Database Info

[Q] Nexus S: Root & more

Probably tons of questions like these, but I couldn't find the right answers, sorry.
1) What makes the Nexus S easier to root than other devices?
2) When you root, you can install custom roms. What else can you do with root acces?
3) Do you need root to overclock your device, and do you need a custom rom? I saw a video of the Nexus S overclocked to 1.3ghz, and it looked like a custom rom (boot screen was different).
4) Can you receive OTA-updates when rooted? And when having a custom rom installed? And when overclocked?
5) Do you need to root to install home screen replacements like Launcher Pro and ADW Launcher?
6) I saw that rooting 'wipes' all your data? What does that mean exactly?
Thanks in advance!

Androyed said:
Probably tons of questions like these, but I couldn't find the right answers, sorry.
1) What makes the Nexus S easier to root than other devices?
2) When you root, you can install custom roms. What else can you do with root acces?
3) Do you need root to overclock your device, and do you need a custom rom? I saw a video of the Nexus S overclocked to 1.3ghz, and it looked like a custom rom (boot screen was different).
4) Can you receive OTA-updates when rooted? And when having a custom rom installed? And when overclocked?
5) Do you need to root to install home screen replacements like Launcher Pro and ADW Launcher?
6) I saw that rooting 'wipes' all your data? What does that mean exactly?
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Other devices rooting is quite an extensive process on the NS its just fastboot oem unlock and then flash a recovery and then a rom. Google isnt trying to lock you out
2.you can do just about anything that isnt allowed in stock, i know thats vague but true
3. yes you need root, custom rom no, custom kernel yea
4.you can receive OTA on stock rooted roms but it will remove root and replace recovery with stock, most roms remove the OTA ability so you dont lose root
5. no
6. what whipes your data is fastboot oem unlock it does this for security purposes and it does what it means gets rid of everything on the "SD card" and "internel memory" you can just copy stuff off the SD portion but as far as everything else like app data game saves and what have you your pretty SOL

So if you've rooted your device, you have to un-root it when a OTA-update comes, and then when you root it again, it will wipe all your data again?
A normal android user like me, would he have a good reason to root his/her device, or is just installing a homescreen replacement enough excitement?
This custom kernel, does it install more than just a different bootscreen? I am going to buy a Nexus S because there isn't messed with Android, but I am interested in overclocking so that I will not get jealous at other dual-core devices. If a custom kernel changes the interface, it is a no-go for me.
Rooting, is it like jailbraking on the iPhone/iPod Touch? All my friends have jailbroken their iPod's and iPhone's, so that they can download most apps for free and install other cool stuff. Is there a way (with or without rooting) to download apps for free on your Android?
^ This question is probably going to stay unanswered. I can say that I'm just asking, and that I will not use it, but then I would lie. I could also say that I haven't got that much money, but then I would also be lying. I could say that I don't have a creditcard, which is true, but there are a lot of creditcard 'simulators'. And I'm probably saying this all to pretend that I'm a super intellegent guy, so that you would think: 'Oh, he doesn't deny he is going to use it, he is smart, I will answer the question', but I'm not intelligent. And I probably said that out of self-pity, in the hope someone will answer the question.

Androyed said:
So if you've rooted your device, you have to un-root it when a OTA-update comes, and then when you root it again, it will wipe all your data again?
A normal android user like me, would he have a good reason to root his/her device, or is just installing a homescreen replacement enough excitement?
This custom kernel, does it install more than just a different bootscreen? I am going to buy a Nexus S because there isn't messed with Android, but I am interested in overclocking so that I will not get jealous at other dual-core devices. If a custom kernel changes the interface, it is a no-go for me.
Rooting, is it like jailbraking on the iPhone/iPod Touch? All my friends have jailbroken their iPod's and iPhone's, so that they can download most apps for free and install other cool stuff. Is there a way (with or without rooting) to download apps for free on your Android?
^ This question is probably going to stay unanswered. I can say that I'm just asking, and that I will not use it, but then I would lie. I could also say that I haven't got that much money, but then I would also be lying. I could say that I don't have a creditcard, which is true, but there are a lot of creditcard 'simulators'. And I'm probably saying this all to pretend that I'm a super intellegent guy, so that you would think: 'Oh, he doesn't deny he is going to use it, he is smart, I will answer the question', but I'm not intelligent. And I probably said that out of self-pity, in the hope someone will answer the question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just going to stop you right there, rooting is not about piracy, if you wanna pirate apps please do look somewhere else

slowz3r said:
Just going to stop you right there, rooting is not about piracy, if you wanna pirate apps please do look somewhere else
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I thought. Thanks for answering the other questions anyway!

