I've been doing a lot of reading over the last couple days so that I could install third party apps on my Captivate. At this point I have my phone rooted finally. The next step was for me to choose the SDK or the Root Explorer way to bypass the AT&T block.
I decided to contact Samsung via internet chat. I was informed by the customer service rep that all that I'm attempting to do can be done through the Samsung Kies Application. The install program can be found here:
There are provisions to install any program through the software. I was told just to place what ever program I wanted to install on my desktop and direct the Kies software there to install into my phone.
The program looks neat. Now I'm wondering if this is so simple why does everyone go through all the trouble to root the phones?
Apparently I'm not allowed to post an outside web link. I need a moderator to remove my restriction. If the restriction is removed I'll re-post the Samsung link.
What you are doing is called side-loading an application. This can be done without rooting, and is not a good reason to root.
People root there phones in order to bypass restrictions placed on their phone by the carrier or the manufacturer. For example, rooting will let you download apps from websites, download apps not intended for use by the carrier i.e. tethering, and lastly the give you more control over themes and roms on your Captivate.
Once you root, you can theme just about anything on your phone, because you have full access to all parts of the phone. So, if you want a Hello Kitty icon next to all menu options, then you'll have access to put that there.
Roms are the reason I rooted. People smarter than me can release what amounts to a fully redesigned version of the OS. They can take parts from different phones, or create tweaks that fix a lot of the issues that the phone has. They can also create stable OS updates that we can use before we get the full release from our Carrier. Which means that we'll probably see a Froyo Rom working before we get a push from the software update in the phone itself.
"I see", said the blind man when he turned on the lights !!!!
I'm such a noob. I'll be learning.
Related
I have about two weeks experience with Android OS and as a software developer I will be interested to know the technical details behind the Android OS.
I have already noticed this is possible to upgrade applications ported with the handset's ROM i.e. the Market app. This raised the question to me why can't I uninstall applications from the ROM without rooting or risking my handset's warranty to achieve this?
Is my expectation as a user of computers for 20 years unreasonable to think in 2010 with all software development and technological advances the uninstall feature should have been in Android OS from day one?
This is not exactly like Google is the first company in the world developed an OS to just the lack of experience with what users would want. From what I have seen so far in world of Android is that, the first thing users would want to know how to root their handset to remove packages that they have no use for.
My guess is that Google doesn't want users removing Systems apps. I'm assuming that they think that these applications are core and thus don't want you removing them. Remove the market, no more apps... or way to get it back etc.
Applications installed by you can be uninstalled, I'm just thinking it is the same as in windows, you can't uninstall the task manager etc (Bad example but meh =P)
Very simple - to prevent lay users from removing critical components.
Can you imagine the service costs involved in reparing devices that that have been damaged by people trying to remove bloatware?
They still give you the option to restore.
OK DISREGUARD THIS AS I MISSED THE PART ABOUT NEEDING TO ROOT!
They can be removed but its not recommended to do so without know EXACTLY what your removing and weather is vital to your phones operating system.
BUT in order to do so your phone needs root access, and root explorer installed. There are several forums on just about all android support sites that explain how to root, install the manager, and which apps/files NOT to remove.
J_HaX said:
They can be removed but its not recommended to do so without know EXACTLY what your removing and weather is vital to your phones operating system.
BUT in order to do so your phone needs root access, and root explorer installed. There are several forums on just about all android support sites that explain how to root, install the manager, and which apps/files NOT to remove.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ye u can remove almost every stock app but this may affect the stability of your phone, modifying your phone always comes with the option restoring it back to default. If something goes wrong with moding (something really hard and extraordinary rare ) u can restore it. Browsing through Xda might solve many questions, we all didn't wanted stock rom (not because it was bad, because we can have s omething better. This community has VERY VERY good developers.
Androids own!!!
One thing I still don't get is...
How can Google upgrade Market app without the su privilage but the rest of the world has to root their phones to remove bloatware such as 'amazon mp3'?
@ftgg99: How much bloatware in Windows cost Microsoft or PC manufacturers? None in fact they get paid to include them with your hardware. However, I see an issue with mobile devices. You have already paid for the ROM storage, the bigger ROM size is the more expensive your handset would be, then the manufacturer uses your already paid ROM to make even more money by installing bloatware. I would be a fool to think manufacturers would pass on a percentage of the bloatware earnings by reducing the cost of their products to the consumers in this model.
