Hoping some kind soul will take a few minutes to get me up to speed on what I need to know about hacking the M8.
I am not a total newb, and have lingered around XDA for a while. I've rooted many phones and tablets, even worked with cooking my own ROMS for android and older winmo 4+ years ago. I've just not been involved in the scene and am just about to get my new M8 and would like a crash course.
I really don't mind reading - so if someone has a great all-in-one guide they recommend, I'll certainly start with that...its just the endless searching for the up-to-date info I'm looking to avoid. I actually prefer to understand what I'm doing rather than just click "unlock"
Top most questions in my mind:
1) The biggest thing I would like to know to start is the best way to backup/up protect my device before I do anything to it.
I'd like to be able to return it to total stock (minus any impossibility in re-locking a bootloader) in case I mess things up or need to return, etc.
2) Current best methods for rooting, unlocking, etc. I just want to make sure I'm not doing something out of date that might be more effort than necessary/dangerous.
3) I see this new TWRP thing...which looks like an alternate to CWM. Which is better for me to use for M8?
4) Any M8 specific big dangers to watch out for to prevent bricking.
I always look to XDA for the best advice, but sometimes the site is difficult to navigate to find the most clear explanation.
TIA!
TraderJack said:
Hoping some kind soul will take a few minutes to get me up to speed on what I need to know about hacking the M8.
I am not a total newb, and have lingered around XDA for a while. I've rooted many phones and tablets, even worked with cooking my own ROMS for android and older winmo 4+ years ago. I've just not been involved in the scene and am just about to get my new M8 and would like a crash course.
I really don't mind reading - so if someone has a great all-in-one guide they recommend, I'll certainly start with that...its just the endless searching for the up-to-date info I'm looking to avoid. I actually prefer to understand what I'm doing rather than just click "unlock"
Top most questions in my mind:
1) The biggest thing I would like to know to start is the best way to backup/up protect my device before I do anything to it.
I'd like to be able to return it to total stock (minus any impossibility in re-locking a bootloader) in case I mess things up or need to return, etc.
2) Current best methods for rooting, unlocking, etc. I just want to make sure I'm not doing something out of date that might be more effort than necessary/dangerous.
3) I see this new TWRP thing...which looks like an alternate to CWM. Which is better for me to use for M8?
4) Any M8 specific big dangers to watch out for to prevent bricking.
I always look to XDA for the best advice, but sometimes the site is difficult to navigate to find the most clear explanation.
TIA!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) The best most efficient way of backing up your device is to make a Nandroid backup with a recovery such as CWM or TWRP, but of course there will always be times where you could do something simpler to solve your problem such as disabling the Xposed framework but how? My phone is stuck in a bootloop, how would I disable it? The answer is when installing the framework make sure to first in the settings select to create flashable zips (manual) then once they are created go back and do the 'Classic' method. Now I'm sure if you're as new as you say you are you most likely don't know what Xposed is, it is a separate framework which allows you to customize your ROM to do things similar to what a 'Custom' ROM would normally always do. Most people don't think before installing these modules and end up soft-bricking their device and have to use their Nandroids to restore them but the way I mentioned is far simpler.
2) The utmost best method currently available (and only available) for rooting, unlocking, S-OFF & etc is currently Sunshine, you can read up about it here. Sadly and or not so sadly it costs $25 per device but it will do everything you will need to get started such as S-OFF (Security OFF, S-ON prevents writing to the /system partition and some other things I can't remember), Bootloader unlock & root.
3) Personally I prefer TWRP because it just feels like it has more ease of use towards it but thats just my opinion. There is an alternative to it which is CWM as you mentioned or 'PhilZ' CWM, Philz CWM is a touch-based version which to my experiences is a bit buggy but it works. I personally recommend TWRP but you might as well play around with them and see which one you like best.
4) Biggest danger of them all: To my knowledge that is, attempting to revert to S-ON. That is the most dangerous thing I am aware of at the moment but there may be something more dangerous but from what I know that is the most risky thing that is HTC based and or anything based.
This can be considered a good "All in one guide" for you to follow, it has pretty much everything I can think of at the moment.
