Root New Nexus S - Root Before of After Current April ICS OTA??

[scudder]

Hello...please forgive my ignorance as I have spent my Android Forum life over at the HTC thread but just yesterday picked up a Nexus S 4G to add a line of service!

I'm pretty certain the new phone I'm getting ships with Gingerbread...2.3.4 perhaps?? My EVO is rooted and I'm wondering if I should root my Nexus when it comes right out of the box and find a good ROM or if I can first load this April OTA ICS Update IMM76D and then root after?? Just not sure if whatever needs to be exploited with the current OTA will allow rooting afterwards??

THANKS!!

 

[StrifeJester]

There is no exploit on the NS4G it is has an unlockable bootloader. So the decision is really a matter of preference. Once you unlock the bootloader you can flash a custom recovery to it. Then you can use ADB or an update.zip and Clockwork Recovery to add the su binary. There is no convoluted exploit and it will not be patched since the phone once unlocked allows you flash anything via fastboot. There are plenty of 4.0.4 ROMs out there already but if you like the stock experience all you need to do is unlock, flash CWM, then flash the su.zip.

 

[StrifeJester]

You can also head over to my blog where I have most of the files you will need to root and ROM including the CWM recovery and a few other files like the IMM76D OTA package for manual installation.

 

[scudder]

There is no exploit on the NS4G it is has an unlockable bootloader. So the decision is really a matter of preference. Once you unlock the bootloader you can flash a custom recovery to it. Then you can use ADB or an update.zip and Clockwork Recovery to add the su binary. There is no convoluted exploit and it will not be patched since the phone once unlocked allows you flash anything via fastboot. There are plenty of 4.0.4 ROMs out there already but if you like the stock experience all you need to do is unlock, flash CWM, then flash the su.zip.

Thanks for the info...but a question of clarification. Forgive me but when I rooted my EVO it was one-click with the rEVOlutionary method so I'm not quite familiar with having to do anything with ADB or "adding the su binary"...was kinda done all for me.

My question is: you answered my original question saying it was "a matter of preference" but can I still root the phone AFTER I accept the official Sprint ICS OTA that is currently available??

And please post or PM me your blog...would like to read, thanks!!

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Edit: adding to the above...

I did some searching and found a method which could unlock the bootloader:

http://www.redmondpie.com/unlock-nexus-s-bootloader-how-to-guide/

That method requires SDK and Fastboot, NEITHER of which I have installed (on my Mac) or have familiarity working with.

Is this the method I would use or does your blog indicate another method of rooting??

 

[StrifeJester]

Yes you can always root a Nexus, there is usually not a 1 click because the root process is not an exploit but a designed feature of a phone having an unlocked bootloader. My blog covers windows but uses the same method with instructions. I don;t have access to a mac so i am not sure how to go about it but it should be similar. Fastboot has to be built and downloaded separately. You also should unlock and install a custom recovery so that you can make backups. Here are some instructions that cover mac.

http://nexusshacks.com/nexus-s-root/how-to-root-nexus-s-or-nexus-s-4g-on-ics-or-gingerbread/

 

[StrifeJester]

I am looking over the download file that is there to see if fastboot is different for mac or windows and it looks like it is at first glance. My blog is the second link in my signature. Sorry about the delay i have been out of town and for a few days and just swamped. My instructions should work and the .img files will not change depending on OS just the fastboot file will change. I prefer CWM and the other link uses a different recovery you can get CWM from a lot of places though and just substitute the steps for the CWM recovery image.