The way I see it, the burden has been put on the communities such as xda. Users wouldn't ask the manufacturers how to root their handsets and this is left to the dedicated individuals to overcome the mess compnies normally leave us with. I'm not going to say the mess is a cost saving measure by companies.
The thing is that there are a lot more people buy and use phones than computers. After someone buys a smart phone with intention to use for calls, text, web and to use some apps, they realize the possibilities of the smart phone, they start digging in to the files, therefore Google blocked the root folder from modifying, otherwise Google would have to repair warrantied phones that didn't have to end up there just because people didn't know or care what they did. But if you got passed ROOTING, you must know what you are doing and from this point you can modify files and apps, but now ROOTING becomes too easy.
Basically just because too many juveniles got their hands on the equipment.
CSharpHeaven said:
One thing I still don't get is...
How can Google upgrade Market app without the su privilage but the rest of the world has to root their phones to remove bloatware such as 'amazon mp3'?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm also very interested to read the answer for this one!
CSharpHeaven said:
One thing I still don't get is...
How can Google upgrade Market app without the su privilage but the rest of the world has to root their phones to remove bloatware such as 'amazon mp3'?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
RAMMANN said:
I'm also very interested to read the answer for this one!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The answer, from my point of view, is quite simple: they just upgrade the application on /data/app ON TOP of the /system/app default Market version. So, you can always go back to your "default" version just by "uninstalling updates".
Summary: they do not upgrade the Market form ROM, just install the new version on top.
CSharpHeaven said:
I have about two weeks experience with Android OS and as a software developer I will be interested to know the technical details behind the Android OS.
I have already noticed this is possible to upgrade applications ported with the handset's ROM i.e. the Market app. This raised the question to me why can't I uninstall applications from the ROM without rooting or risking my handset's warranty to achieve this?
Is my expectation as a user of computers for 20 years unreasonable to think in 2010 with all software development and technological advances the uninstall feature should have been in Android OS from day one?
This is not exactly like Google is the first company in the world developed an OS to just the lack of experience with what users would want. From what I have seen so far in world of Android is that, the first thing users would want to know how to root their handset to remove packages that they have no use for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried to work with iPhone(don't know about iPhone 4)? They build fortress around their system and even the apps you install cannot be uninstalled until you gailbrake it and use 3rd party installer to uninstall. And not talking about the "MONOPLY" they run with AT&T.
Well I got my galaxy s2 on release day and being a former crackberry addict I have no idea what to do with android. I understand that there are endless possibilities but I have no idea where to begin. Anyone know some stuff I can do to make my android experience simply better?
in same boat
i am not only new to andriod, i am new to smart phones. that said, i have had my andriod for a month. i have done a lot to it just by reading posts here and in andriod central. andriod central seems easier to navigate by phone choise than xda.
my wife is still a blackberry adict. after gettting my phone she wined about how much i could do. she still likes the blackberry and has found ways around the issue or boasted about something she could do that i cant.
this is just from reading about backberry so feel free to correct me if i am wronge. the PC device manager allows you to modify your phone. ie change theme, apps, ect.
the biggest issue most andriod owners have is that they cant get rid of the carriers apps(bloatware). most of these apps take up space, run when not in use, use up your ram. as far as i am aware the only way is to root(gain administrator acess) the phone. then you can get an app that will freeze the unused, unwanted apps(titanium backup,pay for version).you can also delete them, but i read it could be hazardes. recomend reading manual. i wont do it any justice, so info on rooting is everywere, i do suggest andriod central.
if you dont care about the apps then dont root. you cant get multiple home launchers,ie go launcher, launcher pro, adw launcher, theres more. i prefer go launcher, it lets you customize the most, ie change icons, the way the app drawer functions, the way icons function, different functions for the direction you slid your finger on the desktop.
with a rooted phone you can get custom roms to change the look and feel of the phone. what i understand flashing a rom to be is installing a new operating system, its like someone took andriod OS striped it down to just the OS and then added what they feel should be there for apps. generaly they just get rid of the bloatware, optimize the system, and a few usefull tools.
i have rooted my phone. sadly no custom roms yet. freezed most of my bloatware, freed up a lot of space. changed my desktop. got a wifi tether app so i can hotspot my phone with out having to pay for the data plan. any way i hope this helps. if you have anymore questions feel free to ask.
to expand on the topic about rooting (assuming that you take this route), here are some rooting methods (android version-specific):
z4root (2.2/2.2.1)
SuperOneClick (2.2/2.2.1)
Gingerbreak (2.2.2)
everything you can possibly discover about your phone (roms, kernels, themes, etc) can be found in the sgsII's forum:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1055
I don't want to know how to root, I can find my answer for that on Google, however what I don't get is what it does...
