[Q] Do i need S-OFF for future custom ROMS? - Desire Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Ok, i know this is a question in the dev section but i think it belongs here, if mods think different then please move.
As the title says really - if i choose not to try the S-OFF - will i be left behind later on down the line with regard to custom ROM's??
If i bricked my phone the wife would go bonkers, so i am really wary at the moment with trying it as there is a higher chance of bricking it. Anyhow thats a seperate issue..
So maybe some devs can answer my question??.. Am i at some point gonna have to take the plunge or is it more of a nice thing to have, more than a necessity?
Or is there likely to be a later version that has a lesser chance of bricking if does go wrong??
Cheers all for any replies..

I think that if a custom ROM requires S-OFF it will have a good reason, or the dev is being lazy.
Also HTC is very likely to plug the exploit that gives S-OFF at some point, if it's possible to do so.

Moved to Q&A as not development

You dont need a security unlocked device, there will be no diffrence apart from the fact you wont have any write access to the nand chip while the device is booted
Sent from a stoned haze, using Royal Mail

Kool.. So more of a nice thing to have rather than a must!. Appreciate replies.. I will hold off doing it.
Cheers

wingnutta said:
Kool.. So more of a nice thing to have rather than a must!. Appreciate replies.. I will hold off doing it.
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It really is a simple procedure though, its as easy as booting a live cd, connectiong your device and pressing enter

AndroHero said:
It really is a simple procedure though, its as easy as booting a live cd, connectiong your device and pressing enter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do agree from what i have read, but for me personally the risk at this time is too much.. If anything did go wrong i would be kicking myself.
Maybe at a later date as i said if a more less risky version comes out.

wingnutta said:
I do agree from what i have read, but for me personally the risk at this time is too much.. If anything did go wrong i would be kicking myself.
Maybe at a later date as i said if a more less risky version comes out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No such thing. It's not the application that's risky, it's the procedure in general. You're in essence flashing the lowest level of your phone, if it fails the phone will be useless but the chance of it failing is almost negligible.

one thing i am willing to ask. does that mean that turning security to off, you do not need to pay for unlock codes? you can just turn s-off and flash a rom and it will unlock the phone?
sorry for the dumb question!

S-OFF won't sim unlock the phone.
A lot of people are flashing this without knowing what it does, which is just plain stupid. The risk is minimal, but there is a risk that it will totally brick the phone permanently. Nobody should flash it unless they want to use S-OFF for something. It'll also absolutely guaranteed to void the warranty, there's no way HTC will touch a phone if you return it with the S-OFF bootloader (though it is easy to remove).
At the moment it's most useful for devs, in order to test changes without the need for reboot/recovery/reboot.

teppic74 said:
S-OFF won't sim unlock the phone.
A lot of people are flashing this without knowing what it does, which is just plain stupid. The risk is minimal, but there is a risk that it will totally brick the phone permanently. Nobody should flash it unless they want to use S-OFF for something. It'll also absolutely guaranteed to void the warranty, there's no way HTC will touch a phone if you return it with the S-OFF bootloader (though it is easy to remove).
At the moment it's most useful for devs, in order to test changes without the need for reboot/recovery/reboot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
no need for normal usage of the phone ... you can also do all without s-off ... with s-off you dont have to reboot everytime ...

teppic74 said:
S-OFF won't sim unlock the phone.
A lot of people are flashing this without knowing what it does, which is just plain stupid. The risk is minimal, but there is a risk that it will totally brick the phone permanently....
At the moment it's most useful for devs, in order to test changes without the need for reboot/recovery/reboot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That statement will do me nicely! Me not a dev...