An alternative to that one would be this one excluding all of the stuff involving Weaksauce and Firewater as Firewater does not work on newer devices and already rooted users don't have a use for Weaksauce. Still though it's a good tutorial for flashing a recovery and rooting.
Here is a solid tutorial on how to revert to stock if you ever decide to (once more do NOT attempt S-ON).
& if you're interested in using ROM's for other carrier variants of your phone then this one may be of interest to you.
Lastly, if you're concerned about any warranty things then as long as you do an RUU like the one mentioned in the 'Reverting to Stock' thread you will have no problems with it even if you're bootloader is unlocked and you're S-OFF. Why you may be wondering?? HTC sometimes ships phones already S-OFF/Bootloader unlocked and also I sort of think they just don't really care... you know as long as you didn't mess the phone up.
-----------------------------------------------------
If you have any further questions, I left something unclear or you just need me to elaborate further on something then feel free to ask further questions and I recommend doing your own research on these things before attempting them. Good luck and happy modding!
TraderJack said:
Hoping some kind soul will take a few minutes to get me up to speed on what I need to know about hacking the M8.
I am not a total newb, and have lingered around XDA for a while. I've rooted many phones and tablets, even worked with cooking my own ROMS for android and older winmo 4+ years ago. I've just not been involved in the scene and am just about to get my new M8 and would like a crash course.
I really don't mind reading - so if someone has a great all-in-one guide they recommend, I'll certainly start with that...its just the endless searching for the up-to-date info I'm looking to avoid. I actually prefer to understand what I'm doing rather than just click "unlock"
Top most questions in my mind:
1) The biggest thing I would like to know to start is the best way to backup/up protect my device before I do anything to it.
I'd like to be able to return it to total stock (minus any impossibility in re-locking a bootloader) in case I mess things up or need to return, etc.
2) Current best methods for rooting, unlocking, etc. I just want to make sure I'm not doing something out of date that might be more effort than necessary/dangerous.
3) I see this new TWRP thing...which looks like an alternate to CWM. Which is better for me to use for M8?
4) Any M8 specific big dangers to watch out for to prevent bricking.
I always look to XDA for the best advice, but sometimes the site is difficult to navigate to find the most clear explanation.
TIA!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The above post about covers it. Only thing I would like to add is I much prefer Phil's touch recovery based on CMW and try firewater method for soft and unlocking boot loader before paying for sunshine. It may or may not work. But could possibly save you the cash.
mdorrett said:
The above post about covers it. Only thing I would like to add is I much prefer Phil's touch recovery based on CMW and try firewater method for soft and unlocking boot loader before paying for sunshine. It may or may not work. But could possibly save you the cash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Philz recovery is amazing, have you used the M8 unified builds yet? Or are you still sticking to the last Verizon build?
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
Thanks all. I will certainly read up on what you've written and follow up with any questions I may have.
So I read a little bit on the posts above... Ick...when I was deciding on the M8 I checked to see if it was all hackable and apparently found the positive information for only the old methods and didn't realize a $25 price tag was the *only* way to really unlock the phone.
I mean...I don't totally begrudge the devs charging for it...but honestly I've never heard of this before in the 8-10 years I've been modding with smartphones of charging for this. While $25 may be nothing compared to a $700 unlocked phone, it sure is a heck of a lot more than $0, which was where the previous bar was set. You'd think $5 or $10 would be a better place to start.
Of course, it doesn't look like I have any other option though. I do have some more questions:
1) What are the pieces that sunshine does that can't be done elsewhere? It looks like there are several root methods - so is sunshine the only way to S-OFF or is it also the only way to unlock the bootloader?
2) If I don't do sunshine, and therefore can't S-OFF (and maybe can't unlock bootloader), can I still root? If so, is it only a temp unroot? And is there really a downside to that?
3) In all honesty, while I'd like to have everything unlocked, I think I will be happy with a root for now if that's enough to do some hacks (like maybe energy saving and wifi tether, etc.). Will I be able to do those with just root? I'm not really clear on the actual purpose of the S-OFF vs. the unlocked boot loader. Maybe in a few months I will be tired of the stock ROM and cough up the dough.
