• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Root What is rooting?

D

Deleted User

Guest
I don't mean to sound thick, but I will anyway. What is rooting? I get that it gives you root acces to the phone. For things like memory management and saving apps to the flash drive. But, what does it entail? Is it replacing the software on the phone? Will I lose all my contacts and currently installed apps etc?

Just some plain english answers please. And depending on the outcome, I'll be rooting this weekend.
 
same here, unless i'm really missing something, and a probably am, but I can't really see any substantial reason to root your phone and void the warranty.

By rooting do you mean debrand the device and take it back to a stock HTC version of the software?
 
Rooting is gaining root access to the phone (since Android is built on Linux), and taking advantage of the benefits this provides. One of the benefits is the ability to replace the Android ROM, which will probably have customised vendor features such as branding on the web browser or whatever. Debranding and flashing isn't rooting, it's just the most common thing that happens, or one of the reasons, that people root.

I'm no expert so if someone else knows I'm wrong about this please correct me.
 
cheers Pryomancer.

So by rooting you are enabling the debranding of a phone by removing vendor features?

How does rooting a phone affect the updates it can accept?
 
You can't accept OTA updates any more, but you have multiple options:

a: any updates pushed by HTC will most definitely be added to any custom roms you are using, so you can stay rooted and have the latest features (ie 2.2)
b: you can install the updated rom from htc and therefore be back to normal (but no longer have root)

Once you root, you won't go back anyway :p Especially if like me, rooting allows you to run a perfect version of 2.2
 
Cheers lekky, its always good to know what your jumping into.

Can you make a copy of your current rom and jump back to that if you wish?

In what way is the phone different?

Will the apps i've got from the market still work ok and all my gmail accounts/settings?

Could you point me in the direction of a good guide?

Thats a lot of ???? for a sunday night, sorry about that.
 
balders said:
Cheers lekky, its always good to know what your jumping into.

Can you make a copy of your current rom and jump back to that if you wish?

In what way is the phone different?

Will the apps i've got from the market still work ok and all my gmail accounts/settings?

Could you point me in the direction of a good guide?

Thats a lot of ???? for a sunday night, sorry about that.
Click to expand...

You can make a nandroid backup, which is basically a full copy of your phone so you can revert it to what it was.

Depends, i mean i'm currently running a perfect version of froyo, so thats kinda different. You can just stick with the standard 2.1 rom too, which gives you exactly the same thing, but with extras such as apps2sd and better backup facilities.

You can backup the apps you currently have installed, if you don't want to do that your paid apps are linked to your gmail, and are available on any device you use that email address on.

You will need to backup everything you want to keep as rooting will wipe your phone. Although your contacts will be backed up on your gmail account, assuming they are google type.

You could use my guide, or search google for the modaco guide.
 
So there's version of Froyo running on Desires smoothly. Think I'll try your guide tonight lekky and root my desire and get it on froyo, until htc release the official version.

After all, why have a geeky and customisable phone if you're not gonna geek around with it eh?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom