Other than warranty issues, and possibly redeeming your Google Drive space, are there any practical ramifications to simply leaving the bootloader unlocked (or, conversely, locked?) on an S-off device? I'm inclined to leave it bootloader unlocked unless I have a warranty issue, as it seems the safest way to make sure I'm never locked out, but I'm curious to know if there are any reasons to lock it from a security perspective.
I say that because right now when I lose root due to an OTA, I just boot (but not install) philz touch recovery to re-root, which I am assuming is allowed because I am s-off. (because otherwise root would be trivial). It seems that as long as I can do that, the bootloader lock/unlock state is somewhat pointless.
You are allowed to flash custom ROMs because you have installed a custom recovery, which was allowed because you unlocked your bootloader. I would leave the bootloader unlocked until a relock is required (if it even comes to that). As far as I know, that poses no threat as long as you know what you're flashing on your device. Anyone with more experience with this may correct me, as I am quite new to the HTC world.
MrKhozam said:
You are allowed to flash custom ROMs because you have installed a custom recovery, which was allowed because you unlocked your bootloader. I would leave the bootloader unlocked until a relock is required (if it even comes to that). As far as I know, that poses no threat as long as you know what you're flashing on your device. Anyone with more experience with this may correct me, as I am quite new to the HTC world.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually only had TWRP installed briefly to "restore" the Dev Edition nandroid (and by briefly, I mean I booted it once). As soon as the Dev Edition ROM was up, I reverted to the stock DE recovery. Since then, I just "boot" Philz CWM to re-root (since TWRP fails when booted on 4.4.3 for some reason.)
I want to try some custom ROMs on my M8. Before I do this I want to do a full back up. From everything I've read Titanium is by a long shot the most popular so I see no reason not to go that route. However, from what I've read rooting the M8 will wipe my phone, but I can't use Titanium until I'm rooted. So it seems I'm stuck, and wondering what the best way is to proceed.
Thanks,
Ryan
Ryan_Mc said:
I want to try some custom ROMs on my M8. Before I do this I want to do a full back up. From everything I've read Titanium is by a long shot the most popular so I see no reason not to go that route. However, from what I've read rooting the M8 will wipe my phone, but I can't use Titanium until I'm rooted. So it seems I'm stuck, and wondering what the best way is to proceed.
Thanks,
Ryan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting by itself won't reset your phone, using the HTC unlock token to unlock the bootloader will. However, if you can S-off, you can also unlock your bootloader without tripping the factory reset. Once your bootloader is unlocked, you can install a custom recovery and backup your (unrooted) OS image - then use that recovery to install su.
Unfortunately, the prerequisite to all of that is getting S-off. If you can't, or won't, do that, then yeah - as soon as you unlock the bootloader your /data partition will get nuked. It's a safety measure to prevent someone from stealing your phone, unlocking the bootloader, and bypassing the OS protections to get the data on it. Fortunately, it only happens when you unlock. If you subsequently leave the bootloader unlocked, it won't happen again.
Hey all,
so i have (hopefully) read all those "I'm new to HTC"-threads and an almost infinite amount of additional threads all around the internet and especially here on xda in the htc 10 forum. I think i have figured it out so far, coming from a Galaxy S5 it's quite confusing sometimes as there i would have to get my hands on odin, flash twrp and from there on everything is super easy.
CID/MID
The CID of my device (HTC__034) shows me my device is unbranded and the region is europe. This is like the CSC over at samsung where DBT would be an unbranded german device?
The MID is an identifier for the model, it's model specific and should be the same throughout all regions and carriers (read this on some german android wiki site). It's like SM-G900F over at samsung?
Bootloader
The bootloader is locked by default. To be able to install a custom recovery, root, flash custom roms, etc. pp. i need to unlock the bootloader either over at htcdev (where they will store the information about me unlocking the bootloader) or through sunshine which will also S-OFF my device. Once the bootloader is unlocked, no more OTA updates except installing them "by hand"
S-ON/S-OFF
S-OFF is not needed to flash custom roms, but i may be stuck on some firmware version if it won't get updated anymore. To change firmware version i would need to S-OFF my device.
