Hello, I'm brand new here, and found my way here after purchasing my Kindle Fire last week, and upon receiving it, almost immediately did a Google search for "hacking the Kindle Fire".......just to see what people were doing to this device.
I was pleasantly surprised at how much more they are capable of. I've never owned a tablet of any kind, and I'm one of the half dozen people on the planet that doesn't yet have a smart phone, lol.
That being said, I did a few minor hacks on a couple different cell phones in he past, I just built my first computer, and it actually works, with no problems......so far anyway, lol.
What I'm getting at is.....messing around with a device doesn't intimidate me too much, and I'm not a complete stranger to tinkering with electronics, and I like the challenge, BUT, I'm far from an "expert" or as knowledgeable as a lot of you that post here.
Now, to the point.......
I saw this thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1399889
And that utility seems pretty straightforward, and after watching a youtube video on how to use it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwMHIkX20YI&feature=related
I think I will try it......maybe not right away, but in a couple weeks or so.
My Fire is being replaced by Amazon for a screen issue, and a couple other things, but anyway, I already tried just the Go Launcher Ex app, and that made quite a bit of a difference to me. Just getting rid of that stock carousal is worth it. Actually, If I could set a few of those Go wallpapers and make them stick, I'd be content for a little while anyway.
But...as far as rooting it, and please correct me if I'm wrong.....after using that utility, you're pretty much good to go, correct? I mean, as far as the Fire being able to do much more....more apps available, and getting more of a true Android OS out of the Fire etc.
If I follow that video carefully, how much of a risk is there of breaking my device, or anything really going wrong? Am I getting in over my head, or is this pretty simple stuff? I bought the Fire because it's as close to a full fledged tablet as I can afford, and now I'm learning that it can be much more of a tablet than it is, so is it worth the risk?
I'm just trying to get some kind of consensus from you people that know this like the back of your hand, if I may be biting off more than I can chew or??? And, what are the major benefits of rooting that I haven't already seen?
Thanks in advance for any input, and for reading my semi rambling post!
From my experience it has shown more beneficial to learn the command line methods first rather than going straight to a utility like the KFU.
Depending on what you want out of your Kindle Fire experience, it can be troublesome or very easy.
If you want to run a rooted straight stock interface it's slightly more work and you run the risk of Amazon's OTA updates reeking havok on your system, but there are ways around that.
If you want to run a custom rom the process is much easier as all custom roms come pre rooted. And if it's the stock Kindle Fire interface you want, there's a custom rom for that as well.
The biggest thing is installing custom recovery which, as of now, is the only thing you have to do via the command line.
Next would be installing a custom bootloader. The bootloader allows you to use the power button to enter recovery and the most recent version (1.4) allows you to change your bootmode, which will prove very useful in a pinch. Also the new bootloader is flashable via recovery, drastically reducing the possibility of "bricking" your device.
After that, installing and switching between roms is easy with recovery.
There is an immense knowledge base here but it isn't very organized and the search function has a bit to be desired. But if you look around, you'll see most of the same problems are repeated throughout (usually due to lack of experience or user error or both).
The guide posted at this link is a must for any Kindle Fire user so check it out. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=23747567
Read through the second and third posts as well.
Good luck
And at the end of the third post Soup mentions above, is a link to a supplemental guide written by Kinfauns that puts all the previous info together to let you root and install roms via commands if you decide to go that route instead of using KFU or a similar utility.
soupmagnet said:
From my experience it has shown more beneficial to learn the command line methods first rather than going straight to a utility like the KFU.
Depending on what you want out of your Kindle Fire experience, it can be troublesome or very easy.
If you want to run a rooted straight stock interface it's slightly more work and you run the risk of Amazon's OTA updates reeking havok on your system, but there are ways around that.
If you want to run a custom rom the process is much easier as all custom roms come pre rooted. And if it's the stock Kindle Fire interface you want, there's a custom rom for that as well.
The biggest thing is installing custom recovery which, as of now, is the only thing you have to do via the command line.
Next would be installing a custom bootloader. The bootloader allows you to use the power button to enter recovery and the most recent version (1.4) allows you to change your bootmode, which will prove very useful in a pinch. Also the new bootloader is flashable via recovery, drastically reducing the possibility of "bricking" your device.
After that, installing and switching between roms is easy with recovery.
There is an immense knowledge base here but it isn't very organized and the search function has a bit to be desired. But if you look around, you'll see most of the same problems are repeated throughout (usually due to lack of experience or user error or both).
The guide posted at this link is a must for any Kindle Fire user so check it out. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=23747567
Read through the second and third posts as well.
Good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for all that info. Much appreciated. I will read that guide thoroughly, and make a decision. I got my replacement Kindle Fire today, and I just found out you can't remove some of their pre loaded apps. Not the end of the world, but that kind of thing right there is why I will most likely root it.....to have control of the device to do with as I please. I'll see how I feel after I read the guide. Like I said, I like the challenge of stuff like this, and simply making the device more personal. I ended up getting a brand new one for $128, so that makes it even more worth the small risk of turning it into a paperweight. I doubt that would happen, but I'm not taking it lightly either.....I know it can happen.
leswgnr said:
And at the end of the third post Soup mentions above, is a link to a supplemental guide written by Kinfauns that puts all the previous info together to let you root and install roms via commands if you decide to go that route instead of using KFU or a similar utility.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And thank you as well.
Is there a downside to using the KFU? It seems like it does everything for you pretty much automatically, but maybe that's just how I see it watching that video, and I'm off track, and missing something, or taking it too lightly.
soulweeper51 said:
And thank you as well.
