Probably like many others out there I don't wish to unlock the bootloader on my tablet just yet. The one and only reason I don't is because the warranty is still in effect. I've used CWM on several Androidl phones and love it.
Been unsuccessful flashing back to ICS (like everyone else on a locked pad), I got caught up in the OTA and have since lost root, I really regret it. No way to flash back at all. I wish there was some way to "fool" the tab to see a zip file as JB update but really flash back an earlier ICS one.
Not being a programmer or developer, the whole reasoning of why I cant flash back confuses me. I mean if I were to think a bit I could reflash the pad with the same zip file version that the OTA gave me (back on ICS)...just like I did when I first rooted it). Right? So something in the zip tells JB not to go to a previous version. Although in the past I could jump up or down in an ICS version (I assume).
So the question remains. All posts point me to the fact that I'd need a custom recovery to do anything to downgrade and restore root, and although Voodoo does run to restore root on JB and it says it did, it really doesn't. But to do it right and go back to ICS, I'd basically have to violate warranty.
Are there plans in the works or is a working JB root being actively attacked for a locked bootloader running Jelly Bean? It would be relieving to know if anyone out there is pursuing such a task or if it's dead in the water.
All positive comments invited. Please hold back anything referring to why don't I just unlock. The reasons are pretty clear and I'm sure I'm not the only one. My extended goes for 2 years. Covers everything. Unless I unlock. Then it's just money wasted. And once I unlock, "the fuse is blown" so to speak, with no way to re lock it.
I completely agree.
I was previously rooted b4 jelly bean. I am also unwilling to unlock due to warranty. Due to my current employment in the military, my tablet always has a chance of breaking due to the environment of the navy and i would prefer to maintain a warranty in case this were to happen. If anyone heres of a timeline of when a possible locked root can be accessed i would love to hear any further information.
Prefect response USS. I got caught up in the hype awhile ago and purchased an ATV. If I had known that the 3rd gen model was having difficulty being jailbroken, I would have waited. It's cool. But now that I realize the months it's taken for the guru's to develop and fail on a jailbreak for it and getting stung with the Jelly Bean update from ASUS, I'm very happy I haven't accepted any software updates for it (AppleTV). For fear that 1) a jailbreak won't work on the latest sw version when and if one is released and 2) a new sw version installed on it will put me in the same boat (no pun intended) ASUS has me in with Jelly Bean (cant root it, cant go back to a previous stable flash at all). For a hundred bucks either way, it is a cool and cheap gadget. But a 2nd gen model can have so many features modded into it. Rooting my 300 on Jelly Bean would make me feel more as if I had control of what I bought and how I could use on it. Seems like ASUS' Android open source code has been closed up for us unlike the many flavors of Linux out there that you can download for free and install as you like on any pc.
So, it's a Google issue? Asus' reply here
Adding to the info list:
After emailing ASUS airing my concerns of not being able to downgrade without voiding my warranty which boils down to an unlock, the reply points me to "It's a Google thing". For developers who read this, it would be cool to get a brief or in depth reasoning as to why the JB update can manipulate the bootloader to update the OS, yet an ICS binary cannot be used to flash to that version. I hope this makes sense.
ASUS' Reply:
Thank you for contacting us in regards to the firmware update and I do apologize for your inconvenience. Unfortunately there will be no option to revert back to the previous firmware after the update. (It's just the way of the design by the software vendor 'Google'). I would suggest backing up your personal data and perform a factory reset if you are experiencing problems after the firmware update. Please do let me know if the problem still persists.
In my profession working around PLC's and EPROM's, System BIOS, etc, I have programming fixtures and cables to do what I need to. PLC's are sometimes passworded and the vendor is reluctant to give it out. So a swap out is sometimes necessary even though I may have a binary or programming software to make the change I need. Erasing memory sometimes requires a UV eraser or interface to erase before loading a new binary. This never hinders programming unless a "fuse" in the chip has been previously blown to prevent reads or writes of the code..
So how does a new firmware circumvent a locked bootloader to flash it? And what would prevent fastboot or ADB from sending a binary fine to the system? Is this a good and clear question? Linux/Android being an open source (for the most part) OS, it seems like what just happened to me in the JB update falls into a gray area of the code.
ASUS is partially correct in that Googles bootloader for Jellybean is very different than Ice Cream Sandwich. Ive had this issue across all devices I own, however, the locked bootloader is the real issue, and this is an ASUS design. If the boot loader was unlocked, it would be possible to downgrade, hence why those with an unlocked bootloader can regress. ASUS gave us the ability to unlock the boot loader at the expense of the warranty, which is more than many of the companies do, however, putting it on google as it being their problem is a bit of an overstatement. You CAN go back, you just have to unlock....bogus, but ASUS does NOT want to warranty devices that have been regressed for obvious reasons...
Related
Hello there... this is probably going to get laughed at by the more experienced users on the site, but what the hell, here it goes.
