what is a bootloader?

[tonym302]

Hello all,

I am new here and my only experience with the droid so far is fixing my wife's DX when she messes it up. I currently have a blackberry Tour <gasp> that I hate immensely. I am due for an upgrade and want a droid. The Bionic seems like my next phone. I was reading on it all morning an noticed that a locked/unlocked bootloader was mentioned several times. What exactly is a bootloader?

 

[Tanknspank]

It's what you have to go through to change most of the underlying parts of the phone. Having the bootloader unlocked would make the phone a lot more appealing to a community such as this one, as it allows us to make custom versions of the OS and kernel allowing for a smoother and more enjoyable experience. To the average user though, having the bootloader unlocked doesn't mean anything.

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[tonym302]

would this be a synonomous term like jailbreak on an iphone? Does the manufacturer allow this? or is this a warranty-voiding violation?

 

[Tanknspank]

The process of obtaining root access would be. This gives the user system level access. On a phone with a locked bootloader, though, you can't do as much as one that is unlocked, or unlockable. And yes, it does void your warranty, but in most cases it is reversible to the point that no one would ever know.

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