Is there a downside to using the KFU? It seems like it does everything for you pretty much automatically, but maybe that's just how I see it watching that video, and I'm off track, and missing something, or taking it too lightly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are many variables that can come into play to make the KFU a bad choice for beginners IMO. For a small majority of users, the KFU works flawlessly. But there are some, for a lot of different reasons, for which it has caused unforeseeable problems, without having the necessary knowledge to fix. And for that reason I suggest you research and learn how everything works beforehand so you will have a strong foundation to troubleshoot any problems that may, and likely will arise.
soulweeper51 said:
Is there a downside to using the KFU? It seems like it does everything for you pretty much automatically, but maybe that's just how I see it watching that video, and I'm off track, and missing something, or taking it too lightly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Soupmagnet sums it up well in the prior post. I haven't used KFU but have looked at it to see what it's doing, and seen all the instances where someone needed help after using it. When it works it works great, but if you really want "...to have control of the device to do with as I please ... like the challenge of stuff like this" -- then go for it!! The guides will help you get there.
While it's a lot to learn, it's not as much as it seems and will stand you in good stead for as long as you have the device.
leswgnr said:
Soupmagnet sums it up well in the prior post. I haven't used KFU but have looked at it to see what it's doing, and seen all the instances where someone needed help after using it. When it works it works great, but if you really want "...to have control of the device to do with as I please ... like the challenge of stuff like this" -- then go for it!! The guides will help you get there.
While it's a lot to learn, it's not as much as it seems and will stand you in good stead for as long as you have the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I read through the guide once, and a fair amount went right over my head, lol. But, I'll read it a few times to let it sink in. Like I said, I'm not nearly as smart as a lot of people that post here, when it comes to this kind of thing, but I've attempted a few things like this with success, and I'm fairly brave, as far as taking the risk. It sounds like you really have to not be paying attention to brick this thing.
Hey, there's only one way to learn, right?
soulweeper51 said:
Yeah, I read through the guide once, and a fair amount went right over my head, lol. But, I'll read it a few times to let it sink in. Like I said, I'm not nearly as smart as a lot of people that post here, when it comes to this kind of thing, but I've attempted a few things like this with success, and I'm fairly brave, as far as taking the risk. It sounds like you really have to not be paying attention to brick this thing.
Hey, there's only one way to learn, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's very difficult, if not impossible to truly brick this device. The worst thing you can do is kill the bootloader, but even that is not an irrecoverable mistake.
The first post is the most important of the three... you should at least have a good grasp of that one. What part of the guide gave you problems?
kinfauns said:
The first post is the most important of the three... you should at least have a good grasp of that one. What part of the guide gave you problems?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not so much a "problem", as some of it is a little foreign to me.......I guess that's a good way to put it. As much as I want to just use the KFU and cross my fingers, I do want to understand as much of it as I can, so in the event of something going a little south, I hopefully know exactly why.
The Youtube video I watched makes it look so easy, but like I was told, doesn't help with understanding how it all works.
Not to question your capabilities, but what's the rush? You say you've never had a smartphone, so I take it you're unfamiliar with Android devices.
I see so much misinformation floating around about the Fire (you need to root to sideload apps, you need to root to change the stock UI, etc.).
Why don't you fool around with it for a week or two first, get familiar with Android, and see what it's capable of doing, and then root it?
grvthang said:
Not to question your capabilities, but what's the rush? You say you've never had a smartphone, so I take it you're unfamiliar with Android devices.
I see so much misinformation floating around about the Fire (you need to root to sideload apps, you need to root to change the stock UI, etc.).
Why don't you fool around with it for a week or two first, get familiar with Android, and see what it's capable of doing, and then root it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I basically agree with you, as far as not rushing into it. Part of it is my personality......I started looking up what people do to this device as soon as I got it, and it doesn't take long to see how much you can do with it, if you choose.
I hated that carousel right away, so I got Go Launcher Ex, to get rid of that....then I discovered some of the Go wallpapers, and when you set one, it reverts back to the stock one every time it "wakes up" or is powered on, so I found a Youtube video that shows how to set the wallpaper you choose to stay, but it has to be rooted.......and so on and so forth. You get the idea. At the moment I'd be happy just to root it and do that, and then go from there. Like I said, part of it is "I want to do it, just because I can", and it will be more "mine". Maybe that sounds corny, but it's how I feel about it, for the most part. I want to do a few things that I want to do, and then learn more and do more, accordingly, if that makes sense.
That being said, I watched the Youtube video by Nat3mil on using KFU, but from what I can tell, he just goes through downloading the utility, installing the drivers on your computer, and then how to Install Permanent Root with Superuser(option 2)......but what about the other 5 commands?
Like
1 Bootmode menu
3 Install latest TWRP recovery
4 Install latest clockwork recovery
5 Install latest FireFireFire
6 Extras <Requires root>
I guess what I'm asking is....if a person uses KFU, is it best to use all the commands? I guess because the video I watched didn't cover anything other than Install Permanent Root, I'm a little confused.
I hope that made sense, and I'm pretty sure that may seem like a stupid question, but if I don't ask, I won't know.
I'm assuming I can just Install Permanent Root to start with, or like I said, do I go through all the commands?
Go easy on me.
Select install permanent root it should put on fff boot loader and twrp all in one shot clockwork mod recovery isn't needed at that point as for the extras Google market is nice. I say twrp if you want to try any of the new ics roms cwm won't flash them if you do you'll be bricked.
But it might be a little different since I tryed it maybe fff and twrp are seperate installs last time I ran it the first screen I came to after it rebooted was burrito root then it rebooted again I was greeted by the fff bootloader then it booted into twrp where there was a big reboot button so I hit reboot. It then rebooted to the fff bootloader screen then into the kindle os all done rooted new boot loader and recovery
---------- Post added at 12:40 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:25 AM ----------
This may differ now the best person to ask is vashypooh himself
---------- Post added at 01:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:40 AM ----------
Nat3mil is a great guy and he has done very good videos I just noticed on this last one he didn't show you what's going on on the kindle screen I really wish he would have. If you watch the others 6.21 and 6.22 they vary slightly from that of 6.3.
