Posted: 2/16/2011 6:19:38 PM EDT
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I see a lot of threads regarding android rooting but I dont quite understand what it does. From what I understand it allows you to have more administrative power over your phone to change and delete items, is that correct?
What are the pros and cons? Is there a certain root program to go with or are they all the same? I have a droid x if that matters.... |
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I see a lot of threads regarding android rooting but I dont quite understand what it does. From what I understand it allows you to have more administrative power over your phone to change and delete items, is that correct? What are the pros and cons? Is there a certain root program to go with or are they all the same? I have a droid x if that matters.... Rooting your phone allows you to run different ROM's and allows you to overclock the speed of said phone. Those are the pro's along with running 3rd party apps, the cons are that it voids your warranty, and depending on the ROM you might loose some functionality of some of your apps. I have a Mytouch 3g and running the new cyanogenmod 6.1.1 on an android 2.2 platform. You might have to do some searches for rooting your Droid X to find a procedure, each phone may have a different procedure. You might want to check out www.cyanogenmod.com in the forum section on answers for rooting your phone. Good luck and keep us posted.. SD79 |
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http://forum.xda-developers.com/
You can install custom roms, ie: I've been running 2.3 on my Nexus One for a while now via Cyanogen7. Also, some apps like titanium backup are root only. |
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Quoted: Thanks for the replys. What is a ROM? People make different roms to run different versions of the Operating System. Sometimes they are new version not yet available to that particular phone or programs taken out or added. Dowload the rom you want and then load it to the phone. Take a look at them carefully and follow instructions maticulously if you do this. You can make phones dead if you don't do it right. Not for sure how easy it is on the Droid X as I havent looked into it myself. |
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Thanks for the replys. What is a ROM? People make different roms to run different versions of the Operating System. Sometimes they are new version not yet available to that particular phone or programs taken out or added. Dowload the rom you want and then load it to the phone. Take a look at them carefully and follow instructions maticulously if you do this. You can make phones dead if you don't do it right. Not for sure how easy it is on the Droid X as I havent looked into it myself. Easiest way is to use rom manager. However, a good working knowledge of recovery mode is necessary if something goes wrong, then you can easily restore your backup. |
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Normally an Android phone has you running as a regular user. You can install things and do certain things, but there are things you cannot do. Just like on a computer. If you want to do those things, you need root privileges. Rooting the phone basically switches you to running as root, and the 'root' user in a *nix system (Android is basically a Linux distro) is basically God of the computer. That user can tell the system to do anything up to and including commit suicide.
On a phone, it gives you access to do certain things you can't do as a regular user. For instance, there are tethering applications that your carrier doesn't want you to use. On my Droid X, Moto loaded some crapware that I didn't want running. With root privileges, I can remove them or rename then to prevent them from running. Lots of neat things you can do once rooted. |
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I used z4root on my droidx specifically so I could do the Wifi tethering/router with it. You are correct though it gives you access to do a lot more with the phone than the manufacturer/cell carrier want you to have. OK I'm curious. What does rooting for Wifi tethering give you that Easytether or Pdanet doesn't? |
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Quoted: Quoted: I used z4root on my droidx specifically so I could do the Wifi tethering/router with it. You are correct though it gives you access to do a lot more with the phone than the manufacturer/cell carrier want you to have. OK I'm curious. What does rooting for Wifi tethering give you that Easytether or Pdanet doesn't? Haven't seen Easytether... PDAnet required a cable (Might have worked with bluetooth too. I don't remember.) and I think you had to pay for it after the trial ran out. . With my wifi, I turn it on and just wifi to the thing without a cable. I use Wifi Tether... http://android-wifi-tether.googlecode.com |
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I used z4root on my droidx specifically so I could do the Wifi tethering/router with it. You are correct though it gives you access to do a lot more with the phone than the manufacturer/cell carrier want you to have. OK I'm curious. What does rooting for Wifi tethering give you that Easytether or Pdanet doesn't? WIreless Tether (root only wifi tether app) doesn't seem to care about what VPN you run through it (I can't use the paid version of easytether to run works VPN over), it's free, it doesn't need client software on the computer (or tablet, or...), and for me at least, it simply works a hell of a lot better than Easytether (paid) or PDAnet (free) ever did for me. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I used z4root on my droidx specifically so I could do the Wifi tethering/router with it. You are correct though it gives you access to do a lot more with the phone than the manufacturer/cell carrier want you to have. OK I'm curious. What does rooting for Wifi tethering give you that Easytether or Pdanet doesn't? WIreless Tether (root only wifi tether app) doesn't seem to care about what VPN you run through it (I can't use the paid version of easytether to run works VPN over), it's free, it doesn't need client software on the computer (or tablet, or...), and for me at least, it simply works a hell of a lot better than Easytether (paid) or PDAnet (free) ever did for me. Forgot about that too.. I hate extra shit running on my computer as what PDAnet does. |
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I used z4root on my droidx specifically so I could do the Wifi tethering/router with it. You are correct though it gives you access to do a lot more with the phone than the manufacturer/cell carrier want you to have. OK I'm curious. What does rooting for Wifi tethering give you that Easytether or Pdanet doesn't? WIreless Tether (root only wifi tether app) doesn't seem to care about what VPN you run through it (I can't use the paid version of easytether to run works VPN over), it's free, it doesn't need client software on the computer (or tablet, or...), and for me at least, it simply works a hell of a lot better than Easytether (paid) or PDAnet (free) ever did for me. Forgot about that too.. I hate extra shit running on my computer as what PDAnet does. OK - Gottcha.... 
