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[International / GSM] Updates while rooted

Finaly if i just unroot to update and then re-root the device would that work? If the answer is yes how to unroot, if it wont work then wtf!?
 
Finaly if i just unroot to update and then re-root the device would that work? If the answer is yes how to unroot, if it wont work then wtf!?

You don't need to unroot to update, as long as you don't have ClockWorkMod Recovery installed in your device, or if you haven't modified any system data

You just update Over-the-Air, or flash the update with fastboot

And yes, you can re-root after you update
 
Whether you can get OTA updates while rooted depends entirely on what the installer does for a sanity check before starting.

There is no "yes you can/no you can't" answer.

The installer is going to run through a set of checks to ensure your system is appropriate to update. It's going to make sure you're on a correct version, it's going to check for the existence of system files, it may verify that the recovery is stock or it may not.

It may not check anything that the superuser binaries affect.

It may, however, hash the entire /system/app directory to check if it's stock. It may check the /system/etc to make sure the install-recovery.sh file is there. Heck, it may specifically query to find out if you have "su" and "Superuser.apk" installed. If I were a programmer, I probably would - I don't want to install updates on a system where unknown modifications have been made.

All of those things would cause an update to fail, and all of these things could change from upgrade to upgrade. You should always assume that modifying your device at the system level (which rooting does) may take you off the upgrade path. If you don't know how to deal with that, you should probably do a little more reading before you root.
 
Whether you can get OTA updates while rooted depends entirely on what the installer does for a sanity check before starting.

There is no "yes you can/no you can't" answer.

The installer is going to run through a set of checks to ensure your system is appropriate to update. It's going to make sure you're on a correct version, it's going to check for the existence of system files, it may verify that the recovery is stock or it may not.

It may not check anything that the superuser binaries affect.

It may, however, hash the entire /system/app directory to check if it's stock. It may check the /system/etc to make sure the install-recovery.sh file is there. Heck, it may specifically query to find out if you have "su" and "Superuser.apk" installed. If I were a programmer, I probably would - I don't want to install updates on a system where unknown modifications have been made.

All of those things would cause an update to fail, and all of these things could change from upgrade to upgrade. You should always assume that modifying your device at the system level (which rooting does) may take you off the upgrade path. If you don't know how to deal with that, you should probably do a little more reading before you root.


As much as I would like the dev to do this as a rooter. From what I have seen the updates usually check for the md5 of some system apps.
 
As much as I would like the dev to do this as a rooter. From what I have seen the updates usually check for the md5 of some system apps.

I think you may have missed my point ;)

What the updater checks for can change at any time. Thus, the only thing we can say is, "under a very specific set of circumstances (e.g. 'rooted with no modifications', or 'rooted with CWM installed'), one very specific update works."

The question regularly gets posted, "if I root, will I be able to get updates?" People always answer it with some definitive answer, when there is no definitive answer. Will one particular update work within some small subset of rooted systems? That can be answered.
 
i dont know if i have installed ClockWorkMod Recovery I just used the fastboot root methode. If i just installed it, anyone have a link how install the stock recovery back thanks
 
If you only rooted the phone, you don't have CWM installed - you have to deliberately choose to install that.
 
I think you may have missed my point ;)

What the updater checks for can change at any time. Thus, the only thing we can say is, "under a very specific set of circumstances (e.g. 'rooted with no modifications', or 'rooted with CWM installed'), one very specific update works."

The question regularly gets posted, "if I root, will I be able to get updates?" People always answer it with some definitive answer, when there is no definitive answer. Will one particular update work within some small subset of rooted systems? That can be answered.

I understood your point but in my experience running stock rooted you will get the OTA. I understand that some phones will not update if you remove bloatware and I do not know what google has it's updates check for and what it will check for will be dynamic for each update.

I think it would be great if they had the update check to see if it was rooted and then if the phone is it aborts the update attempt. I have also helped plenty of people who rooted and flashed a custom recovery then soft bricked because they got an OTA and only rooted to use a program like ad blocker or to make a nandroid backup.
 
You should still get the OTA but it will unroot your phone, it shouldn't lock the bootloader again however.

Are we sure about that yet? I know that Chainz has already updated the binaries for SU to work with 4.0.3... I wouldn't think the OTA would effect the SU app if the binaries are working on the OTA.

Remember rooting this phone is very different from others, you do not need to use any kind of exploit like you do on other phones to attain root. All you need to do is push the SU app to the phone...
 
@fmadrigal

Because you have CWM installed if you get an update it will fail.

As discussed above by BV you may or may not even get prompted for the update depending on what it checks for.

You can unroot using the method you linked and would be able to accept updates no problem, if you just flash the stock recovery and get prompted to update you should have no problems updating either.

There is a home replacement app available called Nova Launcher that will allow you to remove the search bar from your phone even if you are running stock plus adds some additional features (scrollable dock bar, custom grid size, press and hold to add widgets on home screen) you may want to check out. If you stay rooted and make it a system app you also keep the widgets in your app drawer.
 