1. Get adb working
2. Check allow installation from unknown sources
3. Make sure that your USB mass storage drivers are still functioning( in an emergency you will need them)
4 never unplug your device until you are darn sure the process is finished.
Read the dialogue that happens in kfu you can see what is being pushed to your kindle
Ask lots of questions if your in doubt
---------- Post added at 01:25 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:02 AM ----------
Oh and use the most recent version of kfu it has the very latest bootloader which is different from the original more features are added. To access recovery from this one when you see the blue kindle fire logo give the power button a few pushes small words will come up at the bottom of the screen.
-- normal--
Recovery
Change boot mode
The power button toggles you through these options.
If I had to choose of course root first second run twrp third run fff last Google apps/go launcher.
O.k. thanks!
Now that I've read that guide a couple times, and watched the video a couple times, I'm torn between the two. The idea of just letting KFU do everything, and hoping nothing goes south has an appeal, and the manual method is just more tedious, but you learn more in the process, kind of like when I built my first computer recently......I learned a lot, though it would have been easier to just buy one. Damn.....not sure what to do.
If I'm following all this correctly, if I use the KFU, and there is an OTA update, could I potentially have a problem on my hands that could be a PITA, or would I simply lose the root and have to do it again?
Also, it sounds to me like the custom ROM is the way to go, and actually a littler easier???
Hope my assumptions are at least fairly accurate.
Your correct but you will just lose root from an ota and yes custom rooms will solve this as long as your willing to live with some bugs. CM7 is stable but once you learn about the bugs of CM9 its not all that bad.
Thepooch said:
Your correct but you will just lose root from an ota and yes custom rooms will solve this as long as your willing to live with some bugs. CM7 is stable but once you learn about the bugs of CM9 its not all that bad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to clarify......if I wait a bit on the custom roms, and just root it for now, and there is an OTA update, I simply lose the root...no other harm done. Just root it again, and back in business, correct?
Just making sure.
Not quite. OTA updates usually cause a lot of problems to rooted devices and if you don't know how to fix them, you may be looking at a lot of headaches. You can disable them for now but no one knows for sure if Amazon will try to get around it. The more we learn, the more they learn as well. Apple has an entire team whose sole purpose is to try to beat the jailbreakers and I think it's only a matter of time before Amazon follows suit. And at the rate some of these noobs keep sending their devices back with problems caused by modifying, I think that time will be a lot sooner than we think. But that's just my opinion.
soupmagnet said:
Not quite. OTA updates usually cause a lot of problems to rooted devices and if you don't know how to fix them, you may be looking at a lot of headaches. You can disable them for now but no one knows for sure if Amazon will try to get around it. The more we learn, the more they learn as well. Apple has an entire team whose sole purpose is to try to beat the jailbreakers and I think it's only a matter of time before Amazon follows suit. And at the rate some of these noobs keep sending their devices back with problems caused by modifying, I think that time will be a lot sooner than we think. But that's just my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you.
That definitely all makes perfect sense. Like I said, I'd like to change a few things, and rooting it would allow the little changes that would make me content for a bit, but it's either just root it, and disable the updates(with fingers crossed they don't get around it for a bit), or go straight to the custom roms, and updates are no longer in the equation......am I on the right page with that?
Also, If I decide to just root it for now, and disable the updates, and Amazon finds a way around it in the not too distant future, how hard is to just go back to the stock device?
Yeah right page http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1399072
Related
First of all, let me apologize for being very ignorant about most of the stuff on here, even though I am very interested. I have looked and can not find a definitive answer, although I believe I should have antivirus, I have no idea what to use. I have Norton Systemworks on my PC. I also want to root my phone to be able to get rid of some of the factory installed garbage on it. I have been told that it is not wise to delete some of the installed apps because android uses parts of some to make others work. Is there anyway to do a total recovery image of my stock phone so if I totally screw it up, I can fall back on it? I think so, based on what I have read here---but honestly, I got a headache yesterday reading on here and trying to learn. I am not a super-techy guy, I just want my phone to do what I want it to, and none of the extra crap that I don't want. And lastly, should I wait to root my phone until Gingerbread comes out, or will it really matter? While I do know what a rom does and is, I do not understand kernels or most of the other things on here, so i actually need 'hand-holding' through some of this. Thank you for your help...anything you can tell me will help out.
hey man. i am willing to help you thorugh this entire thing. pm me for any more questions, but here is a start. it seems you have a baisic computer working knowledge, so this wont be too hard. first, a kernel is the scripts that let the hardware communicate with the software. the nice thing about this is it can easily be modified and built upon. a few devs have added scripts and stuff to the stock kernels to make them much more powerful and battery efficiant.
this recovery image you are talking about wont fix you phone if you screw it, but it will take you back in time to when you made the backup. you can also unroot to take off any mods you have applied. always remember to MAKE A NAND BACKUP WHENEVER YOU DO ANYTHING WITH YOUR PHONE THAT COULD REMOTELY BE CONSICERED A MODIFICATION. otherwise, you can end up with a very expensive paperweight.
there are partitions on the phone's memory. there are things like userdata and cache, but there are three main ones that we will mess with: system, recovery, and hboot. system is the rom of the phone. it is the software. it si obvious why this would be altered: to get better, more efficiant, or cooler software. then, we have the recovery. this is a factory tool for resetting and manual updating. this is packed with security, but there is no security that keeps us from changing the recovery. get where i'm going? if we change the recovery to one that has been heavily cracked and maybe built from scratch by a very talented dev (i reccomend amonra's recovery) then we can make the phone believe it is being updated when we are really modifying it.
the hboot is a developmental factory partition that is used for total firmware updates and google/android development. removing the security from this is the first stage in rooting.
i would highly reccomend rooting, and would be happy to 'hold your hand' along the way. i hope this helps and does not just confuse you more.
dk
oh, almost forgot. dont wait for gingerbread. the devs will make some roms that will include gingerbread packed in. i actually reccomend you root before gingerbread so you dont have to wait for a root method for that.
lookout antivirus can be found in the market.
