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[Q] Rooting Question...

"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.”
What i am trying to say is if someone can lay down the foundation of Rooting an Android Device. I am not talking about any specific device, or the different Methods of Rooting (i.e. through recovery, through script, etc.) I am speaking about what file systems/files are being modified, replace, etc?
From what i understand Android release their OS's rooted, then third parties, (i.e. Samsung, Moto, Tmobile etc) take those releases and make changes. What changes do they make besides the themed, and service ones? the changes that unroot the phone.
If you wish you can lay down the foundation of sudo/su thats cool. However, i am not asking for the history of it.
Side Note:
Pls no trolling.
Posting comments like- "you shouldn't try this..", "Leave it to the experts..", and "You're going to break your device..." are Un-Welcome.
Thanx.

Rooting my touch 4g benefits or drawbacks
I wanted to find out if there are things that work differently like the market or other things if you root a phone. What are some of the benefits to rooting? I want to use my phone as a wifi hotspot for our computer without paying for it. Is that only possible with a rooted phone? Is a phone able to be unrooted if it needs to be? Thank you for your help.

rooted the HTC BEE WILDFIRE CDMA
i have rooted the HTC BEE WILDFIRE CDMA. it is different than the HTC BUZZ WILDFIRE GSM. using the [APP]SuperOneClick v1.5.5 (Root, Unroot, Enable Non-Market App, Get UNLOCK code)
now i cant find a recovery img that will work can any one point me the right way. there is no thread in for this phone.

There's nothing fundamentally changed when you root your phone. Make yourself familiar with Linux security and you're (almost) done. Your phone executes under the control of this model, be it rooted or not. In an unrooted phone, there are nevertheless a lot of processes running with root privileges so of course there's a "root" in an unrooted phone. But it is not available to the normal user, only to system processes.
The only difference is that on a rooted phone there is a way for a non-root process to acquire root privileges, i.e. run as root. That's just about all. Except for some, umhh, minor thing: You cannot install the program required to do so (e.g., su) as long as you're non-root. Only root can install any piece of code which changes the current user into root. Apps run as their own user (to each app, a separate user "account" is assigned, none of those having root privileges) and so can't install such a thing, at least not normally.
Some trick is needed (running an exploit, changing the ROM) to achieve this and this is what makes rooting such a tricky thing.
The fundamental thing to understand what is changed when you root your phone (and that barely anything changes really) is the Linux user/group security concept. It's all open, there's no hidden secret.

mizch said:
There's nothing fundamentally changed when you root your phone. Make yourself familiar with Linux security and you're (almost) done. Your phone executes under the control of this model, be it rooted or not. In an unrooted phone, there are nevertheless a lot of processes running with root privileges so of course there's a "root" in an unrooted phone. But it is not available to the normal user, only to system processes.
The only difference is that on a rooted phone there is a way for a non-root process to acquire root privileges, i.e. run as root. That's just about all. Except for some, umhh, minor thing: You cannot install the program required to do so (e.g., su) as long as you're non-root. Only root can install any piece of code which changes the current user into root. Apps run as their own user (to each app, a separate user "account" is assigned, none of those having root privileges) and so can't install such a thing, at least not normally.
Some trick is needed (running an exploit, changing the ROM) to achieve this and this is what makes rooting such a tricky thing.
The fundamental thing to understand what is changed when you root your phone (and that barely anything changes really) is the Linux user/group security concept. It's all open, there's no hidden secret.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanx for taking the time to write this but i am hoping for something alittle more descriptive.

