update - how to keep root and apps?

[Montavius]

I have a D2G with Titanium Backup Pro and OTA Rootkeeper installed. Quite a few apps are currently frozen with TB. I also have Foxfi but have never used it and don't know if it requires root. The latest update has NOT been installed. I want to keep root and SU after installing the latest update - mainly for TB to freeze apps. What are the steps to do this? Or, if there is already a tutorial around somewhere, will you please point me to it?

Alternatively, I've seen where some users rename the update extension to .bak. I'm afraid I don't know how to do that but will welcome instructions if that's better than updating.

Thank you.

 

[Gasai Yuno]

If you don't want to install the update, you can rename
/system/app/BlurUpdater_VZW.apk
/system/app/BlurUpdater_VZW.odex
/system/etc/security/otacerts.zip
using Root Explorer for example (or by using adb). Just add .bak to these file names.

Updating and keeping root requires using OTA RootKeeper to back up su, installing the update, and then restoring su.

Note that once updated to 4.5.629 you won't be able to go back to a fully functional 4.5.608 (or anything prior to that). You still can SBF and even regain root after that, though.

 

[FMinMI]

If you don't want to install the update, you can rename
/system/app/BlurUpdater_VZW.apk
/system/app/BlurUpdater_VZW.odex
/system/etc/security/otacerts.zip
using Root Explorer for example (or by using adb). Just add .bak to these file names.

Updating and keeping root requires using OTA RootKeeper to back up su, installing the update, and then restoring su.

Note that once updated to 4.5.629 you won't be able to go back to a fully functional 4.5.608 (or anything prior to that). You still can SBF and even regain root after that, though.

Sorry to tack onto Montavius' thread but I am in a somewhat similar situation and thought it might be beneficial to ask my question here. I had bought a Global 2 quite a while back and then right after that got a Droid X, so I packed up the DG2 until today.

I did root it with Z4root and froze updater with titanium backup. My issue is that the software is quite old - Android 2.2, system 2.4.330.a956.

What are my options to bring it more into 'date' but without losing the root (and the wifi tether)? Should I follow what you have above? What about getting closer to 4.5? Is there a place to download various versions without going all the way to the dreaded 4.5.629? Although I have a Thinkpad that I have CM9'ed, I would prefer to not use a custom rom with this phone -- I bought it because it had both CDMA and GSM for when we go on vacation outside the US, and I had Verizon give me the unlock code, so I do not want to screw around with the OS...

Thanks!

Frank

 

[bdsullivan76]

Grab the .608 sbf and update it that way.you will be able to root with moto fail at that point. Then freeze the updater app in system/apps so it will not update any further.

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk

 

[Gasai Yuno]

As if I didn't repeat this enough,

Freezing the updater will do nothing. You need to manually rename the files I mentioned. If you just freeze it in TiBu it will still work and will download the update.

 

[FMinMI]

Grab the .608 sbf and update it that way.you will be able to root with moto fail at that point. Then freeze the updater app in system/apps so it will not update any further.

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk

Where do I get the .608 sbf? And is there a procedure for how to do the update?

Thanks

Frank

 

[FMinMI]

As if I didn't repeat this enough,

Freezing the updater will do nothing. You need to manually rename the files I mentioned. If you just freeze it in TiBu it will still work and will download the update.

Sorry -- I did not see that post about the updater. But to be honest, that is what I did on my Droid X and I have not had a single OTA update in a year. Maybe the updater is different between the two phones? Any way, I have just changed them to ensure VZ won't mess with my phone...

One more question - if I do update to the .608 version as bdsullivan76 mentioned above, do I need to change these files back?

Thank you.

Frank

 

[Gasai Yuno]

There are threads related to the D2G 4.5.608 SBF image on RootzWiki.

The procedure is to use RSDLite to flash the SBF image.

You need to rename the files back if you want to use OTA updates.

 

[FMinMI]

You need to rename the files back if you want to use OTA updates.

But not to update using RSDLite, correct?

I will go look for the image and read up on how to use RSDLite...

Thanks

Frank

 

[Gasai Yuno]

RSDLite ignores everything that's present and completely rewrites everything in the internal memory except the /data partition.

 

[FMinMI]

RSDLite ignores everything that's present and completely rewrites everything in the internal memory except the /data partition.

So if I understand you correctly, I would again need to 'rename' those files to .bak once I flashed the .608 version to prevent VZN from doing an OTA update, correct?

Is RSDLite the only program I need/have to run, or will I need to load CWM first?

Thanks again.

Frank

 

[Gasai Yuno]

CWM is needed for custom firmware.

RSDLite uses the bootloader.

After flashing 4.5.608 via RSDLite your device will have all of its partitions, except /data, reset to “factory default”. You indeed will have to regain root (via SuperOneClick; z4root won't work), and rename the OTA related pieces of software.

 

[FMinMI]

CWM is needed for custom firmware.

RSDLite uses the bootloader.

After flashing 4.5.608 via RSDLite your device will have all of its partitions, except /data, reset to “factory default”. You indeed will have to regain root (via SuperOneClick; z4root won't work), and rename the OTA related pieces of software.

Why won't z4root work? Did Moto change stuff in 4.5 that broke it? That is what I used initially without any problems...

And OK on just needing RSTLite. I found a YouTube video showing how to install it...

Frank

 

[FMinMI]

CWM is needed for custom firmware.

RSDLite uses the bootloader.

After flashing 4.5.608 via RSDLite your device will have all of its partitions, except /data, reset to “factory default”. You indeed will have to regain root (via SuperOneClick; z4root won't work), and rename the OTA related pieces of software.

Sorry - but I forgot to ask. Is there a post that talks about the changes with each release for the DG2? I would like to know what 'benefits' I will get by going from 2.4.330 to 4.5.608. If battery life does not improve, I doubt I am going to be interested in upgrading unless there are some other compelling improvements. I did find one post about what the 14MB gingerbread update brings but it does not say from 'what version' to 4.5.608. I would assume that it is maybe from another 4.X ??? I would love to see a list of 2.X.Y gives 1,2,3, 2.Y.Z gives 4,5,6,7, and so on...

Thanks again.

 

[silver6054]

Sorry - but I forgot to ask. Is there a post that talks about the changes with each release for the DG2? I would like to know what 'benefits' I will get by going from 2.4.330 to 4.5.608. If battery life does not improve, I doubt I am going to be interested in upgrading unless there are some other compelling improvements. I did find one post about what the 14MB gingerbread update brings but it does not say from 'what version' to 4.5.608. I would assume that it is maybe from another 4.X ??? I would love to see a list of 2.X.Y gives 1,2,3, 2.Y.Z gives 4,5,6,7, and so on...

Thanks again.

You can fairly easily find this using google, as Verizon Wireless produces a description with each upgrade. For example, the first update, to 2.4.330 is here:
DROID 2 Global Update Fixes few Calling Bugs, Finally here - Droid 2

The next update, to 4.5.608, was the first release of Gingerbread on this phone. And the only other one was the recent update to 4.5.629, about which you can see a lot on this board!

Re your previous post, "Why won't z4root work? Did Moto change stuff in 4.5 that broke it? That is what I used initially without any problems..."
Simply, z4root is a Froyo exploit and doesn't work on Gingerbread.