Hello!
I am looking to gain S-OFF on my M8 , but I'm having trouble with finding a good way to do it.Also, every tutorial out there is using a M8 running Android 4.4 ,mine is running 6.0.I don't know if the software version matters ,I am new to this.
What is the best method to gain S-OFF?
Hi, Lauren G...
The only known, reliable way to S-OFF is via Sunshine...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2792487
...And which will set you back $25.
Not sure about Marshmallow compatibility (which is what you have). I S-OFFed back in September when my M8 was running Lollipop.
Anyway, read the above link for details and the download link for the Sunshine app.
Rgrds,
Ged.
Lauren G said:
What is the best method to gain S-OFF?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be clear, sunshine (mentioned above) is really the only way. You'll see folks ask about firewater, but that method has an online component, which was taken offline in Dec 2014, and therefore firewater no longer works.
s-off by javacard is also possible. But at $200-300 for the javacard, its not really a feasible option in comparison to sunshine.
But be aware, that s-off is only needed for a limited number of things (such as changing CID, MID, manually flashing hboot or radio, and some other things). For most mods like flashing custom ROMs and root, s-off is not needed.
redpoint73 said:
To be clear, sunshine (mentioned above) is really the only way. You'll see folks ask about firewater, but that method has an online component, which was taken offline in Dec 2014, and therefore firewater no longer works.
s-off by javacard is also possible. But at $200-300 for the javacard, its not really a feasible option in comparison to sunshine.
But be aware, that s-off is only needed for a limited number of things (such as changing CID, MID, manually flashing hboot or radio, and some other things). For most mods like flashing custom ROMs and root, s-off is not needed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some custom roms require S-OFF.
Lauren G said:
Some custom roms require S-OFF.
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Click to collapse
NO, they do not. All the ROMs will install just fine with s-on.
A few ROM threads state s-off is required or recommended. But its just a "cover their butt" blanket statement by the dev. Reason being, if your firmware is outdated, you probably need to update it in order for the ROM to function properly. S-off makes the firmware update process easier (which is probably why some devs say s-off is needed or recommended). But s-off is by no means necessary to update firmware, either.
Lauren G said:
Some custom roms require S-OFF.
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Click to collapse
As an addendum to @redpoint73's post above, getting S-Off at this point of the M8's lifespan may be irrelevant. HTC may put out one more update for the device, but after that there probably won't be any. Most OEM updates for devices stop after 2 years.
So the only reason you may want/need S-Off now is if you want to convert to GPE
Related
I've been rooting and flashing ROMs on Android devices for years, but I'm new to HTC (coming from the Galaxy Nexus/toro). On all my other devices, I've merely unlocked the bootloader, rooted, installed custom recovery, and flashed ROMs (e.g. CM11) to stay "current." I'm getting the sense that the M8 doesn't quite work like that (but I'm not sure).
I'm currently rooted, have TWRP, and S-ON (more on that in a minute). I've been using Venom's Viper One ROM since I got the phone in early July. Venom just released a new version of the ROM, but that has led to my realization that HTC and/or the M8 is a different animal that my other Android devices.
I've combed through countless threads trying to figure this out but to no avail--so I figured I'd ask it here. Do I have to be S-OFF to keep my firmware up to date? If so, is there any other way besides Sunshine to obtain S-OFF on the T-mobile M8? I tried Firewater and for whatever reason it reports it can't and never will work on my device.
It's not that I mind paying the $25 for Sunshine, but I'm not 100% clear why I need S-OFF since none of my other (non-HTC) devices required such a thing. I'd be willing to purchase it if I for sure needed it, but I'm confused if it is required to keep my rooted M8 "current" so I can keep on flashing ROMs without incident (the new version of Viper One supposedly doesn't work as well on the non-current firmware which I have).
If anyone here can ELI5 (Explain Like I'm 5) about S-OFF and whether or not I need it I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!
zerozed99 said:
I've been rooting and flashing ROMs on Android devices for years, but I'm new to HTC (coming from the Galaxy Nexus/toro). On all my other devices, I've merely unlocked the bootloader, rooted, installed custom recovery, and flashed ROMs (e.g. CM11) to stay "current." I'm getting the sense that the M8 doesn't quite work like that (but I'm not sure).
I'm currently rooted, have TWRP, and S-ON (more on that in a minute). I've been using Venom's Viper One ROM since I got the phone in early July. Venom just released a new version of the ROM, but that has led to my realization that HTC and/or the M8 is a different animal that my other Android devices.