Also, to flash a radio i would need S-OFF. Is this radio you are all talking about what the modem is over at samsung?
S-ON is default, S-OFF is a sunshine exclusive, XTC2Clip won't work here anymore
Custom recovery
unlock bootloader and if wanted, S-OFF, fastboot install twrp
Root
flash supersu, systemless supersu or magisk and systemless phhsuperuser through twrp
Flashing roms
unlocked bootloader and custom recovery needed, then just flash this baby
Nice work, due diligence is rare these days
You got it all very close, your shouldn't have any trouble.
don't worry about S off
create an account at the HTC Dev website
on Dev site, select unlock bootloader and follow step by step
once bootloader is unlocked, "fastboot flash recovery twrp.img"
reboot into recovery and CREATE FULL BACKUP... save it somewhere safe...
at this point you are safe and don't need to worry about bricking your phone!
you are also now done with the computer, from this point on you can switch roms as much as you like with just your phone.
to install rom, save file to your phone, wipe system, dalvik/cache, then install new file, all from within twrp
Let me know if you need any help
---------- Post added at 01:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:26 PM ----------
Also just to clarify, it is basically the same thing as your s5, but you are replacing Odin with fastboot and adding the one step of unlocking your bootloader first. Don't worry about rooting at first because most custom roms will have it already rooted, so installing the rom will also root... Good luck
S1CAR1US said:
You got it all very close, your shouldn't have any trouble.
don't worry about S off
create an account at the HTC Dev website
on Dev site, select unlock bootloader and follow step by step
once bootloader is unlocked, "fastboot flash recovery twrp.img"
reboot into recovery and CREATE FULL BACKUP... save it somewhere safe...
at this point you are safe and don't need to worry about bricking your phone!
you are also now done with the computer, from this point on you can switch roms as much as you like with just your phone.
to install rom, save file to your phone, wipe system, dalvik/cache, then install new file, all from within twrp
Let me know if you need any help
---------- Post added at 01:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:26 PM ----------
Also just to clarify, it is basically the same thing as your s5, but you are replacing Odin with fastboot and adding the one step of unlocking your bootloader first. Don't worry about rooting at first because most custom roms will have it already rooted, so installing the rom will also root... Good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First of all, thanks for the answer, just a few more questions^^
S-OFF + unlocked bootloader -> this is what i have on my S5 right now. enabling me to flash and/or **** up everything.
for example take a firmware (bootloader, modem, rom) for s7 and brick my s5 or repartition with a pitfile or whatsoever if i want to
i am able to up-/downgrade firmware from (if it's there) nougat down to marshmallow and back up to nougat
S-ON + unlocked bootloader -> will only give me the possibility to flash new system partition (aka rom), a custom recovery, gain root access and (read about this) flash a kernel. but this won't allow me to update firmware, so as long as i'm on mm, no nougat for me except i relock my bootloader and flash a nougat RUU (check for right MID and CID).
2.1 do i have this right (about the firmware up-/downgrades)?
2.2 the RUUs are basically stock firmware?
S-OFF + locked bootloader
what is up with this configuration? have read it gives me the same options as S-ON and bootloader unlocked?
S-OFF would also allow me to relock bootlader without relocked flag, so it looks as if i never unlocked the bootloader?
AOSP-roms
what configuration do i need to flash aosp roms as soon as there are mor than alpha/beta builds? is S-ON + unlocked bootloader sufficient?
peteter said:
First of all, thanks for the answer, just a few more questions^^
S-OFF + unlocked bootloader -> this is what i have on my S5 right now. enabling me to flash and/or **** up everything.
for example take a firmware (bootloader, modem, rom) for s7 and brick my s5 or repartition with a pitfile or whatsoever if i want to
i am able to up-/downgrade firmware from (if it's there) nougat down to marshmallow and back up to nougat
S-ON + unlocked bootloader -> will only give me the possibility to flash new system partition (aka rom), a custom recovery, gain root access and (read about this) flash a kernel. but this won't allow me to update firmware, so as long as i'm on mm, no nougat for me except i relock my bootloader and flash a nougat RUU (check for right MID and CID).