4) In order to do the backups to revert to stock, what steps must I first obtain and can I do those steps for free (aka no Sunshine) and are they reversible? IOW, what's the minimum I must "hack" the device in order to get a stock backup and/or to recover it.
Finally - when did the "firewater" method stop working? Is it newer hardware being shipped or a certain firmware/OS level update that blocked it? It sounds pretty unlikely that it will work for a new phone, but it won't hurt to try if it doesn't, right?
thanks again for the jump start....I think just jumping in and doing is the best way to learn, but I don't want to leap without protecting myself at the outset.
TraderJack said:
So I read a little bit on the posts above... Ick...when I was deciding on the M8 I checked to see if it was all hackable and apparently found the positive information for only the old methods and didn't realize a $25 price tag was the *only* way to really unlock the phone.
I mean...I don't totally begrudge the devs charging for it...but honestly I've never heard of this before in the 8-10 years I've been modding with smartphones of charging for this. While $25 may be nothing compared to a $700 unlocked phone, it sure is a heck of a lot more than $0, which was where the previous bar was set. You'd think $5 or $10 would be a better place to start.
Of course, it doesn't look like I have any other option though. I do have some more questions:
1) What are the pieces that sunshine does that can't be done elsewhere? It looks like there are several root methods - so is sunshine the only way to S-OFF or is it also the only way to unlock the bootloader?
2) If I don't do sunshine, and therefore can't S-OFF (and maybe can't unlock bootloader), can I still root? If so, is it only a temp unroot? And is there really a downside to that?
3) In all honesty, while I'd like to have everything unlocked, I think I will be happy with a root for now if that's enough to do some hacks (like maybe energy saving and wifi tether, etc.). Will I be able to do those with just root? I'm not really clear on the actual purpose of the S-OFF vs. the unlocked boot loader. Maybe in a few months I will be tired of the stock ROM and cough up the dough.
4) In order to do the backups to revert to stock, what steps must I first obtain and can I do those steps for free (aka no Sunshine) and are they reversible? IOW, what's the minimum I must "hack" the device in order to get a stock backup and/or to recover it.
Finally - when did the "firewater" method stop working? Is it newer hardware being shipped or a certain firmware/OS level update that blocked it? It sounds pretty unlikely that it will work for a new phone, but it won't hurt to try if it doesn't, right?
thanks again for the jump start....I think just jumping in and doing is the best way to learn, but I don't want to leap without protecting myself at the outset.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) sunshine is the only way to s-off if firewater doesn't work. It pushes an exploit that turns the secure flag off so s-off is achieved, then it pushes a separate exploit to unlock the bootloader. You may be able to change your phone carrier ID so htc dev can s-off your phone, but it doesn't do everything sunshine does.
2) without using sunshine you can still have temporary root with weaksauce, but it's really limited. Since your phone is still s-on, it isn't able to write to the system partition. It means you lose root on every reboot, and you have to wait up to a minute for weaksauce to root again.
Also without an unlocked bootloader you are unable to flash a custom recovery, which means you can't make a nandroid. Not having a nandroid sucks because if you soft brick your phone you have no choice but to go completely back to stock. Not a great situation to be in.
Any root framework or application that requires modification of your system folder won't work.
There's no question paying $25 for sunshine is worth it.
3) here's the some definitions:
S-on = security flag on, system write protected
S-off = security flag off, system write enabled
Unlocked bootloader: ability to flash custom kernels and Recoveries.
Having access to a custom recovery is everything. Allows easy backup capabilities in case a rom modification goes bad. Allows super user permissions to be flashed directly into the system partition to allow permanent root. And gives you the ability to keep an unlocked bootloader without worry that Verizon will patch the current exploit.
Even on a stock rom it's worth it to have an unlocked bootloader. The modifications you're referring to require a custom recovery, and even if you could install them without it, it's still recommended to have a nandroid available in case your phone doesn't boot afterwards. I'm still running stock myself.