Guys no offense. My galaxy doesn't even have froyo so I have no room to talk but I wouldn't get to worried about gingerbread yet. LOL it hasn't even been officially announced
Sent from my SCH-I500-Fascinate using XDA App
ksizzle9 said:
Guys no offense. My galaxy doesn't even have froyo so I have no room to talk but I wouldn't get to worried about gingerbread yet. LOL it hasn't even been officially announced
Sent from my SCH-I500-Fascinate using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agreed. cyanogen will probably port it in about january or february. long time, no need to wait.
dkdude36 said:
hey man. i am willing to help you thorugh this entire thing. pm me for any more questions, but here is a start. it seems you have a baisic computer working knowledge, so this wont be too hard. first, a kernel is the scripts that let the hardware communicate with the software. the nice thing about this is it can easily be modified and built upon. a few devs have added scripts and stuff to the stock kernels to make them much more powerful and battery efficiant.
this recovery image you are talking about wont fix you phone if you screw it, but it will take you back in time to when you made the backup. you can also unroot to take off any mods you have applied. always remember to MAKE A NAND BACKUP WHENEVER YOU DO ANYTHING WITH YOUR PHONE THAT COULD REMOTELY BE CONSICERED A MODIFICATION. otherwise, you can end up with a very expensive paperweight.
there are partitions on the phone's memory. there are things like userdata and cache, but there are three main ones that we will mess with: system, recovery, and hboot. system is the rom of the phone. it is the software. it si obvious why this would be altered: to get better, more efficiant, or cooler software. then, we have the recovery. this is a factory tool for resetting and manual updating. this is packed with security, but there is no security that keeps us from changing the recovery. get where i'm going? if we change the recovery to one that has been heavily cracked and maybe built from scratch by a very talented dev (i reccomend amonra's recovery) then we can make the phone believe it is being updated when we are really modifying it.
the hboot is a developmental factory partition that is used for total firmware updates and google/android development. removing the security from this is the first stage in rooting.
i would highly reccomend rooting, and would be happy to 'hold your hand' along the way. i hope this helps and does not just confuse you more.
dk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like mhoodie, I, too, am a newbie in need of hand-holding. How do I make a nand backup? My EVO is rooted 2.1 with XDA- WiFi Tether, no 147.651.~.~. How to upgrade to Froyo and maintain root? How can a friend with brand new Evo root and load XDA- WiFi Tether? AFTER these I'd like to know how to flash a ROM. You can communicate with me through this forum or [email protected] or 908-251-3532. Of course I'll contact you any way you like.
Dsims6465
sounds good. i would love to help. i have finals coming up, so i might be a bit busy the next few days, but i will try to help as much as possible. gtalk seems like the way to do it.
these forums helped me when i was a noob, so i'm trying to help out now. next on to do list: pay back for all the roms. (i wish)
mhoodie said:
First of all, let me apologize for being very ignorant about most of the stuff on here, even though I am very interested. I have looked and can not find a definitive answer, although I believe I should have antivirus, I have no idea what to use. I have Norton Systemworks on my PC. I also want to root my phone to be able to get rid of some of the factory installed garbage on it. I have been told that it is not wise to delete some of the installed apps because android uses parts of some to make others work. Is there anyway to do a total recovery image of my stock phone so if I totally screw it up, I can fall back on it? I think so, based on what I have read here---but honestly, I got a headache yesterday reading on here and trying to learn. I am not a super-techy guy, I just want my phone to do what I want it to, and none of the extra crap that I don't want. And lastly, should I wait to root my phone until Gingerbread comes out, or will it really matter? While I do know what a rom does and is, I do not understand kernels or most of the other things on here, so i actually need 'hand-holding' through some of this. Thank you for your help...anything you can tell me will help out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't worry about using an anti-virus on android, they're pretty much useless and will do nothing but eat up your battery. Once you root you can install a custom recovery that you have to reboot the phone in and that can create backups of all your partitions. Those are called nandroids and are basically a snap shot of how your phone is set up at that moment. You must be rooted to do any of this though.
Ok, just because I do not quite understand....why is it that I do not need antivirus on my Evo since I surf the web, download apps, and open emails.....on a PC, the same things without protection against virus, trojans, etc... will get my pc and life screwed in a very short time? And, by 'screw my phone up', I mean if I delete something that I need.....can I just go back---also, is there anywhere a list of the apps that android uses to run other things. Specifically, I want to get rid of the exchange mail, amazon mp3,qik, peep, friendstream, nascar, stocks, news, news and weather. I have no need for these apps, and as most of you know for whatever reason, evo will run them whenever it wants.
i have no idea about antiviruses, but you can delete anything that is either a widget or an app in your launcher. everything else is proceed with caution.
definitely root...antivirus is a personal thing...I do use lookout and its free in the market.
after you root...I suggest using titanium backup to uninstall most if not all of those apps you mentioned.
you could also go the custom ROM route...most ROMs out there already have most of those apps removed already.
mhoodie said:
Ok, just because I do not quite understand....why is it that I do not need antivirus on my Evo since I surf the web, download apps, and open emails.....on a PC, the same things without protection against virus, trojans, etc... will get my pc and life screwed in a very short time? And, by 'screw my phone up', I mean if I delete something that I need.....can I just go back---also, is there anywhere a list of the apps that android uses to run other things. Specifically, I want to get rid of the exchange mail, amazon mp3,qik, peep, friendstream, nascar, stocks, news, news and weather. I have no need for these apps, and as most of you know for whatever reason, evo will run them whenever it wants.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Antiviruses being useless, so far, on android is just my opinion. If you feel better having one then by all means go for it.
