linux guy buys first android phone

[fetchinson]

So normally I use a linux laptop but the screen of my old phone broke I finally got an android device (samsung galaxy note). I'm quite pleased so far but have a few general questions:

1. I've read about rooting the phone, is that process reversible?

2. If the phone is rooted can I choose to use it with or without root privileges or if it's rooted once I can only use it with root priviliges?

3. There are loads of preinstalled samsung applications which I don't need (allshare, buddies now, social hub, etc, etc), can I delete those somehow (the normal software removal procedure doesn't work)?

4. Is there something like a shell for viewing the full file system?

5. Already installed connectbot, pretty cool! (okay, this is not a question )

6. sl4a and python both work (not a quetsion either )

7. If I want to stay anonymous to some extent and want to disconnect my google account from the phone so that it doesn't download anything from gmail, calendar, etc, etc, and doesn't do any syncing what services will be lost as a consequence?

8. Is there a simple one-click type of way to disable all network connections?

9. How do I control what processes/services are started up at boot time?

Well, I guess that's it, basically any info that will help me feel at home on the device the same way I feel at home on my linux laptop would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Demache]

1. Yes it is. All it does is allow apps to ask for super user privileges. All you need to do is flash the stock ROM to the phone again and it removes root privileges. You can usually find links to download things in the all-things-root section for your phone.

2. Yes and no. Not every app will run with root privileges and the ones that do will create a pop-up and ask for your permission. However once its rooted, it will always be rooted until you remove root.

3. Yes, once your rooted you can delete these with apps such as Titanium Backup.

4. There is an app called "Terminal Emulator" so you can use an actual terminal shell on the phone. And there are also other apps like Root Explorer that allow you to view the entire file system of the phone and make changes as super user.

7. You lose access to the Play Store (App Marketplace), since all the apps and you download and buy are attached to your account. However if all you want to do is disable syncing with your Google account, just uncheck all the services under your account in Accounts & Sync in the settings. If you want to totally disconnect your phone from Google, you can probably use the Amazon app store and sideload them. Never used the Amazon app store without a Google account though so no guarantees on this working.

8. If you want all phone and data connections disconnected, use Airplane mode. If you want to disable mobile data, wifi, and just leave phone and SMS enabled in one go, I'm sure there are apps that can do this.

9. There's an app called Autorun Manager. Pretty neat.

 

[fetchinson]

1. Yes it is. All it does is allow apps to ask for super user privileges. All you need to do is flash the stock ROM to the phone again and it removes root privileges. You can usually find links to download things in the all-things-root section for your phone.

Great, that's good to know!

2. Yes and no. Not every app will run with root privileges and the ones that do will create a pop-up and ask for your permission. However once its rooted, it will always be rooted until you remove root.

So rooting doesn't introduce the concept of users? I thought I will be able to log in as a regular user and also as a root user. So multiple users don't exist for android?

3. Yes, once your rooted you can delete these with apps such as Titanium Backup.

Thanks!

4. There is an app called "Terminal Emulator" so you can use an actual terminal shell on the phone. And there are also other apps like Root Explorer that allow you to view the entire file system of the phone and make changes as super user.

Terminal emulator seems promising indeed, wish it had built in ssh ConnectBot does the job of course but if I could say "ssh somehost" in the terminal that would be really neat.

9. There's an app called Autorun Manager. Pretty neat.

Is there documentation somewhere on where do these things get defined? I mean what process gets started automatically, etc, etc? Something like /etc/rc.d stuff on linux, I can edit those by hand.

Thanks for all the useful info!

 

[pool_shark]

I have yet to come across an auto start app that actually stops the apps from starting.

Deleting apps can be dangerous, you're better off renaming them or freezing them.

For the terminal, I prefer better terminal emulator pro.

There are no "accounts" in android. If you allow apps access to superuser they will keep it unless you remove the access. As for the terminal, you will be a regular user until you su, unless you have it set to start as root.