slowz3r said:
Just going to stop you right there, rooting is not about piracy, if you wanna pirate apps please do look somewhere else
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not that I condone piracy or anything but you can pirate apps without being rooted.... unless you're on AT&T.
I know this because certain applications who are being beta tested (e.g. Trillian Beta) was in .apk format... all you needed was Unknown Sources. Root isn't required to do that
just saying.

zephiK said:
Not that I condone piracy or anything but you can pirate apps without being rooted.... unless you're on AT&T.
I know this because certain applications who are being beta tested (e.g. Trillian Beta) was in .apk format... all you needed was Unknown Sources. Root isn't required to do that
just saying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can not use this information, but you and I know I will. So, thanks, I guess.

Tips and Help for a Beginner please?

Hey guys, I literally just got my Samsung Galaxy S a few days ago, and I never realized how good Android really was until stepping away from iOS - now, I used to jailbreak my iPhone, and I've heard that I can root/lagfix my Galaxy S.
I'm REALLY stuck at what to do, there's threads on how to do it on here, I fully understand that but most of them are completely outdated and I'm not sure whether to trust it. I'm alright with ROM's, I'm not entirely interested in Custom ROM's as per say, but I'm interested in rooting and getting rid of the lag via the Voodoo Lag Fix.
I got as far as downloading z4root, and putting it on my phone ready to install, but I thought to myself, I don't have a clue what I'm doing after I permanently root it. I came to ask some questions.
Why should I root my phone?
Voodoo Lag Fix, it's not on the Market anymore, where would I get that from and install it for my current version?
Custom ROM's are they safe and what is the advantage of doing so?
I'm in the UK and I know that Samsung are releasing 2.3 Gingerbread onto all Galaxy S devices by the end of March, so I'm not sure if it's worth waiting for that?
Any tips, or how to suggestions would be much appreciated!
Many Thanks in advance.

Anybody at all? =/

There are already loads of threads on the benefits of root vs no root, use the search function.
The voodoo lagfix is now a complete custom kernel.
It is a really good kernel and i can't say anything negative about it.
Rooting is not permanent either, it can be undone.
The advantage of custom roms is total customisation.
New versions of android are usually available as custom roms alot earlier as the official rom releases from samsung.
You could instal just a new kernel (like voodoo's) which will increase performance, or a whole new rom if you find something you like. Just take a look at the development forums. Roms from the kitchen are nice, or darkys rom.
My suggestion would be to read this and flash voodoo's kernel.
After you have done that you have increased performance, can easily get root through a market app and also you will have clockworkmod recovery (CWM).
CWM is basicly needed to get custom roms, or change themes etc.
You would basicly be good to go for anything
Maybe also read some of the threads here and make sure your 3Button downloadmode is working.

[Q] Rooting for dummies

Hey guys,
First of all I'm a n00b here (so please bear with me). I've been reading all the info that I can about rooting but I still have a couple of questions.
Basically the process (high level) for rooting as far as I understood, basically consists of -> unlock bootloader -> install custom recovery image -> NAND backup -> install custom rom -> joy
I have a Nexus S i9023 but I have a few questions regarding the process above:
1) When I do the fastboot oem unlock, do I immediately lose the warranty of the phone ? If so, should I wait before rooting to make sure any problems with the phone show up and can be dealt with the warranty ? And bearing in mind that Samsung just handed out free GSII to the developers of CM7, how true really is this voiding the warranty thing ? If you do fastboot oem lock again, is there any traces of the root process ?
2) I already have apps and their settings installed. If I install a custom rom, or a custom kernel, am I going to lose those apps and settings ? Would be a pain to configure everything again.
3) When installing a custom rom I lose the OTA updates. If I reflash a NAND backup of my stock 2.3.4 unrooted Nexus S, will this bring me back to the same state as before rooting ? (with all updates coming in, etc).
4) Can I just flash a custom kernel instead of a custom rom ? For example, could I just flash NetArchy to benefit from the BLN notifications without needing a custom ROM altogether ?
5) I'm really interested in knowing what these guys are actually doing when they develop custom kernels and roms (which programming languages, etc). Do you have to be a real linux geek to do it ?
6) Is it better to use windows to do the flashing of roms ? I'm using Ubuntu right now and makes sense to me that using a Linux system to deal with another Linux system is the most appropriate as opposed to using Windows to deal with flash
Thanks a lot for any hints guys.... once again please bear with my n00bness