I've had a Droid 2, an HTC Thunderbolt, a Dell Streak 7 tablet, and now, my pretty new TF300 tablet. I've never rooted any of them (the Thunderbolt looks scary as f*** to root), mainly because I was scared. I want to unlock all the capabilities of my device, but the idea of bricking anything I have just scares the piss out of me.
I've heard people say that the Transformer (not necessarily the TF300, mind you) is fairly easier to root than other devices because ASUS provides you the software you need to root it. Well, to my surprise, that software was nowhere to be found when my tab showed up. So I guess it's up to me to seek out the details and do some hardcore tab rooting... but damn am I scared.
Bottom line: I'm verrry inexperienced at rooting things... I probably couldn't root my way out of a paper bag. I see the lingo people use in the topics where they talk about rooting their device, and I am just totally lost. I guess I'm looking for input from others who were new to rooting until they hit this device, or input from pros about how risky it is, the ease of the rooting process, a more in-depth explanation of the rooting process... anything. The more, the better. Anything anybody could say to help me nut up enough to root my device, I'm looking forward to hearing it.
All you have to do, if you're still on the OG firmware (.17), is find the app called Sparkyroot, open it, and follow the directions. There is no danger of a brick by using Sparkyroot.
Note that if you've updated to .26 or .29 firmware, you'll have to downgrade to root, which could potentially cause a brick. But really, as long as you can control your attention span and follow directions, you should be fine.
Check out this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1645029
I'm a computer programmer and I rooted only because I wanted to remap the keys on the dock. If you are so hesitant, and don't have a good reason to root, maybe your tablet is just fine the way it is. If you don't have a good reason to root, but you have time to kill, and want to learn new things, then it may be a good thing to do.
As a first safe step, on your laptop you can just install the android sdk with platform-tools, install the usb driver for tf300t, and see if you see anything when you type "adb devices" in command prompt. Maybe doing this will give you a better idea on things that you'll need to do.
Honestly, I'd wait until you have a real need or reason to root. You say you want to "unlock all the capabilities" of your TF300. But what do you mean by that? Is there a specific app you want to run?
I rooted my phone because I wanted free WiFi tethering. I haven't rooted my TF300 because I haven't yet run into any increased functionaliy that I feel I really need or want.
Another thing to consider is that OTA updates can fail or brick a rooted device (or you may simply lose root). So if you want an OS update, you sometimes have to flash an older, un-rooted stock ROM on your device, then take the upgrade. A bit of a hassle. I expect that, since the TF300 is so new, we'll be seeing a few OTA's over the coming months. Until things settle down I, personally, am happy as is.
You're gonna think this is so stupid... but the reason I want to root is so I can run an app called GameCIH, which would help me cheat in a game. lol
In my own defense, the developers have made that game so difficult that your only real hope is to buy in-game currency for real money. Enough other people say, "Cheating is wrong, but in this case, it's pretty warranted."
Lol, you have piqued my curiosity. What game? And its stupid easy on .17. I did it about 4 hours after receiving. If you wish to waive your warranty, you can unlock, install CWR(clock work recovery), then flash the SU(super user) zip.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA
The game is called Defender II from Droidhen. If you go to Play, you'll see a whole poop ton of one-stars, people complaining that the game basically became impossible after the last few updates.
Now, since I'm such a know-nothing when it comes to stuff like this, I don't feel bad asking: I saw that Asus released a bootloader thing for unlocking the TF300 today. Is unlocking different from rooting, and can I hack that game having just used the bootloader apk? I tried using the GameCIH app, but it told me my device wasn't rooted so I couldn't use it.
And to answer somebody's earlier question, I have provided my device with all the firmware updates supplied it over the air by Asus. Does the bootloader app I downloaded tonight make that any less problematic?
-Tim
Here are my reasons to root:
- app backups/restore with saves (mostly games )
- tune settings (look at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1641219)
- some apps require root access for more functionality (nova laucher, titanium backup)
- I'm a linux user so I like having god-like control over my system even if I don't use it offen
- and many more...
The only reason to not do this is loosing your warranty.
At this moment I have root only in my phone (Galaxy S II) but I'm also thinking about rooting my TF300T
^^
Another good reason would be to overclock imo. I've seen threads on XDA where people are getting 1.5 or 1.6 from root/overclocking, which is +EV imo.
If you can follow directions, you should be ok. At some point, everyone roots for the first time. I had no clue about any of this either (and I'm still not the best, especially with adb commands on the comp) but once I rooted my first device, I found it to be pretty interesting and now I do it with anything I get.
I'd advise you to read the root threads thoroughly, you will see a lot of Q&A which will show you where people tend to get stuck in the process. You also might want to just use it as-is for a week or two and make sure you don't have any defects, since your warranty could be void, and you wouldn't want to find out about an unrelated problem later that you can't get fixed.
