I've been holding out on using rooted ROMs, but am getting sick of all the low memory warnings. The sole reason for me to try out custom ROMs will be to get more space via A2SD+, which I read can't be done without root access. I'd be happy if fellow users can advise on these root-related issues:
1. I've read articles about the dangers of having root on your device, especially malicious apps. Now my question is, am I going to be notified/asked if an application wants to use superuser access for whatever reason? I saw some shots of dialog boxes asking for su permission, but I wasn't sure.
2. I understand that stock Android is relatively safe with its sandboxed environments. Will apps that don't normally ask for root be able to do things they cannot do on stock ROM? For example, access other app's data or generally make a mess of the system files (hypothetically)?
3. Moving app space and cache to the storage card probably increases the load on the card. What effect does A2SD+ have on battery life and speed/performance? From my previous experience with WM phones, moving background service apps to external storage caused drain on the battery.
4. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, is there a link between the random restarts that I've been reading about about and installing custom ROMs? From what I've read, these reboots happen on stock phones too, but might the problem be triggered or made worse by setcpu, undervolts, etc?
Hopefully others can shed light on these questions. Thank you.
1. yes
2. no
3. 1% more
4. no
Related
My Desire's running the current Stock ROM, and is rooted via Unrevoked with S-Off via AlphaRev.
I'm constantly skirting close to the 15Mb remaining data limit. The thing is, I'm running fewer apps than ever before these days, what with apps getting bigger and system updates using up precious memory space.
So I thought I'd use Titanium Backup to integrate the system updates into the ROM and free up data space. So I nandroided, s-off'd and ran the batch to integrate the updates into the ROM.
The apps in question (off the top of my head) were Flash, Maps, Gmail, Youtube, Market, and a couple of others.
It didn't work.
At first it looked as if it had, but I was getting force closes when I ran them.
I tried doing a force close repair via ROM Manager, but that didn't help.
The only thing that did work was apparently Flash. But then I was browsing around because I didn't getting the memory back I was expecting and I can still see the flash files in data.
So the updates have been recovered back into data and I'm back where I started.
So how do I do this?
Should TB work? What's the best way to actually integrate these files into the ROM? Which files need moving? Is flash just libflashplayer.so, because there are 3 other flash .so files? Do I need to modify anything to point to the new locations?
I really hope that the new gingerbread ROM doesn't immediately need system updates, but I expect to be disappointed.
Ta
Matt
To be honest I don't really know the answer I've never tried.... Could it be the permissions? Root Explorer - data/apps... find app you want and edit permissions ?
Why not just get apps2sd or data2sd?
I'm not against apps2sd or data2sd, it's just that I dodn't like the idea of having two versions of the same app on the phone - it's just a waste.
I'm thinking I'll apply the upgrade when it comes (if it's any good) - hopefully most of the system app updates will be built in already. Then I'll look for a version that strips back system to the bare minimum and repartitions to minimise system/maximise data, and also has apps2sd or data2sd (not sure which at the mo).
I do find it strange, though, that so few experiences of TB's integrate into ROM feature are discussed on the net.
ta
Matt
just wondering, i c there is tons of stuff on this but can someone tell me y i would want to root? besides the tether hack not to sure if there is any gain?
Thanks!
Think of root as administrator level access. Just as on your computer, some things cannot be done without this granted. Backup at an application level is another example.
Or the more you wanna get into it, you can intall custom roms which are tweaked and made up to perform faster. Also can install kernel and overclock your phone. A lot of stuff you can do with your phone rooted. You should head to the developers forum on xda for the Epic and read some of that stuff
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk
You can freeze services and or apps that you want to keep but don't want auto starting on their own (using your battery and memory). You can wipe deeper caches when having other problems, and you can force the phone to roam when you want it to. You can also remove bloatware apps that you normally can't remove without root access. When you find an app you want to use that says "requires root access" you must root to use the app.
A big thing for me is to remove all the sprint bloatware. This keeps the processes from running completely and in theory, saves battery life.
From there, you can do full backups and what not.
Hey guys! So I had a Samsung vibrant for years before I got a 920 and rooted it. I would then of course flash roms every week. I looked over the main features of the Roms coming out for the new nexus 7 and don't see anything that I can't already do, but I may he wrong. Can you tell me what is unlocked if I root my amazing new n7? (Apps I can use if rooted , features, etc) Thanks!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
I am more than happy to answer that question for you. First: I want to shed a little light on what 'rooting' a device means, and what flashing new ROMs entails.
