Root Rooting - general procedure for new devices?

[KryptoNyte]

I've watched the rooting procedures emerge on the Nook Color and the Optimus V over the past 8 months or so, but can someone clarify ...

What are the typical procedure(s) when a new device emerges? A short description of each would be much appreciated.

For example:

1) Get Clockwork recovery running on the new device. I assume this is the backup image of the original system that can be restored in the event of a blown rooting attempt, and can fix a slightly screwed up system all the way to a completely "bricked" device.

2) Create a rooted ROM, that can be downloaded and applied to the device (in some fashion). I'm not really sure what this is, or what's involved, but it appears that a rooted Android device basically removes the manufacturer's software limitations, making the device's software pure Android.

3) As time passes, improvements are made to the ROM to fix things that aren't working. Each device has many capabilities, varying hardware, and I watched issues crop up with early ROMs on the Nook Color. I also noted that as interest on the device waned, some of the outstanding fixes may never get repaired, or workarounds would be implemented. Eventually, the ROM programmers would move on to another device and disappear from the forum.

Is this pretty much the basic procedure for Android devices? If you've been involved in the programming end of this in the past, what other things occur along the way?

 

[scary alien]

KryptoNyte,

I'm not a Moto Triumph device user, but I thought I share what I believe since there've been no replies to your thread yet.

I've watched the rooting procedures emerge on the Nook Color and the Optimus V over the past 8 months or so, but can someone clarify ...

What are the typical procedure(s) when a new device emerges? A short description of each would be much appreciated.

I'll start by inserting this to your list:

0) "Discover" (or create) a root exploit for the device

This, of course, varies by device and Android OS. This first root exploit is needed in order to install the su (superuser) program and the Superuser.akp (root whitelist) app. You don't have to have this root exploit first, of course, and sometimes there isn't a direct root exploit and you have to rely on being able to get a custom recovery installed which will allow you to get a custom, rooted ROM installed (i.e., containing the su program and Superuser.apk).

1) Get Clockwork recovery running on the new device. I assume this is the backup image of the original system that can be restored in the event of a blown rooting attempt, and can fix a slightly screwed up system all the way to a completely "bricked" device.

Well, ClockworkMod is certainly the most prevalent and widely-known custom recovery, but its by no means the only one (Amon_RA's custom recovery was the first one I used for the HTC Droid Eris). These custom recoveries allow you to do a multitude of functions that certainly include making a backup (typically referred to as a Nandroid backup) and subsequently restore said backup. Additionaly, you use the custom recovery to wipe various partitions (such as the /cache and/or /data partitions); flash a custom rooted ROM or other signed update.zip-type of files; wipe the battery stats; partition your SD card; toggle (enter/exit) USB acces to your SD card; and finally, run a minimal kernel in the background containing an adb server (very useful).

2) Create a rooted ROM, that can be downloaded and applied to the device (in some fashion). I'm not really sure what this is, or what's involved, but it appears that a rooted Android device basically removes the manufacturer's software limitations, making the device's software pure Android.

Custom rooted ROMs are basically alternative versions of the Android operating system that the ROM devs have "cooked-up". These can be built in a variety of ways

1) from pure "AOSP" (Android Open Source Project), i.e, from the Android source; this includes using Android source other than what is officially approved or available for the given device (i.e., 2.1 was the last "official" release for the HTC Droid Eris, but it was one of the first devices to get a 2.2/Froyo ROM built for it (KaosFroyo); there have subsequently been 2.3/Gingerbread ROMs created and some CyanogenMod CM7 ROMs, too.)

2) tweaking / building / developing your own AOSP-based Android (i.e., the like the folks over at ClockworkMod do...CM7 is built using Gingerbread as a base for all of the really cool modifications and enhancements that they have developed)

3) simply removing "extra" components from an existing stock ROM (i.e., bloatware), adding things like su, Superuser.apk, etc. and possibly replacing the kernel itself

and finally,

4) any combination of all of the above, LOL (the possibilities are endless)

3) As time passes, improvements are made to the ROM to fix things that aren't working. Each device has many capabilities, varying hardware, and I watched issues crop up with early ROMs on the Nook Color. I also noted that as interest on the device waned, some of the outstanding fixes may never get repaired, or workarounds would be implemented. Eventually, the ROM programmers would move on to another device and disappear from the forum.

This is an easy one: yep, pretty-much

Is this pretty much the basic procedure for Android devices? If you've been involved in the programming end of this in the past, what other things occur along the way?

There are also "themes" that are created for the above ROMs. This involves de-odexing the ROMs (basically, re-marrying the "odexed" (optimized .dex) files back with their .apks so that the themers can tweak the various graphics and presentation-related aspects of the ROM (I'm not that conversant on themes by the way .

I'm sure there's other stuff too (device-specific apps, etc.) that I've forgotten, but that's a pretty good start. I'm sure I've mangled something in the above, so apologies for any mis-statements I might have made to the real experts.

Hope that helps .

Cheers!

 

[KryptoNyte]

Thank you. Just trying to get a picture of what to watch for, and at what stage to jump in. Looks like we're pretty early for the Triumph, so have to wait and watch.