4) getting back to stock isn't easy. Verizon or HTC didn't release an official ruu. You'd have to flash the unofficial ruu, then turn your flags back to S-on, and hope it doesn't detect anything weird and flag your phone as tampered. The information was already linked to you in earlier posts, you just have to read up on it.
5) firewater stopped working on newer hardware versions, has nothing to do with firmware versions. There's no harm in trying it, but it most likely won't work on a new phone.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
BadUsername said:
1) sunshine is the only way to s-off if firewater doesn't work. It pushes an exploit that turns the secure flag off so s-off is achieved, then it pushes a separate exploit to unlock the bootloader. You may be able to change your phone carrier ID so htc dev can s-off your phone, but it doesn't do everything sunshine does.
2) without using sunshine you can still have temporary root with weaksauce, but it's really limited. Since your phone is still s-on, it isn't able to write to the system partition. It means you lose root on every reboot, and you have to wait up to a minute for weaksauce to root again.
Also without an unlocked bootloader you are unable to flash a custom recovery, which means you can't make a nandroid. Not having a nandroid sucks because if you soft brick your phone you have no choice but to go completely back to stock. Not a great situation to be in.
Any root framework or application that requires modification of your system folder won't work.
There's no question paying $25 for sunshine is worth it.
3) here's the some definitions:
S-on = security flag on, system write protected
S-off = security flag off, system write enabled
Unlocked bootloader: ability to flash custom kernels and Recoveries.
Having access to a custom recovery is everything. Allows easy backup capabilities in case a rom modification goes bad. Allows super user permissions to be flashed directly into the system partition to allow permanent root. And gives you the ability to keep an unlocked bootloader without worry that Verizon will patch the current exploit.
Even on a stock rom it's worth it to have an unlocked bootloader. The modifications you're referring to require a custom recovery, and even if you could install them without it, it's still recommended to have a nandroid available in case your phone doesn't boot afterwards. I'm still running stock myself.
4) getting back to stock isn't easy. Verizon or HTC didn't release an official ruu. You'd have to flash the unofficial ruu, then turn your flags back to S-on, and hope it doesn't detect anything weird and flag your phone as tampered. The information was already linked to you in earlier posts, you just have to read up on it.
5) firewater stopped working on newer hardware versions, has nothing to do with firmware versions. There's no harm in trying it, but it most likely won't work on a new phone.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It also seems that firewater has nothing to do with hardware versions either. As I have a buddy with same hardware versions as me and FW worked perfectly. I am not exactly sure why FW works for some and not others.
---------- Post added at 08:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:06 AM ----------
Also as far as changing CID I have not found a way to do this with out having S-Off already. If there is one please point me in the right direction. Thank you!
mdorrett said:
It also seems that firewater has nothing to do with hardware versions either. As I have a buddy with same hardware versions as me and FW worked perfectly. I am not exactly sure why FW works for some and not others.
---------- Post added at 08:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:06 AM ----------
Also as far as changing CID I have not found a way to do this with out having S-Off already. If there is one please point me in the right direction. Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess I meant hardware variation, not version, it's not something you can simply check, but the internals of each phone is different. If htc used different manufacturers for the same internals it'll break firewater. The hardware version number would look the same.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
So I've read up on a good bit of what you've all posted - again thanks for that.
My M8 will be here tomorrow and I plan to use it for a few days without any tampering to ensure that I like the phone and that the reception in my home is adequate (problem had on my last upgrade attempt a year ago to a Razr M with Verizon). If all looks good, I will attempt the firewater method this weekend. If unsuccessful, I think my plan is probably to just play with the stock configuration for a month or two just to get used to working with a modern android version (I'm coming from a Droid 2 with large areas of pixel smear...so anything will be an improvement).
Hopefully, after a couple months if I am feeling like I want to tinker, sunshine will have come down in $$ or there is another working method. If not, I'll pay for it if I feel it's worth what I'll gain at that time. In all honesty, I like knowing I have the power to do whatever I want on my phone, but because I use my phone day in and out for business, I'm not often that adventurous in constant flashing ROMs as I want a very stable experience and don't want to take the time to constantly flash and restore.