I know it unlocks the device somehow, but can't I simply access everything in the system if I compile android from source and install it on the device?
I have downloaded the android source and I believe I can access every possible thing, so why is rooting needed?
If I install an app as a system app, won't it automatically have the permissions to do what I need it to do?
AFAIK rooting is for the people you'd call the end user/consumer or whatever.
If you have a new phone and want to install one of the many custom ROMs around, you simply need a rooted phone.
A custom ROM is in easy terms a custom made User Interface for the phone.
There is lot more complicated stuff going on under the hood, but in general you change the look and feel of you phone's UI.
The phone has to be rooted, because the manufacturers and net providers around pack a lot of useless crap called "bloatware" (like Samsung Shop and Samsung Play and Samsung Sing and Dance and Music and whatnot) on your phone, which often makes it slower than it can be without it.
But naturally the big corps don't want you to be able to get rid of that **** too easily, which is why you don't have access to the system folders as a normal user.
I guess in your case it's possible that you (if you compiled android from source and installed it on your device) so to say have an already rooted phone, since Android itself is rooted by default. Like I said, the manufacturers are the ones to unroot Android in order to dictate which apps their customers might or might not use.
But I'm a noob and am not sure how you would install Android on your phone if it's new (and unrooted by default?) if you haven't rooted it before?
meh, hope that helped a bit at least...
root- you would love to do it after reading this..
Root? what is it?
it is what i call full access to our phone, flash new roms, have dual boot (example- you can have to os like ics and JB), can access the evasive /data folder which holdes the apk/setups of apps installed from playstore and many other things..
If you are concerned about warranty you can unroot your phone and give in your phone for warranty. i have given my phone for warranty like this.
The most important thing i like about root is that i can fix my phone myself (if it is a software problem). any other question please ask, and i will answer it.
Thanks if helped!
I don't have the time for development anymore. I used to play with stuff like that years ago, but life has taken me away from it. I'd still like to be able to access everything on my phone and play with custom roms, and root lets me do that. The end consumer comment is a good one.
As for to root or not root, I tell most people who ask me to root for them what they use their phone for and explain what they would get out of rooting, and explain the risks involved. Seems that people who understand what rooting does are able to do it themselves, and the ones that ask you to do it for them usually decide against it after hearing "there is a tiny chance that your phone could get bricked" lol
If you just want to play emulators etc, how would you benefit from rooting?
IMO rooting is very useful if you want to keep touching system things in a stock rom, optimizing and debloating it, installing other people ROMs, etc... I believe that if you compile your own flavour of android and find no restriction doing whatever you want, you don't need to.
Android phone without root is nothing
McFex said:
AFAIK rooting is for the people you'd call the end user/consumer or whatever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:good:
McFex said:
But I'm a noob and am not sure how you would install Android on your phone if it's new (and unrooted by default?) if you haven't rooted it before?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some phones can just be flashed (for example via usb) which gives you full control, others can be cracked.
Hi,
I'm currently programming an app for a hospital as a bachelorsproject. Now I've discussed with my mentor about the fact we want the devices to be used only as pupose for the app I'm making, apps we preinstall and future apps that are made for the personel thats using them.
Currently I'm working with a Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2016) running android 6.0.1 without it being rooted.
So what do you guys suggest with this I've done some reading along how to root whats possible and seen some guides for my device on how to root it.
What I want to do is actually have like a stock android so no samsung bloatware and microsoft apps etc, even chrome doesn't need to be installed as they don't need acces to browsing. And then pre install specific apps like my app, the one from the hospital itself, future apps and others we specifically need.
Also I'm new to android in general so can I create like a nurse user, and a IT-desk user so the IT desk user can log on the tablet and install an app, while the nurse doesn't even have acces to settings maybe.
Would love to hear what you guys think along what to do, and maybe some general steps like root it, flash a stock rom, create your (2)users, and install apps.
Tommyboy500 said:
Hi,
I'm currently programming an app for a hospital as a bachelorsproject. Now I've discussed with my mentor about the fact we want the devices to be used only as pupose for the app I'm making, apps we preinstall and future apps that are made for the personel thats using them.