There is a thread around here somewhere that has a list of all the apps you can safely delete, I don't have a link to it atm but you should be able to find it with a quick search.
Imo root now, nothing is holding us back with unrevoked forever, as for bloatware, have you tried flashing a rom? VirusRom Anthrax B4 is my poisen, and its bloat free¡
mhoodie said:
Ok, just because I do not quite understand....why is it that I do not need antivirus on my Evo since I surf the web, download apps, and open emails.....on a PC, the same things without protection against virus, trojans, etc... will get my pc and life screwed in a very short time? And, by 'screw my phone up', I mean if I delete something that I need.....can I just go back---also, is there anywhere a list of the apps that android uses to run other things. Specifically, I want to get rid of the exchange mail, amazon mp3,qik, peep, friendstream, nascar, stocks, news, news and weather. I have no need for these apps, and as most of you know for whatever reason, evo will run them whenever it wants.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me, personally, I never have and never will use antivirus programs on my computer. As long as you are knowledgeable, you shouldn't ever get viruses or anything. You just have to know what you are doing.
always willing to help
im no genius but i have been messing with rooting and android since the tmobile g1 and i had to learn all on my own. what everyone is telling u makes absolute sence but the main thing to stress is tell your friend to not update using sprints update firmware because all they do is patch the loophole to gain root access. dont wait for gbread. jump on team douche and cyanogen and enjoy the real power of android and the evo. any quetions [email protected]
Ok, so does it matter what procedure I use to root or do they all do basically the same thing, and then differences begin when I start changing the kernels and Rom around? I am going to try to root in a couple of weeks. Maybe next saturday, and I want to get as much understanding as I can before I jump in. I am sure once I play around with this for a bit I will have no problem, but I am very much a hands-on learner and its hard for me to learn something that is new to me just by reading, especially when most of what I am reading makes very little sense to me. So, thanks to everyone for their patience and help!
Myn's WarmTwopointTwo
Hi there. I was in the same boat as you are. I learned all by trail and error and by reading forum after forum. There is a ton of info out there and it can be a little too much and there are a lot of contradicting statements... I just rooted about 3 weeks ago using unrevoked3. It's the easiest way to root your phone and the safest, at least I believe that. There are other ways, but it include using the command line and things like that. With unrevoked its a very simple user friendly, 3 step process. I would highly recommend rooting your phone, once you do you will never look back. It bring out the full potential in the EVO. The best thing I like about it is I can get about double the battery life of the stock version. Check this ROM out - although it is the only one I tried I am so in love with it, I have absolutely no urge to try another ROM. Here is the second release of this ROM - the third one is in beta testing, which I am doing right now and it is 100% amazing. In order to become a beta tester, all you have to do is donate, or wait until this friday when the final version is released - FOR FREE! Here is the link for the release #2: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=793471#. You can read the thread if you have any questions about it - I know there are 600+ pages. Check out the first page and all the features that are included in this ROM. All the bloatware you speak of are not installed with this ROM. You have the option to install them. Then the other thing is the kernel. With the release 3 of WarmTwoPointTwo it comes with an HTC kernel, which I found to actually be the best out there for this ROM. I have been getting about 29 hours with moderate use with a single charge on the battery!! Pretty good huh? Please let me know if you have any more questions....You can send me a private message if you wish...I'm here to help you. Everyone on this site has been great with helping me and it seems they are willing to help anyone. I hope this helps. Oh you I just remembered you might wait until saturday to root. If you do that, I would def. recommend release #3, but if I were you I would not wait that long!
Here's a screen shot of just my home screen. Notice how much you can customize EVERYTHING. I will post more screen shots when I get time tomorrow.
I am getting ready to root my phone and when I connected to the pc, it was the first time. Drivers installed except for ADB. Is this something that I should skip, or do I need to get a driver from htc for this?
adb is very neccesary. it is obtainable from android's dev page. sorry no link (ipad) just google android go to dev section and hit download sdk.
I am coming from WinMo to the Epic. I am noticing a lot of bloatware on this phone and am wondering if rooting it and installing a custom rom the only way to remove these programs? I mean there is a lot of literal crap on this device from Sprint. Any help would be appreciated, I read through all the forums I could think of and even went to the wiki and read.
You can use "one click root",then get a program called "sdx app remover".
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App
thank you very much
jonny4 said:
I am coming from WinMo to the Epic. I am noticing a lot of bloatware on this phone and am wondering if rooting it and installing a custom rom the only way to remove these programs? I mean there is a lot of literal crap on this device from Sprint. Any help would be appreciated, I read through all the forums I could think of and even went to the wiki and read.
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Click to collapse
SDX app remover will work, but another option is to root, then download titanium backup from the market. I use the free version and it's great. Using this app, you can make backups of you apps and app data (1 at a time, in a batch, or even set overnight schedules). This comes in handy whether flashing roms, if a program gets corrupted, or even if you download an update to a program that doesn't work and want to restore the prior one. Also, if you go to the backup/restore tab, you can see all apps on the phone. If you press on the app, it brings up options, one of which is uninstall. If rooted, you can uninstall anything (just be careful).
Welcome to the epic.
I had the same thought with my heroc long ago. But the stock rom minus bloat still is garbage compared to even the worst custom rom. With this epic was never a question...custom rom 30 mins after I got it.
You can always Odin back to stock...but you never will
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
I guess I am worried about messing something up, I only started putting custome rom's on My touch Diamond after I knew I was looking for a new phone in the last 3 months. Is there just a bsaic Android 2.2 rom for the Epic, so I could start from scratch with my apps?
I would recommend Bonsai, but they seem to be busy screwing themselves over. Let's just say its a great rom, but they are making some pretty dumb moves in the PR category.
