Why custom? - G1 Android Development

Hi,
Firstly, I have read many of the threads on here, so I've done my searching but want a bit of advice:
Can anybody give any real reasons why I'd want to go custom? From what I can see there is no advantage at the moment (Considering that all new features, eg, Cupcake) will be released officially at some point. Also worth considering is that if something good on the custom scene arrives in the future by then I'm sure many devs/hackers will know how to root the phone again.
For the moment, is there any advantage for a casual user to make the switch to custom?
My new G1 arrives soon, and after taking part in the PSP custom scene I'm keen to see any reasons why I should go custom on the G1... I don't want to do it for the sake of it (If it offers little to no advantage, but risk) but likewise I want to make sure I'm not misunderstood and perhaps there really is some reason?
Thanks.

Big reason I went with a custom image was to allow tethering on my phone using iptables.
That and the fact I get a little glow deep down knowing my phone is free!

Thanks for the reply.
With those in mind, any other reasons I should grab custom rather than the OTA update?
Cheers.

freedom, plain and simple. There is a lot of stuff that cannot be done without a modded system. For example, the themes. If you are happy with what you have, there is no problem in keeping it.

I wouldn't customize my new phone right away. It's always a good idea to wait it out and get familiar with the phone and all it's capable of doing first. Perhaps later you can get into customizing it and all the other mods.

Imyman said:
I wouldn't customize my new phone right away. It's always a good idea to wait it out and get familiar with the phone and all it's capable of doing first. Perhaps later you can get into customizing it and all the other mods.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would - who knows when T-Mobile will issue an OTA update to block downgrading?

didnt think about that...
thats true, I'll bet dimes to dollars the next update stops downgrading
if history is a predictor of the future, the Tmob will not allow the this fun to continue unchecked.
I say do it while you can, it wont last forever.
They said an update would come out "after the american holidays" and I say the downgrading will stop then, look how fast the lockdown came, the first update(RC28) was slow to come out, but once the exploit was in the wild, RC30 was out in a few days...
look on the brightside it may just get us an update sooner
bhang

...and since both tmo and google know the keys that the "rooters" around here are using, what's to stop them from sending out separate, test-key-signed OTAs to stop what's already been going on?
I wouldn't expect it from Google (if they did, I'd call Android "tango uniform") but from tmo, I'd expect anything.

Ok rooting gives you freedom. To do what you want with your property??

beartard said:
...and since both tmo and google know the keys that the "rooters" around here are using, what's to stop them from sending out separate, test-key-signed OTAs to stop what's already been going on?
I wouldn't expect it from Google (if they did, I'd call Android "tango uniform") but from tmo, I'd expect anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
your a negative person i feel. I dont think Tmo can force an update on my phone when the keys are renamed as told????

beartard said:
...and since both tmo and google know the keys that the "rooters" around here are using, what's to stop them from sending out separate, test-key-signed OTAs to stop what's already been going on?
I wouldn't expect it from Google (if they did, I'd call Android "tango uniform") but from tmo, I'd expect anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the lack of otacerts.zip prevents it. no otacerts.zip -> no ota will pass sig check.
note: the ADP1 version still has otacerts.zip. it contains the test-key. I didn't delete it from ADP1 because it might still be useful to receive OTAs from google for the ADP1.

JesusFreke said:
the lack of otacerts.zip prevents it. no otacerts.zip -> no ota will pass sig check.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hence once android source is completely public you wont need you could in theory have JFoid but that would be a lot of work. I could sit on rc30 with overlay mods until someone beside google by tmobiles hand forces what we want on our Devices. Contract or not they are ours to do with what we want. especially if you paid full price for your device...

Thanks for so many replies.
I'm sorry if I'm being stupid here, but alot of people say to go custom just because I should be able to have full access to my own device. Sounds great and I can understand that viewpoint... I'm just curious though - Say I "have" full access... At this time what exactly does that let me do? This is the thing, I'm surely not understanding everything correctly for all that I can see (Mainly) that it allows you to do is put your own firmware on, add a new boot image and tether. I can see people are fond of doing this "because they can do" but to the average user is there anything that I cannot do with the original that custom can do?
Cheers!

Installing themes for one thing. That seems to be quite popular with average users

You can also use droidsans to get the autorotate feature. And soon, who knows what will happen in a mo or 2.

802.1X support via wpa_supplicant is one reason to get root. Some of us are on university campuses where the only wifi is WPA Enterprise. Though G1 hardware supports this, there is no UI for it and root is needed.

My favorites so far (and I've only had root for a day)...
1. Tethering.
2. Installing the new autorotate browser, if you don't feel like waiting for an update.
3. Busybox (thanks to Jesus Freke.)
4. You might want to theme it, I like it the way it is though with the Ibex background to match my computer.

