I'm about to purchase a Nexus 5X, and currently using LG G2.
I use some root apps such as Titanium Backup, AdAway, and some Xposed models for tweaking.
Is it worth to root the Nexus 5X as well? Will it affect OTA updates? And if so, is it easy to update the device manually without losing important data?
I'm pretty sure that if you use systemless root you can still OTA. Either way, if you wouldn't use Android Pay, then i'd see why you wouldn't root.
Rekan_ said:
I'm pretty sure that if you use systemless root you can still OTA. Either way, if you wouldn't use Android Pay, then i'd see why you wouldn't root.
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You can't install the differential OTA you get over the air directly because boot.img will fail integrity check.
It is relatively easy to replay boot.img though and run the OTA, then reinstall root.
Alternatively, flash the full OTA from the factory image page using adb sideload or TWRP.
Alternatively, flash the appropriate images using fastboot.
There are other ways like with flashfire also.
If you have to ask if you should root, you shouldn't.
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
Why would you use stock image anyway? There are plenty of roms that get updated monthly, albeit with a little delay
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This is my first Nexus. If I unlock the bootloader and root, and stay with rooted stock, would a future OTA update relock the bootloader and undo root?
Also, are the OTA updates automatic, or can I choose not to install the update?
Ectoplasmic said:
This is my first Nexus. If I unlock the bootloader and root, and stay with rooted stock, would a future OTA update relock the bootloader and undo root?
Also, are the OTA updates automatic, or can I choose not to install the update?
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Once you are unlocked, you won't become locked unless you manually lock it. This is the case even if you accept an OTA or factory restore.
Some OTAs are mandatory like the one most people got when they turned on the unit, however most are optional and won't install unless you choose to, either on purpose or by accident.
sfhub said:
Once you are unlocked, you won't become locked unless you manually lock it. This is the case even if you accept an OTA or factory restore.
Some OTAs are mandatory like the one most people got when they turned on the unit, however most are optional and won't install unless you choose to, either on purpose or by accident.
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However, to be fair, the DEB JLS36I update out there right now will cause you to lose root. It does not lock the bootloader, but it does whack root and custom recoveries. Unless you choose the option in TWRP to recover root after the install, in which case it rolls back the update and keeps both TWRP and root, meaning you are as you were as before. A few days later, you get the prompt to install the update again, and the circle of life continues.
Does that mean rooted and unlocked on JSS15R I can get the next OTA update but I loose root? I dont have any custom stuff like recovery or rom, just unlocked and rooted for a few apps like titanium backup, cpu Z and gemeni app manager
AndroidGreg said:
Does that mean rooted and unlocked on JSS15R I can get the next OTA update but I loose root? I dont have any custom stuff like recovery or rom, just unlocked and rooted for a few apps like titanium backup, cpu Z and gemeni app manager
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You can get the update and just re-root.
However if you have modified or removed any files, ota will very likely fail. Removing stock app would be an example of removing a file. On the other hand disabling stock app would be fine.
What if I just bought a nexus 7 LTE and already updated to to JLS36I? How would I get root then? Hypothetically of course...
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
lastdeadmouse said:
What if I just bought a nexus 7 LTE and already updated to to JLS36I? How would I get root then? Hypothetically of course...
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
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Same way you would if you hadn't installed JLS36I
Unlock bootloader
Boot into custom recovery
Install root
After some vigorous searching I've found out that if you don't modify the boot loader then you should be okay receiving OTA updates. I'd like to root my nexus 7 so I can run some apps that require root access. I've looked at many methods on how to root the nexus 7, but from my noob understanding, the majority of these methods require unlocking the boot loader and getting TWRP recovery. Won't that mess up the OTA? I've searched a couple threads but I don't necessarily understand the difference between an unlocked boot loader and a rooted device. The reason I still want to have OTA updates is so that I can still update android and so on.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and help guys!