I do have a few follow-up questions from some of my reading:
1) My understanding is that S-Off is also equivalent to a bootloader unlock. And that if you S-OFF, there is no need to also unlock the bootloader (it's either done as part of it, or simply not needed since S-Off overrides any boot lock). Is this correct?
2) Is CID unlock necessary to flash custom ROMs? Does doing a CID unlock also have the same benefit of a SIM unlock? Some pages I read indicate that setting to the superCID (11111111) is basically the same as a region unlock and therefore your SIM is also unlocked?
3) Since you can apparently gain temp root with weaksauce, is it possible to use this temproot with xposed framework? Or is S-off still required to apply the xposed framework modules?
thanks!
TraderJack said:
So I've read up on a good bit of what you've all posted - again thanks for that.
My M8 will be here tomorrow and I plan to use it for a few days without any tampering to ensure that I like the phone and that the reception in my home is adequate (problem had on my last upgrade attempt a year ago to a Razr M with Verizon). If all looks good, I will attempt the firewater method this weekend. If unsuccessful, I think my plan is probably to just play with the stock configuration for a month or two just to get used to working with a modern android version (I'm coming from a Droid 2 with large areas of pixel smear...so anything will be an improvement).
Hopefully, after a couple months if I am feeling like I want to tinker, sunshine will have come down in $$ or there is another working method. If not, I'll pay for it if I feel it's worth what I'll gain at that time. In all honesty, I like knowing I have the power to do whatever I want on my phone, but because I use my phone day in and out for business, I'm not often that adventurous in constant flashing ROMs as I want a very stable experience and don't want to take the time to constantly flash and restore.
I do have a few follow-up questions from some of my reading:
1) My understanding is that S-Off is also equivalent to a bootloader unlock. And that if you S-OFF, there is no need to also unlock the bootloader (it's either done as part of it, or simply not needed since S-Off overrides any boot lock). Is this correct?
2) Is CID unlock necessary to flash custom ROMs? Does doing a CID unlock also have the same benefit of a SIM unlock? Some pages I read indicate that setting to the superCID (11111111) is basically the same as a region unlock and therefore your SIM is also unlocked?
3) Since you can apparently gain temp root with weaksauce, is it possible to use this temproot with xposed framework? Or is S-off still required to apply the xposed framework modules?
thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) s-off is not equivalent to bootloader unlock, they are different things. S-off is needed to unlock bootloader.
2) super cid is only needed if swapping carriers, it allows another rom specific to any carrier to be flashed. If you flash any rom on Verizon it won't work, so you have to use a compatible Verizon rom anyways.
3) maybe, I never use xposed anyway because it breaks some apps I use. My guess is that it would be hit or miss depending on what the module does.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
TraderJack said:
So I've read up on a good bit of what you've all posted - again thanks for that.
My M8 will be here tomorrow and I plan to use it for a few days without any tampering to ensure that I like the phone and that the reception in my home is adequate (problem had on my last upgrade attempt a year ago to a Razr M with Verizon). If all looks good, I will attempt the firewater method this weekend. If unsuccessful, I think my plan is probably to just play with the stock configuration for a month or two just to get used to working with a modern android version (I'm coming from a Droid 2 with large areas of pixel smear...so anything will be an improvement).
Hopefully, after a couple months if I am feeling like I want to tinker, sunshine will have come down in $$ or there is another working method. If not, I'll pay for it if I feel it's worth what I'll gain at that time. In all honesty, I like knowing I have the power to do whatever I want on my phone, but because I use my phone day in and out for business, I'm not often that adventurous in constant flashing ROMs as I want a very stable experience and don't want to take the time to constantly flash and restore.
I do have a few follow-up questions from some of my reading:
1) My understanding is that S-Off is also equivalent to a bootloader unlock. And that if you S-OFF, there is no need to also unlock the bootloader (it's either done as part of it, or simply not needed since S-Off overrides any boot lock). Is this correct?
2) Is CID unlock necessary to flash custom ROMs? Does doing a CID unlock also have the same benefit of a SIM unlock? Some pages I read indicate that setting to the superCID (11111111) is basically the same as a region unlock and therefore your SIM is also unlocked?
