Noob neediness

[SmegmusMagnus]

Howdy all,

I have been heavily scrutinizing the Rooting sticky, as I would like to root my Bionic. As the thread title says, however, I am need of some answers to questions that many here might see as fairly basic.

I am not new to Droids, having had the OG Droid until launch day for the Bionic; however, I left my OG stock.

I am fairly knowledgeable about computers, which may help a bit, but should be considered a novice in relation to manipulating this device.

I am posting a list of 17 questions I have: Some of these were answered in the Root sticky, but I have not stricken them from the list as I assume that more input (if offered) would be helpful.

I know that this is a lot of questions, and I don't actually expect any one to answer them all, but any help I can get concerning them would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you very much.


1. SD (ext) in/out?
2. Titanium backup enough?
3. What files NOT remove (apk?)
4. Why matter USB back ‘stead of front on tower?
5. How not threaten OTA updates? What is process to ready rooted phone for OTA?
6. What needed/how to unRoot? Does unRoot restore to warranty – state?
7. Can factory – reset after root? Does factory – reset affect SD (ext)?
8. How, exactly, find all the bloat want removed?
9. How to return to warranty – state? How restore bloatware?
10. What are all necessary utilities?
11. What is a ROM in this specific context?
12. Will apps stop disappearing?
13. What is the difference between rooting and unlocking boot – loader? Does unlocking just mean can manipulate booting order and what apps are booted at startup?
14. What does it mean to ‘brick/unbrick’?
15. What is ‘flashing’ a mod, and why do it?
16. What is ‘superuser’? Do I need to browse for a file called this, and remove it? If so; when?
17. What is Busybox?


Thanks again.

 

[jjbinks82]

Mmmm, alot of these questions can be answered if you just google them or read up on all the known droid forums as much as you can. No offense, but I think alot of people will avoid replying because many of your questions are easily answered if you actually take the time out to read the results you find in your search versus trying to post all your questions and have them answered in one shot.

I'm not shooting you down, it's just you're going to get too many answers, in probably an disorderly fashion, sending this posts into all sorts of different directions.

I can't speak for everyone here, but the majority of my own questions (nearly the exact same ones you've asked) were answered the same way I just told you: GOOD OLD FASHION RESEARCH.

Sent from my ROOTED GALAXY TAB 10.1 using DroidForums

 

[rubiksc00p]

I agree... Just do some more research and if you cant find the answer to a question then come back. I rooted my phone and installed roms and learned a lot without every even posting in a forum...
If I have time some day, I'll answer them all but just do a little research on each of those. They're all relatively simple and you'll be able to get the answers! You'll be rooted in no time!

 

[DJxPanda]

Howdy all,

I have been heavily scrutinizing the Rooting sticky, as I would like to root my Bionic. As the thread title says, however, I am need of some answers to questions that many here might see as fairly basic.

I am not new to Droids, having had the OG Droid until launch day for the Bionic; however, I left my OG stock.

I am fairly knowledgeable about computers, which may help a bit, but should be considered a novice in relation to manipulating this device.

I am posting a list of 17 questions I have: Some of these were answered in the Root sticky, but I have not stricken them from the list as I assume that more input (if offered) would be helpful.

I know that this is a lot of questions, and I don't actually expect any one to answer them all, but any help I can get concerning them would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you very much.


1. SD (ext) in/out?
2. Titanium backup enough?
3. What files NOT remove (apk?)
4. Why matter USB back ‘stead of front on tower?
5. How not threaten OTA updates? What is process to ready rooted phone for OTA?
6. What needed/how to unRoot? Does unRoot restore to warranty – state?
7. Can factory – reset after root? Does factory – reset affect SD (ext)?
8. How, exactly, find all the bloat want removed?
9. How to return to warranty – state? How restore bloatware?
10. What are all necessary utilities?
11. What is a ROM in this specific context?
12. Will apps stop disappearing?
13. What is the difference between rooting and unlocking boot – loader? Does unlocking just mean can manipulate booting order and what apps are booted at startup?
14. What does it mean to ‘brick/unbrick’?
15. What is ‘flashing’ a mod, and why do it?
16. What is ‘superuser’? Do I need to browse for a file called this, and remove it? If so; when?
17. What is Busybox?


Thanks again.