Pickle_Jr;4f86 said:
After some vigorous searching I've found out that if you don't modify the boot loader then you should be okay receiving OTA updates. I'd like to root my nexus 7 so I can run some apps that require root access. I've looked at many methods on how to root the nexus 7, but from my noob understanding, the majority of these methods require unlocking the boot loader and getting TWRP recovery. Won't that mess up the OTA? I've searched a couple threads but I don't necessarily understand the difference between an unlocked boot loader and a rooted device. The reason I still want to have OTA updates is so that I can still update android and so on.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and help guys!
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On this platform, at this time, you need to unlock the bootloader to install root.
You don't need to flash/install twrp if you don't want to, but you need to boot into twrp temporarily to install the root files.
Even if you install twrp rather than boot into it temporarily, it won't cause your ota to fail.
The things that cause the ota to fail are
1) modifying or deleting any files with your root permissions
This includes root apps which do things you might not realize
2) installing custom kernel
3) installing earlier version of supersu
sfhub said:
On this platform, at this time, you need to unlock the bootloader to install root.
You don't need to flash/install twrp if you don't want to, but you need to boot into twrp temporarily to install the root files.
Even if you install twrp rather than boot into it temporarily, it won't cause your ota to fail.
The things that cause the ota to fail are
1) modifying or deleting any files with your root permissions
This includes root apps which do things you might not realize
2) installing custom kernel
3) installing earlier version of supersu
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Click to collapse
Awesome! Thanks! So if I understand correctly, as long as I be careful about what root apps I have as well as have a newer (newest) version of SuperSU installed I'll be okay? I'm assuming I'll lose root when I get an OTA update but hopefully when the time comes, there'll be a way to root android 4.4 when the n7 get's it as well. And if something goes wrong I guess I could just unroot, factory reset, and update OTA that way too. Thanks for the help!
Pickle_Jr said:
Awesome! Thanks! So if I understand correctly, as long as I be careful about what root apps I have as well as have a newer (newest) version of SuperSU installed I'll be okay?
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Yes.
For example, if you freeze a stock app in titanium, that is ok, but if you remove a stock app, then an OTA will likely fail.
If you use stickmount, it modifies a system file and backs it up, then restores it when it is done, but sometimes that gets out of sync, in which case the OTA fails.
There are other examples.
Pickle_Jr said:
I'm assuming I'll lose root when I get an OTA update but hopefully when the time comes, there'll be a way to root android 4.4 when the n7 get's it as well. And if something goes wrong I guess I could just unroot, factory reset, and update OTA that way too. Thanks for the help!
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If you install root through the stock recovery, you'll lose root permissions (but the files will still be there). Just re-root using the existing procedure.
If you want to save a step, boot into TWRP to install the OTA (which you download manually) and then "chain" install the OTA, then the root install files.
This way, you lose root for half a second until the 2nd install file in the chain runs. Essentially you won't lose root (or won't notice losing root) because the first time you boot into 4.4, you'll have root.
Do you think we will ever get something like towelroot for the 5X?
After 5 years of unlocking, messing with bootloaders, kernels, and roms I'm tired. I just want to enjoy my nexus. All I really want is root.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
I guess not.
It's so easy to flash superSU I don't know why that would be necessary. It only takes a few minutes.
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
thesoldier said:
It's so easy to flash superSU I don't know why that would be necessary. It only takes a few minutes.
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
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My understanding is that the OP wants root without having to flash all the images, and ROMs, to keep the phone up to date. OTAs are convenient and don't require much effort other than hitting "Reboot now" and waiting a minute or two. Flashing ROMs, right now, means that you have to download the whole ROM with the latest updates and security patches, boot into recovery, flash the ROM and whatever kernel or gapps you need, and then reboot.