3) Since you can apparently gain temp root with weaksauce, is it possible to use this temproot with xposed framework? Or is S-off still required to apply the xposed framework modules?
thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) No, s-off simply allows you to write to the /system partition and do some other stuff like RUU's and etc that i cant think of at the moment but no it is not equivalent to bootloader unlock. Bootloader unlocking allows you to flash recoveries, roms, scripts, kernels, etc. S-OFF allows the more advanced stuff like firmware flashing in fastboot. (at least I think that's what s-off does)
2) Super CID allows you to flash ROM's made for other carriers. So if you set your CID to super CID or another carriers CID then you could flash their ROMS and receive OTA Updates from them. It does not allow Sim unlock and or is not a Sim unlock.
3) I'm quite sure that weak sauce only allows access to /system/xbin but I may be wrong BUT in the case I'm right then no you cannot use xposed without S-OFF because without S-OFF you can't flash a system write enabled kernel to allow it.
Ok... so two more questions:
1) Verizon M8 is already SIM unlocked, correct?
2) I can see that firewater/sunshine do both an S-off and bootloader unlock. However, they don't seem to differentiate between these two things, simply stating they do both. Is there another stand-alone method to unlock the bootloader and if so, do you gain anything having an unlocked boot loader but not s-off? I know you can unlock the bootloader on all the other M8 variants via HTCdev, but they have blocked Verizon.
TraderJack said:
Ok... so two more questions:
1) Verizon M8 is already SIM unlocked, correct?
2) I can see that firewater/sunshine do both an S-off and bootloader unlock. However, they don't seem to differentiate between these two things, simply stating they do both. Is there another stand-alone method to unlock the bootloader and if so, do you gain anything having an unlocked boot loader but not s-off? I know you can unlock the bootloader on all the other M8 variants via HTCdev, but they have blocked Verizon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) No, you have to manually unlock it.
2) HTCDev is the only way that I've heard about for unlocking the bootloader alone & the only thing different is you wouldn't be able to flash firmware I believe.
S1L3nTShaDoWz said:
1) No, you have to manually unlock it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://htcsource.com/2014/06/how-to-sim-unlock-the-htc-one-m8-for-free/
"Verizon: the HTC One (M8) from Verizon is SIM unlocked right out of the box."
Also found this on Verizon's Global Ready policy FAQ:
http://www.verizonwireless.com/support/faqs/InternationalServicesandRoaming/faq_global_phone.html
"We do not lock our 4G LTE devices, and no code is needed to program them for use with another carrier."
Some info on this thread people seem to indicate it is already unlocked:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2730159
So are those sources above incorrect? I can't find any guide on how to SIM unlock the M8 on verizon... this is why I'm thinking it was already unlocked?
TraderJack said:
http://htcsource.com/2014/06/how-to-sim-unlock-the-htc-one-m8-for-free/
"Verizon: the HTC One (M8) from Verizon is SIM unlocked right out of the box."
Also found this on Verizon's Global Ready policy FAQ:
http://www.verizonwireless.com/support/faqs/InternationalServicesandRoaming/faq_global_phone.html
"We do not lock our 4G LTE devices, and no code is needed to program them for use with another carrier."
Some info on this thread people seem to indicate it is already unlocked:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2730159
So are those sources above incorrect? I can't find any guide on how to SIM unlock the M8 on verizon... this is why I'm thinking it was already unlocked?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is sim unlocked, you can take it into any carrier and it'll work. The only reason it wouldn't work is if you don't have the correct bands to get LTE or GSM data.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
So i got my M8 yesterday and could already tell that reception wise it was much better than my previous upgrade attempt with the RAZR M.
Since there aren't a lot of options for customizable phones anymore with VZW, I've decided to keep it and am happy to report that firewater worked for me to S-OFF!
I had some issues with weaksauce and superSU...the latter not seeming to want to run, but eventually I determined that it wasn't necessary to actually run and update the app to get firewater to work (even though I never got any toast pop-ups from weaksauce after boot).
Firewater ran find and unlocke me after 4 bottle chugs.
