[Verizon] No root with encryption?

[kys]

If I'm understanding the root process correctly, in order to flash roms, you boot into the bootstrap/loader/whatever prior to where the device would unlock the encrypted space. If that's correct, am I out of luck with loading custom roms if I'm running full device encryption?

 

[teddyearp]

This may seem to be a silly question, but please clarify which device you are asking this question for, since you did not mention it and it is not part of your profile. This is the Samsung SCH-I515 Verizon Galaxy Nexus section, and hence my wish for clarification. Also the "root process" and "flashing roms" are two distinctly different operations.

There is no such thing as a 'bootstrap' for the Gnex as its bootloader is not encrypted and can be unlocked very easily, allow one to root it and flash a custom recovery; one process. Then with a custom recovery installed flashing roms is a simple thing; other process.

A 'bootstrap' is a program that simulates having a custom recovery on phones with encrypted bootloaders; unlike the Gnex and that is why I want to make sure that your question relates to the Gnex.

 

[iwoloschin]

If I'm understanding the root process correctly, in order to flash roms, you boot into the bootstrap/loader/whatever prior to where the device would unlock the encrypted space. If that's correct, am I out of luck with loading custom roms if I'm running full device encryption?

As far as I can tell, unfortunately yes. I spent some time looking and never found anything, and I don't have the time myself to make a "TWRP-Encrypted!" fork, if it's even possible.

 

[kys]

Sorry, yes. Verizon Galaxy Nexus. Also, sorry for using the wrong terminology. So yeah, what I'm talking about is once rooted and you have flashed the custom recovery, you boot into that. But, if you have enabled full device encryption in the o/s, the recovery won't be able to access that encrypted space, so my guess was that you can't flash a rom at that point. It sounds like iwoloschin has confirmed that, thank you. So....... could I do a factory reset (getting rid of the device encryption), then root, flash custom recovery, flash a custom rom, then enable device encryption at that point? After that, I'd need to perform a factory reset and start the whole process over again each time I need to flash an updated rom. Would this work?

 

[iwoloschin]

Sorry, yes. Verizon Galaxy Nexus. Also, sorry for using the wrong terminology. So yeah, what I'm talking about is once rooted and you have flashed the custom recovery, you boot into that. But, if you have enabled full device encryption in the o/s, the recovery won't be able to access that encrypted space, so my guess was that you can't flash a rom at that point. It sounds like iwoloschin has confirmed that, thank you. So....... could I do a factory reset (getting rid of the device encryption), then root, flash custom recovery, flash a custom rom, then enable device encryption at that point? After that, I'd need to perform a factory reset and start the whole process over again each time I need to flash an updated rom. Would this work?

I believe that this will work, though I haven't tried it. One *BIG* problem is you'll need to wipe the device, completely, every time you want a new ROM.

If you've got an coding experience, now's the time to go learn about how recoveries work and see if you can get it to play nice with the full disk encryption...

 

[teddyearp]

Ahhh, I see now. And I too, was missing out on some of the terminology. I assumed when you said encryption you meant an encrypted bootloader, however you are talking about a different type of encryption that I really don't have any experience with.

good luck

 

[kys]

All good, thanks for the reply.