Related

RC31 question

I am new to the Dream, I just got mine on Friday. I have now got root access. I want to know when the RC31 comes out, if I update via t-mobile will it kill root access, or will I need to hold off until a modded FW comes from JesusFreke.
Thanks
Tim
Yes,if you update via t-mobile,it will remove root. Its best if you wait for a modded FW if you want root.
Thats what I figured. thanks for the info.
otto888 said:
Yes,if you update via t-mobile,it will remove root. Its best if you wait for a modded FW if you want root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I agree that it would probably be best to not upgrade right away, we don't know anything about RC31 yet. The only thing I think that has been officially announce is that it would contain elements of cupcake. I'm not even sure how official that was either. Let's try not to speculate.
Echoing what's been said above, being that we know NOTHING about the next OTA update, it will likely (at the very least) remove root access from a JF RC30 device. It might even prevent you from backflashing to RC29 to get back to the modified JF RC30. So whatever you do, DON'T let your phone update until the new version is examined and tested by others, or you might find yourself with a permanently locked down G1.
If you're running any JF version of the firmware, you will not receive OTA updates. So, you have nothing to worry about unless you actually flash back to RC29 manually.
Iceucold said:
If you're running any JF version of the firmware, you will not receive OTA updates. So, you have nothing to worry about unless you actually flash back to RC29 manually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct, or the update will fail, can't remember which one.
So I guess it would be safe to say....
STAY TUNED!!! Same XDA time, Same XDA channel
Iceucold said:
If you're running any JF version of the firmware, you will not receive OTA updates. So, you have nothing to worry about unless you actually flash back to RC29 manually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love when modders do that, keeps me from doing something stupid
Iceucold said:
If you're running any JF version of the firmware, you will not receive OTA updates. So, you have nothing to worry about unless you actually flash back to RC29 manually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not entirely convinced of this.
I had a chat with a co-worker about this and he said "well no, between the engineering bootloader and the test keys, there is no way the modded rc30 can be OTA'd".
I tossed this at him.
What if tmo decided to setup something like this...
check what you are running.
check what keys you are running.
send an update that does something along the lines of...
if your image is equal to or less than rc30 and your keys are either ota or test then update.
There is nothing that keeps them from pushing a testkey signed rc31 and replacing everything on your phone; including the testkeys back to ota keys.
I imagine that anyone with ADP1 or ADP1.1 will be left alone as it would be a bad move to screw with your developer audience; but I could be wrong. They could go after anyone who doesn't have an official ADP image (non JF kernel)...
I have no idea what they are really planning but it does seem that this could be a "check mate" pivotal move if they wanted to play that card this early in the game.
Of course, it could be as simple as "let's leave everyone where they are and only focus on security moving forward" which is most likely going to be the case....
deprecate said:
There is nothing that keeps them from pushing a testkey signed rc31 and replacing everything on your phone; including the testkeys back to ota keys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The running theory is that T-Mo will not do this because all devices with the standard ota-keys installed will also get the "targeted" test-key rc31, reboot, and then freak out because the update is signed with a mismatched key.
The way the update service works is the device periodically sends its Android build fingerprint to Google servers. If the fingerprint is of a supported device (in this case Dream) and the build number is lower than the most recent, then the server may push an update back to the device. Since JF modified builds report an official fingerprint, there is no way for the server to distinguish between a modified and unmodified RC30.
However, i've seen enough in information technology to know that very little is truly "impossible". Based on what is currently known though, it is highly unlikely that Google/T-Mo/HTC could forcibly reroot a modified RC30 G1 at this time.
I really don't see T-mobile doing this. Why would they? At this point people with root don't have any real advantage over normal phones other than techie stuff. We are not pirating software or getting free minutes. Unless it becomes an issue I think T-mobile will leave us alone.
speoples20 said:
I really don't see T-mobile doing this. Why would they? At this point people with root don't have any real advantage over normal phones other than techie stuff. We are not pirating software or getting free minutes. Unless it becomes an issue I think T-mobile will leave us alone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no piracy because apps are free. Once support for paid apps arrives, piracy will start. (Someone in this forum started a thread wondering how to do that). It happens in all software platforms, and it's going to happen with Android also. Note that I don't endorse piracy (for some weird reason people think that developers are the only guys who should work for free), less in these environments where there are lots of applications than are made by individuals, not big companies, but this won't prevent piracy to come to Android.
Anyway, if I were TMob I would try to remove root from as many devices as I can (which obviusly does NOT include ADP1, as it has nothing to do with TMob),
not just for the piracy, but to keep users from breaking their devices due to doing stupid thing with a rooted phone.
T-Mobile motivation to wipe devices using test keys
T-Mobile could have a motivation to wipe devices by providing an update using test keys. Tethering is against the terms of service and can only be done if you have root. They could take the *IAA approach and say that any one who has root wants to be able to tether and break their TOS (since tethering is the biggest advantage to root right now). If enough people tethered it could cause a problem as they may not have the bandwidth to accommodate what people want to do when tethered. BTW, for all who tether use this addon for firefox and change your user string to match the android's browser (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/59) so they can not tell.
Is there a way to make new keys that are different from the dev keys, or is google the only ones who can do that?
Doing an update using test-keys sounds a bit desperate to me.
Moreover, as jashsu said, it seems that there is no way that currently TMob could know if you were using a G1 with an stock R30 or JF's one, so if they offered the update with testing keys, stock R30 phones would reject it.
They could try some tricks as offering the update with test keys for a while, then switch to another with official keys, then came back to test keys, etc...
But as I said, this sounds desperate and sloppy.
Mi bet is that they would try to fix the downgrade issue, and will use the official keys, so anyone with JF will be safe.
Anyway (I have an ADP1, so I've not receive any update from now), I though that, when an update was available, the user was asked whether to update or not.
clarke.hackworth said:
If enough people tethered it could cause a problem as they may not have the bandwidth to accommodate what people want to do when tethered.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is not a problem. They will simply throttle you down to EDGE if they consider you are using up too much bandwidth (tethering or otherwise).
Is there a way to make new keys that are different from the dev keys, or is google the only ones who can do that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyone can create signing keys. Not sure what you're getting at though.
clarke.hackworth said:
Tethering is against the terms of service and can only be done if you have root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is? Where? Last I remember I saw the CEO say it wasn't and it is allowed. And that they wouldn't stop it or prevent it in anyway.
deprecate said:
I tossed this at him.
What if tmo decided to setup something like this...
check what you are running.
check what keys you are running.
send an update that does something along the lines of...
if your image is equal to or less than rc30 and your keys are either ota or test then update.
There is nothing that keeps them from pushing a testkey signed rc31 and replacing everything on your phone; including the testkeys back to ota keys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It still wouldn't apply the update, even if they sent out an OTA signed with test keys. The OTAs are verified against the certificate present in /system/etc/security/otacerts.zip.
Since that file has been deleted, it wouldn't be able to verify the OTA, no matter how it was signed.
JesusFreke said:
It still wouldn't apply the update, even if they sent out an OTA signed with test keys. The OTAs are verified against the certificate present in /system/etc/security/otacerts.zip.
Since that file has been deleted, it wouldn't be able to verify the OTA, no matter how it was signed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point. That completely escaped me. But wouldn't it be entertaining to see an official rc31 sent out with your certs as the target
deprecate said:
Good point. That completely escaped me. But wouldn't it be entertaining to see an official rc31 sent out with your certs as the target
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very entertaining

how to UN-root?

Well, I just realized that I jumped into flashing my G1 and getting root access before I was ready/before it was necessary. So now I want to go back to RC33 official firmware, but now since i'm rooted, the official RC33 update.zip file won't work. So i now have a rooted RC29 official firmware, how do I unroot and get back up to RC33?
ogwilson said:
Well, I just realized that I jumped into flashing my G1 and getting root access before I was ready/before it was necessary. So now I want to go back to RC33 official firmware, but now since i'm rooted, the official RC33 update.zip file won't work. So i now have a rooted RC29 official firmware, how do I unroot and get back up to RC33?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you heard of the word search?Do some work then being lazy.
Funny. I searched google, came across 2 threads of this very same nature filled with people telling us "lazy folks" to google and search. I also searched the forums directly, same threads and no other threads I could find related to this. And on google, I tried multiple search terms and phrases and noone had a definitive answer, if at all.
So please stop saying "search and stop being lazy" and just help, because you don't know if we all have tried to search or not. Perhaps if you help someone, we can actually come up fruitful in our search results.
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=g1+android+unroot
first entry
here are those threads in question:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=478856
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=478873
and i couldn't simply reply to the threads because the mods were so quick to close them. Seems like everyone here has something against helping people restore to factory than upgrade to custom.
sputnik99 said:
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=g1+android+unroot
first entry
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, seeing as how I already stated that I did indeed try to google using multiple search terms and phrases, then you might assume I already came across that result. I did indeed come across that result and I've already tried that method. If you would actually read instead of being so quick to judge my ability to find information, upon trying to reinstall paid apps and manually updating to RC33, it failed, meaning that the phone is somehow still rooted and that I'm not sure what to do at this point. I'm stuck at what looks to be like the official RC29 with no way to manually update and I cannot get my paid apps off of the market still (nor are they showing up).
Hell, I'm not even sure if this pertains to the fact that the phone was rooted or not, but it certainly isn't what happened before I rooted (where I was able to successfully update to RC33 and download paid apps from the market as well as view them)
Now please, read that and see that I have tried all that I can from the little information that is out there. Don't think that I don't appreciate the dev community here, but you tend to only care and only help when it comes to flashing phones, not restoring them.
why bother
it doesnt make a darn bit of difference, it just taking out crap that may in the future stop you from doing somthing you want to do, the phone doesn't work any differently, rooted or un rooted, I just can't think of a reason why somebody would WANT to go back, this is probably the cause of the resistance you feel, not a conspiracy to keep rooted phones, just that way...ROOTED
I'd say just don't bother and don't go typing in commands like a madman, and everything will be OK.
it seems that JF is dedicated to continue his work on the test signed updates, why do somthing that makes no difference? Just be lazy, or spend that time reading up on common linux commands.
bhang
bhang said:
it doesnt make a darn bit of difference, it just taking out crap that may in the future stop you from doing somthing you want to do, the phone doesn't work any differently, rooted or un rooted, I just can't think of a reason why somebody would WANT to go back, this is probably the cause of the resistance you feel, not a conspiracy to keep rooted phones, just that way...ROOTED
I'd say just don't bother and don't go typing in commands like a madman, and everything will be OK.
it seems that JF is dedicated to continue his work on the test signed updates, why do somthing that makes no difference? Just be lazy, or spend that time reading up on common linux commands.
bhang
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its not that at all man. i cant even get my paid apps back. i bought the apps because i really liked them and used them on a daily basis, so i dont want to just give them up just so i can say my phone is rooted. Thanks for the reassurance though,but until i can do soemthing really useful with root access (installing other OSs) thenim sticking to official unmodified and updated firmware
paid apps and rom flashes/upgrades
im not sure you will get your paid apps back, but little is known about how the paid apps work.
they may be keyed to imei, but it doesn't seem so or you wouldn't have had a problem, my theory is that there is no security ie: 1 guy pays and anybody can use the copy of the app he paid for, I dunno and I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT PIRACY.
I am just theorizing on how your paid apps will or will not follow your phone after flashes.
it should just keep a list of what you d/l'd attached to your gmail login, I like to see more talk about how the apps are secured, NOT ABOUT HOW TO CIRCUMVENT the security, but how the apps are tied to the buyer/phone/rom installed.
I swapped apps from one g1 to another via astro and the sd card but they were all free, it just so happened to be the day the paid apps debut.
no piracy talk, just any facts you may have as to the above questions
bhang

[Q] Lagfix, Voodoo, Rooting, and other questions

First off, hey all! My first ever post to the forums. I figured it'd be big enough I should skip using the XDA app for now, but I did get it, and it's neato.
I'm using a brand new Samsung Mesmerize, unrooted, stock Eclair 2.1-update1. I considered grabbing the Froyo leak, but the whispers I'm picking up are the USCC is releasing it either this month or next, or at the very least, "soon".
I've got a lot of questions that are loosely tied together, but I didn't really find any answers to my questions specifically on the forums. For the most part, I get *how* to actually do the procedures I'm mentioning thanks to the AWESOME newb guides on this forum, so these are more conceptual or clarification questions I guess.
1. Rooting. Should I really be worried by it? I know it's really easy with the one-click root apps out there, but I'm more concerned with that whole "warranty voiding" part. Should I really be the concerned by it if I'm not comfortable with it, or is it not that big a deal as long as I'm careful with my phone and don't do anything that would actually require warranty work (cracking the screen, etc.)?
2. Is Voodoo the only real "viable" or "best" lagfix, or are there others? Although I'm a Windows guy in the IT field, I more or less grasp the Ext4 filesystem Voodoo uses, and stock Mesmerize does not. Is that fact what makes Voodoo the aforementioned "only viable" lagfix out there, if that's the case?
3. In spite of the ease of rooting from z4root (if I have the name right), I'm hoping to avoid rooting for as long as possible (though, see question 1). If there are other viable fixes out there, will I need to root the phone to use them?
4. If I do end up going with Voodoo, I see that it doesn't require rooting, which is cool. Does having a custom kernel itself technically void the warranty however, or just rooting? .....am I too worried about rooting and it's not actually that big a deal warranty-wise?
5. If using Voodoo, can I select which of the Voodoo fixes I want to use? I'm really only after the lagfix, and I *think* I like my colors just fine (that said, I'm not necessarily opposed to going with any color fixes if I just don't know what I'm missing)
6. I've also picked up that I can maybe do something about my battery life, and that there are other speed increases/battery utilities people are using; I came across this thread while searching for lagfix answers, and saw the poster is using "SGS tools". Is that something I should also look into?
7. I've noticed that some ROMs don't have all apps/hardware working just yet. Is that something I'd need to worry about with loading just a custom kernel like Voodoo? The Voodoo Documentation page seems to mention Kies won't work in Ext4 mode, but that's all I see affected an unrooted, otherwise-stock unit. How badly will I really miss Kies if at all? ...or, what does disabling lagfix (the suggested solution if you want to use Kies) actually do to the filesystem?
I think that's all for now---sorry for the rapid barrage of questions, but hopefully this will tell me if I need to worry about rooting, and if Voodoo is the way for me to go, and if I need anything else and I'm just not aware of it yet. Thanks for helping out a new guy, all!
First off, welcome. I will try and answer what I can and some of the more experienced guys will surely throw in their thoughts as well.
ChromWolf said:
First off, hey all! My first ever post to the forums. I figured it'd be big enough I should skip using the XDA app for now, but I did get it, and it's neato.
I'm using a brand new Samsung Mesmerize, unrooted, stock Eclair 2.1-update1. I considered grabbing the Froyo leak, but the whispers I'm picking up are the USCC is releasing it either this month or next, or at the very least, "soon".
I've got a lot of questions that are loosely tied together, but I didn't really find any answers to my questions specifically on the forums. For the most part, I get *how* to actually do the procedures I'm mentioning thanks to the AWESOME newb guides on this forum, so these are more conceptual or clarification questions I guess.
1. Rooting. Should I really be worried by it? I know it's really easy with the one-click root apps out there, but I'm more concerned with that whole "warranty voiding" part. Should I really be the concerned by it if I'm not comfortable with it, or is it not that big a deal as long as I'm careful with my phone and don't do anything that would actually require warranty work (cracking the screen, etc.)? We have the stock operating system available to us if you would be concerned about warranty issues. You can always just flash back to that and no one would ever know you were rooted
2. Is Voodoo the only real "viable" or "best" lagfix, or are there others? Although I'm a Windows guy in the IT field, I more or less grasp the Ext4 filesystem Voodoo uses, and stock Mesmerize does not. Is that fact what makes Voodoo the aforementioned "only viable" lagfix out there, if that's the case? Voodoo is the best and only kernel that we have available at this time.
3. In spite of the ease of rooting from z4root (if I have the name right), I'm hoping to avoid rooting for as long as possible (though, see question 1). If there are other viable fixes out there, will I need to root the phone to use them?
You don't have to root but there's really no reason not to. Gives you so many more options than stock and you can get rid of the junk USCC wants you to have
4. If I do end up going with Voodoo, I see that it doesn't require rooting, which is cool. Does having a custom kernel itself technically void the warranty however, or just rooting? .....am I too worried about rooting and it's not actually that big a deal warranty-wise? See above answer about warranty. I would guess changing anything to the stock software technically voids warranty though
5. If using Voodoo, can I select which of the Voodoo fixes I want to use? I'm really only after the lagfix, and I *think* I like my colors just fine (that said, I'm not necessarily opposed to going with any color fixes if I just don't know what I'm missing) the color fix is not available in our current versions of voodoo. The voodoo fix for 2.1 has the sound options in it. Voodoo for 2.2 is strictly lagfix. Make sure you get all your files from the Mes forums or you can run into problems.
6. I've also picked up that I can maybe do something about my battery life, and that there are other speed increases/battery utilities people are using; I came across this thread while searching for lagfix answers, and saw the poster is using "SGS tools". Is that something I should also look into? I've never used the SGS tools but I don't believe it fully works on our phone. Battery life will be greatly improved with Voodoo.
7. I've noticed that some ROMs don't have all apps/hardware working just yet. Is that something I'd need to worry about with loading just a custom kernel like Voodoo? The Voodoo Documentation page seems to mention Kies won't work in Ext4 mode, but that's all I see affected an unrooted, otherwise-stock unit. How badly will I really miss Kies if at all? ...or, what does disabling lagfix (the suggested solution if you want to use Kies) actually do to the filesystem? Kies is used for nothing except for upgrading to 2.2 which is already available through Odin without using Kies. Make sure you read through the forums and instructions when doing anything though. Disable lagfix before you flash anything to be safe.
I think that's all for now---sorry for the rapid barrage of questions, but hopefully this will tell me if I need to worry about rooting, and if Voodoo is the way for me to go, and if I need anything else and I'm just not aware of it yet. Thanks for helping out a new guy, all!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hope I helped some. Most important just make sure you read and re-read before you jump in.
IMHO, I believe that if you are going to spend the money for the device, service and insurance, you deserve to have the latest software available and complete access to your phone. I'm not worried about warranties, (I'm not even sure how long it even is for this phone), cause I'm almost certain I will never have to use it because I have insurance in case of any unfortunate event. That part is entirely up to you. The roms and kernels available for the mesmerize on this forum are completely stable(from my experience) and are without a doubt worth any time put in understanding the processes involved. Just be sure you know what you are doing, read, reread and make backups. My two cents.
Hope this helps, and welcome to the xda forums; it's a pretty neat place.
Sent from my SCH-I500
Thanks to both of you!
So an update (for those actually watching and who care, haha):
I did end up deciding to root my phone, especially after bigmike's response. Yeah, why *shouldn't* I get to play with my new toy to the fullest extent? So I grabbed z4root, and I didn't even have to pull the battery, it just... did it. It was great.
I've been using Wireless Tether for Root users as my tethering app, and am in fact posting from my laptop in that way. Byebye Verizon aircard! I know it'll chew the battery up faster, but it means I don't need to actually physically tether, so I can keep USB Debug mode off and charge/transfer files that way. My laptop is always plugged in, so the phone should never actually die while wifi hotspotting. ...I didn't turn on encryption, but I did turn on access control, and I think I'll even scale back the broadcast strength of the phone's wifi while within Wireless Tether; the phone is literally inches from the laptop.
Still struggling with putting Voodoo on the phone... I need to find a good rooted-compatible file manager so I can see non-app files I put on my SD card from my SGS. After that I can follow bdemartino's Newbie Guide from step 2 (RomManager and CWM).
My trouble has been that the one that's recommended in his thread is a paid app, but is in Euros, and I can't seem to purchase it; just puts a hold on my account and looks like a suspicious charge to my credit card company. ....So, any recommendations on a preferably free, or at least USD-listed, root-compatible file manager?
ChromWolf said:
Thanks to both of you!
So an update (for those actually watching and who care, haha):
I did end up deciding to root my phone, especially after bigmike's response. Yeah, why *shouldn't* I get to play with my new toy to the fullest extent? So I grabbed z4root, and I didn't even have to pull the battery, it just... did it. It was great.