First and foremost: root is not required to flash new ROMs. Having root access to the file system is having full control and rights to your files. Think of it like having an Administrator account in Windows. You're free to manipulate all files on your device, including core system files, which is why you don't have root access by default; the normal end-user wouldn't know which system files do what and could delete a very important file that could soft-brick their device, or could download a malicious app that would do the same (think of it as a virus in Windows)(Protip: if you only download apps from the Play store, you're good).
Second: the only thing required to flash a new ROM is your bootloader to be unlocked, and maybe a custom recovery is required, I'm not too familiar with the stock recovery and whether or not you can flash .zips from there. Unlocking your bootloader enables you to flash unsigned images to your device, a custom ROM in this case. Here's where the confusion happens: when you flash a new ROM, it overwrites your old ROM, including the superuser status you had. Most custom ROMs have root enabled by default, which is why it seems like your old root access carried over. Think of flashing a new ROM as re-installing Windows on your computer. All of your old profiles are erased and you need to set up new ones. Having root access is like setting up your Administrator profile and using it.
Third: the benefits of rooting. I personally use root specifically for Titanium Backup, Cerberus, ES File Explorer, and franco.Kernel updater. If you don't know what those apps do, I'll explain. Titanium Backup backs up all of my apps so when I flash a new ROM, I can easily restore them, instead of having to manually re-install them from the Play store which takes time and sometimes, data. TB needs root because it's installing apps on your device automatically (after you tell it to). You can see why you would need root there. Cerberus is an anti-theft app, which needs root to remotely activate sensors like GPS, camera, take screenshots, show messages, get device info, etc. Again, you could see why root would be needed there: security. ES File Explorer (any root explorer app) needs root because, well, so you can see and manipulate files that you need superuser status to do those things. I use it for many miscellaneous reasons such as renaming my nandroid backups. franco.Kernel updater I use to tweak my kernel settings.
Now, I'm not trying to convince you to root. That is a decision that should be made by you. Having root comes with potentially negative consequences. You could mess up your ROM. The chances are very slim, and very reversible (worst-case scenario: flash new ROM), but still very real. If you don't know your way around the bootloader, or how to restore factory images to the device, it could be frustrating to fix a soft-brick caused by system files being manipulated. Still, you have XDA, full of helpful people and plenty of guides and if you have the patience to read and listen to advice, you should be able to learn how to fix your problem, should one arise.
Ok, sum-up. Having "root" is like having Administrator rights on Windows. Installing ROMs is like re-installing Windows on your computer. Recovery is like the BIOS on your computer. Therefor, root is not required to flash a new ROM, only your bootloader unlocked (possibly custom recovery). Root is nice to have, and poses almost zero risk to hard-bricking your device. Having root could soft-brick your device if you don't know what you're doing, however, and could potentially be very frustrating if you don't know your way around the bootloader and/or recovery. If you have the patience to learn or listen to advice, it can be fixed though. It's up to you to weigh the risks and rewards. One thing to keep in mind: if you only download apps from the Play store, you should be 100% A-Ok to have root. The only way to soft-brick your device then, is if you're in there poking around with files you shouldn't be messing with (so, user-error). If you do decide to root and/or flash new ROM's, I'd advise in doing it manually at first instead of using toolkits. That way, you can see what's happening, which could come in handy if something should come up later.
Well said, Johnmama.
Basically, the #1 reason I root is Titanium Backup. I do also use some additional root apps, like ES File Explorer, but I could live without them. Titanium Backup is the ONE app that I will not do without.
The majority of custom ROMs already come prerooted.
Please, I'm a little unsure to install TWRP because I'm on android 4.4.2 (with root) but I'm seeing several people with problems after installing.
So I ask (for those who understand the subject): I will stay with the Stock ROM for now, could show me which apps I can freeze on start, and improve system performance?
joaonds said:
Please, I'm a little unsure to install TWRP because I'm on android 4.4.2 (with root) but I'm seeing several people with problems after installing.