2.1 do i have this right (about the firmware up-/downgrades)?
2.2 the RUUs are basically stock firmware?
S-OFF + locked bootloader
what is up with this configuration? have read it gives me the same options as S-ON and bootloader unlocked?
S-OFF would also allow me to relock bootlader without relocked flag, so it looks as if i never unlocked the bootloader?
AOSP-roms
what configuration do i need to flash aosp roms as soon as there are mor than alpha/beta builds? is S-ON + unlocked bootloader sufficient?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best way is "S-OFF - LOCKED".
You have the same advantages as with "S-OFF - UNLOCKED", but with "S-OFF - LOCKED" you can go easily back to stock ("S-ON - LOCKED").
You can flash everything AND you can up-/ or downgrade your firmware. So AOSP roms are no problem for you
Never RELOCK your phone.
So the best way is: Unlock your phone with HTC Dev > Flash TWRP > Flash SuperSu > Install sunshine and choose inside the app "S-OFF - LOCKED".
If you want to go back to stock, just flash a RUU.zip and do the s-on command. Thats it.
But, if you still have a firmware version that's compatible with temp root, you don't need to unlock through HTC first. If you're going to spend the Sunshine money anyway, and if your FW version is compatible, go with Sunshine since the beginning.
Also, when you first run TWRP and it asks you if you want to make system writable, say NO. That way, you are able to backup everything untouched and get back to stock in case you want to take OTAs. There are guides that show you how to do it if you decide to stay stock + root/xposed.
Thank you all, so the way would be
download and install sunshine -> done
let sunshine run its tests (temproot etc) -> done and working
(from here on to be done)
pay 25$ and choose S-OFF + LOCKED -> done
fastboot flash recovery twrp.img -> done
i could also do this fastboot boot recovery twrp.img command and then also backup stock recovery? -> no longer available
boot up twrp, no to writable system -> done
nandroid backup (system image, boot) -> done
do what i want, flash custom-rom, aosp-rom, keep stock-rom, flash magisk and systemless phhsuperuser, flash supersu systemless or standard supersu, xposed and whatever makes me hit install in recovery -> done done done
also, never ever RELOCK in case i would S-OFF and UNLOCK
in case i missed something, please enlighten me else i'm of to gain freedom
dastinger said:
But, if you still have a firmware version that's compatible with temp root, you don't need to unlock through HTC first. If you're going to spend the Sunshine money anyway, and if your FW version is compatible, go with Sunshine since the beginning.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, I forgot the sunshine temproot. I got my phone from repair last week with latest firmware and it wasn't working. I had to use HTC Dev to unlock first.
peteter said:
Thank you all, so the way would be
download and install sunshine -> done
let sunshine run its tests (temproot etc) -> done and working
(from here on to be done)
pay 25$ and choose S-OFF + LOCKED
fastboot flash recovery twrp.img
i could also do this fastboot boot recovery twrp.img command and then also backup stock recovery?
boot up twrp, no to writable system
nandroid backup
do what i want, flash custom-rom, aosp-rom, keep stock-rom, flash magisk and systemless phhsuperuser, flash supersu systemless or standard supersu, xposed and whatever makes me hit install in recovery
also, never ever RELOCK in case i would S-OFF and UNLOCK
in case i missed something, please enlighten me else i'm of to gain freedom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After your nandroid backup you have to reboot TWRP and allow writable system, or you can't flash anything a ROM
Not anything. You can still flash Magisk, Systemless Root, Systemless Xposed or a custom kernel. Basically, you can flash anything that doesn't mess with system. A ROM, for example, will need writable system ofc.
Once again, thanks a lot guys, installed twrp which is now asking me for a password. am i right that i have to enter my decrypt password?
EDIT: Just hit cancel worked
peteter said:
Once again, thanks a lot guys, installed twrp which is now asking me for a password. am i right that i have to enter my decrypt password?
