rate. Plus, Windows 7 is frankly a very polished OS, with surprisingly few issues.

Apple makes a good product. They have a very different OS, and a different support and distribution model. It's not necessarily better, just a different approach, and if you like it - and can afford the price of entry - then great. It should only be approached as a different product to Windows laptops, though, better in some areas, worse in others, and should be judged on how well you mesh with its pluses and minuses.

 

[trophynuts]

great words of wisdom Binary. I'm not in a real big hurry on replacing my current laptop. But it is time for me to start researching my options which is what i'm doing.

Also i agree Win 7 is very smooth and i like it alot. I've been using Windows since the 3.0 days.

 

[Aggie12]

With BSD under the hood on a mac and easily accessed, why bother with Linux for just rooting?

Not just rooting. He said in the OP that he wanted it for SBF'ing as well.

pardon my newbness. what is MBP? Your plan sounds like a good way. lol also i am a hardcore windows junkie but its all good. If it makes you feel any better when i took my Windows7 certification class the instructor taught it on a mac via running Windows 7 in a virtual environment lol.

MBP = MacBook Pro. And that's hilarious about the VM teaching of windows.

You pay a premium for the hardware and form factor, and for the privilege of running MacOS. If you're okay with the premium to acquire the hardware and the OS, then knock yourself out.

You trade a lot of flexibility in your hardware and price points, though. Obviously there are a LOT more form factors and specs to choose from in the PC world, so you have the option of picking exactly what you need. There are plenty of Windows laptops that will also be good and last 5 years, since that was your only criteria specified.

Frankly, the Apple-religious will tell you that Macs are so much more stable than PCs but I've supported thousands of machines of varying types and Macs have a plenty-high failure/problem rate. Plus, Windows 7 is frankly a very polished OS, with surprisingly few issues.

Apple makes a good product. They have a very different OS, and a different support and distribution model. It's not necessarily better, just a different approach, and if you like it - and can afford the price of entry - then great. It should only be approached as a different product to Windows laptops, though, better in some areas, worse in others, and should be judged on how well you mesh with its pluses and minuses.

It really boils down to personal preferences. I like mac just because it works. I don't like mac because it's ruled by evildoer jobs. I like PC because of all the software available when compared to mac, but I like Mac because of the reliability in the hardware. Yes, there will be failures and I would recommend buying applecare. I bought my MBP in 2008 a 15 inch and during this time I had a fan go out which was common to a lot of others. And I also had the graphics card take a crap on me which was also common.

With running a linux environment side-by-side you gain a lot of that real computing power that you 'lost' by going to OS X. It helps a lot of power users that have a Mac (wait is that irony) gain back that sense of control over the OS. I personally would do it over again if my computer were to die. But buying a new laptop is a HUGE investment so I would spend some time looking at all your options, PCs included because there are a lot of great PCs out there as well.

 

[imronburgundy]

does anyone here own a macbook that they use as their computing device as far as rooting phones and what not. Specifically using RSD lite and sbf'ing droids.

My real question is do you run a Virtual Environment running Windows..(parrallels , vmware, virtualbox)

or do you use bootcamp and load Windows on to the same hard drive as the primary?

thanks in advance for any info.

Bootcamp with Windows 7 on same drive. I ended up having to back up everything and delete the hard drive and then partition.

 

[trophynuts]

Not just rooting. He said in the OP that he wanted it for SBF'ing as well.



MBP = MacBook Pro. And that's hilarious about the VM teaching of windows.



It really boils down to personal preferences. I like mac just because it works. I don't like mac because it's ruled by evildoer jobs. I like PC because of all the software available when compared to mac, but I like Mac because of the reliability in the hardware. Yes, there will be failures and I would recommend buying applecare. I bought my MBP in 2008 a 15 inch and during this time I had a fan go out which was common to a lot of others. And I also had the graphics card take a crap on me which was also common.