I'm extra hesitant because it sounds like the downgrade is more dangerous than anything else, and damn it, in every thread, they use so many technical terms that I don't understand...
Make sure the blob file is in there with ADB tools and *circus music playing in my head*
Haha, trust me, I know where you are coming from. Rooting may be a good place to start actually, if you truly screw it up I don't think they will be able to know that it's rooted and will still cover it (someone else can chime in here if I'm wrong). Unlocking, however, apparently sends them information and will void your warranty for sure.
The only way to learn it is to do it
Then again, if things are working well for you, leave it as-is, won't hurt anything to run it stock.
Yeah, if that's the case though, then I really wish I didn't unlock it... I thought it was like rooting but it did nothing for me except kill my warranty and OTA updates... so until I nut up enough to root it, I guess I'm stuck on .29. Not a bad update, mind you, but as they keep upping the tab, I'm going to be stuck in the stone age. That kind of sucks.
Can someone reply to this ASAP:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1668173
Does following the steps in that post allow for a much easier root than I would have had to do less than a week ago? It sounds like it's a cinch to install CWM onto the tab (which, by the way, I know zip-**** about), and then after that, it says to "flash" a file to achieve root.
And on a side note, what the Bejesus does it mean to flash a file?
If you are unlocked, then yes that's the best way to go. Just to confirm, when you boot up, it says "bootloader unlocked" in the top left?
Flashing a file means to install the .zip from CWM.
In the top left, it says "Device UnLocked" or something like that. It's not near me at the moment, but yeah, it definitely says the word unlocked when I boot her up.
And thank you for the clarification
Sack up, and Root it!
It's FUN!
nordis,
I've flashed CWM onto my tab and I'm navigating it now, but I'm still unclear about how to root it.
The step says:
"After flashing CWM, you might also want root. It's easy, just flash the attached zip "
How! What?! Damn it! Can somebody detail what he means, or if I have to enter a specific command using my computerizer, what do I have to input? Because if I have to guess, I'll do it wrong, and this bastard will detonate in my arms.
Edit: I'm also in the process now of backing up my device. I don't know if rooting makes me wipe everything, so why the hell not. If I'm making a mistake doing this, then someone post back right away and I'll fling my tablet at the wall and hope for the best.
Edit: I did it! I'm rooted! I'm the smartest man alive! Nobody else needs to answer any questions I asked about this then
See, it ain't so bad. Pretty fun figuring this stuff out really. Now get to work rooting your phone and all your friends phones and tablets immediately
-T-mobile SGS2 Hercules
Tim 13 said:
I've flashed CWM onto my tab and I'm navigating it now, but I'm still unclear about how to root it.
The step says:
"After flashing CWM, you might also want root. It's easy, just flash the attached zip "
How! What?! Damn it! Can somebody detail what he means, or if I have to enter a specific command using my computerizer, what do I have to input? Because if I have to guess, I'll do it wrong, and this bastard will detonate in my arms.
Edit: I'm also in the process now of backing up my device. I don't know if rooting makes me wipe everything, so why the hell not. If I'm making a mistake doing this, then someone post back right away and I'll fling my tablet at the wall and hope for the best.
Edit: I did it! I'm rooted! I'm the smartest man alive! Nobody else needs to answer any questions I asked about this then
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can anyone explain what flashing CWM is and how it's relevant to rooting? It has nothing to do with unlocking the tablet right?
Hi all,
after having read a lot on different accessible Android tablets, I have decided to purchase a T700. Seeing the speed on YouTube and reading about this device have convinced me to make that step.
Now, the order is placed, but receipt is still a few days away, I am reading this site and have the feeling that actually the device is not so smooth when kept original. I do wish to have a smooth working device but keep away from as much flashing as possible.
As my signature might indicate, I have some flashing experience, but I still feel myself noob for each and every new device I get.
My Desire HD has always been stock, not even rooted.
My OneX+ is rooted and unlocked after a short while, I use TitaniumBackup and deleted some Bloatware, but have no wish to flash any custom roms.
I just feel that flashing a device new and new to get it perfect is aking too much time. My rooted and unlocked OneX+ is fast enough, no tweaking needed.
This is the state I would like my T700 to be in. Fast and smooth with allowance to have the device do what I want.
Means I do want root, but if not necessary would not like to unlock / flash or anything else.
Can You advice me on the steps I should or should not do to get such state.
-should I make sure not to use any OTA after receipt
-should I root after receipt and upgrade to JB after that (and eventually root once more)
I will be reading around more before I will get my hands on the device, but I would really like to make the correct steps.
I'd be grateful for your opinions.
Thanks in advance,
Ruud
To be honest, the TF700 does have some performance issues with the stock firmware. I would *highly* recommend that you install a custom ROM - more specifically, I'd recommend the "CleanROM Inheritance" custom ROM specifically for your TF700, which will make it *very* fast and smooth.
