Root What is rooting? And why?

[DMAC23]

Sorry for asking a question that's probably been asked a million times, but i'm lost on this whole rooting thing.

 

[Outlaw71]

Don't worry, I was miffed about this for months before I finally did some research on the subject.

When you buy a laptop (or any computer), you are the super user, which they refer to as the administrator. That means you have control over what programs can be added and deleted from that computer. You can set up guest accounts on your computer so that other people may use it, but they have very limited control over what goes on with it.

When you purchase most Android devices (except for Nexus), you are the guest account on the phone, you have very little control over what can be removed (basically nothing that you yourself didn't add). When you root your Android you gain super user (or administrative) status.

Which means, now you're in the drivers seat!

 

[HKM]

Thats one way to put it but incorrect, in simple term root is your permission base structure. All the permission on local host are granted from root (uID0:root). SU is actually Switch User which is vairent and misunderstood as Super User but it applies due to not manually doing SUDO. Always trust *nix guy

 

[Outlaw71]

Thats one way to put it but incorrect, in simple term root is your permission base structure. All the permission on local host are granted from root (uID0:root). SU is actually Switch User which is vairent and misunderstood as Super User but it applies due to not manually doing SUDO. Always trust *nix guy

Trust me, he'll understand the language I used easier.


Lmao.

 

[HKM]

I know LOL I am not doubting that but I had to correct you as being *nix mastaaa (had Sr Unix Admin on my W2 once ). I seen people rooting device lol then asking question whats next, seen so many of those type of threads user is like "now what" so we say why did you root if you didn't have reason. LOL people are like "I thought its something you do after you get your phone" its shocking :O

Here I am troubleshooting this custom kernel and had to manully install clockworkmod 3.0.0.0 via console with flash image and recovery and still can't get the dev.htc kernel to work. Might look into it later I feel sleepy from all those wipe cache, davliks... flashed rom like 50times just to test this.

 

[Outlaw71]

Yeah I still rememeber when I thought rooting sped up the phone, got rid of all the bugs, and cooked super for you all at the same time.

While I admit you know way more about all the specifics, what you said didn't even compute in my little brain, and I've been rooted for 6 months! Lol... I just try to explain in laymans terms what the practicality of rooting is (for most of us anyway), which is to 86 some of those pesky programs and apps they don't want, and add some they do want that require root.

If they have no interest in doing either, then they'll probably forget all about doing it.

 

[DMAC23]

Ok thanks guys... I think lol. And another term im not liking the sound of is bricking my phone. I'm sure that's what it sounds like right? So what are some apps that I could only get having a rooted phone?

 

[Steven58]

Allow me to step in to help. Many of your questions can be found already answered in the following stickied threads list. Why don't you have a look at it? I'm also going to move this thread to the root section, where more root-type folks will be available to answer your questions in (cough) understandable (cough) terms.

http://androidforums.com/droid-x-al...d-x-root-guide-updated-3-30-pm-1-24-11-a.html

 

[old.blue]

NOW I understand root and why to root. I would love to get rid of someof the "bloatware" that came om my DX and use something like Titanium Backup to do just that.

Does rooting your phone void the warranty? Can you re-root (?) afterwards if you need to if you have to return the phone for some reason?

 

[jlewis74]

I am pretty sure you can un-root, but I am a noob as well. I used Z4root and it has a built in unroot button.

I have just rooted today myself but I have not applied a Custom Rom yet. I did backup, and install the things I would need if I did.