Hey everyone,
Just got a GN a few weeks ago, and I am dying to try a custom ROM, but I got dinged by my work with my infuse because they have a no-root policy strickly enforced when accessing our corporate email.
I was not able to use an un-root app like root keeper, apparently because the ZEUS rom I was using had an autoroot on startup.
I am hoping the nexus has better options for using the un-root app, to (temporarily) unroot my phone when accessing my mail.
I have been reading that it is better to manually root the handset, rather than use a toolkit, which I am OK with; but I really would be interested in hearing from someone that has successfully used an unroot app to remove root.
- Thanks!
KevinAlbrecht said:
Hey everyone,
Just got a GN a few weeks ago, and I am dying to try a custom ROM, but I got dinged by my work with my infuse because they have a no-root policy strickly enforced when accessing our corporate email.
I was not able to use an un-root app like root keeper, apparently because the ZEUS rom I was using had an autoroot on startup.
I am hoping the nexus has better options for using the un-root app, to (temporarily) unroot my phone when accessing my mail.
I have been reading that it is better to manually root the handset, rather than use a toolkit, which I am OK with; but I really would be interested in hearing from someone that has successfully used an unroot app to remove root.
- Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
C m9 has this option I believe
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
How can they tell if you are rooted just through email use?
CM9 lets you restrict root access to ADB only. Might want to check that out
imnuts said:
How can they tell if you are rooted just through email use?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We access our corporate mail through the GOOD for enterprise application, and and that scans for root on load.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
If the app scans for just the root binary or Superuser app, then I don't see a way to prevent it from detecting root without actually being unrooted. It likely looks in all $PATH dirs for su, and then in /system/app or /data/app for the application to grant permissions. Any ROM can be unrooted, just remove the su binary (and any symlinks) and the Superuser app before flashing.
Damn, they take the fun out of the whole Nexus experience.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
imnuts said:
If the app scans for just the root binary or Superuser app, then I don't see a way to prevent it from detecting root without actually being unrooted. It likely looks in all $PATH dirs for su, and then in /system/app or /data/app for the application to grant permissions. Any ROM can be unrooted, just remove the su binary (and any symlinks) and the Superuser app before flashing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, thanks. I guess what I am asking is if any of the unroot apps work with the custom ROMs the Nexus has. The ZEUS rom I was using with the infuse had something related to voodoo that kept ROOT, and the unroot apps did not have an affect.
I have only flashed two android ROMs with my infuse, but am an application developer by trade, so I am not skeered by the command prompt. I know there are a few CM9 based ROMs out there. I was looking at the PARANOID rom just cause that seemed interesting with the tablet hybrid. I just would like to know before I go through the whole flashing proc. that I can unroot before I connect to my work email (about once a week).
- Thanks for the replys so far. - Kevin
Just wondering...what is so dangerous about having root when accessing email?
fredryk said:
Just wondering...what is so dangerous about having root when accessing email?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depending on the apps, root permission allows an app to gain full control of your device, so if one is not careful, he may let a rouge app into the phone. From a security standpoint, the rouge app may steal data from the email, which no company wants.
Think root as your computer's "Run as Administrator", same reason companies/schools limit user permission using User Policy(or whatever it's called)
Could just make a script to delete su and superuser and busybox, and make a flashable zip to put them back again.
Would require a couple of reboots every time but would still be quick to do once you had the zips set up
Sent from my Cyanogenmodded GNex
dr.m0x said:
Could just make a script to delete su and superuser and busybox, and make a flashable zip to put them back again.
Would require a couple of reboots every time but would still be quick to do once you had the zips set up
Sent from my Cyanogenmodded GNex
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's why I asked if anyone had success with the RootKeeper app. Although I would be interested in building an android script, my experience is soley with vb/C# web & desktop applications.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.projectvoodoo.otarootkeeper&hl=en
Use SuperSU. What I did was temporarily block root, installed whatever MDM app was needed, set up the stock Exchange information, and allowed root again.
Let me know if this works for you.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Thanks shanky,
I will look into super su. The GOOD application checks on every launch, and so I will need to run it whenever I need to check work email, and but that is only once or twice a week from my phone.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
KevinAlbrecht said:
Thanks shanky,
I will look into super su. The GOOD application checks on every launch, and so I will need to run it whenever I need to check work email, and but that is only once or twice a week from my phone.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Kevin,
did you have success with that? Or any other suggestion?