I've been using Wireless Tether for Root users as my tethering app, and am in fact posting from my laptop in that way. Byebye Verizon aircard! I know it'll chew the battery up faster, but it means I don't need to actually physically tether, so I can keep USB Debug mode off and charge/transfer files that way. My laptop is always plugged in, so the phone should never actually die while wifi hotspotting. ...I didn't turn on encryption, but I did turn on access control, and I think I'll even scale back the broadcast strength of the phone's wifi while within Wireless Tether; the phone is literally inches from the laptop.
Still struggling with putting Voodoo on the phone... I need to find a good rooted-compatible file manager so I can see non-app files I put on my SD card from my SGS. After that I can follow bdemartino's Newbie Guide from step 2 (RomManager and CWM).
My trouble has been that the one that's recommended in his thread is a paid app, but is in Euros, and I can't seem to purchase it; just puts a hold on my account and looks like a suspicious charge to my credit card company. ....So, any recommendations on a preferably free, or at least USD-listed, root-compatible file manager?
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Click to collapse
Keep in mind that the step you're referring to is for customizing your phone with 2.1, you don't need to do that if you're planning on going to 2.2 (EB16) Rom Manager isn't used for that process at all.
Unfortunately either way you will need a root file explorer (file manager with root access), but I'm not sure what you mean by having issues purchasing Root Explorer - it's listed as 4.02 USD on my phone... Anyway, all you need is a file manager with root access (just a quick search shows me that Ghost Commander File seems to be a good free alternative)
bdemartino said:
Keep in mind that the step you're referring to is for customizing your phone with 2.1, you don't need to do that if you're planning on going to 2.2 (EB16) Rom Manager isn't used for that process at all.
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Click to collapse
I suspect not yet. I think I'm going to hang about and wait for the official release---am I correct in understanding that, at least according to rumors, it's coming sometime in the next couple months? I'm friends with a USCC office employee, and that's what he seemed to think, but didn't know any specifics.
bdemartino said:
Unfortunately either way you will need a root file explorer (file manager with root access), but I'm not sure what you mean by having issues purchasing it - it's listed as 4.02 USD on my phone... Anyway, all you need is a file manager with root access (just a quick search shows me that Ghost Commander File seems to be a good free alternative)
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Click to collapse
It's weird. It's listed the same on mine (~$4.02 USD), but then when I proceed with the purchase process, it changes over to €2.50 (I think is the equivalent value), and won't charge my credit card. It's *possible* they just flagged the purchase as suspicious because it's so small and from a source I don't usually purchase from, outside of the fact it's listed in Euros, but I can't be sure. It's also possible that it won't go through because it's a debit card rather than a credit card.
In any case, I'll give Ghost Commander File a try. Thankee sir!
ChromWolf said:
I suspect not yet. I think I'm going to hang about and wait for the official release---am I correct in understanding that, at least according to rumors, it's coming sometime in the next couple months? I'm friends with a USCC office employee, and that's what he seemed to think, but didn't know any specifics.
It's weird. It's listed the same on mine (~$4.02 USD), but then when I proceed with the purchase process, it changes over to €2.50 (I think is the equivalent value), and won't charge my credit card. It's *possible* they just flagged the purchase as suspicious because it's so small and from a source I don't usually purchase from, outside of the fact it's listed in Euros, but I can't be sure. It's also possible that it won't go through because it's a debit card rather than a credit card.
In any case, I'll give Ghost Commander File a try. Thankee sir!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure why you're even messing with your phone if you're going to wait? Having root gives you the access to the system folders/files, but nothing else really...
EB16 2.2 is completely stable and (IMO) is far superior to our customized 2.1 release (minus the fact that since we're waiting for official 2.2 source to make an undervolted kernel yet, it's not as battery efficient as 2.1)
Either route you go, we have an installation that will take you back to 2.1-update1 as if you just pulled it out of the box. (so long as you cleared your sd card) so you're able to go back to stock and then update to US cellulars 2.2 when it releases (which will be slow and full of bloat, so why wait?)
As far as your market issue, it sounds to me like the problem is on your credit card companies end - I purchase things all the time and they sometimes charge me in EURO or whatever else - but I have no issues.
If I were you, I'd do a hell of a lot more reading on the forums while you decide, because it doesn't sound like you've completely got your mind wrapped around all of it yet It takes time though....
bdemartino said:
I'm not sure why you're even messing with your phone if you're going to wait? Having root gives you the access to the system folders/files, but nothing else really...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really only wanted to worry about rooting for two reasons.
First, I'd seen the lag issues being mentioned, and how I'd noticed it on my own phone. It's not *terrible*, but... it's there. So speeding things up with a lagfix was definitely something I wanted to worry about. I know I don't need to root to run Voodoo, but I was also concerned about having to worry about flashing a kernel onto the phone as opposed to just finding a simpler lagfix app; the ones I was seeing did require a rooted phone. I ended up not going with any of the other lagfixes as they just seemed less optimal than Voodoo, which is why I wanted to load that up.
The other big goal was to be able to tether (be it with cable or as a wifi hotspot), and I knew that depending on the app I went with, I might need to root. I ended up going with Wireless Tether, which does require a rooted phone.
That said, you're not wrong; if I found a wifi hotspotting app I liked that didn't require a root, I suppose I could take it off, but.... the tinkerer in me finally won out over that stick in the mud worried about warranties (see above). XD
bdemartino said:
EB16 2.2 is completely stable and (IMO) is far superior to our customized 2.1 release (minus the fact that since we're waiting for official 2.2 source to make an undervolted kernel yet, it's not as battery efficient as 2.1)
Either route you go, we have an installation that will take you back to 2.1-update1 as if you just pulled it out of the box. (so long as you cleared your sd card) so you're able to go back to stock and then update to US cellulars 2.2 when it releases (which will be slow and full of bloat, so why wait?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's another thing I need to keep in mind, which makes me wonder if I shouldn't change my plans and just go ahead with EB16 2.2. With the wifi hotspotting I plan to do, I cringe just a bit at having even less battery efficiency, but since the plan is to cable it to the laptop for charging while I'm doing that, I don't think I need to worry about it.
However, I seem to recall reading somewhere in the EB16 2.2 thread that Voodoo wasn't working with it yet...? Am I just making that up and/or has that been fixed...? I'm almost positive there was a reason other than "US Cellular is releasing the official one 'soon' " that made me want to wait on the leaked version...
bdemartino said:
As far as your market issue, it sounds to me like the problem is on your credit card companies end - I purchase things all the time and they sometimes charge me in EURO or whatever else - but I have no issues.
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I suspect you're right--my bank has rather a lot of security protections in place, which has been annoying in the past, but I'm sure the first time it saves me from some financial disaster I'll finally say I'm glad they're there. XD
bdemartino said:
If I were you, I'd do a hell of a lot more reading on the forums while you decide, because it doesn't sound like you've completely got your mind wrapped around all of it yet It takes time though....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ouch, though I suppose the truth hurts. I suspect you're not wrong about that either though. but it's a lot to take in. I've never really worked with Linux, so I've got no base PC knowledge to draw from, and I still require a google/wikipedia visit for a lot of the terms thrown around here. XD
So yeah, if Voodoo works for EB16 2.2, maybe that should really be my next step. ....and by the looks of your guide, the next step after going to EB16 2.2 is to grab Voodoo, so I guess that answers that question. XD
I'll keep reading, but I think you're right, I'm starting to get a craving for Frozen Yogurt.
You are aware you have a 5GB data cap with USCC right? If you are planning on using tethering as your main internet source you could easily blow through that very quickly.
ChromWolf said:
I really only wanted to worry about rooting for two reasons.
First, I'd seen the lag issues being mentioned, and how I'd noticed it on my own phone. It's not *terrible*, but... it's there. So speeding things up with a lagfix was definitely something I wanted to worry about. I know I don't need to root to run Voodoo, but I was also concerned about having to worry about flashing a kernel onto the phone as opposed to just finding a simpler lagfix app; the ones I was seeing did require a rooted phone. I ended up not going with any of the other lagfixes as they just seemed less optimal than Voodoo, which is why I wanted to load that up.
The other big goal was to be able to tether (be it with cable or as a wifi hotspot), and I knew that depending on the app I went with, I might need to root. I ended up going with Wireless Tether, which does require a rooted phone.