EDIT: Just hit cancel worked
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/htc-10/how-to/psa-htc-10-s-off-s-lock-unlock-t3371264
I got OTA updates with S-OFF I understand it's the recovery that will block OTA. What I did was S-OFF and HTC DEV unlocked bootloader I have not changed either one since. What I was doing to get latest firmware(for US UNLOCKED or developer edition) was flash a stock pmewl RUU not modify it and take OTAs to get the latest firmware. If you have the m10h in the USA, your LTE is crippled. You may want to convert to TMOUS or US unlocked. LTE will turn on at that point, however you won't get the full AWS spectrum. I use WCDMA(3.5G or HSDPA+) exclusively, unless I'm somewhere it won't work, like southern Denver, even then it's crippled. I quickly came to the conclusion that I need a PME with full AWS spectrum. I did have the device converted to US unlocked and on nougat within hours, nougat at the time was not available for my device out of the box. Another thing I sometimes go into recovery and find if didn't mount data partition. Simply re-flashing encryption compatible TWRP fixes this. Either a backup or image flash from TWRP. Or re-flash TWRP using TWRP app or dd from a terminal.
From my experience, whenever TWRP asks for a password that means data did not mount! The latest TWRP from twrp.me the official one is working fine for me.
The only problems I had were in trying to return to a fully stock condition.
Which is useful to do in case you maybe sell the phone after upgrading or something. And it very much depends on where you got your phone on how successful that attempt will be. For instance, my contract allows me to upgrade every two years, but the CID they use (H3G__001), despite the phone basically being unlocked, is not supported anywhere in the form of RUU. I had to S-OFF in order to be able to change the CID to HTC__001 which is the WWE CID but you can also change a significant amount of other stuff.
The other thing that being S-OFF makes easy is updating or rolling back firmware versions and different revisions of android require different firmwares (for instance between Marshmallow and Nougat)
Although, some of it has the potential to brick your phone, which being S-ON prevents. So it depends just how far you want to go and if you'd rather have that saftey net. But beyond that, you do not need S-OFF to install and run custom roms, or recoveries, etc.
Good points. It is risky to S-OFF, last time I flashed a write value to the safety state of an HTC modem was the Evo 4g, locked to Virgin Mobile when I got it. I had to cut a small section of a wire from an ethernet cable after flashing the unlock binary. Using that cable to ground contact points(at the risk of bricking) I read how to bypass some safety and get into diag mode writing some hex value to something else using fastboot.
I got into Android(and Linux) by hacking the HTC Touch Pro 2 and a laptop to flash it with. That was a Microsoft Phone. Using Haret, and installing Android Donut system/kernel images on the sdcard, you could boot into the Android Linux kernel and everything was loaded. It was slow, no cellular connection, it booted as a proof of concept.
Unpractical for daily use, I just kept Windows with the earliest version of the Sense interface, compulsively flashing every new Energy ROM. Then came the HTC HD2, the last Microsoft Phone(before Windows Mobile), my first practical Android phone. Started off booting Froyo using the same sdcard install and Haret psuedo bootloader method. Dark Forces group eventually formatted the EEPROM of the HD2 using a Linux friendly file system and moved Android from the sdcard to the internal memory. Adopting Linux kernel and vendor sources from the HTC Desire, the XDA community hacked together a fringe device.
I had a few HD2s running Android on a foreign device. Even bricked a couple of them flashing European radios. Only to restore them by buying the same not bricked devices with busted screens on eBay.
You can do things with an HTC, not possible otherwise using other Armel hardware . I mean try writing low level binary states to the modem of an Nexus device, not only to re define the locality of where the device was manufactured to function, but even downgrade firmware versions and the respective security patches.
Won't happen, not without Jtag and a few years of bricking devices while you earn an unrequited masters in computer science, as I imagine the phreakers/developers behind Sunshine must have.
My point, if I have one, is the raw potential before the OP and the device we're taking about.
To even look up a device on XDA demands a degree of user autonomy not encouraged by many manufactures. Like those that resort exclusively to advertising and pandering to made for TV "group think" expectations and attitudes of what a device is capable of. Only what is most profitable to most manufactures will work easily on the device without risk of destruction.