I have the same problem, my IT wants to wipe GFE container if my device keeps rooted.
Thanks..
Hi RTHppc,
Sorry for the very late reply. I can confirm this does work with GFE. The unroot effectively does not cause a compliance violation.
Overall it was a hassle to verify, even though our infrastructure team was completely on board. GOOD was balking when I attempted to register a second device (even temporarily) with the same sim card. It would only throw an ambiguous error 'unknown error'.
I could go on, but that is the subject for a rant thread.
Sent from my SGH-I997 using xda app-developers app
Related
I recently started working for a company that uses good for enterprise for their email. I know how it works but my question is this.
Can't I delete su and busy box to remove root. Then whenever i need root I can just go to recovery and install a .Zip package that adds the two files back.
Does anyone know if this would be possible?
P.s. what gets me is that pirates remove security protection from payed apps all the time, but a work around for this does not exist.
Thanks
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
You could nandroid your current setup then flash the unrooted OTA - leave s-off. You'll have to reflash recovery and nandroid the unrooted rom. Then you can restore your backup if you need root.
Or you can unroot and go to the 3.70 OTA (the last FroYo release) and use z4root for temp root. There isn't a temp root for the GB update, so do not unroot and accept the OTA unless you want to wait for a root exploit which could take weeks.
I don't know why you need to be unrooted for email. Depending on why, what you're asking may be possible. But do understand that modifying a rom is a lot more involved than modifying an app.
(from... Evo/MIUI/Tapatalk)
You could also try to badger your IT department to remove the restriction. It's configurable, and not something inherent in Good. My company doesn't have it enabled, for example, and I can run Good rooted.
Doubtful you'll succeed, but it can't really hurt to try, right?
Actually I'm in the IT department and only one person holds the keys, the answer was a no.. =(
But I do know GFE only checks for busybody and su. I was hoping I could delete the two files then just create a patch that could be deployed in recovery to add these m files back as needed.
But before I go flashing has anyone tried this?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
I haven't tried it since I don't need to. But back before they'd rolled Good out for us (but after I heard it was coming), I read that the administrators have the option of locking root users out. I didn't know if they were going to do it or not, so I was thinking along the exact lines you were. Luckily it turned out to be unneeded for me, but it should work. As long as you're S-OFF, there shouldn't be any real risk in trying it.
Ill prob. Try it today. I have a transformer rooted as well. So we will see.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
darkansi said:
Actually I'm in the IT department and only one person holds the keys, the answer was a no.. =(
But I do know GFE only checks for busybody and su. I was hoping I could delete the two files then just create a patch that could be deployed in recovery to add these m files back as needed.
But before I go flashing has anyone tried this?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes i do it all the time but I dont flash them, I remove them then add them in again. Be sure you turn persistent mode off, then quit the app.
I used my transformer as a guinea pig and it worked. But what I did was delete su, busybox and superuser.apk.
Then whenever I needed root I would flash my rom back without wiping.
I want to make a .zip file with only those 3 files in it. So the flash time and footprint is small. Any suggestions on reading material.
@ matt1313
how do you add them back, through recovery or within the OS. (if through the os how do you r/w access.
Thanks again.
darkansi said:
I used my transformer as a guinea pig and it worked. But what I did was delete su, busybox and superuser.apk.
Then whenever I needed root I would flash my rom back without wiping.
I want to make a .zip file with only those 3 files in it. So the flash time and footprint is small. Any suggestions on reading material.
@ matt1313
how do you add them back, through recovery or within the OS. (if through the os how do you r/w access.
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At the time of post I was using leaked GB and Gingerbreak, I would just use Gingerbreak to get root again when I needed it.
Now after the new update on Good to 1.73 I get ROOT detected when I have no Root. So now we need to see what they are detecting.
It would be nice if someone could decompile the app and change the ROOT detection method.
So I've come to notice that I can't even change a widget background to transparent without rooting (right?) so I want to root my phone. I reflashed my GN to have yakju which wiped all the data and it was a pain to get everything back as it was before. Was able to save my messages, which I'm very thankful for as it took ages to get them out of my old Nokia (series 40) to my GN. Since I've downloaded apps from "third party providers" that usually cost money but were on a special sale (GetJar) and I'd also lose these apps.
It seems that there are a lot of ways to backup data if you have root access, but if you don't your out of luck. Shame on me for not rooting the minute I got the phone, but I believed when people told me that Android was open (BAZINGA). So before I lose ~20 bucks worth of apps I want to be sure there really is no way for me to save them somewhere somehow.