That said, you're not wrong; if I found a wifi hotspotting app I liked that didn't require a root, I suppose I could take it off, but.... the tinkerer in me finally won out over that stick in the mud worried about warranties (see above). XD
That's another thing I need to keep in mind, which makes me wonder if I shouldn't change my plans and just go ahead with EB16 2.2. With the wifi hotspotting I plan to do, I cringe just a bit at having even less battery efficiency, but since the plan is to cable it to the laptop for charging while I'm doing that, I don't think I need to worry about it.
However, I seem to recall reading somewhere in the EB16 2.2 thread that Voodoo wasn't working with it yet...? Am I just making that up and/or has that been fixed...? I'm almost positive there was a reason other than "US Cellular is releasing the official one 'soon' " that made me want to wait on the leaked version...
I suspect you're right--my bank has rather a lot of security protections in place, which has been annoying in the past, but I'm sure the first time it saves me from some financial disaster I'll finally say I'm glad they're there. XD
Ouch, though I suppose the truth hurts. I suspect you're not wrong about that either though. but it's a lot to take in. I've never really worked with Linux, so I've got no base PC knowledge to draw from, and I still require a google/wikipedia visit for a lot of the terms thrown around here. XD
So yeah, if Voodoo works for EB16 2.2, maybe that should really be my next step. ....and by the looks of your guide, the next step after going to EB16 2.2 is to grab Voodoo, so I guess that answers that question. XD
I'll keep reading, but I think you're right, I'm starting to get a craving for Frozen Yogurt.
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Click to collapse
As far as I know, you need to have root in order to flash anything through recovery, so you would need it to flash the voodoo kernel. Root seems more scary than it should, it does indeed "void" your warranty (if you were to turn the phone in with it still rooted) but the scarier stuff comes when you go to flash things, because that is where you can really mess your phone up if you're not careful.
As far as your knowledge, I come from the same background - 0 experience with linux. After about a month of reading and researching and actually looking into the .apk/.jar file types I was pleased to see that it was very similar to a PC. In fact, if you actually decompile the files it's mostly XML and Java script, packaged within the .jar/.apk file types.
I hope I didn't offend you with that comment, I just want to stress the importance of having an understanding of all of this before attempting any of it - as it seems people jump right into flashing as soon as they register on the forum - then come running when things don't work - so those comments are really more directed at the community in general.
And lastly, pay attention to what Akellar said in the previous post - as if you go over your limit they may look into "why" and see that you've been wirelessly tethering and may charge you for that service. We have had one guy admit that he did this and lucky for him the agent he spoke to was kind enough to cut the overage in half after he showed him the MOD's he did, lol - we all may not be so lucky so just be careful. 3G Watchdog is perfect for monitoring that.
bdemartino said:
As far as your knowledge, I come from the same background - 0 experience with linux. After about a month of reading and researching and actually looking into the .apk/.jar file types I was pleased to see that it was very similar to a PC. In fact, if you actually decompile the files it's mostly XML and Java script, packaged within the .jar/.apk file types.
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Click to collapse
Not that I've messed around with JavaScript or XML much... XD I was into the more web-based languages (if one could argue that's the primary use for those two) when it was... HTML3-4? I kinda got out of it, and never really kept up with playing with it. I'm sure I could work with the syntax and figure it out (eventually, LOL).
bdemartino said:
I hope I didn't offend you with that comment, I just want to stress the importance of having an understanding of all of this before attempting any of it - as it seems people jump right into flashing as soon as they register on the forum - then come running when things don't work - so those comments are really more directed at the community in general.
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Click to collapse
I'm applying aloe to my pride. ROFL XD But seriously, I happen to show a brief glimmer of wisdom and read the forum rules, which mentioned that users that speak different primary languages post to this forum, and that it's generally a good idea to take what's posted with a grain of salt since that's the case. I know we're both from the midwest, but it was still a good thing to remember. And like I say, you're not wrong, currently page 14/35 of the Froyo leak thread. XD
akellar said:
You are aware you have a 5GB data cap with USCC right? If you are planning on using tethering as your main internet source you could easily blow through that very quickly.
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I can't help but have a small part of me think it's foolish to not be worried about it, but.... I've had an aircard with Verizon for 2 years now, and another of the big reasons my girlfriend and I wanted to get smartphones is so we could eliminate that bill entirely by being able to tether one way or another. I bring it to work every day as my internet while I'm here, and when we travel to Wisconsin or Illinois to see our respective families, it's my internet when I'm actually on my laptop there as well (more IL than WI, Dad is tech savvy and has his wifi setup). In the two years I've had the aircard, I've only ever piqued 2 GB of usage (heck, most of the time I can keep it just under 1 GB) was for a major World of Warcraft content patch *after* we'd left for Illinois, and then streaming Blizzcon while in WI when Dad's wireless was having issues.
Apart from that, we've got a local carrier's 25 MB download cable internet at home, so while it does get usage a fair amount of the time as far as hours of the day and days of the week, I'd still call the cable my "primary". I try and limit the youtubing and such to while I'm at home because, at least while I was using the aircard, it loaded too slowly anyway (bad reception in the building here).
That said, I'll still be trying 3G Watchdog, if for no other reason than I have no idea how having a phone with a data plan will change that dynamic.
Alrighty, back to reading the Froyo leak thread for me. Still looking for where Voodoo got okay'd for the Froyo leak, and maybe a link to the version that includes CWM pre-loaded. ;D
Sooo, I'm on page 26 of 32 of the Froyo EA11 leak thread, but I'm starting to actually wonder---*does* Voodoo work for this build yet? I mean, I see the [KERNEL] voodoo for eb11 fix release thread, but... it just sounds like it's not quite ready, or more to the point, not quite ready for a little nublet like me who's not looking to tweak, just run Froyo + Voodoo Lagfix as his lifeline phone...?
Also, what's the difference between EB11 and EB16? Just a build number of the versioning, kinda thing? What about the terms "AOSP" and "Showcase"?
Seems like you're right, I'm not quite ready to go flashing my phone until I know just which one I want to put on there, and whether or not Voodoo is supported yet. The guide says it is, but I haven't yet caught a post in the EB11 thread that says "okay guys, Voodoo kernel is now supported" or whatnot. Just got done reading through the thread, and it just suddenly switches over to people saying Voodoo works now. ...am I missing some conversation, like from the IRC channel or something? XD
ChromWolf said:
Sooo, I'm on page 26 of 32 of the Froyo EA11 leak thread, but I'm starting to actually wonder---*does* Voodoo work for this build yet? I mean, I see the [KERNEL] voodoo for eb11 fix release thread, but... it just sounds like it's not quite ready, or more to the point, not quite ready for a little nublet like me who's not looking to tweak, just run Froyo + Voodoo Lagfix as his lifeline phone...?
EB11 is for the Cell South Showcase and isn't what you want to use on your mesmerize. The EA11 voodoo works fine on EB16 for now. It will be updated to add a few more tweaks once the official release is out.
Also, what's the difference between EB11 and EB16? Just a build number of the versioning, kinda thing? What about the terms "AOSP" and "Showcase"?
See above for EB11 vs EB16. Also AOSP is Android's stock UI I believe. (someone will surely correct me if I'm wrong) THe Showcase is the Cell South version of the Mes.
Seems like you're right, I'm not quite ready to go flashing my phone until I know just which one I want to put on there, and whether or not Voodoo is supported yet. The guide says it is, but I haven't yet caught a post in the EB11 thread that says "okay guys, Voodoo kernel is now supported" or whatnot. Just got done reading through the thread, and it just suddenly switches over to people saying Voodoo works now. ...am I missing some conversation, like from the IRC channel or something? XD
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Click to collapse
Again, nothing you read in the EB11 thread applies to the Mes.
Eb11 is the build for cellular south's Showcase, the same model of phone as the mesmerize. The difference is in the software, ea11 and/or eb16 is what you want for the mesmerize. Ignore that thread unless you have a showcase. voodoo for the mez works fine, just no sound control or color fixes as there is no official source code to work on.
as for the wireless hotspot... You have nothing to worry about unless you go over your 5 gig cap. I watch net flix on my laptop via the hot spot sometimes and I don't think ive even reached 4 gigs..on top of my typical usage
Sent from my SCH-I500
Akellar did a nice job answering your question, but I thought i would add that AOSP stands for Android Open Source Project, and as Akellar stated - it's the "stock android rom" meaning no other manufacturer changes to the software (such as touchwiz, etc.)
You should try the vanilla froyo its crazy fast!!! Because I got 2300 on quadrant!!!!
vicous707 said:
You should try the vanilla froyo its crazy fast!!! Because I got 2300 on quadrant!!!!
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Click to collapse
....first off i'ts Vanilla AOSP froyo , and we don't yet have a release for the mesmerize.