So I ask (for those who understand the subject): I will stay with the Stock ROM for now, could show me which apps I can freeze on start, and improve system performance?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get one of the Root Uninstallers and *don't* uninstall any green icon app if your not sure of what it does. Also try and not completely uninstall - but put the apps you discard in the trash so you 'can' retrieve them. In other words - say your not going to be editing movies, uninstall it to the trash, etc. That's one way.
I have a rooted s4 from Samsung. But I have a nagging feeling that rooting this with an update to Android L, I will miss something.
sycotik said:
I have a rooted s4 from Samsung. But I have a nagging feeling that rooting this with an update to Android L, I will miss something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, no reason to root. Stay where you are and don't move.
sycotik said:
I have a rooted s4 from Samsung. But I have a nagging feeling that rooting this with an update to Android L, I will miss something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's my motivation?
Recovery, roms, kernels, Titanium Backup.
Sent from my SM-T700
1. Write to SD card fix
2. Debloat/freeze unnecessary apps (saves space, ram, and battery)
3. Xposed Framework
a. Boot Manager
b. Wanam Xposed (fairly decent customization)
c. Youtube ad-away
d. Pandora patcher (awesome features)
e. Minminlock
f. Greenify
4. Custom recovery (scheduled backups)
Android L might take a while until officially released for Touchwiz devices. If this devs keep doing the great job that they are doing, a custom rom running a variant of Android L might show up faster.
I was not inclined to root at first and void my warranty, but I love this tablet and these additional features are must haves for me. Do whatever is best for your needs in the device.
itsregie said:
1. Write to SD card fix
2. Debloat/freeze unnecessary apps (saves space, ram, and battery)
3. Xposed Framework
a. Boot Manager
b. Wanam Xposed (fairly decent customization)
c. Youtube ad-away
d. Pandora patcher (awesome features)
e. Minminlock
f. Greenify
4. Custom recovery (scheduled backups)
Android L might take a while until officially released for Touchwiz devices. If this devs keep doing the great job that they are doing, a custom rom running a variant of Android L might show up faster.
I was not inclined to root at first and void my warranty, but I love this tablet and these additional features are must haves for me. Do whatever is best for your needs in the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For all the newbs out there can you (explain in detail) the benefits of all those features, for newly rooted users. Thanks [emoji106]
Sure...
1. Write to SD card fix => I download a fair amount from torrent sites, I can now save files directly to SD card instead of taking another step to copy and move them over then delete them from internal storage. I believe as stock only certain apps can write to SD card, now any app can potentially do so. Like I prefer ES File Manager as my default file manager as opposed to the Samsung My Files app. It was crippled without this fix.
2. Debloat/freeze unnecessary apps (saves space, ram, and battery) => Delete bloatware apps that you don't use which you can't do without rooting. NYTimes/Papergarden/Milk...I don't use them, so don't take up space on my limited storage.
3. Xposed Framework
a. Boot Manager => Choose which files you want or don't want at start up to improve boot time.
b. Wanam Xposed (fairly decent customization) => From status bar tweaks (colors/icons/clock), 4 way reboot options, auto expand volume panel, these little tweaks here and there that you can't get from stock make using this tablet so much better.
c. Youtube ad-away => As a heavy youtube user....NO MORE ADS!
d. Pandora patcher (awesome features) => Unlimited skips and even downloading thumbed up songs!
e. Minminlock => Remove ads from certain apps.
f. Greenify => See which apps are eating your battery and freeze those apps.
4. Custom recovery (scheduled backups) => Up to date backups in case something goes wrong. I recently had some weird bug with the Play Store where I couldn't update any apps and there was no fix I could find online. Simple flash of latest backup got me running 100% with minimal effort.
These are just my personal uses for rooting my device. Everyone has their own preferences, let me know if this helps.
itsregie said:
Sure...
1. Write to SD card fix => I download a fair amount from torrent sites, I can now save files directly to SD card instead of taking another step to copy and move them over then delete them from internal storage. I believe as stock only certain apps can write to SD card, now any app can potentially do so. Like I prefer ES File Manager as my default file manager as opposed to the Samsung My Files app. It was crippled without this fix.
2. Debloat/freeze unnecessary apps (saves space, ram, and battery) => Delete bloatware apps that you don't use which you can't do without rooting. NYTimes/Papergarden/Milk...I don't use them, so don't take up space on my limited storage.