Of course, in order to install a custom ROM, such as CleanROM Inheritance, you will need to unlock the bootloader on your device, which *will* void your warranty! If that is a concern (it was for me), I would recommend a third-party warranty service such as SquareTrade. With a coupon, you can get 2 years of coverage (including "accidental coverage") for about $80. This way, if you do brick your device while trying to flash a custom ROM, you will be covered.
Trust me, $80 is a small price to pay for complete peace-of-mind for 2 years, especially considering the performance gain with CleanROM. Hell, even if I run the TF700 over with my car, it will still be covered under warranty...
Just my opinion, of course!
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2
Hi,
Thanks, although this was not exactly what I wanted to hear.
So even if I would unpack and let all OTA updates run up to JB, give it a complete refresh, I would still be unhappy with the performance, right ?
The insurance is nice, but as I am to use it in Russia, I would not know if I am covered for these things.
It is actually not the fact that I am afraid to loose warranty. All devices I did unlock were done after reading the different threads here and I was always lucky to get the job done without serious issues. My OneX+ is still brandnew and I presume I do not have warranty anymore anyway as I rooted and unlocked it already.
What I was hoping for is to get a smooth device without the need to go through this process, I guess your answer says I am not .
regards,
Ruud
Before doping the OTA updates use NVflash. Eventos though you are no considering flashing ROMs now it will be a good insurance in the case you change tour mind in the future.
Enviado de meu Galaxy Nexus usando o Tapatalk 2
raladoshow said:
Before doping the OTA updates use NVflash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be more exact: version 9.4.5.26 is the last version that can be used to *prepare* NVFlash access. To use NVFlash on the TF700, you need a tool called "wheelie" and a blob file with data extracted from your device (it's encrypted with a device-specific key). Later bootloaders are locked down, even after unlocking the device, so it is no longer possible to obtain this file. So before upgrading anything, be sure to read about the procedure on http://androidroot.mobi/t3_nvflash/ .
There is also a thread in the development section that explains the details.
Hi guys,
these looks like very good advises. Before reading in to them, let me say ; "Thanks" !
regards,
Ruud
So my phone is now prompting me to update (and I can't even tell it to got to hell like I could on my S4 Mini ) but I refuse to do so until I know I can keep my root intact (or until Kingroot becomes capable of rooting that version).
Is there ANY way of keeping my root intact? Maybe by using the PC companion to update (this used to work before ICS didn't it?)? Or doing something to the phone (besides flashing firmware) to preserve the root ahead of the update?
I don't want to be installing a custom rom (and yes, I still count generic stock as a custom rom because it would get onto my phone just like any other custom rom) just to update and I absolutely need root for Link2SD so if I can't keep root in some way and Kingroot doesn't catch up then I'm going to stay on my current version forever, security be damned.
SCHUMI_4EVER said:
So my phone is now prompting me to update (and I can't even tell it to got to hell like I could on my S4 Mini ) but I refuse to do so until I know I can keep my root intact (or until Kingroot becomes capable of rooting that version).
Is there ANY way of keeping my root intact? Maybe by using the PC companion to update (this used to work before ICS didn't it?)? Or doing something to the phone (besides flashing firmware) to preserve the root ahead of the update?
I don't want to be installing a custom rom (and yes, I still count generic stock as a custom rom because it would get onto my phone just like any other custom rom) just to update and I absolutely need root for Link2SD so if I can't keep root in some way and Kingroot doesn't catch up then I'm going to stay on my current version forever, security be damned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. You can make prerooted 546 and flash it in recovery and it's only way how to retain root. As soon as you update using OTA you will loose root as system will be overwritten.
Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk
Thanks, guess I'm waiting then.
Any way to temporarily disable the update message/get it out of my notification bar?
SCHUMI_4EVER said:
Thanks, guess I'm waiting then.
Any way to temporarily disable the update message/get it out of my notification bar?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you can disable the Software Update app in settings...
By the way, however it`s your decision, I don`t understand reasons behind why not flashing latest software with Flashtool. There are sometimes nasty issues with upgrades, like people loosing LTE with OTA upgrades to 5.1.1 and so on. I would just backup everything and flash latest .570/.580 firmware (yes, even .546 is now getting outdated as upgrade to .580 becomes available to address MMS based vulnerabilities). Flashing software in flashmode is the same like flashing it through PC Companion and provides for clean way how to do system updates. You can even download version intended directly for your market/provider instead of generic one.
Flash the pre-rooted .546 zip. It has been posted weeks ago.
ondrejvaroscak said:
Maybe you can disable the Software Update app in settings...