I then had some problems loading on CWM. The reason is that on the CWM site the list the M8 down at the very bottom away from all the other HTC devices (including the HTC One - which they don't qualify as the M7 or M8). I accidentally flashed the recovery for the M7 since that is what was listed. After that I couldn't get into any recovery, although the phone still booted. When I realized what happened, I was a little peeved that they so carelessly listed these on their site that I chose not to continue using the stock CWM even though I prefer it's streamlined approach.
I went ahead an installed this version of PhilZ CWM:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2725348
It sounded like you guys were praising this one, and I do prefer CWM. Even though it sounds like TWRP is more popular now, I saw several threads where it seemed like there were issues with TWRP doing funky stuff that CWM users didn't have issues with.
So, after I got that on I removed weaksauce and SuperSU.
What I would like to do now is probably reset to factory defaults and do a nandroid backup. Then, I would like to perma-root.
Some questions on this:
1) Do i need an SD card to nandroid backup? It appeared to work when I started a backup without an SD card...I didn't let it finish, but I'm not sure this method will work. I want to make sure I have a backup that I can use to revert to stock. I do have an sd card coming, but if I can do a successful backup without one I will go ahead.
2) Do I use all the default settings in Philz/CWM for the backup, or do I need to tweak anything in the advanced to ensure that I get *everything* that would be stock on the phone?
3) I saw some method that involved flashing a supersu update to get perma-root? Is this the best method?
Thanks again for all the help.
TraderJack said:
So i got my M8 yesterday and could already tell that reception wise it was much better than my previous upgrade attempt with the RAZR M.
Since there aren't a lot of options for customizable phones anymore with VZW, I've decided to keep it and am happy to report that firewater worked for me to S-OFF!
I had some issues with weaksauce and superSU...the latter not seeming to want to run, but eventually I determined that it wasn't necessary to actually run and update the app to get firewater to work (even though I never got any toast pop-ups from weaksauce after boot).
Firewater ran find and unlocke me after 4 bottle chugs.
I then had some problems loading on CWM. The reason is that on the CWM site the list the M8 down at the very bottom away from all the other HTC devices (including the HTC One - which they don't qualify as the M7 or M8). I accidentally flashed the recovery for the M7 since that is what was listed. After that I couldn't get into any recovery, although the phone still booted. When I realized what happened, I was a little peeved that they so carelessly listed these on their site that I chose not to continue using the stock CWM even though I prefer it's streamlined approach.
I went ahead an installed this version of PhilZ CWM:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2725348
It sounded like you guys were praising this one, and I do prefer CWM. Even though it sounds like TWRP is more popular now, I saw several threads where it seemed like there were issues with TWRP doing funky stuff that CWM users didn't have issues with.
So, after I got that on I removed weaksauce and SuperSU.
What I would like to do now is probably reset to factory defaults and do a nandroid backup. Then, I would like to perma-root.
Some questions on this:
1) Do i need an SD card to nandroid backup? It appeared to work when I started a backup without an SD card...I didn't let it finish, but I'm not sure this method will work. I want to make sure I have a backup that I can use to revert to stock. I do have an sd card coming, but if I can do a successful backup without one I will go ahead.
2) Do I use all the default settings in Philz/CWM for the backup, or do I need to tweak anything in the advanced to ensure that I get *everything* that would be stock on the phone?
3) I saw some method that involved flashing a supersu update to get perma-root? Is this the best method?
Thanks again for all the help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) You don't need an SD card but I recommend it because if you ever encounter the dreaded "encryption" glitch that some AOSP ROM's have then you'll lose everything on your internal storage. I also recommend you back your Nandroid backups to your computer or some other sort of storage too so that if you ever encounter it or somehow manage to lose it then you can get it back.
2) It doesn't really matter what settings you choose or at least it never has for me but it should backup everything (ROM & apps)
3) Yes, that is the best method for getting perma-root is to flash the SuperSU zip in your recovery. You can find the latest version of the flashable zip at Chainfire's thread over here or the direct download link to the flashable zip here on his official website
Also I'd like to apologize for the invalid information I gave you yesterday on the SIM unlocking, my bad on that. I've had a cold for the past few days and it's been making me lazy lol.
