Questions about rooting?

[scoopsy]

I have had my first android phone for over a week now and I am really interested in rooting the device for battery life improvements etc . . .

I know the risks and benefits of rooting a device and I am will to take the risk.


MY main concerns are:


1) About bricking the device.

I take it by this it will basically become a paper weight?

Is there any recovering from this?


2) My phone was bought sim free so if I have to return it during it warranty period can this just be done by flashing the original kernel back on?

Or once the device is rooted is the kernel changed permanently?


3) Do you root the device 1st and then flash a ROM or can you this simultaneously


4) If a new ROM comes out do I need to re-root the device before flashing this new firmware?



Thanks in advance for answering my questions

Baseband = I9100XXKE4

Kernel= XWKE7

Build= Ginergerbread.XWKE7

 

[steslatt]

Ive had my phone over a month now and I am on this forum and over on xda most days and I am yet to hear of someone bricking this phone and not being able to restore it. Have a read through the guides in stickies for more info on rooting and flashing roms.
To remove root just flash an original firmware and your phone will be restored to how it was.
When you flash a custom rom you need to be rooted (you do with villain rom anyway).
When you update a custom rom you usually keep root, when you update an original samsung rom you loose root and have to re root.