By the way, however it`s your decision, I don`t understand reasons behind why not flashing latest software with Flashtool. There are sometimes nasty issues with upgrades, like people loosing LTE with OTA upgrades to 5.1.1 and so on. I would just backup everything and flash latest .570/.580 firmware (yes, even .546 is now getting outdated as upgrade to .580 becomes available to address MMS based vulnerabilities). Flashing software in flashmode is the same like flashing it through PC Companion and provides for clean way how to do system updates. You can even download version intended directly for your market/provider instead of generic one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because the phone isn't even two weeks old. Nowhere near time yet to risk bricking it doing non-standard things, I've already tested my luck enough by rooting it. And my region doesn't have 580 yet anyways. The inability to remove the battery makes me even more nervous about this sort of stuff, and yes I know there is a simulated battery pull, but that's still software and software gets fudged up which is the whole reason to actually physically remove the battery from your phone.
Not gonna happen thank you very much. Besides I'm never in a hurry with updating Android, it's always 2 steps forward one step back, never an all-round improvement. Some monkey of a programmer inevitably always rips out some base function every device should have, just look at ICS and the mess it's caused by choosing to ignore SD cards. Even Lollipop lacks things prior Android versions had for utterly no reason. Stagefright can kiss my you know what. Not gonna update till I can root with the click of a button avoiding almost all risk (in my mind anyways).
SCHUMI_4EVER said:
Because the phone isn't even two weeks old. Nowhere near time yet to risk bricking it doing non-standard things, I've already tested my luck enough by rooting it. And my region doesn't have 580 yet anyways. The inability to remove the battery makes me even more nervous about this sort of stuff, and yes I know there is a simulated battery pull, but that's still software and software gets fudged up which is the whole reason to actually physically remove the battery from your phone.
Not gonna happen thank you very much. Besides I'm never in a hurry with updating Android, it's always 2 steps forward one step back, never an all-round improvement. Some monkey of a programmer inevitably always rips out some base function every device should have, just look at ICS and the mess it's caused by choosing to ignore SD cards. Even Lollipop lacks things prior Android versions had for utterly no reason. Stagefright can kiss my you know what. Not gonna update till I can root with the click of a button avoiding almost all risk (in my mind anyways).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, seems you are new to XPERIA`s because there is hardly any way you can brick it. Battery pull is not a problem, because in addition to Power+VolUp reste, there is a push button hidden on the side of SIM card that triggers hard reset and switches the phone off.
But I aknowledge that you have your rights for your fears. However I wonder that with all your fears you would allow to install and run undocumented chinese app, that although roots your phone, may do other things and you will never know. Everyone is responsible for his own luck.
ondrejvaroscak said:
Well, seems you are new to XPERIA`s because there is hardly any way you can brick it. Battery pull is not a problem, because in addition to Power+VolUp reste, there is a push button hidden on the side of SIM card that triggers hard reset and switches the phone off.
But I aknowledge that you have your rights for your fears. However I wonder that with all your fears you would allow to install and run undocumented chinese app, that although roots your phone, may do other things and you will never know. Everyone is responsible for his own luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes and no. I had a neo but that was a very different device and I never felt the need to do anything custom to it (although I did check XDA for it) so it remains stock even today. Then I went to Samsung cuz everything Sony sucked at the time, at least in my price range. And now I'm back with Sony cuz there's something wrong with Samsung, dunno what, but I just don't like them so unless they're far ahead on paper I won't touch them again. (unless Sony tanks).
I didn't know about that button but I'd still rather not.
And I don't have anything sensitive on my phone so Kingroot can spy all it wants to. Of course I'd prefer it didn't, but if they absolutely have to then they're welcome to any and all info. Simply running an APK on my phone (that thousands have run before me) just seemed like the least brickable way of getting root (since I didn't have to do anything special like stuff up in the recovery or mess up an ADB command or anything like that). When I'd read about there being no root methods for 5.1.1 yet I erroneously took that to be all of Lollipop so I thought my phone was unrootable anyways when I turned it on and found it had lollipop (it was sealed so I thought it would still be on KitKat and easily rootable) so Kingroot was basically just a hail mary at the time. And since it worked so well I see no reason to ever do anything else.
Hey there remaining Verizon S3 users!
Coming from my favorite device the T959V this has been quite a trip. This device's bootloader is seemingly impossible to unlock on the 4.4.2 NE1 firmware.
I've got a slightly modified Superlite rom rolling with SafeStrap already strapped. And it is great to say the least. Added some initd and utilities. Evie launcher is pretty nice btw- recommend a try :good:
However. I still really want this thing to be unlocked. The T959V has multiple working Fro, GB, ICS, JB, KK, L, M, AND Nougat ROMS. Totally different devices yes but-- even the newer S4-S6 have cracked loaders now.
There has to be a special way to change this things firmware.
Right now I have 2 ideas to throw out to the wind-
1- Would be that there could be a way to trick the device into thinking it is receiving a new update. Maybe somehow with CSC or something. Also I saw a file named authorized.xml and was reading through to find traces of knox. Would unauthorizing knox strings somehow render it useless?