First of all you should have used google + search function more exensively.
Second of all watch this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmvCpR45LKA
Third of all:
1) It is really true, as this are the rules, if they want to bend you over during warranty for rooting your device they can, if they even care about it depends on the moon phase and how the technicans breakfast was. I don't know what fastboot is but undoing rooting is usually not traceable.
If you should wait rather depends on if you want to wait. Problems can show now, later or never, who knows.
2) Custom Rom yes, Custom Kernel usually keeps settings. But this all depends on the included scripts in the flash files. You can use a backup tool of your choice to restore settings of apps. Restoring system app settings can cause problems though.
3) Yes, i believe so.
4) I don't know NetArchy, but yes you can only flash a custom kernel. Read the kernel developers thread and all infos though.
5) Your mixing two very different things, Rom developers ( or Rom cooks) usually repack firmwares with different apps, different start up scripts, partitions, themes etc. usually not too much in deepth work in the code going here.
Kernel developers change flags, driver support, include an extra library (like backlight notifications) or enable overclocking through flags/extra loaded moduls.
6) Doesn't really matter.
I can bare with n00bness, i'd just like everyone to invest more than 10min into the search/google.

Thanks for the info, much appreciated
I think I now have a clear picture about all that's involved and the risks.
Main reason I want to root is to be able to have backlight notifications and to have a rom/kernel that can tell me what has been keeping my phone in keep-awake state for no apparent reason in the 4636 history (stock Gingerbread doesn't show the keep awake page). Being able to lower the CPU speed when not using the phone would be quite a nice addition as well.
I did see the n00b video and I did research rooting for quite a few days. But there's so many information around and so many people say what they will that in the end it becomes difficult to see between the noise.
Thanks for clearing up the bits for me!

Just rooted my G2X

Ok so today I took the leap and rooted my g2x, now my question is what can I do with a rooted phone? Im new to android just coming from apple land. so I have been reading and reading and still not sure as what to do on my rooted phone. I have installed titanium and froze some apps but thats about it, So my question is how do I find out everything I can do to my phone.

jvx333 said:
Ok so today I took the leap and rooted my g2x, now my question is what can I do with a rooted phone? Im new to android just coming from apple land. so I have been reading and reading and still not sure as what to do on my rooted phone. I have installed titanium and froze some apps but thats about it, So my question is how do I find out everything I can do to my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try installing a custom rom and different kernel. You phone will will get a huge speed boost. Read the threads in the development section for more details.

There isn't much in the way of flashy stuff as far as root apps go, it's mostly simple, deep, and very, VERY useful.
Like Titanium Backup. Also, Root Explorer, the best file manager available for Android. Complete control over the filesystem; nothing is off limits. SetCPU is another wonderful thing, you can underclock your CPU to save battery (and overclock if you use a compatible kernel). Ad Away and AdFree both do the same thing: block ads. Advertisements won't load, not in the browser and not in any application. They're not perfect though; some do get through. I've found Ad Away to be slightly more effective. Keyboard Manager isn't as popular as the rest I've talked about but it's a personal favorite; it lets you automatically switch between two different keyboards when you're in landscape/portrait orientation. I use Swype on portrait and Swiftkey X on landscape, and the switch happens completely automatically.
Also, this isn't a root app but it's in the same general philosophy and I can't pimp this enough, Tasker. It's an extremely powerful tool that basically lets you tweak the behavior of your phone in any way you can think of. It's hard to describe; I keep my GPS off to save battery but every time I start an app that I want to have it, GPS automatically comes on. I use a gameboy emulator but I hate that it vibrates on every button press, so every time the app starts, haptic feedback turns off. It's an automation tool.
But there's one enormous thing I haven't mentioned, because it's not an application at all: custom roms and kernels. You'll need to do some further work to get this, but search XDA for NVFlash. It will let you put Clockworkmod Recovery on your phone, overwriting the default recovery mode and letting you modify the system itself. Custom roms (operating systems) are the heart and soul of XDA, and a source of near-infinite joy in trying out new ones. The G2X has a fairly good repertoire, including the two biggest names in Android roms: Cyanogenmod and MIUI. As for kernels, they can let you overclock the phone to improve performance or undervolt it to save battery life. Discussion of the different roms/kernels and the merits thereof have been done ad infinitum, so a search of the forums should yield all you should need.