I've combed through countless threads trying to figure this out but to no avail--so I figured I'd ask it here. Do I have to be S-OFF to keep my firmware up to date? If so, is there any other way besides Sunshine to obtain S-OFF on the T-mobile M8? I tried Firewater and for whatever reason it reports it can't and never will work on my device.
It's not that I mind paying the $25 for Sunshine, but I'm not 100% clear why I need S-OFF since none of my other (non-HTC) devices required such a thing. I'd be willing to purchase it if I for sure needed it, but I'm confused if it is required to keep my rooted M8 "current" so I can keep on flashing ROMs without incident (the new version of Viper One supposedly doesn't work as well on the non-current firmware which I have).
If anyone here can ELI5 (Explain Like I'm 5) about S-OFF and whether or not I need it I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With HTC devices like our m8, s-off is needed in order to change firmwares and radios manually. It is very different than with nexus devices, that are definitely the easiest to tinker with. I paid the $25 for sunshine (firewater wouldn't work for me either) and it was so easy I can't even put it in words. Takes like 2 minutes. I recommend it. S-off makes a huge difference. But only if you know what youre doing. Read up on the dangers of obtaining s-off before you do it. Entering the wrong command in a terminal session with s-off could lead to a very expensive paperweight.
Sent from my M8
So I used Sunshine to go S-OFF on my M7, but other than that I am bone stock- no ROM or custom recovery- not even rooted. Will I have any issue with the 5.0 OTA, or is there something I should be doing to prep it for the update?
Rule of thumb - never OTA if you're s-off or rooted or anything until you've seen on XDA or similar that there aren't any associated problems
In the life of HTC, no update has turned the secure flag to on (s-on). But as post two said, at least wait for confirmation. It shouldn't turn s-on or lock the bootloader, but just wait until you get confirmation.
Sent from my HTC6500LVW using XDA Free mobile app
I probably should have phrased my original question differently. I already intend to wait on the OTA to see what others experience as far as setting s-on. I'm mainly wondering if, once I decide to take it, the OTA will install properly if I've already gone s-off via Sunshine. From what I've read, it sounds like to OTA will install if you're s-off, but was just looking for some confirmation.
dberthia said:
I probably should have phrased my original question differently. I already intend to wait on the OTA to see what others experience as far as setting s-on. I'm mainly wondering if, once I decide to take it, the OTA will install properly if I've already gone s-off via Sunshine. From what I've read, it sounds like to OTA will install if you're s-off, but was just looking for some confirmation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So far with all HTC devices (that exist as of now), s-off itself has never affected or prevented an OTA.
Now on the other end, if you're Not ALREADY s-off, each new OTA brings with it the possibility of not being able to gain S-off...
bdizzle1686 said:
So far with all HTC devices (that exist as of now), s-off itself has never affected or prevented an OTA.
Now on the other end, if you're Not ALREADY s-off, each new OTA brings with it the possibility of not being able to gain S-off...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was my understanding as well. Thanks!
Hello all,
I am trying to change my girlfriends ATT edition m8 into a Google Play Edition. Shes been having a lot of problems lately and just a nice clean stock android I feel would really just revive the phone. Im not looking to pay $25 for a 2 year old phone that has hardware issue just to get s-off so if anyone has a method to get s-off i would appreciate it. I have unlocked the bootloader so thats all set.
When I attempt to flash the RUU.zip I have I am constantly getting an error 99 return.
Any help would be greatly appreciated thanks guys.
You can't convert with a ruu while S-ON. And there is no other S-OFF tool than sunshine. At least not under 25$.
magestic1995 said:
I am trying to change my girlfriends ATT edition m8 into a Google Play Edition.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need S-Off to convert the device to GPE but you don't need to convert to GPE to experience GPE.
While on S-On, you can install the Flashable Stock GPe ROM instead of using GPe RUU.
See : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2708589
and there are a few other GPE flashable ROMs in Development thread that you don't need conversion to GPE.
(e.g. the one that linked in my signature but that's not updated to the latest and running this without GPE coversion)
magestic1995 said:
Im not looking to pay $25 for a 2 year old phone that has hardware issue just to get s-off so if anyone has a method to get s-off i would appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no free s-off method. sunshine is your only option, unless you have a friend with a javacard and knows how to use it (otherwise, that costs even more money).
I agree with ckpv5 above, just flash a GPE ROM to get GPE experience. The only things that would be missing are OTA updates, and the GPE partition scheme.
ckpv5 said:
You need S-Off to convert the device to GPE but you don't need to convert to GPE to experience GPE.