2- I was reading a suggested post about AVB boots and how they can be resigned on devices such as the Google Pixel and allows the newer patches to still install. Including what was described as a forced re-sign method.
--- Could we somehow resign the bootloader on our device so as to gain control of it? Has anybody tried anything like this since around 2015?
I'll gladly talk about all of this more whenever I feel like popping on- and atm I have no web besides this service. :silly: so no DOS updates and no shiny linux for now.
Gladly tell me that it is "impossible" but I'm not asking that. I'm trying to add some ideas to possibly do the impossible.
Edit: This seems to be an interesting lead on emmc cracking this device. It's probably why people in other threads were in search of a "dev" edition.
http://forum.gsmhosting.com/vbb/f777/unlock-samsung-devices-bootloader-emmc-backdoor-2142981/
graycow9 said:
Hey there remaining Verizon S3 users!
Coming from my favorite device the T959V this has been quite a trip. This device's bootloader is seemingly impossible to unlock on the 4.4.2 NE1 firmware.
I've got a slightly modified Superlite rom rolling with SafeStrap already strapped. And it is great to say the least. Added some initd and utilities. Evie launcher is pretty nice btw- recommend a try :good:
However. I still really want this thing to be unlocked. The T959V has multiple working Fro, GB, ICS, JB, KK, L, M, AND Nougat ROMS. Totally different devices yes but-- even the newer S4-S6 have cracked loaders now.
There has to be a special way to change this things firmware.
Right now I have 2 ideas to throw out to the wind-
1- Would be that there could be a way to trick the device into thinking it is receiving a new update. Maybe somehow with CSC or something. Also I saw a file named authorized.xml and was reading through to find traces of knox. Would unauthorizing knox strings somehow render it useless?
2- I was reading a suggested post about AVB boots and how they can be resigned on devices such as the Google Pixel and allows the newer patches to still install. Including what was described as a forced re-sign method.
--- Could we somehow resign the bootloader on our device so as to gain control of it? Has anybody tried anything like this since around 2015?
I'll gladly talk about all of this more whenever I feel like popping on- and atm I have no web besides this service. :silly: so no DOS updates and no shiny linux for now.
Gladly tell me that it is "impossible" but I'm not asking that. I'm trying to add some ideas to possibly do the impossible.
Edit: This seems to be an interesting lead on emmc cracking this device. It's probably why people in other threads were in search of a "dev" edition.
http://forum.gsmhosting.com/vbb/f777/unlock-samsung-devices-bootloader-emmc-backdoor-2142981/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been around this and many many other forums for years now. If there was an unlock method it would of been found years ago. Devs have long moved on from the old S3. I still have my S3 lying around, bootloader unlocked but I really haven't messed around with it for quite a long time now
And yes the dev edition would of been nice had someone actually had one, it would of of course made it easier to crack the bootloader option maybe. I don't know much about the ins and outs of the device but I know many are permanently locked and will probably never be unlocked.
As far as certain other Samsung devices being unlocked those are far and few between. VZW got smart and started just locking them from the start. This is a huge reason why I left Verizon. The S3 was my last device on big red. I since have had a Nexus 5 and 6 and now a oneplus 3t. I really don't like locked devices and the ability to unlock them and customize them just intrigues me to no end. Good luck however in finding something that may work, but I highly doubt it will ever be cracked
Sent from my OnePlus 3T
Ya I expected your negatude Shapes. Already seen that you have been searching but it isn't just some application you run. It's an unknown exploit that I'm sure exists. There are exploits right now that can be considered viral potentially exploiting my device as we speak. Maybe not granted my semi-precautious take on things.
Quadrooter and dirty cow could be used to exploit the S3 and gain access to a quoted "all" physical memory. So I find it hard to believe that things can't work in our favor.
Being open minded here. After all, this is technically hacking your own device. Which--
Got me thinking the other day, becausr I was setting up my laptop proper- could we run a nix distro and poke through the bootloader's parameters via exploitation tools? Referencing Kali or it's elder BTrack. But I think it is possible and I just haven't gotten around this loop mounting issue.
To be clear, running a distro ON the device. My flat is already running square.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Also a purposely separate post- I'm building a ROM for this locked firmware and the goal is to have some specific updated apps and yet trim it nicely so as to save space and RAM it's mostly stock style-wise but it'd be cool to re-theme it. I haven't gotten things deodexed yet- being I haven't gotten my apktools working proper yet.
Is there anybody left to be interested in this? I haven't posted anything I've made before- usually just keep them lying around for emergency flashes.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
graycow9 said:
Ya I expected your negatude Shapes. Already seen that you have been searching but it isn't just some application you run. It's an unknown exploit that I'm sure exists. There are exploits right now that can be considered viral potentially exploiting my device as we speak. Maybe not granted my semi-precautious take on things.