BTW, if there was
literal crap on this device from Sprint
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Click to collapse
then you should have contacted the health department.
so i am noticing some of these roms will root for me. I am looking at the bonsai thread, is it an all in one package. i am new to android rooting. i know on winmo i had to first unlock then run a ruu from my desktop.
You can use odin too load pre rooted roms. Which will give u cwm. Then u can change roms at your own discretion with out a pc. Look at the ratings and read the posts before u load a rom. Id also suggest bonsai 4.0 seems to the the most stable. And I have tried all of them.
Unless you do not care about pic msging and gps in which case definately check out cm7 aplha 3. Its androi 2.3 gingerbread .
one more question, if i don't like this how do i go back to stock rom, with winmo i just reflash old one.
maghig said:
BTW, if there was literal crap on this device from sprint then you should have contacted the health department.
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Click to collapse
Thank you for this. My keyboard thanks you for the mountain dew bath.
I have decided I actually like the Samsung ui but I can;t stand how many apps there are, I have 2 freakin Facebook apps because I can't remove the original and the newer one doesn't update the old one. So best thing to do is root and try and remove the stock apps I guess.
I already said this and no one answered. if something goes wrong, how do I go back to stock sprint rom? with winmo i just re run the rom package on my pc.
Just use ODIN. It's always right at the top of the Dev section.
thx, wanted to make sure that is the right thing, like i said i am a nOOb
I was in your shoes a month or so ago.
When I finally had enough time and bravery to mess around with the phone, I rooted and proceeded to brick my phone.
This bricking taught me a valuable lesson and its that the epic is very hard to permantly screw up. I also came from a winmo device before being hogtied and violated from palm and sprints marketin team but wounds healed and feelings of anger and sadness faded away when the epic decended from sprints hallowed halls. (Gg sprint marketing team on another successful campaign...)
Hope isn't lost and I would advise you to become used to your phone with the OTA updates (it should be at ec05) because unless you know what gains you are receiving from flashing a new rom, then it would be a pointless endevor.
Lurk more in the dev forums and play with your phone. If you have a question then ask and hopefully you will find a rom to fit your needs.
Sent from my Epic4g using the internet.
I was rushed and wanted to further clarify a little on what I posted above.
The epic you have now OP should be on 2.2.1 EC05 Froyo if it's not that way now. This is the current update pushed from sprint and I personally had no problems with it. The amount of bloat you see vs the bloat you can't (CIQ...and others *too lazy to google or search*) is a factor to consider while deciding if rooting and customs roms are for you.
I know you mentioned Touchwiz and like you, I enjoy it. Rooting and flashing a rom can remove this but many of the current roms offer a version with TW either as default or baked in. This shouldn't be of concern because you will not notice much difference between stock TW and that provided in a rom other than how "snappy" it is.
I also recommended lurking in the dev forums, and I meant that. I'll look at the first page of a thread such as the ACS rom thread in dev. After seeing what's offered, go to the last page and work backwards, noting any issues or problems people are having. Do understand that people are more likely to post a problem than give praise so do not let those post steer you away, but just use caution and take notice of what's recommended to fix it.
Although this may seem long winded, I feel that a majority of people similer to myself will either conclude that rooting is hard and not mess with it, or become lost in the ever changing acronyms, root utilities, and overall direction to successfully root their device.
What makes matters even worse is that some roms can be so complicated to install and troubleshoot that the information you need to continue isn't already clear enough to you to correctly ask a question or troublesoot. You will see this reflected in post where phones are reurned to the store after it fail to boot.
So to restate what I think would be your best option (and others who find themselves looking to root and flash custom roms), you should lurk and study the dev forums along with general. Make sure current version of froyo is on your device from the OTA update (EC05 is current and you can check by Settings/About Phone/ and scrolling down towards the bottom. Become knowledgeable about what your phone can do, then if you decide that a new rom will make for a richer experience, then follow guides handed down from the roms themselves to help make sure you successfully root and flash your phone.
It can be a headache but it's worth the pain when you finally finish.
Sent from my Epic4g using the internet.
jonny4 said:
thx, wanted to make sure that is the right thing, like i said i am a nOOb
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Click to collapse
jonny4,
I,too, was in your shoes. I registered on this forum just to reply to your post.
I've had my Epic 4G for a little over a month and I've already tried several different kernels and ROMs. I've found that a good resource for learning how to flash your Epic is YouTube. There's a guy on there with the username "randyshear." He had an Epic 4G and made a ton of how-to vids about installing ClockworkMod Recovery, making Nandroid backups, and flashing various ROMs. Before my Epic 4G, I had never had an Android phone, so I was VERY new to the whole thing. Fortunately for us, the phone has been out for a while and many options exist. I recommend checking out randyshear's vids. He posts download links to all the ROMs he tries out. I've been using the Genocide 0.3a kernel that undervolts and overclocks the CPU to 1.2 GHz and I've flashed ViperROM Apocalypse 4.0.4 with EXT4. The phone has never been faster!
Make sure you get ClockworkMod on the phone and make a backup. Also, just to be safe, back up your microSD too. Trust me, once you get the hang of it, it's actually really fun to try out different ROMs to see how your phone responds. Good luck!
EDIT: I recently flashed my Epic with SyndicateROM Frozen 1.1.0 (EC05 Froyo) with the Twilight Zone kernel and I was completely blown away! FASTEST ROM/KERNEL COMBO I have seen yet!
here is basically what i hate. i just killed a bunch of apps and 3, Clock, amazon mp3, and qik video, that I have never used or setup are already running again. It is absolutely stupid that a program that has never been used or setup can run itself, reminds of me of spyware or malware, and because Samsung locks out removing of said apps it is annoying. I would be happy with the basic rom if all these extra apps weren't running or installed. I may try what the first person suggested. I know WinMo had a bunch of crap apps installed in the Sprint rom but at least those did not run on their own. I do appreciate everyones help, really and I guess if I plan on rooting I should probably do it within my return policy.