While on S-On, you can install the Flashable Stock GPe ROM instead of using GPe RUU.
See : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2708589
and there are a few other GPE flashable ROMs in Development thread that you don't need conversion to GPE.
(e.g. the one that linked in my signature but that's not updated to the latest and running this without GPE coversion)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I ended up using the guide and flashing it as a ROM, it ended up working great and helped a lot.
redpoint73 said:
There is no free s-off method. sunshine is your only option, unless you have a friend with a javacard and knows how to use it (otherwise, that costs even more money).
I agree with ckpv5 above, just flash a GPE ROM to get GPE experience. The only things that would be missing are OTA updates, and the GPE partition scheme.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Question whats a javacard??
magestic1995 said:
Question whats a javacard??
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Click to collapse
Its a special MicroSD card that will s-off the device. They cost $300 or so. You might be able to find a local service that has a javacard for the M8, but by the time you find one, and pay them to s-off, you probably could have just used sunshine.
redpoint73 said:
Its a special MicroSD card that will s-off the device. They cost $300 or so. You might be able to find a local service that has a javacard for the M8, but by the time you find one, and pay them to s-off, you probably could have just used sunshine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never realized s-off was so complicated for the m8, dont remember it ever being so hard on my old phones.
magestic1995 said:
Never realized s-off was so complicated for the m8, dont remember it ever being so hard on my old phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sunshine is an app, its not complicated. I think by "complicated" you mean expensive.
On the other hand, S-off is certainly complicated for the developers, that have spend hundreds of hours finding these exploits, and bricked several devices developing sunshine. Sunshine is by the same devs that did firewater (for free) and a ton of other contributions to XDA, before deciding to make sunshine a paid app.
Java card is somewhat of a obscure thing. But nothing completely new. Older HTC devices had "gold cards" with a similar concept.
Whether you decide to pay for s-off or not, is completely up to your personal discretion. S-off isn't needed for most people; as its not needed to flash ROMs, root, and a great many other things.
So today I got Desire Z. It's nice, I really love Sense 2.1 (or mostly it's LockScreen), but KK (with it ) would be better.
Now, as it's old phone and old forum, cannot find what and how to do.
I found this:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/htc-desire-z/help/complete-guide-to-root-downgrade-t3332619
Is that would I need to do or there is something easier?
Right now I have stock 2.42.405.3 and available update (6,55Mb so probably .4) and HBOOT-0.85.0013 with S-OFF (so previous user probably was playing with this device).
What I should do now?
ch3mn3y said:
So today I got Desire Z. It's nice, I really love Sense 2.1 (or mostly it's LockScreen), but KK (with it ) would be better.
Now, as it's old phone and old forum, cannot find what and how to do.
I found this:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/htc-desire-z/help/complete-guide-to-root-downgrade-t3332619
Is that would I need to do or there is something easier?
Right now I have stock 2.42.405.3 and available update (6,55Mb so probably .4) and HBOOT-0.85.0013 with S-OFF (so previous user probably was playing with this device).
What I should do now?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey buddy,
Take a look through the first few posts here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2348266&page=16
It may seem like a lot but it will be worth it
So it seems that for fastboot I need this Engineering HBoot or after S-OFF I have full access?
Coz all guides for Eng HBoot are for downgraded devices and all the guides for downgrading are for S-ON devices...
However I've also found that Eng HBoot was used when S-OFF was not possible and now it's not recommended, what can mean that S-OFF gives access to Fastboot same way the Eng HBoot?
If ti is true, than flashing Recovery will be easy and than I can check Roms
I know I'm missing something, but cannot find it...
ch3mn3y said:
So it seems that for fastboot I need this Engineering HBoot or after S-OFF I have full access?
Coz all guides for Eng HBoot are for downgraded devices and all the guides for downgrading are for S-ON devices...
However I've also found that Eng HBoot was used when S-OFF was not possible and now it's not recommended, what can mean that S-OFF gives access to Fastboot same way the Eng HBoot?
If ti is true, than flashing Recovery will be easy and than I can check Roms
I know I'm missing something, but cannot find it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct, you have what we call fake s-off and only gives you a bit of help flashing your phone, to get true s-off the preferred method is to go back to stock and then downgrade and root with gfree
Relatively easy but a few steps needed first
If you have a chance to go to g2root on freenode iirc there is a good likelihood that guhl is there and will walk you through it all
If not then feel free to ask again and i can lay out some instructions for you hete
demkantor said:
If not then feel free to ask again and i can lay out some instructions for you hete
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If You have time I would be grateful for advices how ro get from GB fake S-OFF to Recovery..