Quadrooter and dirty cow could be used to exploit the S3 and gain access to a quoted "all" physical memory. So I find it hard to believe that things can't work in our favor.
Being open minded here. After all, this is technically hacking your own device. Which--
Got me thinking the other day, becausr I was setting up my laptop proper- could we run a nix distro and poke through the bootloader's parameters via exploitation tools? Referencing Kali or it's elder BTrack. But I think it is possible and I just haven't gotten around this loop mounting issue.
To be clear, running a distro ON the device. My flat is already running square.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think shapes was trying to act negative at all, just stating the obvious. Nobody is going to try to unlock the Verizon S3, it's pretty much a dead end.
The unlock method used on the S5 will most likely work on this phone, but we need a developer CID to rewrite to the emmc as the series chip used on the S3 likely has the same vulnerability. This is what happened on the S5.
If you read some of the other posts (sounds like you have), we looked for an S3 developer edition but had no luck in tracking one down. For one, it's an incredibly old device. Secondly, you'd have to be semi retarded to purchase one as the original unlock method was around before the developer edition was released.
So yes, if you can find a developer S3 this will likely be an unlock method. It tricks the S3 into thinking it's a developer phone and unlocks the bootloader if the method to write it works the same as in the S5.
As for your questions,
1. I think you're underestimating the amount of security that goes into the bootloader itself. If you want to learn a lot about Android security in general, in the Android security discussion section located under general forums, there's tons of info regarding how complex this all is. But basically, in order to send an update patch, it needs to be signed (you can't just fake the signature) and it must agree with the current bootloader. The way the bootloader is written, it simply won't allow a reversion back to earlier versions or it'll abort the boot.
An easier way to think of this is understanding that the changes made are preinstalled before the actual boot. There's no way for us to change this through normal methods as the emmc has to be written to directly. There is no way to do this from download or recovery mode. Wouldn't matter if you flashed it or used and update package, they are essentially the same thing.
So the only way to actually change the bootloader is to write to the emmc directly through use of the JTAG port. This changes the code of the entire bootloader before the boot and the phone will boot up with any version of the S3 bootloader you write.
2. I think I kind of answered that?
Hope it's clear.
BadUsername said:
I don't think shapes was trying to act negative at all, just stating the obvious. Nobody is going to try to unlock the Verizon S3, it's pretty much a dead end.
The unlock method used on the S5 will most likely work on this phone, but we need a developer CID to rewrite to the emmc as the series chip used on the S3 likely has the same vulnerability. This is what happened on the S5.
If you read some of the other posts (sounds like you have), we looked for an S3 developer edition but had no luck in tracking one down. For one, it's an incredibly old device. Secondly, you'd have to be semi retarded to purchase one as the original unlock method was around before the developer edition was released.
So yes, if you can find a developer S3 this will likely be an unlock method. It tricks the S3 into thinking it's a developer phone and unlocks the bootloader if the method to write it works the same as in the S5.
As for your questions,
1. I think you're underestimating the amount of security that goes into the bootloader itself. If you want to learn a lot about Android security in general, in the Android security discussion section located under general forums, there's tons of info regarding how complex this all is. But basically, in order to send an update patch, it needs to be signed (you can't just fake the signature) and it must agree with the current bootloader. The way the bootloader is written, it simply won't allow a reversion back to earlier versions or it'll abort the boot.
An easier way to think of this is understanding that the changes made are preinstalled before the actual boot. There's no way for us to change this through normal methods as the emmc has to be written to directly. There is no way to do this from download or recovery mode. Wouldn't matter if you flashed it or used and update package, they are essentially the same thing.
So the only way to actually change the bootloader is to write to the emmc directly through use of the JTAG port. This changes the code of the entire bootloader before the boot and the phone will boot up with any version of the S3 bootloader you write.
2. I think I kind of answered that?
Hope it's clear.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Truthfully after being around the forums for as long as I have I'm really surprised there is any interest in unlocking this device at this point in time. There are just so many other options and unlocked vzw s3s are not that hard to come by.
And I wasn't being negative it's about being realistic. Thanks for sticking up for me brother
Sent from my OnePlus 3T
Are there any updates to this by any chance, I am interested :C
any hope?
Due to a little frustration I decided to create a whole thread for this.
I suck at computers and I have no idea what I am doing so I ended up bricking my device lmao.
In theory, the thought of rooting your device, and installing a custom OS sounds great! (Like communism) but when put in practice never really works out. The reason for that (I think) is because there are so many different versions, models, and brands. I end up spending all my time trying to refine my search to the right software and versions, and then when I do, I am stuck with some stupid site like (every damn rom site) with a 20kb/s download rate, and a page full of ads! Why? Because they are storing like 2 billion different 2GB roms. In my opinion paying for faster download speed from these websites is ridiculous. I don't even know why they offer (you would have to be stupid(like me)).
(tl;dr: Android SUCKS)
So, now to my actual question...