Could someone also point me to a topic of sorts where there are some facts listed about rooting? I know it's somewhere here, but I haven't found it (to be frank this question is probably also in here somewhere, but couldn't find it either). I guess I can't have a rooted phone with the default ROM? Right? So if I root I won't get updates from Google?
As you can see I'm an Android/XDA nooblet.
For data back up after rooting Titanium Backup is a must have. I bought the pro version.
From my understanding you will still get OTA updates from Google if the finger print = google/yakju/maguro:4.0.2/ICL53.... for example.
If the fingerpring contains samsung anywhere in there then your upade will come from sammy not google
I have TB installed, but as said I'm not rooted yet so it's useless. My device is currently marked as Google. So what I have to do is just choose a ROM that has that fingerprint? Okay.
start here mate http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1392310
Rooting will NOT wipe your data or apps. However, if you re-locked your bootloader, then you are out of luck, as unlocking the bootloader causes a full wipe. You should always leave your bootloader unlocked -- it saves a lot of hassle... like what you are now experiencing.
There is no good way to backup without root.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
efrant said:
Rooting will NOT wipe your data or apps. However, if you re-locked your bootloader, then you are out of luck, as unlocking the bootloader causes a full wipe. You should always leave your bootloader unlocked -- it saves a lot of hassle... like what you are now experiencing.
There is no good way to backup without root.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you positive? That would be awesome!
Another noob question, what's the difference between rooting and unlocking the bootloader? Is the latter for installing things like ClockWorkMod Recovery?
Neo3D said:
Are you positive? That would be awesome!
Another noob question, what's the difference between rooting and unlocking the bootloader? Is the latter for installing things like ClockWorkMod Recovery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting simply gives you 'root' access, which is the Linux equivalent of administrator on Windows. Unlocking the bootloader lets you flash packages signed by sources other than official, or unsigned as well.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Neo3D said:
Are you positive? That would be awesome!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're talking about rooting not wiping your phone, then yes. However, unlocking will wipe your phone, thus the recommendation to do it before you've d/led or configured anything. I unlocked right after I did the initial out-of-box setup, had to go through again after the unlock wiped the phone, and then rooted it yesterday. I used this method to root (there's a similar rundown in the GN LTE forum) and none of my apps or tweaks had been removed or changed. But you should always make backups just in case, which the first link helps you with.
Yeah. So the answer is there is no way to save your your data. Luckily a lot of the stuff is synced with Google. Your messages you can save with SMS backup. I unlocked, rooted and went ahead and flashed a new ROM (hopefully that is the right terminology: you flash ROMs, right?). In between the new ROM and rooting I backed up with Titanium Backup.
This one let's you sync with Facebook which is awesome. Now if only FB would be added as an IM service as well. It's probably the only instant messaging service in use around here; kind of a bummer it isn't included. Does anyone know if someone is intending to add this functionality in a custom ROM etc? (sorry, just feels wrong to strat a new topic for this question.)
I have my music widget now with a transparent background.
You won't lose the paid apps even if you wipe/unistall them. They will appear as purchased for you in the android market always. You just need to reinstall them.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
My backup pro
App manager on es file explorer makes back ups of .apk files, pretty sure you don't need root, but I could be mistaken, its a free app so its not like you have anything to lose. If it does work, after backing up your apps you can then move the files to your pc with a usb cable, or transfer the files to a cloud storage like dropbox for extra security.
Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using xda premium
Jaytex24 said:
App manager on es file explorer makes back ups of .apk files, pretty sure you don't need root, but I could be mistaken, its a free app so its not like you have anything to lose. If it does work, after backing up your apps you can then move the files to your pc with a usb cable, or transfer the files to a cloud storage like dropbox for extra security.
Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Needs root
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
AdrianE46 said:
You won't lose the paid apps even if you wipe/unistall them. They will appear as purchased for you in the android market always. You just need to reinstall them.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that only applies to apps purchased/downloaded through Android market.