I feel really stupid on this forum. Everyone is so smart and knows what their doing most of the time. You all talk the lingo and I'm lost half the time. I'm trying to play catch up, read and learn as much as I can. How did all of you learn this stuff? I'm searching these forums and googling everything! I'm a new Android user(obviously)and I love my Nitro, minus the horrible battery life. I really like the fact that these phones can be modified a lot. So far I've rooted my phone and did the no carrier, blue icons and battery % mods.
Now that my 30 days is over, I can NOT screw up my phone. Basically I'm not going to do a thing to it till I have a clue. I guess there's a de-bricking write up, but that is CONFUSING as hell to me. I just need lots of detail, pictures, or better yet, a video to learn that kind of stuff. Reading how do the CWM doesn't look too bad, only because I googled it for the Nitro and there's already a few cites that made a clear write up. Installing a custom ROM doesn't look to hard either. However, all the modifications to these ROMS is overwhelming. Back to Google I go for all of that stuff stuff. I just figured out how to use Titanium Backup Pro, I think. What isn't clear is how to restore my phone with the apps/contacts after a custom ROM is installed. I know theirs more I'm forgetting, but that's enough for now.
I'm not ranting, just slightly frustrated don't understand it all. Not really sure what I want out of writing all this. Maybe some guidance, help, insight and or some answers to some of my questions. Thanks for reading!
It's not you, it's just like picking up on a computer, it takes time. I'm still a noob my most standards. I'm on my 3rd Android phone and know my way around my phones, but I don't know anything about development and don't really know my way around the Android file system that well. Here are some common terms that may help you out.
ADB - Android Debug Bridge, used for running commands to your device from your computer
Fastboot - It allows you to connect to your phone and run commands without booting entirely into your rom
CWM - ClockWorkMod, most common non-stock recovery tool
Bootloader - This partition loads your rom or recovery depending on what you need / select
If there's anything you're curious about just ask and I'm sure someone will help out. My ADB and Fastboot definitions are from my very limited understanding.
Check this out too, should be helpful. Found it on Google.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=619153
You'll do just fine so long as you don't try to do too much too soon.
I got started by simply rooting my AMOLED DROID Incredible, following some online guides. After that, I removed some bloatware. I kept reading about how to do more and once Cyanogenmod 7 came out for my phone, I used it. I've stuck with it ever since.
There are other things I'd like to know, too, like if I can get remove stock applications when I'm already using replacements (browser, email, messaging, etc.). But that might have to wait until I upgrade my device so that I can try it on this phone and not the new one.
Anyway, I hear ya when it comes to the steep learning curve. Baby steps, man. Baby steps. You'll get there in due time.
Sent from my AMOLED DInc using XDA App
Man, you haven't lived until you brick your brand new first android phone within a week and a half of purchasing it off contract I almost shat bricks, I thought my phone was a lost cause.
1st andoid device for me too but I love the customization that it provides and dont like the risks. The biggest mistake I have made so far is getting stressed about change. Consequently, I will lose some patience and not follow a direction properly or think through a step like I should.
I did start with TB pro aswell but still broke my phone by freezing the stock launcher then later doing a factory reset. But I would have avoided that if I had been more patient and doublechecked what I had frozen prior. The good news is that caused me to dive in to Malninion's debrick guide which forced me to learn the basics of accessing this phone through the computer and issueeing commands which are all pretty straightforward albeit uncharted territory for me.
Now that I have a basic idea of how to use the basic tool kit I will be installing the cwm but I am waiting a bit longer to let any issues reveal themselves and more importantly see how folks really o er from those issues. Then after getting a better understanding of wtf cwm is ! I will instaall/ flash one of the custom roms after giving them a bit of time to sort themselves out as well.
So basically my strategy is to go slow, don't jump right on with a new dev until those more knowledgeable about it do and give it a good going over.
So now I'm trying to read how to use Titanium Backup to restore your apps after a you install a new ROM.
I found this> http://www.androidtablets.net/forum/viewsonic-gtablet-technical/12513-howto-titanium-backup-restore-apps-system-data-new-rom.html I know not to restore system data though.
Now what is frustrating is this: (If you have the donate version, don't forget to save your TitaniumBackup_license that is in the root folder.)
I have the Pro version, that I am 100% sure and it all works. What I think is my root folder, there is NOTHING in there (/root). I tried a search using Root Explorer and looked in Astro. I can't find my TitaniumBackup_license.txt file. I've google searched trying to find where it is and apparently it's a big secret that everybody knows but me.
It's really easy once you do it a few time's, if you need help let me know.
In an attempt to set a factory reset and have an ICS backup ROM after trying to eliminate small bugs from the JB flash (Jelly Belly w/ the fix), I erased everything by formatting data, system, and cache. The bugs were on my side of things, which is why I was trying to build from scratch.
I made the fatal error of formatting all of the above info before I had pushed Liquid's JB, and when it was time to flash the file, I had nothing.....Now, I have my buddy helping me trying to rebuild this from scratch...
I am an idiot and had no attention span today and had the same feeling that you have when you watch yourself lock your keys in your car (unless you are the dbag that doesn't feel it is "necessary to have a car in London." -Shaun of the Dead)
I joke that I was going to send my phone to Koush and give him a challenge....but he is too busy.
Any suggestions are wanted.
Right now, it appears that I have problems with the drivers. Remember, the only functional part of the phone is the bootloader and recovery mode. Cannot access USB debugging etc. b/c I can't boot the phone past the google unlock screen
Here is what I/we have done:
changed batteries
tried to load the google 4.0.2 image
load JB, ICS roms and anything stock that my friend has backed up
Reinstall the drivers
reinstall the su.zip
cheers
GN Verizon
No Rom
No Kernel
No Radios
No Nothin
Do you have adb? Have you tried to go back to stock following this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1529058
Affirmative on the ADB. Working on trying to push through drivers and everything else right now. The problem is that ADB does not see the device
You don't use ADB to flash images. Use the bootloader and fastboot on your computer.