With the release of the Librem 5 phone, there really is not going to be a point to rooting phones anymore, because google with already be decimated from it... But that comes out in April/May and I still need a phone in the meantime.
So.. Are there any cheap phones ($500+/-), that are not a pain in the ass to root? And one that the developers actually care about to actively develop. All I wan't is a phone I can install stock android with root, and that can be installed without google or gapps. Also I live in Canada, which is another reason why it's a pain in the ass to find a decent phone because all our carriers deadbolt their firmware, and bootloaders like their storing the coordinates to some secret location with a pot of gold.
starscrpt said:
Due to a little frustration I decided to create a whole thread for this.
I suck at computers and I have no idea what I am doing so I ended up bricking my device lmao.
In theory, the thought of rooting your device, and installing a custom OS sounds great! (Like communism) but when put in practice never really works out. The reason for that (I think) is because there are so many different versions, models, and brands. I end up spending all my time trying to refine my search to the right software and versions, and then when I do, I am stuck with some stupid site like (every damn rom site) with a 20kb/s download rate, and a page full of ads! Why? Because they are storing like 2 billion different 2GB roms. In my opinion paying for faster download speed from these websites is ridiculous. I don't even know why they offer (you would have to be stupid(like me)).
(tl;dr: Android SUCKS)
So, now to my actual question...
With the release of the Librem 5 phone, there really is not going to be a point to rooting phones anymore, because google with already be decimated from it... But that comes out in April/May and I still need a phone in the meantime.
So.. Are there any cheap phones ($500+/-), that are not a pain in the ass to root? And one that the developers actually care about to actively develop. All I wan't is a phone I can install stock android with root, and that can be installed without google or gapps. Also I live in Canada, which is another reason why it's a pain in the ass to find a decent phone because all our carriers deadbolt their firmware, and bootloaders like their storing the coordinates to some secret location with a pot of gold.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get something that is not a Samsung, not carrier branded(an international model) and is factory unlocked or can be unlocked.
I suggest you just do some searching to find some devices that you are interested in, then write down the model number of each device and then do some Google searches using those model numbers one at a time to see if a known rooting method exists for each model, then do some Google searching to see if TWRP exists for each model number, then do some searches to see if there are ROMs available for each model number.
We can't predict the future and say which devices will have a rooting method, we can only point you to devices that have already had a known rooting method discovered for that model, you can find that information yourself by doing the Google searches listed below.
To find root methods for the devices:
"Root for (specific device model number here)"
That should find root method for the device in question.
To find TWRP or custom recovery for the devices:
"TWRP for (specific device model number here)"
Or
"Custom recovery for (specific device model number here)"
That should find TWRP or custom recovery if it exists for the device in question.
To find custom ROMs for the devices:
"Custom ROMs for (specific device model number here)"
That should find ROMs if they exist for the device in question.
You might want to consider getting an international device directly from the manufacturer that is factory unlocked or can be unlocked(also known as SIM/carrier unlocked) instead of getting a carrier branded/sold device. Factory direct doesn't come with bloatware and unlocked/unlockable means it should be able to be activated on your carrier network.
Also, make sure the device has a factory unlocked bootloader(this is not the same thing as SIM/carrier unlocked) or can at least be unlocked using a known and verified unlock method. The unlocked bootloader is required if you want to flash custom recovery or custom ROMs.
If you just want to use the stock firmware and modify it to remove the Google stuff, unlocked bootloader won't be required for that. But, if you are going to just modify the stock software already on the device, I will advise you to make sure that the stock firmware for that device is available for download and then download a copy of it just in case you mess something up in the process of removing Google and its components, then you can just flash the firmware on the device to fix it(if you don't screw it up too bad, that is).
I would really recommend that you choose a device that has:
1) an unlocked/unlockable bootloader so that you can flash TWRP on the device
2) has an available downloadable stock firmware so that you can repair the device, if needed
3) has a TWRP recovery available so it can be installed on the device and then used to create a backup of your unmodified stock ROM, then you can modify the device and if you screw something up, you can use TWRP to restore the backup that you create, this will return the device to working condition.
Sent from my LGL84VL using Tapatalk
Droidriven pretty much covered it extremely well.
With regards to rooting:
It often can raise the stress levels beyond normal. Set aside time and take each step slowly and deliberately. Some guides can be much worse than others.
PS. Your idea of a cheap phone is at least 3x the cost of my idea of a cheap phone
The Asus Zenfone 6 just released bootloader unlock and kernel source so there should be a fairly healthy dev community when its released in the US.
The librem 5 ?? I dunno , on my list for sure . but hardware specs soundsmeh for the price . And will we be able to install ubuntu software like clementine music play ? jeez if so that would make up for the lack hardware.
looks like 2019 q3 is going to be an exciting time. I want the zenfone 6 but I dunno..... that librem 5 ubuntu phone is going to need to be checked out once rc is released .