I can't remember but i read that with ics, using adb without unlocking or rooting you can back up your data. I will try and find the link, try the dev forum.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
hubono said:
I can't remember but i read that with ics, using adb without unlocking or rooting you can back up your data. I will try and find the link, try the dev forum.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, not without root.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
JX3 said:
Yeah. So the answer is there is no way to save your your data. Luckily a lot of the stuff is synced with Google.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, that isn't entirely true. You can still back-up what you can see on the Nexus when you connect it to your computer.
mfdemicco said:
Actually, that isn't entirely true. You can still back-up what you can see on the Nexus when you connect it to your computer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is true, I was going to say to always backup your "sd card" by copying it over to your computer when locking/unlocking as it will be wiped for whatever reason.
efrant said:
Nope, not without root.
are you sure, i haven't started fooling around with mine yet, decided to stay stock for a while but here it says otherwise
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1402347
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No windows platform support thou
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Back in my htc evo days rooting was easy (to me at least). Easy because I didn't know how to use and command prompt and still don't. I returned my nexus s because I was a little intimidated by the process. I just purchased the nexus and want to root. What is the easiest way to root this bad boy hopefully without using command prompt
You can use a toolkit for a "one click" method.
I recommend you just learn how to open the command prompt and time like 10 lines to root your phone. Honestly if you can't figure out how to do that then I'm not sure you deserve to gain root lol. Whether you choose to use that method or not, the knowledge will help when (see how I said when, not if?) things go wrong.
Easiest us the toolkit. On my phone otherwise I would link you to it just search toolkit. Others will say to learn the command prompts, I won't since you just asked for the easiest way.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1529058
This will show you how to do it properly.
You could use a toolkit but learning is the best way otherwise you will end up posting here that you have some problem you can't fix all because you didn't bother learning at the start.
The nexus is probably the easiest phone to root/flash roms and kernels to.
Thanks guys i will try to learn the command prompt
Sorry for the hijack, but it is (somewhat) related.
I just purchased a Galaxy Nexus from the play store this afternoon. I am coming from an Infuse, running a Custom rooted GB rom.
I had to flash back to stock, because of a no-root policy being pushed down from my work, since I use my handset to collect work email.
For the Nexus, is there a temporary unroot process/application I could run so that the [GOOD] application will not detect root?
I have already cleared that config/situation with our infrastructure team.
- Thanks, Kevin
KevinAlbrecht said:
Sorry for the hijack, but it is (somewhat) related.
I just purchased a Galaxy Nexus from the play store this afternoon. I am coming from an Infuse, running a Custom rooted GB rom.
I had to flash back to stock, because of a no-root policy being pushed down from my work, since I use my handset to collect work email.
For the Nexus, is there a temporary unroot process/application I could run so that the [GOOD] application will not detect root?
I have already cleared that config/situation with our infrastructure team.
- Thanks, Kevin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think supercurio has a temporary unroot app in the market.
Thanks. I tried all of those apps when I was first presented with this obstacle. It did not work for the rom I was using because they had developed some sort of auto root on reboot, built in.
So I guess I am asking if anyone has experience with them working. I plan in keeping it stock, but wanted to know if this was an option.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using xda premium
I've read a couple of threads about this, but nothing recent.
I'll be changing employers to one that uses Good for Enterprise for exchange email/calendar. I understand that the administrator may set Good up such that it will not work on a rooted device. Has anybody found a workaround for this yet?
Also, I was under the impression that Touchdown, for instance, would work with any MS Exchange server. Is it possible for the administrator to set up the Exchange server so that it will NOT work with Touchdown and that it will ONLY work with Good? Or should it always be possible to use Touchdown so long as I can get the server information?
Any advice appreciated.
There is not a work around for it if the administrator checks for rooted devices. Personally, I wouldn't even mess around with it. They are trying to protect the company email, and you could end up with a career altering event - if you know what I mean.
Also, if the company doesn't provide access to activesync or allow external access, then there will be no way to sync directly with exchange.
You could use TWRP since it more easily allows you to switch roms. You could use one for work and one for play and stay away from rooting the work rom. You should use a stick ROM. However you could use a custom rom so long as it doesn't include su or superuser.apk.
You could use a modified version of su and superuser.apk but it defeats the purpose because then all apps that require su and superuser will break. You would have to be a dev to modify your app to work with the modified su.
I feel that in the future someone will create a emulator or virtual machine that can sandbox an app. You could then sandbox gfe and it would never know the phone was rooted.
bunklung said:
You could use TWRP since it more easily allows you to switch roms. You could use one for work and one for play and stay away from rooting the work rom. You should use a stick ROM. However you could use a custom rom so long as it doesn't include su or superuser.apk.
You could use a modified version of su and superuser.apk but it defeats the purpose because then all apps that require su and superuser will break. You would have to be a dev to modify your app to work with the modified su.