Thanks I already have clock recovery installed. So roms and kernels have to be installed together. What's kernel?
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App

jvx333 said:
Thanks I already have clock recovery installed. So roms and kernels have to be installed together. What's kernel?
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't have to install custom kernels together with custom roms since custom roms have a stock kernel that will suffice. The type of custom kernel will be determined by the type of custom rom you choose. I am currently on cm7 (rom) and running faux 0.4.2 (kernel).

LordButtersI said:
There isn't much in the way of flashy stuff as far as root apps go, it's mostly simple, deep, and very, VERY useful.
Like Titanium Backup. Also, Root Explorer, the best file manager available for Android. Complete control over the filesystem; nothing is off limits. SetCPU is another wonderful thing, you can underclock your CPU to save battery (and overclock if you use a compatible kernel). Ad Away and AdFree both do the same thing: block ads. Advertisements won't load, not in the browser and not in any application. They're not perfect though; some do get through. I've found Ad Away to be slightly more effective. Keyboard Manager isn't as popular as the rest I've talked about but it's a personal favorite; it lets you automatically switch between two different keyboards when you're in landscape/portrait orientation. I use Swype on portrait and Swiftkey X on landscape, and the switch happens completely automatically.
Also, this isn't a root app but it's in the same general philosophy and I can't pimp this enough, Tasker. It's an extremely powerful tool that basically lets you tweak the behavior of your phone in any way you can think of. It's hard to describe; I keep my GPS off to save battery but every time I start an app that I want to have it, GPS automatically comes on. I use a gameboy emulator but I hate that it vibrates on every button press, so every time the app starts, haptic feedback turns off. It's an automation tool.
But there's one enormous thing I haven't mentioned, because it's not an application at all: custom roms and kernels. You'll need to do some further work to get this, but search XDA for NVFlash. It will let you put Clockworkmod Recovery on your phone, overwriting the default recovery mode and letting you modify the system itself. Custom roms (operating systems) are the heart and soul of XDA, and a source of near-infinite joy in trying out new ones. The G2X has a fairly good repertoire, including the two biggest names in Android roms: Cyanogenmod and MIUI. As for kernels, they can let you overclock the phone to improve performance or undervolt it to save battery life. Discussion of the different roms/kernels and the merits thereof have been done ad infinitum, so a search of the forums should yield all you should need.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that's a great answer and completely agree with that post. I gotta check out keyboard manager, even tho I only really use smaftkeyboard pro.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium

+1 for Tasker. I'm new to the G2X but have been with Andriod since the beginning and Tasker is a must have. Control anything and everything that your phone does based off any kind of trigger. LOVE IT.
I just got my G2X from corporate and my Seidio case and am amazed with the speed. Haven't rooted it yet but have noticed several things that have made me want to. Resisting is futile.

WHy did u root your device? I want to do the same but scared to and don't know the benefits

keebs29 said:
WHy did u root your device? I want to do the same but scared to and don't know the benefits
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting gives you full access to your file system. Its similar to having an administrator account in Windows. The benefits of rooting come from what you can do with that access, not necessarily from rooting itself. You can make tweaks to your system that give you better battery life and better performance. You can completely change the theme of your phone. You can delete apps that the carrier installed that you wouldn't be able to delete otherwise. And most of that has been made much easier by developers releasing apps that do it all for you. A lot of them are in the Market.
An even greater benefit of the G2X is that it has an unlocked bootloader. This makes it very easy and hassle-free to install any custom OS (rom) that you want to ... assuming its compatible with the G2X. Its like having a completely new phone each time you install a new rom.

Lastnite after reading a lot I installed eaglesblood rom. So far so good. So if I want to install a different kernel what difference will that make?
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App

I am a noob and would like to know how to root. I have read several forums and cant seem to get a def How To. Can you help?

tbird1976 said:
I am a noob and would like to know how to root. I have read several forums and cant seem to get a def How To. Can you help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Start here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1255214
It works with Froyo and Gingerbread.