I've got an HTC Desire and want to root it in order to install some lag-fix to make smoother.
Question is: will rooting affect the updates I get from HTC?
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

[Q] Questions about Rooting Galaxy S4 for a Scared Noob

Hello,
I've had my S4 for a little over a year and have been pretty happy with it. I came from using an iPhone for a few years before. With the upgrade in Kit Kat and not being able to easily access folders has been very frustrating and I wanted more control on my phone (turn on/off GPS for example and other things Tasker is blocked from doing). My understanding is that rooting would fix those issues. However I'm a little scared as how to proceed.
Here are some of my questions/concerns:
Will I get better performance from my phone (assuming I have all the same sort of settings)?
Are there apps that will not work on a rooted phone?
Which is an appropriate ROM to choose? (Stock Android, CyanogenMod, etc.)
Is there a way to backup an entire image (data and everything) of what I have now on my Samsung so I can restore it if I really mess up. I am thinking this would be similar in Windows, where I can make a disk image to be able to restore the entire OS and all the data.
What is the best way to reload apps I currently use (and have paid for) back onto the rooted device? Do I just make a list on paper and then go one-by-one and re-install them?
Will rooting effect my access to the Google Play Store?
How badly can I brick my phone? Can I get it to a point that it is completely restoreable? That is assuming I didn't do anything outside of following instructions and didn't connect it to my car battery
Will I be able to access my S4 like a drive or is that a hardware issue?
Is TouchWiz really that lousy?
Fortunately there is a lot of information out there, but it is overwhelming. Besides this site, are there other ones you recommend reading?
Thank you for the help.

edit build.prop to enable multi-user in Android

Hello all... first post! Suffice to say, not usually the phone hacking type...
I have purchased the Samsung Galaxy S8+ from TELUS Mobility here in Canada. I require access to the multi-user function in Android, which Samsung seems to have disabled by default on this phone.
I've looked around and found reference to a bit of text I can enter into a file named build.prop that, apparently, works on the S7 versions of this device. I have found the build.prop file on the S8+ and have tried to access it with a couple of different apps, including the BuildProp editor on the Play Store.
Regardless of what app I use to make the edits, I cannot save the file. I realize that this is a permissions thing and I may need root to make this change, but I am lost when it comes to actually getting root - I don't *think* I want to flash a new ROM or anything like that. I just want to be able to edit and save this single file. Seems simple! Maybe it isn't!
Do you have experience doing what I'm trying to do here? How can I get root without necessarily changing anything else? Is there another option to allow me to edit build.prop without necessarily affecting anything else?
I appreciate any advice or guidance anyone on this forum can offer. Thank you!

You cannot root Snapdragon versions of the phone. You are out of luck as build.prop requires root. If an exploit is found root may be possible, but it is unlikely. Your best bet is to sell the Telus phone and buy an international version with Exynos chip as that has already been rooted. Note that rooting a Samsung device burns the KNOX bit and therefore your device is without warranty of any kind (Samsung checks KNOX bit before honoring warranty).

How can I secure my S7 as much as possible, short of a custom ROM

Ok, so I'm a little new to this. I am pretty much unfamiliar with root (I've only done it once, a few years ago, on a completely different kind of device, via KingoRoot without even having to plug in to a PC), but I am very good at following directions/making sense of tutorials . But recently I have have become very aware of privacy concerns, and I realize that the form my phone is in now is very insecure.
But I'm a little confused by "rootable" vs "unlocked bootloader"
So, I though I understood these terms, but apparently I don't. I thought that *root access* was an admin level (the highest), and that it required an unlocked bootloader to achieve it. However, my device, Galaxy S7 US version, is supposedly rootable(https://forum.xda-developers.com/tm...eres-how-rooted-nougat-s7-edge-g935t-t3567502), but does not have an unlocked boot-loader, like the international/Exynos version, that would allow you to install a custom ROM. How is this possible?
Either way, I cannot use a custom ROM, since none of the even remotely trustworthy ones (Copperhead, Lineage, Replicant) work on the US version.
So, if I am stuck with Samsung version android, what else can I do (If any of these are possible, a little direction or at least a link to a good guide would be very helpful)?
- Without an unlocked boot loader, can I still remove all GAPPS and bloatware?
- Can I remove Googe Play Services and replace it with MicroG, and still use the apps with the Play dependency?
- Is Xposed/Xprivacy an option? (Are these still considered safe?).
- If not, how can I get the most specific control over device processes: being able to see and control permissions for each app, moniter all incoming/outgoing data stream (everything apps send to other parties/devices and what they receive),
- Any possibility for a firewall?
I realize that this is asking a lot, but Reddit was thoroughly unhelpful, so I throw myself at your charity.