Adding rooted features without rooting.

Side loading
Apparently there is an update that has to be pushed to your phone from AT&T, but hardly anyone has received it yet. People in this thread are working on adding this feature without the update. This method will allow you to install non android market apps, but so far it disables your mms capability.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1111278
Free tethering/wifi hotspot
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=980591
By changing a few settings, you can have tethering/use wifi hotspot without adding a tethering plan from AT&T.
Maybe we could add future developments to this thread as they become available. I like the idea of leaving my phone stock so that it will automatically update.
Are you talking about the "silent" OTA that enables side-loading?
If so, and if by hardly anyone, you mean "hardly anyone here on XDA," it may be because they are rooted or otherwise running a custom ROM that will prevent them from getting OTA updates.
If you mean hardly anyone here on XDA that is bone stock, well, that might be true. And it also might be true that the recently discovered method of enabling sideloading will help some people, who don't mind their mms broken until some workaround fixes it.
Or they can root, and be done with it. There's nothing that will ever be OTA that I would want to get OTA anyway -- it will be available here shortly after.
The only excuse people have to not root is that it *appears* to be difficult. It really isn't. You can enjoy the same exact phone with a stock ROM, but with the added perks that rooting brings. Yes, that includes sideloading. And SIM unlock. And no more bloatware.
However, if this sideloading trick can be perfected, and it will keep people who otherwise don't have the patience to root their phones and as a result would just screw them up, causing them to further not spend the time to read and search, instead firing off 1000's of redundant "Halp Me!" posts, then that's a good thing.
ehh I would just rather use adb.... (if I was stock)
mudknot2005 said:
ehh I would just rather use adb.... (if I was stock)
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Click to collapse
Or that. My friggin' rant post from hell was long winded enough for me to forgo mentioning much more.
mudknot2005 said:
ehh I would just rather use adb.... (if I was stock)
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Click to collapse
Yeah, OP, you should definitely include a link to the adb method, or the Sideload Wonder Machine method.
I used SWM to install Swype weeks before I got the AT&T non market option (which was a week before I rooted).
ST3ALTHPSYCH0 said:
Yeah, OP, you should definitely include a link to the adb method, or the Sideload Wonder Machine method.
I used SWM to install Swype weeks before I got the AT&T non market option (which was a week before I rooted).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The adb method for sideloading an app is already discussed in mudknot's stickied guide.
Supposedly there is still an update floating around for unknown sources. If I happen to get my hands on it I will post it.
That's the only reason I haven't updated the side loading part of the guide. If the update gets pushed to every phone with in the month then it would be obsolete quick. I might add it just to have the most information possible... Though I will not put this method on there, because there is no reason you should have to give something up to gain something (captivate anyone?)..
Still stock here, without the non-market update.
No issues at all using the SWM. I didn't like that whole stupid "dropbox" method mentioned. It's easier and faster to just to use "disk drive" mode to copy the apk files onto the PC.
mudknot2005 said:
Supposedly there is still an update floating around for unknown sources. If I happen to get my hands on it I will post it.
That's the only reason I haven't updated the side loading part of the guide. If the update gets pushed to every phone with in the month then it would be obsolete quick. I might add it just to have the most information possible... Though I will not put this method on there, because there is no reason you should have to give something up to gain something (captivate anyone?)..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely agreed. Your guide should be reserved for known methods that provide the desired result without sacrificing other functionality.
I really don't see what all the excitement is about, regarding this new method. I mean, side loading has been a non-issue for rooted devices from the start, now it's *officially* a non-issue, even for bone stock devices.
This new method might have been a useful workaround for stock phones before ATT changed course on sideloading, now not so much.

Who else is ready to return the phone if we can't root?

