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So why did YOU root?

AOSP Browser - stock browser with flash support
Foldermount - move applications to external sdcard
Root explorer - does what it says
Device Spoofer - make Play Store think your using another device
Titanium Backup - backup applications
Set CPU - underclock CPU for improved battery life

Can't think of anything else right now.
 
I rooted cause i wanted to install Linux for my droid, and why i wanted, i needed it because of my job. It helps me lot.

No offence but could you explain that more please?
No other reason than my curiosity and id like to know how its like runnin linux on your phone (screenshots would be mint) thanks :beer:
 
Can't get S4 Google Edition here so I rooted to get the abomination TouchWiz out of my life and installed the Google ROM instead.
Also, I can't live without Xposed.
 
On my fourth try I finally got my Droid2 Global running 2.3.4 rooted. Then I ran into the next issue, the absolute lack of any instructions I cold find as to how to use the new app...After a couple of hours looking, I finally figured out what I needed to do to remove crap apps but that is as far as I have gone.

What someone should do is write a definitive for dummies set of instructions as to how to use the new app and Titanium Backup aps...I have yet to understand why so very many assume the root concept is familiar to all and insist on writing in GeekSpeak Root jargon.

Hint...instructions are not evil.
 
Because its still a very underground thing to do. The manufacturer/carrier dont want you to do it so we we rely on communitys like this.
why did you root? What do you want from it?
Did the root process install an alternative recovery like clockwork mod (CWM) or TWRP?
 
I tend to think the day Blue Peter does a "Here's one I made earlier." feature on how to root your mobile phone or when there's a "Rooting for Dummies." book published. That's when it will become mainstream and ready for the great unwashed. :D

For many devices, rooting is not an option or is untested and risky or you have to be able to read technical Chinese.

I'm sure for many members of the public "No user serviceable parts inside." is a good idea. And if you wish to delve inside and root your device, expect to find geek jargon like "clockwork mod" or "bootlooping"....i.e. phrases you might not read in The Daily Mail. ;)
 
I'm sure for many members of the public "No user serviceable parts inside." is a good idea. And if you wish to delve inside and root your device, expect to find geek jargon like "clockwork mod" or "bootlooping"....i.e. phrases you might not read in The Daily Mail. ;)

But knowing the why is not the same as knowing, in plain language, the how...

I found a half dozen step by step instructions on how to root my phone. I kept trying until I found one that worked. It is the after rooted that I am asking about. You have your shiny new app on the phone and absolutely zero guidance on how/what to do with it....

For example...why no step by step instructions on how to use Titanium backup? It is not rocket science or magic. Simply provide instructions as folk have done for tech for generations and all the magic goes away. The fellow behind the curtain is not doing magic. He is simply hiding what he is doing. Tell the people...make it simple.

If everyone can figure this out and knows why folk are doing it, then the carriers will stop loading crap on our phones.
 
But knowing the why is not the same as knowing, in plain language, the how...

I found a half dozen step by step instructions on how to root my phone. I kept trying until I found one that worked. It is the after rooted that I am asking about. You have your shiny new app on the phone and absolutely zero guidance on how/what to do with it....

You're trying to root a Droid 2 Global correct?

There's instructions here:
How To Root Motorola Droid 2 Global [ADB Method]
It's not an easy straight forward one click thing by the looks of it, and does involved some Linux command line steps. You might not know what things like "chmod 4755 /system/bin/su" does, but that's one of the steps you have to follow to root your phone using this method. It's not plain English.

I've never come across your particular phone, so I know less about rooting it than you do. But I've rooted my Samsung, and that was literally a one step job. But that's only for this particular Samsung, others might be much harder or not possible at all.

JIMV what sites and directions have you followed when trying to root your Droid? Maybe we can be of some assistance here on AF. :)

We've had many posts from people irreparably bricking their phones and tablets, because they followed an incorrect or unproven rooting method, or once it was rooted, they deleted or damaged some essential system files, and that's the end of that. NO manufacturer's or third party ROM available to flash it with. If you delete the wrong file in /system on a rooted Android device, it's gone forever, there's no warning or "Recycle Bin".

Why I said...."No user serviceable parts inside." which originally was for electronics products, as a warning to keep "twiddlers" who didn't know what they're doing out. Messing and adjusting the internal manufacturer's controls, rather than just the front panel customer controls. Rendering the radio or TV or whatever inoperable or messed up. It was also to try and stop people electrocuting themselves of course, because they didn't know what they're doing.

IMO rooting is similar, once a device is rooted, you have full access to all the essential system stuff, do something wrong or you don't know what you're doing, devices can be bricked...sometimes irreparably. Some of the time for rooting devices, people are just following something from some blog, which could be unproven and might not work. Especially if it's a little known device.

For many people i.e. the non-techy Daily Mail readers of this world, they might be better off without root access to their devices. IMO they shouldn't be allowed Admin privileges to their Windows PCs either, one reason why there's so much viruses and malware around. Being honest average non-techy Joe Public wouldn't even know the phrase "root privileges", let along what it actually does or means. "Something to do with plants and trees is it?" or "Something that causes cancer?" ;) As for say Verizon NFL bloat they might think, well that's how the phone came it's supposed to be like that.
 
I didn't root every phone I had but there were reasons, if you owned an HTC Desire there was no reason why you shouldn't root- there was so many possibilities with that. I rooted my Moto X because I couldn't get fonts larger than the settings' "huge", it still wasn't big enough for apps like IM+ and Hangout so once I rooted I was able to enlarge fonts a bit more (4.2.2 seems to block font size apps past a certain size), also I rooted an LG Optimus LTE (Nitro HD) so I can use Volume+ since the call volume was too quiet. I didn't root the HTC One X though, that device did everything I needed.