I feel that in the future someone will create a emulator or virtual machine that can sandbox an app. You could then sandbox gfe and it would never know the phone was rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestions. My current plan is to unroot by deleting su, superuser, and busy box, and hope it doesn't break my Rom. And I just won't have any apps that require root. I think I can live with that.
-Sent from my GSM Galaxy Nexus (RAScream+Trinity).-
chrikenn said:
Thanks for the suggestions. My current plan is to unfold by deleting su, superuser, and busy box, and hope it doesn't break my Rom. And I just don't have any apps that require root. I think I can live with that.
-Sent from my GSM Galaxy Nexus (RAScream+Trinity).-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your kernel is insecure then even if you delete su and superuser.apk you might still have a rooted phone as far as gfe is concerned. I am not expert on that.
bunklung said:
If your kernel is insecure then even if you delete su and superuser.apk you might still have a rooted phone as far as gfe is concerned. I am not expert on that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm guess I'll try to find out if trinity kernel is insecure then.
-Sent from my GSM Galaxy Nexus (RAScream+Trinity).-
chrikenn said:
Hmm guess I'll try to find out if trinity kernel is insecure then.
-Sent from my GSM Galaxy Nexus (RAScream+Trinity).-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Were you able to work something out? I am a sprint gnex user running gfe and no jelly bean is killing me. Really want to drop a custom on it but can't screwbsround with something that isn't 100%
robber said:
Were you able to work something out? I am a sprint gnex user running gfe and no jelly bean is killing me. Really want to drop a custom on it but can't screwbsround with something that isn't 100%
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately I decided to go unrooted. Makes the whole gfe thing simpler, and honestly a stock unrooted nexus is still pretty good experience.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
robber said:
Were you able to work something out? I am a sprint gnex user running gfe and no jelly bean is killing me. Really want to drop a custom on it but can't screwbsround with something that isn't 100%
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can run JB, just unroot the ROM if you are nervous before you re-install and activate GFE.
I can recommend Vicious 4.1.1. You can user supersu to unroot the phone, it's in the settings menu. Then use terminal emulator and verify "su" is not found when you try to run the command. The ROM will NOT re-root automatically on reboot thankfully.
GFE runs faster on JB and the graphics glitch I had on the inbox/sent header icon is gone. It's no longer overshaded.
ROM:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1738018
Good luck.
I rooted my T-Mo Galaxy S4 with Oden through my PC, downloaded the root checker app, and it says I'm rooted. If for any reasons I have doubts of it truely being rootes (as in I did everything correctly), can I reroot it with no problems, cautions, and/or unexpexted possible variables? Or should I unroot then root again? I appreciate anyone taking the time to read and answer my question. Thank you.
Sent from Galexxxy S4 using XDA Premium 4 Mobile
Don't become a victim of root - paranoia, just do all that "rooted " stuff like getting rid of your bloatware and installing custom roms and don't worry about re-rooting. Life is too short.
Pp.
3-KlickS said:
I rooted my T-Mo Galaxy S4 with Oden through my PC, downloaded the root checker app, and it says I'm rooted. If for any reasons I have doubts of it truely being rootes (as in I did everything correctly), can I reroot it with no problems, cautions, and/or unexpexted possible variables? Or should I unroot then root again? I appreciate anyone taking the time to read and answer my question. Thank you.
Sent from Galexxxy S4 using XDA Premium 4 Mobile
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This can't be serious....
3-KlickS said:
I rooted my T-Mo Galaxy S4 with Oden through my PC, downloaded the root checker app, and it says I'm rooted. If for any reasons I have doubts of it truely being rootes (as in I did everything correctly), can I reroot it with no problems, cautions, and/or unexpexted possible variables? Or should I unroot then root again? I appreciate anyone taking the time to read and answer my question. Thank you.
Sent from Galexxxy S4 using XDA Premium 4 Mobile
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can root as many times as you'd like. All rooting does is copy a file into a protected part of the ROM - usually SuperSU.
However, if Root Checker is saying you are rooted, you are.
You can also open SuperSU, and look at the settings and see what it says. Or, if you open an app that requests root access, you should get a notification, where you can give root to that app, or deny it. And, if you already have given it access, you will get a popup showing when SuperSU give the root access to that app. If you haven't already done so, the important root apps to get are file explorers. I like ESFileExplorer available in the Play Store. However, since you seem to be a newbie READ, READ, READ before you start deleting, changing anything with your phone.
Rob