Related

[Q] Quick summarize [yakju+bootloader+root]

Hey everybody,
I'm planning on getting my GN in the next two weeks and wanted to ask a simple question:
first of all - I will want my GN to be a yakju, I will want to root it and I will want to unlock the bootloader.
Now, I believe I have everything understood just wanted to be sure if you could help me..
these are the steps I will take:
1. Check if GN is yakju
1.1 If GN is yakju simply use the gnex toolkit to unlock bootloader and root.
FINISH.
2. If GN is not yakju -
2.1 Use step-by-step (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1391881) to change rom to yakju 4.0.4.
2.3 Then use gnex toolkit to root (already unlocked bootloader in 2.1).
FINISH.
Am I good to go?
TNX!
Pretty much thats the way it should be,,, advance congrats for the next awesome purchase u r going to make,,,
deepayanneogi said:
Pretty much thats the way it should be,,, advance congrats for the next awesome purchase u r going to make,,,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks mate! can't wait already
More replies are welcome.. I just want to feel certain I'm on the right track here..
Be a big boy and don't use a tool kit =]
My guide makes it super simple...
Stickied above and linked in my sig.
Jubakuba said:
Be a big boy and don't use a tool kit =]
My guide makes it super simple...
Stickied above and linked in my sig.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey tnx
I do consider myself an open minded guy and also I usually like to know the bits and insides stuff of things I do, I will usually prefer going the longer way (I.E - rooting\unlocking bootloader) then to just use the toolkit and pressing "next, next, next" because I prefer to know what every "next" does, BUT in this case, I think I managed to (obsessively) learn what everything does, so I decided to take the shorter trip to rooting+unlocking BL, do you think the toolkit has any disadvantages over the longer way?
omricn said:
Hey tnx
I do consider myself an open minded guy and also I usually like to know the bits and insides stuff of things I do, I will usually prefer going the longer way (I.E - rooting\unlocking bootloader) then to just use the toolkit and pressing "next, next, next" because I prefer to know what every "next" does, BUT in this case, I think I managed to (obsessively) learn what everything does, so I decided to take the shorter trip to rooting+unlocking BL, do you think the toolkit has any disadvantages over the longer way?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it works it works.
The thing I hate about 'em is...
If a user has a soft-bricked phone.
Comes on here...asks for help.
And I tell him to do some adb/fastboot procedure: he asks "lul wut?"
And we have to help him set that up...and assume he set it up correctly.
He then might complain "oh, ya. It won't recognize my device."
Which is possible in some soft-brick situations...but it also might be user error.
Thus making trouble-shooting/fixing 10x harder.
Just...do yourself a favor and make sure ADB/Fastboot work.
run "adb devices"
and "fastboot devices"
If both of those recognize your phone...I guess the toolkit is fine.
As you said, you know whats going on...so what's the harm?
That seems about right. Just be a little cautious when flashing a radio or bootloader, as any of those two when flashed wrong can **** your device up beyond self-repair.
An incorrectly flashed system or boot is "easily" fixable, though.
Theshawty said:
That seems about right. Just be a little cautious when flashing a radio or bootloader, as any of those two when flashed wrong can **** your device up beyond self-repair.
An incorrectly flashed system or boot is "easily" fixable, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tnx Actually I'm not going to flash custom roms\radios\BL's just yet (if ever), just going to flash the official 4.0.4 yakju from Google, including the radio that comes with that bundle
Jubakuba said:
If it works it works.
The thing I hate about 'em is...
If a user has a soft-bricked phone.
Comes on here...asks for help.
And I tell him to do some adb/fastboot procedure: he asks "lul wut?"
And we have to help him set that up...and assume he set it up correctly.
He then might complain "oh, ya. It won't recognize my device."
Which is possible in some soft-brick situations...but it also might be user error.
Thus making trouble-shooting/fixing 10x harder.
Just...do yourself a favor and make sure ADB/Fastboot work.
run "adb devices"
and "fastboot devices"
If both of those recognize your phone...I guess the toolkit is fine.
As you said, you know whats going on...so what's the harm?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I catch your drift, and I know exactly what you mean.. I'm an IT guy, and apart from my job, I always learn everything there is to know about anything before I buy\change it in any way, to always be super safe and know what to do in every situation I can encounter.
Before I do something I will triple check what could and can happen so that I'm always 3 steps ahead. Thats the reason I already know almost everything there is to know about this phone, about rooting it, about unlocking it, ADB, fastboot etc. even before I bought it call me crazy..
Not crazy by my standards.
I actually did the same thing...
Even posted a thread "OMG LULZ SO I DO THIS, RIGHT?" as you have...
Because I was excited as hell and wanted to reassure myself.
You'll love 'er.
Best phone I've owned...by far.
While the OS (and a Nexus on Verizon...which we thought we'd NEVER see) is a HUGE part of it...
I was/am actually impressed with the hardware as well.
I could go on and on and on about my Droid X (Got it on release day...didn't fully understand the implications of a locked bootloader...and how it would hinder the experience over that of my Original Droid) and how much I hated having a locked bootloader.
That was MY main push. I was like...Oh. My. God. A Nexus?! That **** is MINE.
</rambling>
This phone STILL gives me the shivers.
Love it.
The 4.0.4 radio and bootloader will do for many more releases, I think. I don't think it's the radio's fault for the signal drops as a simple overclocking counters it.
Jubakuba said:
Not crazy by my standards.
I actually did the same thing...
Even posted a thread "OMG LULZ SO I DO THIS, RIGHT?" as you have...
Because I was excited as hell and wanted to reassure myself.
You'll love 'er.
Best phone I've owned...by far.
While the OS (and a Nexus on Verizon...which we thought we'd NEVER see) is a HUGE part of it...
I was/am actually impressed with the hardware as well.
I could go on and on and on about my Droid X (Got it on release day...didn't fully understand the implications of a locked bootloader...and how it would hinder the experience over that of my Original Droid) and how much I hated having a locked bootloader.
That was MY main push. I was like...Oh. My. God. A Nexus?! That **** is MINE.
</rambling>
This phone STILL gives me the shivers.
Love it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best. Reply. Ever.