Also rooted my Asus tablet to use full!screen, the bottom black bar got annoying at times in certain apps and games.
 
IMO rooting is similar, once a device is rooted, you have full access to all the essential system stuff, do something wrong or you don't know what you're doing, devices can be bricked...sometimes irreparably. Some of the time for rooting devices, people are just following something from some blog, which could be unproven and might not work. Especially if it's a little known device.

For many people i.e. the non-techy Daily Mail readers of this world, they might be better off without root access to their devices. IMO they shouldn't be allowed Admin privileges to their Windows PCs either, one reason why there's so much viruses and malware around.

Two things I would add ...

(1) When you root you assume total responsibility for your device. You are no longer going to get support from your carrier (e.g., Verizon) or manufacturer (e.g., Motorola). If you brick it ... you will pay to have it replaced. (if you don't do the research before hand the probability of bricking really goes up.)

(2) It is not simple to do on all devices and the "trick" to unlocking on a model of phone/carrier is not necessarily the same "trick" used on another model/carrier. There is no universal root method. There is no universal "recover from my screw up method".

... Thom
 
I rooted my old Samsung Galaxy S 1 I9000 just to be able to use "Voodo" so I could raise the volume a little bit more, enjoyed it very much.

Now I have BLU Studio S 5.3, I don't think i'm gonne root it even though its volume is super low, i'm afraid to wreck it like my SGS got wrecked (Probably becuase of the multi flashes, not sure though).

Should I root my phone?? Is there any danger?
 
You're trying to root a Droid 2 Global correct?

There's instructions here:
How To Root Motorola Droid 2 Global [ADB Method]
It's not an easy straight forward one click thing by the looks of it, and does involved some Linux command line steps. You might not know what things like "chmod 4755 /system/bin/su" does, but that's one of the steps you have to follow to root your phone using this method. It's not plain English.

I've never come across your particular phone, so I know less about rooting it than you do. But I've rooted my Samsung, and that was literally a one step job. But that's only for this particular Samsung, others might be much harder or not possible at all.

JIMV what sites and directions have you followed when trying to root your Droid? Maybe we can be of some assistance here on AF. :)

We've had many posts from people irreparably bricking their phones and tablets, because they followed an incorrect or unproven rooting method, or once it was rooted, they deleted or damaged some essential system files, and that's the end of that. NO manufacturer's or third party ROM available to flash it with. If you delete the wrong file in /system on a rooted Android device, it's gone forever, there's no warning or "Recycle Bin".

Why I said...."No user serviceable parts inside." which originally was for electronics products, as a warning to keep "twiddlers" who didn't know what they're doing out. Messing and adjusting the internal manufacturer's controls, rather than just the front panel customer controls. Rendering the radio or TV or whatever inoperable or messed up. It was also to try and stop people electrocuting themselves of course, because they didn't know what they're doing.

IMO rooting is similar, once a device is rooted, you have full access to all the essential system stuff, do something wrong or you don't know what you're doing, devices can be bricked...sometimes irreparably. Some of the time for rooting devices, people are just following something from some blog, which could be unproven and might not work. Especially if it's a little known device.

For many people i.e. the non-techy Daily Mail readers of this world, they might be better off without root access to their devices. IMO they shouldn't be allowed Admin privileges to their Windows PCs either, one reason why there's so much viruses and malware around. Being honest average non-techy Joe Public wouldn't even know the phrase "root privileges", let along what it actually does or means. "Something to do with plants and trees is it?" or "Something that causes cancer?" ;) As for say Verizon NFL bloat they might think, well that's how the phone came it's supposed to be like that.

Alas, I did not keep a record of the systems that failed.

I would agree with your final paragraph if and only if the world or wireless did not include carriers loading bloatware on YOUR phone. That should be illegal.
 
I had a tbolt. There were so many good roms to try I rooted for fun. I then found out how much faster and smoother aosp was than stock. Tbolt still works great but is unusably slow in stock rom.

That said no reason to root my note 3. No unlocked bootloader means no aosp roms so no reason for me to root.
 
Alas, I did not keep a record of the systems that failed.

I would agree with your final paragraph if and only if the world or wireless did not include carriers loading bloatware on YOUR phone. That should be illegal.

Thing is if you have a locked and subsidised phone from a carrier e.g. Verizon. Effectively it's not actually your phone to do with as you like, not until you've completed your contract commitment or paid the ETF. It's pretty much still their phone. You default on the contract the carrier blacklists it, thus making it useless as a phone, i.e. they might as well have taken the phone away from you.

The phone is your property yes, but what actually happens with it can be down to what the carrier decides, e.g. blacklisting in the event of default and the fact that it is locked.

My phones are not locked and the carrier can't blacklist them for non-payment, but then I paid the full retail price for them.
 
Thing is if you have a locked and subsidised phone from a carrier e.g. Verizon. Effectively it's not actually your phone to do with as you like, not until you've completed your contract commitment or paid the ETF. It's pretty much still their phone. You default on the contract the carrier blacklists it, thus making it useless as a phone, i.e. they might as well have taken the phone away from you.

The phone is your property yes, but what actually happens with it can be down to what the carrier decides, e.g. blacklisting in the event of default and the fact that it is locked.

My phones are not locked and the carrier can't blacklist them for non-payment, but then I paid the full retail price for them.

The way i see it, a contract phone IS yours. If you damage or lose it, you have to (legally) keep paying so its yours from the beginning :beer:
 
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