With running a linux environment side-by-side you gain a lot of that real computing power that you 'lost' by going to OS X. It helps a lot of power users that have a Mac (wait is that irony) gain back that sense of control over the OS. I personally would do it over again if my computer were to die. But buying a new laptop is a HUGE investment so I would spend some time looking at all your options, PCs included because there are a lot of great PCs out there as well.

Thank you for all of the great feedback.

Exactly Most people like the eye candy/form factor/hardware specs/reliability on a Mac but hate that its running Steve's brain child. ...So if you can run Windows on it perfectly fine and everything function like it is suppose to then Bam that gets rid of any phobia's of using OSX.

Personally i've never used Linux. However i have been wanting to get my hands dirty with it. I had heard that the Applecare is worth it.

 

[Aggie12]

Thank you for all of the great feedback.

Exactly Most people like the eye candy/form factor/hardware specs/reliability on a Mac but hate that its running Steve's brain child. ...So if you can run Windows on it perfectly fine and everything function like it is suppose to then Bam that gets rid of any phobia's of using OSX.

Personally i've never used Linux. However i have been wanting to get my hands dirty with it. I had heard that the Applecare is worth it.

Applecare is definitely worth it. If something doesn't really fail with the computer you can always take it in for them to fix cosmetic damages. I had a lot of scratches on the bottom from the feet missing and a dent on the palm rest area (I dunno how that got there.) but they fixed it all. It came back looking brand new out of the box. To me that was worth it in itself. It was like having a new computer basically.

 

[trophynuts]

Thank you all for your advice in this matter. I actually pulled the trigger and went ahead and got a new MBP this weekend. I have a lot of work travel coming up and so since i will have a lot of free time in the evenings in a hotel room i can spend time getting adjusted. .....

now i just need to sell a good used netbook lol

 

[Aggie12]

NIIICE. good luck. You're going to love it.

 

[trophynuts]

NIIICE. good luck. You're going to love it.

thanks i hope so. So Far so good. Just getting used to the general differences.

quick question. I'm almost certain that i'm going to upgrade the ram from 4gb to 8gb just because the price is right. But i was also considering a 7200rpm hard drive....Would i really notice that hard drive upgrade or no?

 

[Aggie12]

you would see an increase in performance power but you would sacrifice battery life. If you want to upgrade then I would recommend looking at a SSD drive.

 

[trophynuts]

you would see an increase in performance power but you would sacrifice battery life. If you want to upgrade then I would recommend looking at a SSD drive.

ehhh....screw that SSD prices are still a little too high for me. I guess i will just do the 8gb upgrade for now.

 

[bouchigo]

you would see an increase in performance power but you would sacrifice battery life. If you want to upgrade then I would recommend looking at a SSD drive.

Those things are still too expensive right now; now if someone gifted me one, I wouldn't complain

 

[trophynuts]

lol glad i'm not the only one that thinks that

 

[Aggie12]

Yeah it's still fast enough and that RAM upgrade will be nice.

And you did buy a mac. They aren't known to be the cheapest laptops lol

 

[trophynuts]

cool

 

[Bugly]

you won't be disappointed. I love my mac, even though the software is kinda slim for a powerpc platform. there are a lot of open source programs out there for mac and they all work well so far.

 

[emaN resU]

It's definitely a learning curve to go from Win to Mac, but you'll get it in time.
I have pretty much everything running in my house, but I run primarily Linux OS.

Lol, so does this mean you are going to change your sig?
"I just took a MAC and wiped my Iphone4" - doesn't really say "Mac owner" now does it?

 

[imronburgundy]

Thank you all for your advice in this matter. I actually pulled the trigger and went ahead and got a new MBP this weekend. I have a lot of work travel coming up and so since i will have a lot of free time in the evenings in a hotel room i can spend time getting adjusted. .....

now i just need to sell a good used netbook lol

You won't regret it. I was a PC user all until last year, now I don't think I'll probably ever buy another PC again. The MBP just works.

One tip: Command + arrows left or right does home and end functions. Was very annoying before I figured that out.