[Q] FB Mode question

Fastboot Mode
PRODUCT NAME - tuna
VARIANT - maguro 16gb
HV VERSION - 9
BOOTLOADER VERSION - PRIMELC03
BASEBAND VERSION - I9230XXLH1
CARRIER INFO - NONE
SERIAL NUMBER - XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
SIGNING - production
LOCK STATE - unlocked
When it says unlocked, is it talking about my SIM or my bootloader?
Do Nexus's come bootloader unlocked, I mean; they are dev friendly.
Don't make fun of me, I'm only curious and trying to start learning about android and maybe even develop things considering I do know alot about graphics.
Thanks in advance.
Edit: I forgot it meant bootloader (blonde moment?), but is this regular for nexus devices?
I'm almost certain it's talking about your bootloader but to be certain reboot your device. If you see an unlocked padlock under Google when you turn on your device your bootloader is unlocked.
063_XOBX said:
I'm almost certain it's talking about your bootloader but to be certain reboot your device. If you see an unlocked padlock under Google when you turn on your device your bootloader is unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah it is, I know that; i edited my post after realizing that.
But what I'm asking is; Is it typical for nexus devices to come with unlocked bootloaders or not?
I got my from i wireless and I believe it is a imported device.
It's not. Probably was returned/refurbished.
Haaah.
What are the chances that it's rooted and how can I check?
I traded in my One S and got this phone as a replacement.
Strange that it came in the original boxing with everything.
Thanks man.
If it doesn't have superuser then it isn't rooted.
Thanks.
I'm gonna be a noob and ask one more question.
Is it easy to brick your phone from rooting?
Or SuperSU. Try rootchecker. "Is it easy to brick your phone from rooting?" Not from rooting but perhaps flashing if you tend to jump into things..
brainfart moments can give you a softbrick pretty easily, but with fastboot and (we arent quite fans of this like the fascinate people were) ODIN you would have to realllllly screw up and probably try to completely brick it. make sure you have fastboot set up and working correctly before doing anything questionable. it will save your ass lol
edit: speaking of fastboot, i would probably use it to format and reflash all partitions with the latest stock image before messing around since it sounds like your phone has been screwed with before you got it (you never know what other people did to it). theres a really good guide about resetting to stock in either the general or q/a section here. dont worry about relocking the bootloader, there isnt really a way to unlock it wrong... it either works or doesnt. since you sound pretty tech savvy, please dont use toolkits, learn fastboot. it seems like toolkits are a one click problem, not a one click fix lol.
electro` said:
Thanks.
I'm gonna be a noob and ask one more question.
Is it easy to brick your phone from rooting?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Practically impossible. You'd have to not read anything and then willfully do something to ruin your device. And even then it's almost certainly recoverable so not bricked.
It seems nearly impossible to brick your device. x.x
I installed ParanoidAndroid last nigh but for some reason I tried installing a mod and I lost the status bar and home buttons.
I was so pissed off, I had to unroot my device and reflash the stock rom.
I'm going to try using CyanogenMod 10.1 and see where it gets me. It will probably be better considering you can make alot more customizations to your device ui and such.
Thanks 063_XOBX.