End users intolerant of bloatware and advertising, or limiting personal driving, shopping, usage and locality data to services they chose or at least use and know about. Those are examples of what's outside the stock ROM box.
The communications service industry as a whole will lose profits if they don't buy the majority of these inherently open devices and tailor them to fit, for the most part, their ends. I mean yeah, KNOX is secure, and that's a great cover story to isolate open development. Groups of independent developers, builders, and users can take technology in a direction different and less predictable than what is otherwise a profitable direction.
I like to imagine this fora as a nail in the coffin of computer hardware and software development that unnecessarily limits experimentation and inflates security risks to homogenize those capable individuals under the same or similar payroll. Focusing them on profit over communal benefit, as if we can't have both.
Hi,
I recently had to return my phone back to stock because of a warranty issue. (battery dying between 25% and 40%)
So chances are high that I will get the phone back with Marshmallow instead of Lollipop.
is there a guide or can anyone give some pointers how to root this device? After a bit of reading I still have a few specific questions, so maybe someone here can help.
A) What TWRP version will I need for the M8s on Marsmallow?
B) Will Magisk systemless root work on this device?
C) If the rooting has succeeded and I remove some bloatware apps from /system/vendor and /privapp and such. Will this trip the Google safety net? Or is safety net not yet applied to our M8s devices?
Thanks!
I don't personally have the M8s version specifically. But as the device forum sections for all the M8 versions in general are becoming pretty quiet; I'll try to help you to the best of my knowledge.
A) The TWRP recovery posted in this (M8s) forum section should work fine on Marshmallow. Looks like it's only updated to 2.8.6
B) Should work, yes. I would suggest the current stable Magisk version, which is 14.0
Backup your stock (unrooted) ROM before trying to root (as you always should - this is best practice and just good common sense). Then if anything goes wrong, you can easily restore to stock.
C) Not sure. But I can tell you on my current device (OnePlus 3T) that removing system (bloat) apps does not trip safety net.
Hi @redpoint73,
Thanks. That takes away some worries and gives me some confidence for giving it a third shot . Nandroid's don't work on the M8s unfortunately, I've tried this once since I botched something up during my first root attempt, put back the Nandroid and my Bluetooth was dead. (and probably more, but I didn't investigate it further back then.)
As in regards of removing bloat, since HTC has the S-on I was only able to remove the pre-installed apps from within TWRP (or else the apps were back after a reboot), so I guess this process remains the same?
Thanks so far and I'll report back my results in this topic. Now I first have to wait to see if they give me my warranty, since the bootloader said relocked and the firm I had to send it to is notorious for blaming factory faults on rooting of the phone. Fingers crossed!
Thijs_Rallye said:
As in regards of removing bloat, since HTC has the S-on I was only able to remove the pre-installed apps from within TWRP (or else the apps were back after a reboot), so I guess this process remains the same?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Should be the same, yes.
The reason for this, is that the system is write-protected, even with root. On the M8, there is a kernel mod which disables the write protection (allows you to modify system while booted to OS), but I don't know if there is such a mod for the M8s. But if you were able to do it in TWRP, the same should apply on Marshmallow.
So I finally got my phone back, or well, to be accurate, I got another phone (albeit another M8s) back under warranty. I guess they f'd it up during repairs or something. And as expected my phone was upgraded to Marshmallow.
Anyhow, the more I read about Magisk and systemless rooting the more lost I seem to get lost. Is there somewhere a step by step guide for obtaining root on this phone?
Let me recap from what I've understood so far (SOURCE 1, SOURCE 2 and SOURCE 3)
1) Backup my boot partition, I am still searching how to accomplish this without rooting the phone first. Booting to TWRP without installing resulted in mangling some data in the boot partition, so unfortunately that is not an option. (blanks the OS version)
2) Boot to TWRP and flash the Magisk zip file. There should be an option somewhere in TWRP to enable systemless rooting.
3) ?
So if anyone knows if I am on the right (or wrong) track please let me know .