Currently I'm working with a Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2016) running android 6.0.1 without it being rooted.
So what do you guys suggest with this I've done some reading along how to root whats possible and seen some guides for my device on how to root it.
What I want to do is actually have like a stock android so no samsung bloatware and microsoft apps etc, even chrome doesn't need to be installed as they don't need acces to browsing. And then pre install specific apps like my app, the one from the hospital itself, future apps and others we specifically need.
Also I'm new to android in general so can I create like a nurse user, and a IT-desk user so the IT desk user can log on the tablet and install an app, while the nurse doesn't even have acces to settings maybe.
Would love to hear what you guys think along what to do, and maybe some general steps like root it, flash a stock rom, create your (2)users, and install apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could build an AOSP ROM for that model number with only the apps and features you choose, it would require AOSP source code and your stock source code.
Then, yes, android natively supports setting up user profiles, with root access you can set it so that the "nurse user" profile can only use the device and an "admin user" would have exclusive permissions to make whatever changes are needed. You can set it so that the "nurse user" would not be able to install new apps, wouldn't be able to browse the web or even set it so they could browse if needed but would be limited in what they can access on the web, and you'd be able to set it so they would be locked out of all settings.
What you want is very possible, the most difficult part would be compiling the ROM if you go that route, you may not need or want to though because with root, you can strip down the existing stock firmware to remove the extras you don't want or need.
Mind you, there would be some details and specifics to deal with that would require trial and error along the way, obviously.
Experienced heartbreak in purchasing slider & flip phones off of eBay, which worked for seller only days before, but then learning that Verizon will not activate any new lines for 3G, slider, flip, CDMA devices. This has always been a great way to give kids a first phone, a phone that will only do call & text. So, turned to old family inventory or new companies that specialize in a modern phone with internet or social media interaction. Enter Gabb Wireless or Pinwheel. Landed on Gabb Wireless, but my bride wants me to try to mod an old Verizon bone stock Galaxy S5. Of course...& I'm sure many of you have been there...some guy we know was able to do it with his kid's phone...so now I should be able to do it. Never mind this guy is a software dev and most likely using an iOS phone. So, gauntlet thrown down, challenge issued. I've been doing a lot of digging & don't know if this can be done with this build. Here's what we have:
G900V, bone stock Verizon
Build number = MMB29M.G900VVRU2DQL1
Security patch level = 8/1/17
Let me know if any other specs would be helpful.
Thank you kindly.
EternalWorth said:
Experienced heartbreak in purchasing slider & flip phones off of eBay, which worked for seller only days before, but then learning that Verizon will not activate any new lines for 3G, slider, flip, CDMA devices. This has always been a great way to give kids a first phone, a phone that will only do call & text. So, turned to old family inventory or new companies that specialize in a modern phone with internet or social media interaction. Enter Gabb Wireless or Pinwheel. Landed on Gabb Wireless, but my bride wants me to try to mod an old Verizon bone stock Galaxy S5. Of course...& I'm sure many of you have been there...some guy we know was able to do it with his kid's phone...so now I should be able to do it. Never mind this guy is a software dev and most likely using an iOS phone. So, gauntlet thrown down, challenge issued. I've been doing a lot of digging & don't know if this can be done with this build. Here's what we have:
G900V, bone stock Verizon
Build number = MMB29M.G900VVRU2DQL1
Security patch level = 8/1/17
Let me know if any other specs would be helpful.
Thank you kindly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure why you don't just go buy a burner flip phone from Walmart? I thought those could still be activated.
If not, you'd have to disable the portion of the kernel that handles data. Let's be honest, this is a ~10 year old device so you won't find much assistance unfortunately.
Oh yeah, forgot, this is Android 6.0.1.
As for the query, you're right...I could do the burner/fip/slider thing, perhaps...but, truly, it appears all carriers across the board are throwing off 3G devices as fast as they can. I did see some of the rough service basic phones have 4G capability, but can't justify price on those things. Tough balance to strike as we're doing some traveling where VZW is the only network that's really reliable...& trying to get a child the best camera possible on the devices we have, so they can take pics of stuff they may never see again. Old basic phones are pretty challenging to text on, too. Anyway, we have an old iPod Touch someone threw away, plus the S5. S5 has the better cameras. But it's one of the last builds they sold for Verizon...and I don't ever remember there being a way to unlock the bootloader on that build...the G900V. But, regardless, I still can't find a way to shut down mobile & Wi-Fi on it. I think they have a Verizon family app that will let you shut down the web, but it is extra per month, of course. Appreciate the feedback, for sure. This is just the DIY kinda life, I reckon: constantly trying to refurb, reuse the old stuff, fix stuff yourself, do without...all to live w/in your means & save dinero.