Rooting isnt much fun. You don't really need root at all on the G2x unless you want to use a few special apps like Titanium backup or Root Explorer.
With most phones, rooting is required to begin the process of flashing a custom recovery like Clockwork Mod. With the G2x we don't need root to flash a recovery.
So root is useless more or less. At least dont expect magical and wonderful things to start happening.
All you need is to download a custom rom, nvflash CWM, reboot into CWM, and flash it. Roms is where the magic happen.
G2x - 2.3.7 CM7
Transformer - 3.2 Revolver OC/UV

player911 said:
Rooting isnt much fun. You don't really need root at all on the G2x unless you want to use a few special apps like Titanium backup or Root Explorer.
With most phones, rooting is required to begin the process of flashing a custom recovery like Clockwork Mod. With the G2x we don't need root to flash a recovery.
So root is useless more or less. At least dont expect magical and wonderful things to start happening.
All you need is to download a custom rom, nvflash CWM, reboot into CWM, and flash it. Roms is where the magic happen.
G2x - 2.3.7 CM7
Transformer - 3.2 Revolver OC/UV
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea I have noticed a lot of people are confused about what exactly root is needed for. Like you said, you don't need root to install recovery and flash a rom.
That said, root is very useful even with an otherwise stock installation. It allows you maximum flexibility over what can be done with your phone. And not everyone wants to flash a custom rom and start completely over setting up their system.

I have CM nightly 179 on mine and boot time is around 15-20 seconds.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App

how did you do it.
jvx333 said:
Ok so today I took the leap and rooted my g2x, now my question is what can I do with a rooted phone? Im new to android just coming from apple land. so I have been reading and reading and still not sure as what to do on my rooted phone. I have installed titanium and froze some apps but thats about it, So my question is how do I find out everything I can do to my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was their a particular method/guide you used to root your G2x.
Any info would be appreciated. I am anxious to do it.
I got lost trying and even tried "halfcab123" from youtube and he couldn't get mine rooted.
Whats your secret.??
Thanks,
[email protected]

jvx333 said:
Ok so today I took the leap and rooted my g2x, now my question is what can I do with a rooted phone? Im new to android just coming from apple land. so I have been reading and reading and still not sure as what to do on my rooted phone. I have installed titanium and froze some apps but thats about it, So my question is how do I find out everything I can do to my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you installed "rom manger/clockwork recovery" via the market i would recommend actually flashing clockwork recovery via nvflash (nv as in nvidia). i say "actual" flashing, meaning that it replaces the stock android recovery w/ clockwork recovery. you'll need this to put new "roms" or operating systems (though all android based) onto your mobile. see my procedure (for desktops/laptops running linux only; if using windows/mac, please look elsewhere) here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1259852
i also recommend cyanogenmod v7.1.0.1 stable for a rom

Rooted my lg g2x
I rooted my lg g2x, but I can't get new roms. Rom Manger will not download and install. When I go to cwm I can't find the rom. so can anyone help me with this, I really want to put cm7 on my phone. And all the ones I downloaded of my laptop was bad.

Downloaded rom would be on SD card in cwm.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App

[Q] Where to start?

I got myself a brand new nexus S and Ive got some questions
Im debating on using a custom ROM or just go stock ICS.
A good reason why people use custom ROMs is because of better battery because of the kernel. so would it be possible to flash a better kernel on stock ICS?
If I am going with Custom,
whats the most Recommended:
way of rooting(1 click or manual, and why)
Custom recovery
best kernel
best ROM
is it possible to save a custom UI(so you could do dual booting through custom UI u made)