So ill take some time to answer.
1. When you root, you want sd external in the phone.
2. Titanium back up is generally enough but there are a few things you need to note as to which things you back up depending on the rom you use. I dont use TB so, i dont know specifics.
3. When you root amd flash a rom, the apks that are removed are all ok. You dont have to remove any of them manually. This is good, less chance of messing up something.
4. Back of tower provides a better connection.
5. When you root, it denies your phone for getting ota uodates. Not sure of what mechanic does this but you wont get OTAs if youre rooted.
6. Best way to unroot/restore phone to waranty state is to sbf your phone back to stock theres tutorials everywhere but for the bionic idt an sbf file is out yet. Not sure. This will return your phone back to complete stock, return any bloatware, so its like you got it out of the box. This should answer 8 and 9.
7. You can, but basically sbf is the way to go. And no it doesnt effect your ext sd.
10. For being rooted the only necessary thing is superuser, which is obtained through gaining root access, and a method to enter clockwork recovery. This method can either be through a bootstrapper built into the rom, or an app.
11. A ROM is essentially a sleaker and possibly themed version of the android OS. Some roms will allow you to customize aspects of your phone. And example if this is MIUI or Cyanogenmod 7.
12. Im not sure how to answer this one.. you need to elaborate more.
13. So unlocking the bootloader will allow you to completely change any aspect of your phone. Phones with locked bootloaders like the droid x,cannot overclock. Unlocking the bootloader allows full customization. rooting allows you to add or remove apks and make some other changes to the firmware, but not the deep core aspects of the phone.
14. Bricking is badically when your phone doesnt do anything anymore. This usually happens if you mess with the flash 0 of your phone or if you do something wonky. In any case, the only way to " unbrick " is to sbf back to stock.
15. Flashing is a term that means to go and write over your current version of the OS with a new one, or, applying a patch ir change to the current OS. You do this to get a new ROM, or to fix something.
16. Superuser is actually necessary. Its needed when youre rooted. It grants programs that you choose permission to make a change to your phone. It is needed to go into clockwork recovery, where in you can flash new rom. If you want to root, DO NOT REMOVE THIS APP.
17. I forget. that one you can google to find out.

Phew. Hope this helped.

Sent from my DROIDX using DroidForums

 

[rubiksc00p]

So ill take some time to answer.
1. When you root, you want sd external in the phone.
2. Titanium back up is generally enough but there are a few things you need to note as to which things you back up depending on the rom you use. I dont use TB so, i dont know specifics.
3. When you root amd flash a rom, the apks that are removed are all ok. You dont have to remove any of them manually. This is good, less chance of messing up something.
4. Back of tower provides a better connection.
5. When you root, it denies your phone for getting ota uodates. Not sure of what mechanic does this but you wont get OTAs if youre rooted.
6. Best way to unroot/restore phone to waranty state is to sbf your phone back to stock theres tutorials everywhere but for the bionic idt an sbf file is out yet. Not sure. This will return your phone back to complete stock, return any bloatware, so its like you got it out of the box. This should answer 8 and 9.
7. You can, but basically sbf is the way to go. And no it doesnt effect your ext sd.
10. For being rooted the only necessary thing is superuser, which is obtained through gaining root access, and a method to enter clockwork recovery. This method can either be through a bootstrapper built into the rom, or an app.
11. A ROM is essentially a sleaker and possibly themed version of the android OS. Some roms will allow you to customize aspects of your phone. And example if this is MIUI or Cyanogenmod 7.
12. Im not sure how to answer this one.. you need to elaborate more.
13. So unlocking the bootloader will allow you to completely change any aspect of your phone. Phones with locked bootloaders like the droid x,cannot overclock. Unlocking the bootloader allows full customization. rooting allows you to add or remove apks and make some other changes to the firmware, but not the deep core aspects of the phone.
14. Bricking is badically when your phone doesnt do anything anymore. This usually happens if you mess with the flash 0 of your phone or if you do something wonky. In any case, the only way to " unbrick " is to sbf back to stock.
15. Flashing is a term that means to go and write over your current version of the OS with a new one, or, applying a patch ir change to the current OS. You do this to get a new ROM, or to fix something.
16. Superuser is actually necessary. Its needed when youre rooted. It grants programs that you choose permission to make a change to your phone. It is needed to go into clockwork recovery, where in you can flash new rom. If you want to root, DO NOT REMOVE THIS APP.
17. I forget. that one you can google to find out.

Phew. Hope this helped.