If not I will try tonight or tomorrow with this channel You wrote
Sent using XT1562 - Resurrection Remix/Optimus Kernel
EDIT: It seems I have more time that I thought, so I'm checkin this g2root irc and waiting for someones answer
However if somebody could answer me one thing: With this fake S-OFF is it safe to downgrade using this method: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1178912
Is it needed?
And what exactly S-OFF gives? Fastboot access like this Eng HBoot (at the beginning thought that it's HBoot from UK DZ/G2 )? Coz thats what I need : to flash CWM and than KK.
Downgraded, flashed Eng HBoot and CWM and KK is here. But I dont like it [emoji14] GB is coming...
Sent using XT1562 - Resurrection Remix/Optimus Kernel
This is my first post in xda, sorry for the bad English.:silly:
As I tried the solution on the web of how to s-off HTC One M8, none of them worked . Can any one who successfully s-off M8 tell me how to do it?
Phone details:
Bootloader(Hboot) version:3.19.0.0000
Android version:6.0
NathanLee302 said:
As I tried the solution on the web of how to s-off HTC One M8, none of them worked . Can any one who successfully s-off M8 tell me how to do it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's difficult to answer that question, as you offer no information on what methods you tried to s-off. Or what the specific outcomes, error messages, etc.
If you tried firewater, you are wasting your time. Firewater requires an online server component, that the developers took offline over 3 years ago. Nothing you do can make firewater to work. Most folks try to use firewater, as they don't want to pay for sunshine. Sunshine is basically the only method that will work ($25 USD for a license to use sunshine). Sunshine requires a stock, or near-stock ROM to work.
There is also something called a javacard which can be used to s-off. But javacard costs something like $150, so not really a good alternative unless you can find a local repair shop or other person that has one (and charge you a fee to s-off with the javacard).
More importantly, why do you think you need/want to s-off this device? S-off is not needed for most modifications to the phone. You do not need s-off to unlock the bootloader (Verizon version excepted), custom recovery, root, custom ROMs, custom kernels.
You only need s-off for a few specific things, like changing the phone's CID/MID to change the version/region, manually flash hboot, radios, etc.
redpoint73 said:
It's difficult to answer that question, as you offer no information on what methods you tried to s-off. Or what the specific outcomes, error messages, etc.
If you tried firewater, you are wasting your time. Firewater requires an online server component, that the developers took offline over 3 years ago. Nothing you do can make firewater to work. Most folks try to use firewater, as they don't want to pay for sunshine. Sunshine is basically the only method that will work ($25 USD for a license to use sunshine). Sunshine requires a stock, or near-stock ROM to work.
There is also something called a javacard which can be used to s-off. But javacard costs something like $150, so not really a good alternative unless you can find a local repair shop or other person that has one (and charge you a fee to s-off with the javacard).
More importantly, why do you think you need/want to s-off this device? S-off is not needed for most modifications to the phone. You do not need s-off to unlock the bootloader (Verizon version excepted), custom recovery, root, custom ROMs, custom kernels.
You only need s-off for a few specific things, like changing the phone's CID/MID to change the version/region, manually flash hboot, radios, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wanted to s-off my HTC phone because I wanted to hide the red text of the "unlocked boot loader" text
Does anyone have some way else to hide it from the boot loader?
NathanLee302 said:
I wanted to s-off my HTC phone because I wanted to hide the red text of the "unlocked boot loader" text
Does anyone have some way else to hide it from the boot loader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
S-off is the only way, since hboot is a "protected" partition, and therefore can't be modified while s-on by definition.
And again, sunshine is really the only way to s-off. So your choice is either to just live with the red text, of spend the $25 for sunshine.
The other possibility is if you have any reason to believe the phone was made s-off by sunshine in the past (such as the phone is previously owned, and some evidence of modifications). If that is the case, you can install the sunshine app, and s-off it again (without paying again). The sunshine license is associated with the device, and does not expire. So you can use it again and again, if it was paid for previously. I don't know if you tried this, or any reason to believe a previous owner used sunshine. Since again, you give no details regarding the device, or what specific s-off methods you tried already.
Otherwise, just live with the red text. As most folks are not going to find it worthwhile to spend $25 just to remove the red text. To be honest, I have s-off, and never even bothered to remove the red text. Just a personal preference. But I don't see the big deal with having the red text.
Still not exist free method?