Why HTC S-Oning when they allow us to unlock bootloader ?

The question is pretty much straight
Why does HTC S-On the devices when they allow us to unlock bootloader?
HTC says that the main idea of unlocking bootloader is that you can unleash our own phone.
Why can't they just S-OFF the devices when unlocking the bootloader ?
Can anyone fill me in
Thanks
MJ999 said:
The question is pretty much straight
Why does HTC S-On the devices when they allow us to unlock bootloader?
HTC says that the main idea of unlocking bootloader is that you can unleash our own phone.
Why can't they just S-OFF the devices when unlocking the bootloader ?
Can anyone fill me in
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
S-off opens up access to pretty much everything and so allows more control. With that are the risks of totally bricking your device. Staying S-on still gives you some protection from mucking things up and the freedom to flash roms/recoveries/kernels.
I agree though, as people are responsible for their actions and so must know the consequences of modding their devices, they should just give another level of access to remove s-off. The warranty is void once you unlock the bootloader anyway.
More info around s-off/NAND/partitions etc:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2619392
gsmyth said:
S-off opens up access to pretty much everything and so allows more control. With that are the risks of totally bricking your device. Staying S-on still gives you some protection from mucking things up and the freedom to flash roms/recoveries/kernels.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now I simply voided my phone's warranty without any use.
Damn it HTC.
MJ999 said:
Now I simply voided my phone's warranty without any use.
Damn it HTC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you unlock it? Do you have s-off?
MJ999 said:
Now I simply voided my phone's warranty without any use.
Damn it HTC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use sunshine to get s-off.
MJ999 said:
The question is pretty much straight
Why does HTC S-On the devices when they allow us to unlock bootloader?
HTC says that the main idea of unlocking bootloader is that you can unleash our own phone.
Why can't they just S-OFF the devices when unlocking the bootloader ?
Can anyone fill me in
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can still unleash some of your phone by just unlocking, which is probably why they gave the option. You can still flash a custom recovery, you can still root, you can still flash custom ROMs.
S-OFF you can flash different firmwares, you can resize partitions, you can convert to other models. Why would the majority want these? And by the looks of some of these threads, why would even some of the majority of "flashers" need it? Root + Custom Recovery + Custom ROM should be enough to satisfy most.
S-ON then just protects the phone from more serious changes that might lead to more serious damage if *you* don't know what *you're* doing.
BerndM14 said:
You can still unleash some of your phone by just unlocking, which is probably why they gave the option. You can still flash a custom recovery, you can still root, you can still flash custom ROMs.
S-OFF you can flash different firmwares, you can resize partitions, you can convert to other models. Why would the majority want these? And by the looks of some of these threads, why would even some of the majority of "flashers" need it? Root + Custom Recovery + Custom ROM should be enough to satisfy most.
S-ON then just protects the phone from more serious changes that might lead to more serious damage if *you* don't know what *you're* doing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This
When you are S-on/BL locked, your carrier (or HTC/Google) is your system administrator. The carriers take this a bit further, and even manage some of your apps. In a lot of ways, you are a guest on the system, even though you "own" it. However, assuming you just want to use it to make phone calls and post to facebook, for most people this is fine. (my wife's phone isn't even rooted)
When you are BL unlocked, you take over some parts of that sysadmin job, and can now replace parts of the operating system and manage your own apps. You can also disable external control of your device by rooting and turning off certain services. However, the truly critical stuff, the stuff that could keep your phone from booting, are outside of your control. You are now no longer a guest, but you aren't exactly an owner either.