EternalWorth said:
Oh yeah, forgot, this is Android 6.0.1.
As for the query, you're right...I could do the burner/fip/slider thing, perhaps...but, truly, it appears all carriers across the board are throwing off 3G devices as fast as they can. I did see some of the rough service basic phones have 4G capability, but can't justify price on those things. Tough balance to strike as we're doing some traveling where VZW is the only network that's really reliable...& trying to get a child the best camera possible on the devices we have, so they can take pics of stuff they may never see again. Old basic phones are pretty challenging to text on, too. Anyway, we have an old iPod Touch someone threw away, plus the S5. S5 has the better cameras. But it's one of the last builds they sold for Verizon...and I don't ever remember there being a way to unlock the bootloader on that build...the G900V. But, regardless, I still can't find a way to shut down mobile & Wi-Fi on it. I think they have a Verizon family app that will let you shut down the web, but it is extra per month, of course. Appreciate the feedback, for sure. This is just the DIY kinda life, I reckon: constantly trying to refurb, reuse the old stuff, fix stuff yourself, do without...all to live w/in your means & save dinero.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mean there is a way to unlock the bootloader if you look on XDA. https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/...ootloader-using-dev-bootloader-kk-mm.3337909/ The Verizon S5 was the worst model out of all of the US carrier variants.
EternalWorth said:
This has always been a great way to give kids a first phone, a phone that will only do call & text. So, turned to old family inventory or new companies that specialize in a modern phone with internet or social media interaction. Enter Gabb Wireless or Pinwheel. Landed on Gabb Wireless, but my bride wants me to try to mod an old Verizon bone stock Galaxy S5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know this thread is almost a year old, and I'm sorry I'm late to the party, but I had the same idea!
My kids had been using Gabb Wireless for a while, and we were mostly happy with the service, but I wanted the option to install other useful apps on their phones without giving them access to the web. So, I bought a couple of old Galaxy S5 SM-G900V (Verizon version) phones, and I think I've succeeded in modifying them in a way that will prevent the kids from surfing the internet or installing their own apps. I thought I'd post my method here, in case anyone is still interested. Here's what I did:
Install Safestrap Recovery. (Follow this guide, up to and including the step where you install Safestrap. Skip the remaining steps in the guide.)
Boot into Safestrap Recovery and flash jrkruse's “slightly de-bloated” stock Marshmallow rom from here.
Use either ADB or Safestrap to remove any system apps that would allow kids to browse the web or download their own apps. (To delete unwanted system apps using Safestrap recovery, click Mount and make sure the system partition is mounted. Also make sure the “Mount system partition read-only” box is unchecked. Then go back and click Advanced > File Manager, and edit or remove system files as desired.) The web browser is already removed from jrkruse's rom, but I also removed the following apps:
from /system/app:
Gmail2
SamsungSetupWizard
SecEmail_K
InteractiveTutorial [This is the Samsung Help app.]
SamsungAppsWidget_Phone_Carrier_VZW
from /system/priv-app:
Velvet [this is the Google search app]
SamsungUpdates [this includes the Samsung Apps store and “Galaxy essentials,” which would allow kids to download and install their own apps]
GoogleOneTimeInitializer
SetupWizard
from /data/app:
com.android.vending-1 [this is the Google Play Store]
Edit the settings APK file to disable the option to remove the option to install apps from “uknown sources” (Settings > Security > Uknown Sources) so that users can’t enable that option. This will prevent kids from installing apps by sideloading (e.g. copying apps from a friend's phone via SD card.) Apps can still be installed via recovery or ADB, but most kids won't know how to do that.
To edit the settings APK properly, you could follow this guide, but I used a much hackier method and basically just sabotaged the security_settings_misc.xml file inside SecSettings.apk, so that the settings app crashes if the user tries to open and modify those settings.
I've attached my modified settings file. You can put it on the phone's SD card, then use Safestrap to copy it to system/priv-app/SecSettings. Save the original settings file first (or just rename it and change the filename extension) so that you can restore it later if needed.