I'm guessing the OP just wants plain root with all the conveniences and privileges that the stock ROM and OTA updates provide. Strangely enough, I'm leaning towards that route myself. I don't mind getting a boot img and custom ROM and kernel, but I don't want to have to flash so many items every single time when an OTA would sufficed.
daver68 said:
I'm guessing the OP just wants plain root with all the conveniences and privileges that the stock ROM and OTA updates provide. Strangely enough, I'm leaning towards that route myself. I don't mind getting a boot img and custom ROM and kernel, but I don't want to have to flash so many items every single time when an OTA would sufficed.
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This is my situation as well. Especially now that Android security updates should be coming out on a monthly basis, I'm reluctant to give up the convenience of an OTA to get my security patches without needing to flash anything.
OTA updates will fail even if you are on stock and just rooted. I think chainfire is testing a root method that will allow you to take ota's because it doesn't modify the system partition.
This is a nexus device.. Something like towel root is not needed.. Just unlock the bootloader, boot (not flash) recovery and flash supersu..then you have stock just rooted..
Root methods like towel root etc.. Are mostly made for devices where you can't unlock the bootloader.. This is a nexus for Pete sake...It's not needed.. Unlocking the bootloader and rooting is easy enough in nexus devices..
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
Hello
I've rooted my Nexus 5X and i left the recovery to stock recovery because i wanted to have the OTA updates normally without using a PC.
With ytsemless root I was hoping that this is no problem. But the febuary security OTA fails when I try to install.
Can someone explain to me why this could fail?
I have not much root apps installed. Just adaway, busybox, sd maid and supersu. No costum kernel.
So from my point of view I touched nothing that should have an impact to OTA.
So my question is: Why is there always an error when I try to update with OTA?
ChenZ86 said:
Hello
I've rooted my Nexus 5X and i left the recovery to stock recovery because i wanted to have the OTA updates normally without using a PC.
With ytsemless root I was hoping that this is no problem. But the febuary security OTA fails when I try to install.
Can someone explain to me why this could fail?
I have not much root apps installed. Just adaway, busybox, sd maid and supersu. No costum kernel.
So from my point of view I touched nothing that should have an impact to OTA.
So my question is: Why is there always an error when I try to update with OTA?
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Because you have applied systemless root. Anything, ANYTHING different from completely stock will cause the normal OTA process to fail. These posts keep asking the same question and the answer never changes. It is what it is. There are a ton of posts here which will explain alternate flashing processes to update, then re-root your device.
Try using flashfire from Chainfire. It detects downloaded ota and ask you if you want to try and flash it. Also there is an option to re-root after updating. If the ota doesn't install then download the factory image for February and flash the whole thing. Make sure data is uncheked so that it doesn't wipe your data. It's a bigger download than ota but it will definitely work.
I had stock + root + xposed + layers. Managed to update to latest build with automatic re-root. Then I just flashed twrp-recovery using flashify and installed xposed through twrp. Took me 5 mins to flash everything (excluding time to download the factory image). All without using a PC!
Skickat från min Nexus 5X via Tapatalk
this all seems like a hassle compared to using a near-stock custom rom and updating it yourself.
2x4 said:
this all seems like a hassle compared to using a near-stock custom rom and updating it yourself.
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[emoji106] Or even stock rom.
Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk
HI, I'm bootloader unlocked, rooted, running stock firmware, have xposed installed (with couple of modules) and using the new nexus launcher.
When a new security update is released, I'd download then full firmware file and flash everything manually via ADB. However I'm wondering if it I can use Flashfire to install the new security update without losing any data or xposed. Would that work?
You don't flash anything with ADB. You can sideload an OTA with it but it will fail because the modifications you have done.
Image flashing is done with fastboot. You can modify the flashing script to not wipe data but you will have to reroot and reinstall Xposed. This is what I would do.
I have heard you can flash OTAs with FlashFire but have never done it. If I were interested in trying it I'd Google it.
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I meant fast boot, not adb. Think I'll stick to my current method, it's easy and I know what I'm doing
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