When you S-off, you are taking on the job of being the system administrator entirely. You are 100% responsible for what happens to your phone. Your '44, your Magnum rounds, your foot. Be careful.
gsmyth said:
How did you unlock it? Do you have s-off?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I unlocked my bootloader.
No, I don't have S-OFF
KJ said:
Use sunshine to get s-off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BerndM14 said:
You can still unleash some of your phone by just unlocking, which is probably why they gave the option. You can still flash a custom recovery, you can still root, you can still flash custom ROMs.
S-OFF you can flash different firmwares, you can resize partitions, you can convert to other models. Why would the majority want these? And by the looks of some of these threads, why would even some of the majority of "flashers" need it? Root + Custom Recovery + Custom ROM should be enough to satisfy most.
S-ON then just protects the phone from more serious changes that might lead to more serious damage if *you* don't know what *you're* doing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know about it, but I just want the H/K Mod, I don't think I need to spend 25 bucks for just the mod.
If anything better comes up, I will try sunshine
and during the meantime some devs might also find another way to S-Off hopefully.
But @BerndM14 don't you think HTC should have asked to you choose S-On or S-OFF when unlocking the bootloader or so ?
MJ999 said:
I unlocked my bootloader.
No, I don't have S-OFF
I know about it, but I just want the H/K Mod, I don't think I need to spend 25 bucks for just the mod.
If anything better comes up, I will try sunshine
and during the meantime some devs might also find another way to S-Off hopefully.
But @BerndM14 don't you think HTC should have asked to you choose S-On or S-OFF when unlocking the bootloader or so ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You wont' hear any arguments from me about that, I've made a post about that ages ago in which I stated that manufacturers should give you the option to have your phone rooted, unlocked and in HTC's case S-OFF, if it's a warranty issue then why not just a bit more for warranty purposes, but we still need the choice. Will they ever do something like that? I doubt they'll do anything like that any time soon but it would be nice and I've said so a long time ago already.
Especially as far as development on the devices are concerned. I don't see why they would share the Kernel source to allow developers to develop for the phone while at the same time expecting the developer to just hack away at the device in order to get the necessary permissions to develop for the device!
BerndM14 said:
You wont' hear any arguments from me about that, I've made a post about that ages ago in which I stated that manufacturers should give you the option to have your phone rooted, unlocked and in HTC's case S-OFF, if it's a warranty issue then why not just a bit more for warranty purposes, but we still need the choice. Will they ever do something like that? I doubt they'll do anything like that any time soon but it would be nice and I've said so a long time ago already.
Especially as far as development on the devices are concerned. I don't see why they would share the Kernel source to allow developers to develop for the phone while at the same time expecting the developer to just hack away at the device in order to get the necessary permissions to develop for the device!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank the GPL for that last one. Android is essentially a very custom distro of Linux, and the Linux community has already shown that they will go after violators. It's how the Linksys WRT54G became the WIFI router to own. IOW, they release it because they have to, but they don't have to make it easy, or usable.
We have seen with the Samsung and LG devices that it is possible to lock down a device fully such that it won't boot anything that isn't cryptographically signed. They will do as little as necessary to comply with the license, without giving us the ability to actually use that knowledge. After all, what good is kernel source if you don't have a signing key the CPU will accept?
That is the primary reason I chose the M8. It was one of the few flagship phones that is still able to be fully owned.