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Thanks for the replys. What is a ROM? ok don't take this wrong way....but if you don't know what a ROM is you're probably destined to brick your phone. You could be right but I am willing to learn. I looked at that easy root program on youtube yesterday and it was a one click deal. It seemed really easy to do. |
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I have my droidx rooted and am using the stock software, meaning I haven't changed my rom. OP, rooting is very easy to do with z4root. Just install it on your phone and select permanent root. Main purpose that I rooted was to get rid of apps that verizon puts on there which I have zero use for and use up resources.
I bought Titanium back up, enable Chuck Norris mode, and then go through the list of apps and freeze any that I don't want running. You must be careful which apps you freeze as some are needed. There's lists out there of apps you can safely freeze. The reason I freeze rather than delete is when verizon or moto puts a new update out, the updates look for those apps and if they aren't there, the phone won't update. I just unfreeze the apps, update phone and then freeze again. Wifi tethering is nice too. |
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Take your phone model and head over to www.xda-developers.com
The forum has a huge list of Android phones with development sections for each. Most have wikis and walkthroughs for just about anything you can do to the phones. |
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The biggest thing is de-bloating, taking off all the extra crap carriers put on phones. Or de-bing, cuase who the fuck buys an Android phone but wants Bing? Also, in my case, they have yet to release Android 2.2 for the Fascinate and most other Galaxy S phones, yet I have 2.2 on mine. The joys of having a phone that has poor support by the manufacture or carrier, but a great dev support community, like XDA.  |
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OP, please go over to XDA Developers or a forum specific for your phone and do a LOT more research before trying out "easy root" or anything else. No offense, but you don't have enough experience and ARFCOM Is not going to be able to get you the answers you need. Every phone is different and reacts different to different rooting methods, ROM, and recoveries. You can brick your phone very easily.
Heck, I'm decent with it all and I bricked my phone 3 times just last Sunday. Luckily, I was able to un-brick them though.
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What is the easiest method to allow root access without changing the overall look/feel of the phone? Droid INC on Verizon. All I want to do is shut off all the bloat that is running in the background (especially apps that track your whereabouts) and find a good replacement for PDA Net. Have already successfully rooted my Nook Color but I am hesitant to dither around with my phone. |
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What is the easiest method to allow root access without changing the overall look/feel of the phone? Droid INC on Verizon. All I want to do is shut off all the bloat that is running in the background (especially apps that track your whereabouts) and find a good replacement for PDA Net. Have already successfully rooted my Nook Color but I am hesitant to dither around with my phone. Android Forums and xda-developers. Having a backup panic phone from your last contract is pretty nice - I waited until I had a backup phone, and then rooted it. I rooted my main phone a week later 
Read, read, read, and ask a question if you aren't clear on a specific point (as an IT guy, please don't ask "I just want it to work", ask things like "I'm not clear on where/when/how I do a Nandroid backup" - you're much more likely to get an answer if you ask specific questions you aren't clear on when it's obvious you've at least read the FAQ... kinda like the tech forums here, and they have better search functions.) Running rooted stock ROM's will be more than enough for 99% of users. Killing/freezing boatware, and gaining functionality will fulfill your needs, and if it doesn't, you wouldn't being asking questions here 
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