Ok very informative information here.

If I unlocked bootloader, Rooted w/ no custom ROM but removed the google search bar w/ that zip file, and have clockwork installed.

Update or no Update?

If I won't get the update, can I use this method to go back? > http://androidforums.com/galaxy-nex...-re-lock-bootloader-return-factory-state.html

Since you installed clockwork you will not be able to instal the OTA update. The unlocked bootloader will not effect your ability to get the OTAs, however installing a custom recovery (Clockwork) will.

I can't see any reason why using the method you linked wouldn't work to get the OTA... :)
 
Are we sure about that yet? I know that Chainz has already updated the binaries for SU to work with 4.0.3... I wouldn't think the OTA would effect the SU app if the binaries are working on the OTA.

Remember rooting this phone is very different from others, you do not need to use any kind of exploit like you do on other phones to attain root. All you need to do is push the SU app to the phone...

I am sure if history is any example. I can't think of any phones that have accepted OTA updates and remained rooted (including prior nexus phones and this one from people upgrading from 4.0.1 to 4.0.2), they may be very easy to get root back on but I believe updates almost always rewrite /system which would remove the superuser access.

But to reroot it is as simple as flashing CWM then flashing SU in recovery.
 
if we were to root without CWM then get the update (assuming you can) causing you to lose root would your phone be wiped again when you root after the update or is that just something you have to go through during the original process where you're having to unlock the bootloader, too?

I'd rather have the option for OTA updates without even having to worry about following to see when a flashable version is out but I'm not interested in having to repopulate the phone every time one comes down and I have to re-root.
 
if we were to root without CWM then get the update (assuming you can) causing you to lose root would your phone be wiped again when you root after the update or is that just something you have to go through during the original process where you're having to unlock the bootloader, too?

I'd rather have the option for OTA updates without even having to worry about following to see when a flashable version is out but I'm not interested in having to repopulate the phone every time one comes down and I have to re-root.

I don't think it should wipe the /sdcard part of your phone again. Unlocking the bootloader does this but an OTA should not relock the bootloader. I think you should just be able to soft boot clockwork mod in fastboot then flash superuser.zip to gain root access after an OTA.
 
Just an FYI: I got my phone Monday and unlocked bootloader and rooted with fastboot before I even activated it. As soon as I did activate it, 4.0.2 was pushed and it installed flawlessly. I did lose root, but was able to reinstall it within a few seconds.
In summary, if you are reading this and want the benefits of being rooted like titanium and other root only apps and don't care about romming you might just want to do fastboot and not clockwork recovery so you can recieve OTAs.
 
Just an FYI: I got my phone Monday and unlocked bootloader and rooted with fastboot before I even activated it. As soon as I did activate it, 4.0.2 was pushed and it installed flawlessly. I did lose root, but was able to reinstall it within a few seconds.
In summary, if you are reading this and want the benefits of being rooted like titanium and other root only apps and don't care about romming you might just want to do fastboot and not clockwork recovery so you can recieve OTAs.

Thanks for the confirmation. I thought it would update and cause you to lose root but if you read the thread you know there is some debate over this.
 
Hey guys, I know I saw this thread a few days ago, but never posted and lost a little track of it...

How about this: I'll restore my phone back to 4.0.1 a few times and see how the phone behaves to the 4.0.2 OTA with regard to:

1) installing ClockworkMod
2) rooting (installing the su and Superuser.apk binaries)

That should clear up what actually works (or doesn't work).

I won't get to this tonight, but I might get to it tomorrow, etc.

Cheers!
 
Well, I rooted and did CWM straight away and didn't give the phone a chance to upgrade to 4.0.2 first. Today my phone kept trying to update to 4.0.2 and failing (the dead-droid logo requires a battery pull to recover from). So don't go that route whatever you do.

I gave in and installed a custom 4.0.3 ROM.
 
Yeah CWM will not allow OTA updates to install you must be on the stock recovery. You may also need all the system apps in place for it to install as well.
 
Ugh I forgot about that and deleted all the verizon crap...I guess its custom roms for me(was planning on staying stock for a while)
Pretty sure you can just get someone to send you their verizon files and reinstall them.
I remember deleting a bunch of bloat off my DroidX and then not being able to update but found a post on the forums that had links to all the stock apps to reinstall and it worked.
 
Hey guys, I know I saw this thread a few days ago, but never posted and lost a little track of it...

How about this: I'll restore my phone back to 4.0.1 a few times and see how the phone behaves to the 4.0.2 OTA with regard to:

1) installing ClockworkMod
2) rooting (installing the su and Superuser.apk binaries)

That should clear up what actually works (or doesn't work).

I won't get to this tonight, but I might get to it tomorrow, etc.

Cheers!
SA, thanks for doing the research for this, I remember how much your posts helped in the DroidX forums, glad you keep taking the same upgrade paths that I do!
 
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