Losing features upon bootloader unlock/root?

Hey everyone,
I've tried to google around and search the forums on XDA but there is no straight up answer to some questions I have. This is the first HTC device I own and although I have been rooting/unlocking devices since the Nexus 4, I am afraid to go ahead with this one. I just wanted the answers to the following questions, if anyone here knows them please:
1. Unlocking the bootloader seems straight-forward and supported by HTC. I'm in the UK which means no Uh-Oh protection. If something was to happen to the device and I sent it back under warranty, would I be ****ed or would HTC replace/repair it? HTC UK's call center was worse than useless and HTC US' policy doesn't apply to us so I thought I should ask here.
2. Does unlocking the bootloader and rooting mean I will lose access to the fingerprint scanner, camera quality or anything 'stock'? I know Android Pay won't work but at the moment I am not too bothered either way because it's a hit and miss thing with it.
3. Finally, is there a way to completely revert unlocking the phone/s-off and going back to S-ON/Locked without any signs of having messed around with the device? I ask in relation to question 1. If unlocking the bootloader voids the warranty for UK users, is there a way to go back to stock and make the phone as though NOTHING was done to it?
Thank you to anyone who helps answer even 1 of these questions :victory:. I want to root and get xposed onto my new device but not at the cost of losing features on a brand new phone or losing warranty on it either :silly:
1. I can't comment on this simply because I don't know and don't want to spread false information.
2. You will not lose any features at all. In fact, I'm running a bootloader unlocked and rooted setup and Android Pay still seems to work fine for me. It let me add a debit card but I haven't yet been able to actually try to purchase something.
3. Yes, if you are S-Off you can completely revert back to a locked bootloader with S-On if you want to.
I'd recommend both unlocking and S-Off so you can revert back to stock in the future for a warranty claim just to be safe.
jaredkzr said:
1. I can't comment on this simply because I don't know and don't want to spread false information.
2. You will not lose any features at all. In fact, I'm running a bootloader unlocked and rooted setup and Android Pay still seems to work fine for me. It let me add a debit card but I haven't yet been able to actually try to purchase something.
3. Yes, if you are S-Off you can completely revert back to a locked bootloader with S-On if you want to.
I'd recommend both unlocking and S-Off so you can revert back to stock in the future for a warranty claim just to be safe.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, thanks for the reply! Only just saw this, not sure why it didn't notify me.
Right no worries about point one seeing as point 3 makes it irrelevant if I can revert back and save my warranty anyway. Just to be sure on points 2 and 3, I can definitely 100% go back to Locked/S-On status and the system won't show I have messed around at all? As for Android Pay, that's cool! Did you set it up before or after rooting? And does your fingerprint scanner work? Can you make payments on google play by authorising with your fingerprint?
Thank you again for your help!
Devzz said:
Hey, thanks for the reply! Only just saw this, not sure why it didn't notify me.
Right no worries about point one seeing as point 3 makes it irrelevant if I can revert back and save my warranty anyway. Just to be sure on points 2 and 3, I can definitely 100% go back to Locked/S-On status and the system won't show I have messed around at all? As for Android Pay, that's cool! Did you set it up before or after rooting? And does your fingerprint scanner work? Can you make payments on google play by authorising with your fingerprint?
Thank you again for your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, you can definitely 100% go back to Locked/S-On state assuming you were previously S-Off. There will be no signs that the device was messed with.
For Android Pay, I had initially set it up prior to rooting but the rooting process wiped my phone. I had no issues setting it up again on a freshly rooted install.
Google Play and every other app that uses it still fully supports authorization via fingerprint. From what I can tell, I have lost absolutely no features by rooting. There really is nothing to lose once you get past the initial phone wipe that occurs when you unlock the bootloader.
jaredkzr said:
Yep, you can definitely 100% go back to Locked/S-On state assuming you were previously S-Off. There will be no signs that the device was messed with.
For Android Pay, I had initially set it up prior to rooting but the rooting process wiped my phone. I had no issues setting it up again on a freshly rooted install.
Google Play and every other app that uses it still fully supports authorization via fingerprint. From what I can tell, I have lost absolutely no features by rooting. There really is nothing to lose once you get past the initial phone wipe that occurs when you unlock the bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah that's great! Would've thought HTC would implement some kind of security thing where rooting may cause the fingerprint scanner to not work like Samsung/Sony have. Good on HTC :highfive: I'm gonna start reading up now and unlock/s-off/root the phone in the next few hours! :fingers-crossed:
Devzz said:
Ah that's great! Would've thought HTC would implement some kind of security thing where rooting may cause the fingerprint scanner to not work like Samsung/Sony have. Good on HTC :highfive: I'm gonna start reading up now and unlock/s-off/root the phone in the next few hours! :fingers-crossed:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, it really is a great thing they've done! HTC is being really friendly to developers and power users. If you have questions or need some help with the unlocking or rooting feel free to drop me a PM!

