Help What do these terms mean?

[MickeyCee]

I just bought my first android phone and it happens to be a Captivate, had it about a week and so far it has been quite a nice phone. I signed up to this forum to learn more about android and also what other users have to say and share about the Captivate phone.

I have run across some terms that I just don't know what they mean so please forgive my lack of knowledge but I am unfamiliar with these terms....

What does "Root" mean?? and why would one do it?

What does it mean to "Flash" a phone?? and why would you do it?

A phone is "Bricked"?? What does "Bricked" mean?

What is "Sideloading"?

Thank you in advance, the only way to learn anything is to ask, so that is what I am attempting to do.

 

[mnemonicj]

All of your questions can be answered here: FAQ - CapFAQ

 

[saintdanbert]

A "brick" is just that -- this lump of clay that doesn't do anything but sit there. We use this term to mean that software and firmware changes result in a phone that does not work at all.

Phones use "flash memory" to store the built-in software. Most modern phones have utilities that enable over-the-air or over-usb-cable updates to the contents of this memory. We use the term "flash the phone" to refer to the process of writing new software to update or replace what already exists on the phone.

The phone manufacturer and the telephone carrier offer a standard process for adding software to each phone. We say, "side loading" to refer to alternate techniques for adding software that bypass the standard process. For example, A software developer might side-load a new application before it is approved for distribution through the standard channel. Power users might side-load for other reasons.

Android software is one of the unix-linux family of operating systems. In that world, the "root" user is able to do 100% of anything that can be done and change 100% of whatever is available. Your typical phone has restrictions in place. These are added by the telephone carrier, distributor, or phone manufacturer for a variety of reasons -- some marketing, some technical. There are techniques that enable an end-user to gain root-user control over their phone.

I hope this help,
~~~ 0;-Dan