I'm a little conflicted with this as I actually like the v20. Who else is going to be returning the phone if we can't get a root method? I've tried to consider keeping it, even without, but I absolutely hate ads.
For those in the know, how is it looking? What are the prospects? I've kept up with the dev threads and I'm not sure how to judge this. I'm new to the LG dev scene.
codman2728 said:
I'm a little conflicted with this as I actually like the v20. Who else is going to be returning the phone if we can't get a root method? I've tried to consider keeping it, even without, but I absolutely hate ads.
For those in the know, how is it looking? What are the prospects? I've kept up with the dev threads and I'm not sure how to judge this. I'm new to the LG dev scene.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm with you bro....
Thanks
netgar said:
I'm with you bro....
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Click to collapse
What's even worse is that if there is something discovered it seems it will be very close or after the return period in my case. But I guess those are the cards!
the phone hasn't even been officially released yet. honestly you just need to relax a little. we know the bootloader can be unlocked on the t-mobile variant. so hopefully root will soon follow. but seriously you just need to give the devs some time to spend some time with the phone. with that being said even if they aren't able to get root i am still keeping my v20. i love it. way better than when i had the note 7
probablecauzdnb said:
the phone hasn't even been officially released yet. honestly you just need to relax a little. we know the bootloader can be unlocked on the t-mobile variant. so hopefully root will soon follow. but seriously you just need to give the devs some time to spend some time with the phone. with that being said even if they aren't able to get root i am still keeping my v20. i love it. way better than when i had the note 7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not worked up. They have all the time in the world to work on it, no rush. I'm the one who is rushed. And I don't expect them to go any faster than they can. I'd be just fine in going back to my Note 5, but I'd rather not if I don't have to. It's nice to have a change. If I could help the devs I would.
Even if it doesnt get rooted, i will keep it, at least for 8 month or more. On ther other hand, i truly hope they manage to root not only Tmobile's variant (I own the tmobile's variant), but also at least 3 or 4 of the other variants. That way we can have more devs interested and joining the LG V20 Wagon . When a device's bootloader is unlocked only for 1 variant and locked for the others and if root is not achieved in the locked variants, then there are significantly less development on the phone, since only the variant able to be rooted will be truely open for developments, and the other devs in other variants would say "Meh" i skip it.
I would love root as well, I've been rooting my phones since the HTC 3G slide days. And along the way I've accumulated many apps that are a must have for me. That said, I think the features and functionality of this phone outweighs those must have apps. I could 'enjoy' this phone without root.
As far as if root with for sure be coming to this device? That's anyone's guess, it could take as long as a few months to acquire a real solution to root. There is also the development aspect of this to consider as well. While we will have people devoted to getting root and attempting to make ROM's/mods, Android N is brand new.
It's a toss up if we'll see root, than it's a question of how much development we'll see once a root solution has been found. So basically one need to ask themselves if attaining root solution is really necessary in keeping this phone. I personally see stock LG very pleasant to play with.
joseguillen1994 said:
Even if it doesnt get rooted, i will keep it, at least for 8 month or more. On ther other hand, i truly hope they manage to root not only Tmobile's variant (I own the tmobile's variant), but also at least 3 or 4 of the other variants. That way we can have more devs interested and joining the LG V20 Wagon . When a device's bootloader is unlocked only for 1 variant and locked for the others and if root is not achieved in the locked variants, then there are significantly less development on the phone, since only the variant able to be rooted will be truely open for developments, and the other devs in other variants would say "Meh" i skip it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, I would love to see an unlocked bootloader for all carriers. That is the primary reason I am with Tmobile. I can't stand being deprived simple filesystem access to my own device. But in this case, I'd be just fine with just root if the devs don't jump on board. I mean I love flashing custom roms, but this stock rom is great (for once). I just want adaway!!!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe the Pixel has been rooted yet either. And since there are only two devices out now that have shipped with both Nougat, and the duplicated system partition for background updates, there remains quite of but of work to get SuperSU working.
aaldiar said:
I would love root as well, I've been rooting my phones since the HTC 3G slide days. And along the way I've accumulated many apps that are a must have for me. That said, I think the features and functionality of this phone outweighs those must have apps. I could 'enjoy' this phone without root.
As far as if root with for sure be coming to this device? That's anyone's guess, it could take as long as a few months to acquire a real solution to root. There is also the development aspect of this to consider as well. While we will have people devoted to getting root and attempting to make ROM's/mods, Android N is brand new.
It's a toss up if we'll see root, than it's a question of how much development we'll see once a root solution has been found. So basically one need to ask themselves if attaining root solution is really necessary in keeping this phone. I personally see stock LG very pleasant to play with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a little later than that. I think my first root was the HTC Evo. I agree that for once the stock experience here is pretty satisfying. I could deal with it, if I could only get rid of all those ads. I just can't do it. Pop ups and junk everywhere throughout the whole OS. I haven't seen an ad is so long I'm a little shell shocked.
I expected it to be a toss up with Android N. I knew this might happen, but we always hope for the best.
codman2728 said:
I agree, I would love to see an unlocked bootloader for all carriers. That is the primary reason I am with Tmobile. I can't stand being deprived simple filesystem access to my own device. But in this case, I'd be just fine with just root if the devs don't jump on board. I mean I love flashing custom roms, but this stock rom is great (for once). I just want adaway!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Heck yeah!! I need adaway! And slim pie, and greenify, and TITANIUM BACKUP (GOD! ) , and a couple of things more. also, i would love for lg to create many themes and then they can keep updating them and make them compatible with future devices so that it doesnt stop just in few months. Also to add more options to the second screen such as display notifications entirely one by one. I wonder if LG has a page to send suggestions and feeback . I would make LG V20 the greatest device ever LOL!
NotATreoFan said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe the Pixel has been rooted yet either. And since there are only two devices out now that have shipped with both Nougat, and the duplicated system partition for background updates, there remains quite of but of work to get SuperSU working.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These are the days I wish I was an Android dev. This is the kind of challenge in programming that is usually fun. Brand new territory.
codman2728 said:
I'm a little conflicted with this as I actually like the v20. Who else is going to be returning the phone if we can't get a root method? I've tried to consider keeping it, even without, but I absolutely hate ads.
For those in the know, how is it looking? What are the prospects? I've kept up with the dev threads and I'm not sure how to judge this. I'm new to the LG dev scene.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are you going to get if this isn't able to be rooted? The options are few.
joseguillen1994 said:
Heck yeah!! I need adaway! And slim pie, and greenify, and TITANIUM BACKUP (GOD! ) , and a couple of things more. also, i would love for lg to create many themes and then they can keep updating them and make them compatible with future devices so that it doesnt stop just in few months. Also to add more options to the second screen such as display notifications entirely one by one. I wonder if LG has a page to send suggestions and feeback . I would make LG V20 the greatest device ever LOL!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah Titanium Backup would have been extremely helpful! I find that I didn't install half the backed up apps though, so that's something. I guess I didn't need a lot of that junk. LOL I'm usually first in on Viper4Android as well, but for once I don't think that it is a necessity. I haven't even played with themes yet. Thanks for reminding me. Second screen is surprisingly useful. I love flipping through songs on spotify with the screen off. I also love how you can see the full notification text there sometimes, instead of it being broken up line by line. I do find myself trying to pull down the drawer from there though, even when the phone is in landscape!
douger1957 said:
What are you going to get if this isn't able to be rooted? The options are few.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll probably just crawl back to my Note 5. The s-pen gets stuck sometimes, and the charge port is wonky, but it's like an old friend. The dev community for it seems to have dried up a bit though. But I'm ok using a solid daily driver rom with adaway and viper4android on that phone. I don't need to be a flashaholic anymore.
codman2728 said:
Yeah Titanium Backup would have been extremely helpful! I find that I didn't install half the backed up apps though, so that's something. I guess I didn't need a lot of that junk. LOL I'm usually first in on Viper4Android as well, but for once I don't think that it is a necessity. I haven't even played with themes yet. Thanks for reminding me. Second screen is surprisingly useful. I love flipping through songs on spotify with the screen off. I also love how you can see the full notification text there sometimes, instead of it being broken up line by line. I do find myself trying to pull down the drawer from there though, even when the phone is in landscape!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldnt install about 15 apps that required root, now i only have 35 apps (my apps, the others are system apps) Which is why my battery drain seems reasonable LOL i mean, im surprissed it last more than a day given the fact that many of my apps are constantly synchronizing and i leave gps on and do some camera shots and videos, and also am constantly turning it on and off to see notifications and all that, and play music. Today i did all that. And my battery is in 68% . I bet greenify could make it even better. BUT I NEED ADAWAY! Everytime i go to Chrome and go to some website that has many ads and pop-ups it annoys me that much. Im about to download another browser, I think firefox has the ability of addons in android . Also, there are some apps with ads too.
joseguillen1994 said:
I couldnt install about 15 apps that required root, now i only have 35 apps (my apps, the others are system apps) Which is why my battery drain seems reasonable LOL i mean, im surprissed it last more than a day given the fact that many of my apps are constantly synchronizing and i leave gps on and do some camera shots and videos, and also am constantly turning it on and off to see notifications and all that, and play music. Today i did all that. And my battery is in 68% . I bet greenify could make it even better. BUT I NEED ADAWAY! Everytime i go to Chrome and go to some website that has many ads and pop-ups it annoys me that much. Im about to download another browser, I think firefox has the ability of addons in android . Also, there are some apps with ads too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using Firefox now myself. It does support several ad blocking addons and seems to work pretty well.
NotATreoFan said:
I'm using Firefox now myself. It does support several ad blocking addons and seems to work pretty well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for confirming that. The sad part is that i cannot import all my information from chrome to mozilla. But well.. As a temporary measure, it is great! :good:
joseguillen1994 said:
I couldnt install about 15 apps that required root, now i only have 35 apps (my apps, the others are system apps) Which is why my battery drain seems reasonable LOL i mean, im surprissed it last more than a day given the fact that many of my apps are constantly synchronizing and i leave gps on and do some camera shots and videos, and also am constantly turning it on and off to see notifications and all that, and play music. Today i did all that. And my battery is in 68% . I bet greenify could make it even better. BUT I NEED ADAWAY! Everytime i go to Chrome and go to some website that has many ads and pop-ups it annoys me that much. Im about to download another browser, I think firefox has the ability of addons in android . Also, there are some apps with ads too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't want to count. But with more than a dozen albums downloaded from Spotify, all my apps and media, my storage space is great with the stock 64GB and no SD. It's kind of mind blowing. Same here with the battery as well. I've been using it all day, listening to music, surfing the web, texting, youtube, etc. I'm still at 72 percent. It beats the Note 5 for sure.
NotATreoFan said:
I'm using Firefox now myself. It does support several ad blocking addons and seems to work pretty well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With not being able to block them system wide I'll have to start looking into things like this more. I love Firefox. It's all I use on PC. Great suggestion. Thanks!

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