Follow efrants guide on how to flash back to stock. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1626895
You should be back up and running.
Thanks for the clarification. Like I said, I had a safety net installed, but realized it was too late to save it before I wiped everything.
On a side not, I agree with your rant about toolkits and how they allow users who do not know what is really going on to play around with their devices, (users like me). I do not think that this is a bad thing though. I guess you have to ask the developers how they feel about the increased numbers of users and the support given through purchasing apps and their ROMS and Kernels. I am trying to learn how to manually build this stuff, but I never have rooted before, and if you had the ability to flash awesome new ROMS and Kernels that allowed for easy customization on your G1, could you honestly say that you wouldn't flash them the easy way while trying to learn the ropes? This is a function of an advancing technology. There will always be the pioneers who taught themselves from day 1 and are a little upset with those of us who come in and make it mainstream and cause a lot of problems and frustration. There is a learning curve, and the noobs/people-who-suck-at-this make it frustrating for those who have been in the game for a long time. But without a mainstream audience, there would not be the development that you are seeing today.
So I thank you for your patience and help. I am in the same spot you were in when you were teaching yourself on the G1, the only difference is that I have many more options and tools to use, so why shouldn't I use them?
hairfarmer said:
Thanks for the clarification. Like I said, I had a safety net installed, but realized it was too late to save it before I wiped everything.
On a side not, I agree with your rant about toolkits and how they allow users who do not know what is really going on to play around with their devices, (users like me). I do not think that this is a bad thing though. I guess you have to ask the developers how they feel about the increased numbers of users and the support given through purchasing apps and their ROMS and Kernels. I am trying to learn how to manually build this stuff, but I never have rooted before, and if you had the ability to flash awesome new ROMS and Kernels that allowed for easy customization on your G1, could you honestly say that you wouldn't flash them the easy way while trying to learn the ropes? This is a function of an advancing technology. There will always be the pioneers who taught themselves from day 1 and are a little upset with those of us who come in and make it mainstream and cause a lot of problems and frustration. There is a learning curve, and the noobs/people-who-suck-at-this make it frustrating for those who have been in the game for a long time. But without a mainstream audience, there would not be the development that you are seeing today.
So I thank you for your patience and help. I am in the same spot you were in when you were teaching yourself on the G1, the only difference is that I have many more options and tools to use, so why shouldn't I use them?
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Click to collapse
Thanks for your comment. I reiterated a few times in that thread that I don't think toolkits are necessarily bad. I was just stating the problems they may cause. They do serve a purpose.
Many people in this forum get stuck and make panic threads giving no information about how they messed up their phone. Which doesn't leave people who are here to help much to work with. The frustration with that led me to make that post.
Your thread asking for help was an informative one and I have no problem trying to help someone like your self. You did it the right way.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I don't use a single google service on my tablet.
I would like to remove the apps completely.
I never use Talk, Now, Plus, Hangouts or any of that stuff. I also don't want a big search bar on my home screen. I tried disabling google search in settings and the bar is still there.
What all do I need to do this? I like the tablet itself but I have no interest in all of the google apps.
Root and uninstall them?
k3lcior said:
Root and uninstall them?
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Click to collapse
Anything I should read besides the flashing tutorial link in the FAQ? This will be my first time rooting an android device, but I've been wanting to learn for a while now so I'm excited.
You should look at this series of articles hosted by XDA itself:
http://www.xda-developers.com/tag/say-sayonara/
I haven't done any of this myself since I rely on my Google apps to be there, but I was definitely interested in how it could be done.
As for the search bar in the home screen, I suggest getting a 3rd party launcher like Nova Launcher or Apex launcher. They have options to disable the persistent search bar.
---------- Post added at 02:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:27 PM ----------
Oh yeah... I forgot to add:
My suggestion would be to flash an AOSP ROM like CyanogenMod, but just don't flash the corresponding Google Apps package. That way, you'll have a version of Android devoid of all Google services. I've also never tried this myself since, again, I rely on Google apps, but it should work. I can tell you're new at the custom ROM scene, but don't be afraid of doing anything wrong to your device. If you just follow the directions in tutorials and in the OP of custom ROM threads, you'll be fine. The Nexus is virtually unbrickable, so if you mess something up, you can always flash the factory restore images from Google themselves.
boneless9000 said:
Anything I should read besides the flashing tutorial link in the FAQ? This will be my first time rooting an android device, but I've been wanting to learn for a while now so I'm excited.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use Wugfresh Toolkit, it's super easy it will tell you everything you have to do.
Then you just click "Root" and it will do everything for you.
Awesome, really appreciate the help guys. Asked at another forum and they all jumped my **** and said I was an idiot for buying the tablet in the first place etc., when it was a gift and I love the hardware, just not big on the software.
I've modded iphones and PSP's and setup linux dual boots on laptops so I'm alright tinkering with ****. I think you guys pointed me in the right direction. Thanks again!
boneless9000 said:
Awesome, really appreciate the help guys. Asked at another forum and they all jumped my **** and said I was an idiot for buying the tablet in the first place etc., when it was a gift and I love the hardware, just not big on the software.
I've modded iphones and PSP's and setup linux dual boots on laptops so I'm alright tinkering with ****. I think you guys pointed me in the right direction. Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would like to suggest rom toolbox pro. *It is a great piece of software. *If it were me I would begin with freezing one app at a time and find which are required on your tablet. *If you have problems you can defrost that one and continue. *If everything is good then you can leave as is and defrost just to take the next update or uninstall completely.
You will find on the stock firmware some of the google software is required. *I am not sure about custom roms being completely devoid of google although most do flash gaaps (myself included).