Thijs
Edit: I can't seem to get the phone boot TWRP for some reason (from my harddrive htc_fastboot boot twrp.img). This used to be possible on my old M8s which I had send in for repairs. Do I really have to flash it because I have no way of backing up the old original recovery .
Okay, since it is kinda dead in here let me bump this for anyone in the same situation. I've managed to install Magisk successfully. The steps involved
1) unlock bootloader
2) flash twrp (htc_fastboot flash recovery twrp.img) I've used the latest version from Captain Throwback which I've found in the OP of the Void_Zero Lineage OS thread.
3) boot the phone and copy magisk systemless root zip and the apk file to your internal storage Grab the uninstaller as well in the topic.
4) reboot to recovery (adb reboot bootloader)
5) flash the zip from within recovery
6) reboot the phone and install the Magisk app.
7) done
Use this guide on your own risk. It worked flawlessly for me but no guarantees .
Hello,
Is it possible to get root access on the Moto Z Play without needing TWRP? I tried to use this guide but my phone doesn't want to flash TWRP. It may require a unlocked bootloader. My question is that is it possible to get root on this phone without TWRP or unlocked bootloader?
PS. I only want root access to get Viper4Android/ Dolby. If there are any other alternatives, please let me know below.
Thanks,
mPreet
mPreet said:
Hello,
Is it possible to get root access on the Moto Z Play without needing TWRP? I tried to use this guide but my phone doesn't want to flash TWRP. It may require a unlocked bootloader. My question is that is it possible to get root on this phone without TWRP or unlocked bootloader?
PS. I only want root access to get Viper4Android/ Dolby. If there are any other alternatives, please let me know below.
Thanks,
mPreet
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your title says without unlock bootloader - no
Your text says without twrp - you can fastboot boot twrp.img - that will boot to it but not flash it permanently. But, again, not if the bl is not unlocked - gotta have that.
KrisM22 said:
Your title says without unlock bootloader - no
Your text says without twrp - you can fastboot boot twrp.img - that will boot to it but not flash it permanently. But, again, not if the bl is not unlocked - gotta have that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So just to make sure that I understand, I have to get the unlock key from Motorola in order to unlock the bootloader. There is no other way around it, right.
mPreet said:
So just to make sure that I understand, I have to get the unlock key from Motorola in order to unlock the bootloader. There is no other way around it, right.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty much - the process of obtaining your key will void your remaining Motorola warranty (though you may still have some protection depending on your local consumer laws), and the process of actually using the unlock key on your device will wipe your device in a factory reset. Ensure you back up your device (and adopted SD card as well) beforehand.
After that, you should be able to flash or boot TWRP, then root and flash Viper4Android (or ARISE Soundsystems) or Dolby. If you get OTA updates, you will not be able to flash them unless you can revert back to full stock, so ensure you have a TWRP backup without modifications or access to a stock ROM of the same build that you have now.
mPreet said:
So just to make sure that I understand, I have to get the unlock key from Motorola in order to unlock the bootloader. There is no other way around it, right.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
correct. afaik.
echo92 said:
Pretty much - the process of obtaining your key will void your remaining Motorola warranty (though you may still have some protection depending on your local consumer laws), and the process of actually using the unlock key on your device will wipe your device in a factory reset. Ensure you back up your device (and adopted SD card as well) beforehand.
After that, you should be able to flash or boot TWRP, then root and flash Viper4Android (or ARISE Soundsystems) or Dolby. If you get OTA updates, you will not be able to flash them unless you can revert back to full stock, so ensure you have a TWRP backup without modifications or access to a stock ROM of the same build that you have now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I just boot off the TWRP instead of flashing, would that backup constitute as stock? So boot the TWRP instead of flashing then make a backup before rooting.
Thanks,
mPreet
mPreet said:
If I just boot off the TWRP instead of flashing, would that backup constitute as stock? So boot the TWRP instead of flashing then make a backup before rooting.
Thanks,
mPreet
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
be aware you will be walking on shaky ground. Be sure you have a spare phone that works in case you brick this one.