WoolyMarmot said:
I got myself a brand new nexus S and Ive got some questions
Im debating on using a custom ROM or just go stock ICS.
A good reason why people use custom ROMs is because of better battery because of the kernel. so would it be possible to flash a better kernel on stock ICS?
If I am going with Custom,
whats the most Recommended:
way of rooting(1 click or manual, and why)
Custom recovery
best kernel
best ROM
is it possible to save a custom UI(so you could do dual booting through custom UI u made)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can flash a stock kernel on stock ICS, this is what i have done in the past and it was great. However I will note that the new ROM modifications that increase usable System RAM make a very noticeable difference with no negatives as far as i see. You also get things like notification power toggles, more lockscreen options and so on with a custom ROM.
Anyway, to answer your questions:
1) Best way of rooting: We have a Nexus device so i would not waste time using one clicks. Unlock the bootloader using fastboot, flash a custom recovery and then either flash superuser.zip or a custom ROM. This allows the most versatility when changing ROMs, mainly if you ever decide to flash or restore a stock ROM. The Nexus S allows you to lock the bootloader if you ever need to so warranty issues based on unlocked bootloaders are minimal.
2) ClockWorkMod is generally the most favorable, compatible and least buggy of the lot. TWRP, although good, has a couple of hidden bugs in it and is no longer being developed. Further, CWM now gives you the option between a Touch based recovery and a button based one. This is up to you as they're both essentially the same, but i still prefer the buttons.
3) There is no best kernel, just the best for you. Find the features you want in a kernel first, and then pick a handful and try them all. If you are using a ROM with fixes for the extra RAM (CM9, Slim, etc), you will need a kernel that supports this.
4) Same with kernels. CyanogenMod is generally a good choice. Although on the surface it looks just like stock it is heavily modified. Others have only minor modifications and additions, practically a stock experience with a couple of extra features. Pick a handful with features you want and try each for a couple of days. Feel free to switch kernels from the one that comes with each ROM.
Custom UI? If you mean bootloader or something like that, not really. There have been one or two devs who have tried to make this possible (not specific to the Nexus S) but i don't think their (working?) attempts have taken off. Don't get your hopes up here though.

Harbb said:
1) Best way of rooting: We have a Nexus device so i would not waste time using one clicks. Unlock the bootloader using fastboot, flash a custom recovery and then either flash superuser.zip or a custom ROM. This allows the most versatility when changing ROMs, mainly if you ever decide to flash or restore a stock ROM. The Nexus S allows you to lock the bootloader if you ever need to so warranty issues based on unlocked bootloaders are minimal.
4) Same with kernels. CyanogenMod is generally a good choice. Although on the surface it looks just like stock it is heavily modified. Others have only minor modifications and additions, practically a stock experience with a couple of extra features. Pick a handful with features you want and try each for a couple of days. Feel free to switch kernels from the one that comes with each ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Im fairly new to android OS and while I do generally understand what youre saying its best you give me some links. The only root Ive done with a phone so far are 1 clicks
4. can you elaborate more of why cyanogenmod is a good rom. I hear about it alot and people recommend it,but why?
also, what ROM do you use yourself?

WoolyMarmot said:
1. Im fairly new to android OS and while I do generally understand what youre saying its best you give me some links. The only root Ive done with a phone so far are 1 clicks
4. can you elaborate more of why cyanogenmod is a good rom. I hear about it alot and people recommend it,but why?
also, what ROM do you use yourself?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It'll all make sense as soon as you do it, I assumed you had a read through some rooting guides for the Nexus S.
The Nexus S uses a little flashing utility called fastboot. fastboot gives us the ability to replace certain parts of our phone with customised versions. For example, you can replace the stock Recovery partition (which only lets you install Google-signed .zip files) with a custom one, such as TWRP or ClockWorkMod (which let you install any correctly-formatted .zip file). To be able to use fastboot, you need to unlock the bootloader. On our phones it is possible to lock it again afterward with no trace, but the phones warranty would technically be voided (<-- scare tactics). So basically, you unlock the bootloader, flash a custom recovery and then you can freely install a .zip file through the recovery which gives you root privileges. Afterward with this new recovery, feel free to install custom ROMs and the such straight through it.
I personally used Zedomax's guide found here. This does exactly what i stated above and gives you all of the tools to do it, as well as a video. Just follow the video to a T and you'll be fine, it is all pretty simply laid out. I personally use CWM recovery though, not TWRP as it is no longer being developed. I'm pretty sure i explained what each of the steps do above.
CyanogenMod, unlike most other ROMs, have a somewhat large team of developers working together. They add many features to many phones which are often ported to other ROMs, whether it be the concept or the code. It is a great ROM once stable with countless features and they generally do a great job making sure everything is just about perfect, and there is plenty of support and a large userbase. This doesn't mean it's the best, it is just one of the most known.
I personally use Slim ICS daily right now. Largest benefit at the moment is compatibility with CMs bigmem mod, the phone loves the extra RAM.

well in that case I dont wanna use cyanogenmod. I was thinking something as close to stock(or just simple) as possible because I plan on using themes and widgets to customize it.

1 more question before I root, does it matter which version of OS it has? For example, this guide: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1007782
nvm, phone already rooted
new question: is it possible to dual boot roms? Ive been reading and they say its possible with using particular apps and an SD card, but the nexus S has no sd slot so...