3. Xposed Framework
a. Boot Manager => Choose which files you want or don't want at start up to improve boot time.
b. Wanam Xposed (fairly decent customization) => From status bar tweaks (colors/icons/clock), 4 way reboot options, auto expand volume panel, these little tweaks here and there that you can't get from stock make using this tablet so much better.
c. Youtube ad-away => As a heavy youtube user....NO MORE ADS!
d. Pandora patcher (awesome features) => Unlimited skips and even downloading thumbed up songs!
e. Minminlock => Remove ads from certain apps.
f. Greenify => See which apps are eating your battery and freeze those apps.
4. Custom recovery (scheduled backups) => Up to date backups in case something goes wrong. I recently had some weird bug with the Play Store where I couldn't update any apps and there was no fix I could find online. Simple flash of latest backup got me running 100% with minimal effort.
These are just my personal uses for rooting my device. Everyone has their own preferences, let me know if this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perfect summary. Not much to add!
So what's the risk then?
I'm loving the Tab S, but not being able to use Xposed and TiBU is driving me mental.
Should I root it? So far as I understand, it'll trip Knox, which means that if my tab breaks in some way, it won't be covered by the warranty anymore - is this correct?
Should I do it anyway, or maybe wait a while longer to see if someone comes up with a way to root without tripping Knox, ot to undo the Know trip counter?
Update when rooted?
Hi guys/gals,
just got this tablet (t700). If I do root, will I be able to get the next update OTA or using kies? I can appreciate this might be a difficult question as the next update obviously hasn't come out.
Thanks in advance.
you can still get OTAs if you use triangle away...if it works on the Tab S that is.
I've had Android devices for years and I still don't understand why people still want to get OTAs while rooted, that same OTA will be out within a day or two on the forums, usually with knox removed and root injected. So it just makes it easier on you if you forget all about OTAs.
henrypootel said:
So what's the risk then?
I'm loving the Tab S, but not being able to use Xposed and TiBU is driving me mental.
Should I root it? So far as I understand, it'll trip Knox, which means that if my tab breaks in some way, it won't be covered by the warranty anymore - is this correct?
Should I do it anyway, or maybe wait a while longer to see if someone comes up with a way to root without tripping Knox, ot to undo the Know trip counter?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Loss of warranty of a $500 plus device is a good enough reason for me not to do it. Those few benefits do not outweigh the potential downside.
itsregie said:
1. Write to SD card fix
2. Debloat/freeze unnecessary apps (saves space, ram, and battery)
3. Xposed Framework
a. Boot Manager
b. Wanam Xposed (fairly decent customization)
c. Youtube ad-away
d. Pandora patcher (awesome features)
e. Minminlock
f. Greenify
4. Custom recovery (scheduled backups)
Android L might take a while until officially released for Touchwiz devices. If this devs keep doing the great job that they are doing, a custom rom running a variant of Android L might show up faster.
I was not inclined to root at first and void my warranty, but I love this tablet and these additional features are must haves for me. Do whatever is best for your needs in the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How were you able to get Pandora Patcher to run properly on the Tab S? I rooted my tablet for this and Titanium Backup. Pandora Patcher doesn't want to work on my tablet. I even updated to the latest PP (v3.5) and Pandora (v5.5) but it still doesn't work.
brando56894 said:
you can still get OTAs if you use triangle away...if it works on the Tab S that is.
I've had Android devices for years and I still don't understand why people still want to get OTAs while rooted, that same OTA will be out within a day or two on the forums, usually with knox removed and root injected. So it just makes it easier on you if you forget all about OTAs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^ this^ all day long.....except I don't think triangle away works for this tab. The statement about ota's is dead on though
brando56894 said:
I've had Android devices for years and I still don't understand why people still want to get OTAs while rooted, that same OTA will be out within a day or two on the forums, usually with knox removed and root injected. So it just makes it easier on you if you forget all about OTAs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^ this^ all day long
brando56894 said:
I've had Android devices for years and I still don't understand why people still want to get OTAs while rooted, that same OTA will be out within a day or two on the forums, usually with knox removed and root injected. So it just makes it easier on you if you forget all about OTAs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^this^ all day long
brando56894 said:
I've had Android devices for years and I still don't understand why people still want to get OTAs while rooted, that same OTA will be out within a day or two on the forums, usually with knox removed and root injected. So it just makes it easier on you if you forget all about OTAs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could not agree more