Should I root? What are the perks of it for the S8+ (what have you used root for)?

I've come back to Android after being on iOS for the past 2 or so years. Bought an S8+. With the S8 and S8+ rooted, I'm wondering if I should go about it. I don't like the 80% battery max that comes with it, or that there is no official Xposed support. Im mainly looking for a system wide adblock (which I dont believe I can do without Xposed(?)). Is there any reason you guys would recommend rooting, other than debloat? What else am I missing/forgetting?

Nope, you don't need root if you don't want to mod your system; ad blocker is available without root, just google "adhell 2". This is the 1st phone that I don't have rooted since I don't need it - I can do 90% of the stuff without root. I.e. you can't turn data off from Tasker without root. One of the things I miss. Also, find Knox very usefull - which is lost after root. Just my opinion though.

pr0necr0 said:
I've come back to Android after being on iOS for the past 2 or so years. Bought an S8+. With the S8 and S8+ rooted, I'm wondering if I should go about it. I don't like the 80% battery max that comes with it, or that there is no official Xposed support. Im mainly looking for a system wide adblock (which I dont believe I can do without Xposed(?)). Is there any reason you guys would recommend rooting, other than debloat? What else am I missing/forgetting?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can get adblocking with "AdHell" or "Disconnect for samsung browser" from plays store.
You can theme you device with Substratum or from this thread https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8+/themes/substratum-inversion-ui-overlay-overlays-t3604341 or the inbuilt theme store.
You disable any system app you like with Package Disabler Pro.
You can get Xposed-like tweaks from this thread: https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8+/themes/mods-small-collection-tweaks-t3657119.
Really no point in rooting these days!

My S8+ is rooted right now, and I'm on the fence about going back to non-root. If ad blocking is your main concert there are SEVERAL no-root options. I used Disconnect for Samsung (google it, you'll find an APK somewhere) that is a system wide ad block that does allow some ad's... Other ad block methods are Ad Hell, AdGuard, Block This - and I'm sure there are many others... they essentially create a VPN on the device and route all traffic through the VPN and block the things you wouldn't want.
The issue with the bootloader locked rooting methods is they are based on the ENG BOOT kernel which is designed for debugging/testing/repair etc... so you ABSOLUTELY get a performance hit... and a battery hit. The S8+ is so fast the performance hit isn't nearly as bad as it was on the S7E, the battery hit is another story... 80% and I don't think it "stops" charging at 80 - maybe just me? but my phone is warm in the morning charging wired or wirelessly. Again, could be just me. YMMV.
Not to take anything away from the guys who worked hard on getting the root method released. They are awesome and have done a great job - they deserve all the praise in the community they can get. But without TWRP and custom roms, and the ability to create those types or rom's - root isn't quite the same.... AGAIN THAT COULD BE JUST ME! YMMV!

Can rooting boost protection and security?
I have a question about rooting.
All my previous 5 - 6 android smartphones were rooted by me.
The main reason for rooting was to improve security and confidence in the phone - good firewall, de -bloating, control of privilegies
But now with S8+ I am having second thought about if rooting really protects vs exposes.
1) Lots of original protection features will be gone after rooting, like DM-verity
2) Automated system updates and therefore related security patches will be gone too. I am not a big fan of regular manual downloads and updates. So my once rooted system will become dated soon.
Am I taking it right?
Do a good firewall and control of priviligies outweigth the new risks that rooting could bring?
I do a lot of important things on my phone, so the protection is number the #1 thing for me.
Thanks for you thoughts