Sent from my DROIDX using DroidForums

*clap... applause* I'm impressed!
Just a couple things. Starting with
..
2. Use TB, but after you root you can make what is called anandroid backup. Google it. It's a complete backup that you can restore from.
5. You still can get OTAs if you're still on stock. I believe you need to stop the process and tweak some things. I've never needed this because I've mostly been on a rom. If you don't kill the updates, sometimes they will block your root access and you have to reroot after waiting for the devs.
13. You can overclock a DX...
17. BusyBox is the swiss army knife of linux command line.

 

[Wnclivin]

I personally would not ever install an OTA. The new builds are always available in development forums first anyway, just wait until the ROM chefs tweak them and download from there.

Check out my YouTube channel for answers to a lot of your other questions.

 

[SmegmusMagnus]

Gentleman,

I hope you don’t think that my lack of response for the latest round of helpful responses indicates ingratitude, ‘cause that would be far from the truth.

In the spirit of actual learning, I have been busily tinkering w/ my Bionic even while referencing the helpful and insightful information that you have given me; as I’m sure you will appreciate – the best learnin’ comes from doin’, influenced of course by long – haired books (as Foghorn Leghorn would say), or the equivalent, which I have found here.

I am now the proud owner of a fully rooted Bionic, bereft of the worst bloatiness, w/ a smidgeon of idiosyncratic removals of apps (such as the social – network ones). Further, using Bootstrap I was able to make back – ups of my system at each point of major change, which I have verified by restoring to various earlier states. As it stands, I am very happy with the changes I have made. Also, it has been a lot of fun puzzling my way through the various processes.

Again: The help I have received is greatly appreciated. As all good information should do, that which I received here led me to further useful finds, such as verified lists of safely removable apps per the Bionic; all of which made this a fairly painless process w/ comparatively little anxiety.

I do still have a couple of questions/concerns, however:

1. Will cut/pasting the backups from the Clockwork folder that I intend to cut from my SD external to my PC suffer if I need to re – paste them to the SD external for the purpose of restoration?

2. Is there any point to unRooting? Is there any point to not unRooting?

3. When there is an OTA update, does installing the FXZ file I got from the link in the sticky (I think) fool the update into thinking my phone has never been rooted, or is there more that will need to be done (uninstalling Bootstrapper, deleting Superuser, etc.)?

4. Otherwise, when installing the update through 3rd. party channels, will I need to unRoot?


Thanks again; you’re help has been greatly appreciated and very useful.


Iullus Cornelius Smegmus Magnus Pantocrator

 

[rubiksc00p]

Gentleman,

I hope you don’t think that my lack of response for the latest round of helpful responses indicates ingratitude, ‘cause that would be far from the truth.

In the spirit of actual learning, I have been busily tinkering w/ my Bionic even while referencing the helpful and insightful information that you have given me; as I’m sure you will appreciate – the best learnin’ comes from doin’, influenced of course by long – haired books (as Foghorn Leghorn would say), or the equivalent, which I have found here.

I am now the proud owner of a fully rooted Bionic, bereft of the worst bloatiness, w/ a smidgeon of idiosyncratic removals of apps (such as the social – network ones). Further, using Bootstrap I was able to make back – ups of my system at each point of major change, which I have verified by restoring to various earlier states. As it stands, I am very happy with the changes I have made. Also, it has been a lot of fun puzzling my way through the various processes.

Again: The help I have received is greatly appreciated. As all good information should do, that which I received here led me to further useful finds, such as verified lists of safely removable apps per the Bionic; all of which made this a fairly painless process w/ comparatively little anxiety.

I do still have a couple of questions/concerns, however:

1. Will cut/pasting the backups from the Clockwork folder that I intend to cut from my SD external to my PC suffer if I need to re – paste them to the SD external for the purpose of restoration?

2. Is there any point to unRooting? Is there any point to not unRooting?

3. When there is an OTA update, does installing the FXZ file I got from the link in the sticky (I think) fool the update into thinking my phone has never been rooted, or is there more that will need to be done (uninstalling Bootstrapper, deleting Superuser, etc.)?

4. Otherwise, when installing the update through 3rd. party channels, will I need to unRoot?


Thanks again; you’re help has been greatly appreciated and very useful.


Iullus Cornelius Smegmus Magnus Pantocrator

Good job! dancedroid

Now to the questions,
1. I don't think so! It shouldn't it's just a file. I can't confirm as I haven't been able to try it yet. I haven't had the time but I'm going to!

2. Not really. The only time I could think of wanting to unroot would be if you were taking it back for a replacement.

3. I would have no idea on this one. I don't run stock, so I don't have to worry about that.

4. Like installing a rom? Absolutely not! The only reason those are able to install is because you are rooted! =)