Should I root my HTC One M8?

Should I root my HTC One M8? I am not sure, please help!
Without any second thoughts if you know what you are doing
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA-Developers mobile app
DTLblaze said:
Should I root my HTC One M8? I am not sure, please help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This question can't be answered, without you giving any specifics of why you want root, what you expect to do with it, etc.
If you want/need root for specific reasons, willing to read and learn, and can follow instructions, then its not a difficult thing to accomplish; and root has some nice benefits.
DTLblaze said:
Should I root my HTC One M8? I am not sure, please help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, DTLblaze...
This is a difficult question to answer definitively and objectively.
It depends on what you want from root, and what you expect to gain from it. Or maybe you just like to tinker.
Anyway, the fact you're asking it, suggests you're curious...
And your curiosity means at some point, eventually, you're likely to attempt it. If not on the M8, then on some other Android device.
You are, I suspect, naturally and understandably worried about damaging your device. You've probably read or heard a great deal about 'bricking' - rendering your device unbootable and unusable.
Whilst this is certainly possible, it usually only occurs when people have failed to understand and read up on the basics.
And even then, most people usually only have to deal with a 'softbrick' situation, which typically results in a device that boots, but doesn't complete booting.
Depending on the circumstances, softbricks are almost always resolvable. If you can access (ie, boot) the bootloader, the device is usually recoverable.
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The very basic bare bones of rooting are these...
1) Unlock the bootloader.
2) Fastboot flash a Custom Recovery (TWRP).
3) Using that Custom Recovery, Flash Chainfires SuperSU Root package.
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Familiarise yourself with running command lines from your PC, so for example...
Code:
fastboot flash recovery twrp.img
...would flash TWRP (TeamWin Recovery Project - a custom recovery) to the recovery partition of your M8.
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So my advice is to read, read, read and more read - everything you can about root.
And above all...
*** Don't Panic ***
...when things go wrong or appear to go wrong.
Keep a steady, level head and THINK.
All too often here, I read of people randomly doing random stuff, in the desperate hope that it will fix whatever problem they've got. Should I go S-off? Should I relock the bootloader? Should I flash this firmware, or that ROM or run this RUU?
So, instead of digging themselves out of a hole, they're digging themselves further in!
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We all start somewhere, and I made a complete pigs ear of the first Android device I rooted some five years ago. Fortunately, it all worked out in the end, but only because I asked questions...
So don't be afraid to questions. To quote an old carpentry aphorism... 'Measure twice, cut once'.
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Hope all this helps with your decision, and the best of luck.
Kind Rgrds,
Ged.

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