S1L3nTShaDoWz said:
1) You don't need an SD card but I recommend it because if you ever encounter the dreaded "encryption" glitch that some AOSP ROM's have then you'll lose everything on your internal storage. I also recommend you back your Nandroid backups to your computer or some other sort of storage too so that if you ever encounter it or somehow manage to lose it then you can get it back.
2) It doesn't really matter what settings you choose or at least it never has for me but it should backup everything (ROM & apps)
3) Yes, that is the best method for getting perma-root is to flash the SuperSU zip in your recovery. You can find the latest version of the flashable zip at Chainfire's thread over here or the direct download link to the flashable zip here on his official website
Also I'd like to apologize for the invalid information I gave you yesterday on the SIM unlocking, my bad on that. I've had a cold for the past few days and it's been making me lazy lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) Ok...but to get my first stock backup so I can proceed with everything else, it's safe to nandroid to internal memory? Where exactly will it place a nandroid backup if I don't have an SD card?
2) I was looking at the Misc Nandroid Settings like "include /preload" "use TWRP mode" etc. No reason to use anything but the defaults?
3) Cool...as soon as I have my nandroid I will go that route.
No worries about the SIM data...you guys have helped accelerate me pretty fast, and I'm thrilled that firewater worked. I'd now just like to get my full backup so I can begin fully migrating to the new phone and having fun
TraderJack said:
1) Ok...but to get my first stock backup so I can proceed with everything else, it's safe to nandroid to internal memory? Where exactly will it place a nandroid backup if I don't have an SD card?
2) I was looking at the Misc Nandroid Settings like "include /preload" "use TWRP mode" etc. No reason to use anything but the defaults?
3) Cool...as soon as I have my nandroid I will go that route.
No worries about the SIM data...you guys have helped accelerate me pretty fast, and I'm thrilled that firewater worked. I'd now just like to get my full backup so I can begin fully migrating to the new phone and having fun
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah it's safe, it will be stored in a folder called TWRP/Backups/Phone_Id_Here/ in the storage/emulated/0 folder (in root Explorer).
Also you can change them around to what you like, it doesn't matter.
& glad we could help!
Related
Hi, I'm looking for advice on when (not how) to root/unlock my phone. I'm coming from the "unbrickable" Captivate, and I really miss the peace of mind that came along with that. Here's my situation: I used to be a software developer, so the command prompt doesn't scare me, and I can follow directions carefully. However, I really cannot risk bricking my phone--I can't afford to waste extra money or spend time without a phone just because I wanted to tinker (the married folks will understand).
I've been following the dev forum for the last month. Originally I had decided to just leave my phone bone stock until there was a reliable and time-tested root/unlock method. But the idea of a "window" in which to unlock the bootloader has me a little bit spooked. Could I miss my chance? I also know there's no working root for 1.85 (I'm on 1.73). Is it possible that when AT&T pushes the official OTA, whenever that is, that I could be stuck without root? Or is it just a matter of devs being motivated to do it once everyone is there?
Finally, is there any bricking risk to simply rooting my phone, and not trying to mess with the bootloader? I would at least like to get ad blocking back on.
Thanks for any advice, it's much appreciated.
There is always risk, it can not be avoided.
No mater how careful you are something can go wrong.
Me I look at the risk vs reward.
The only issue I have for example is the phone once I put it into Airplane mode locks into Airplane mode, intermittantly.
No ROM I know says this bug is fixed, and even if there is a fix is it worthwhile for me to take a chance?
..... I am waiting so far seen no compelling reason to root my device.
AstroDigital said:
There is always risk, it can not be avoided.
No mater how careful you are something can go wrong.
Me I look at the risk vs reward.
The only issue I have for example is the phone once I put it into Airplane mode locks into Airplane mode, intermittantly.
No ROM I know says this bug is fixed, and even if there is a fix is it worthwhile for me to take a chance?
..... I am waiting so far seen no compelling reason to root my device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. Yes, it's all about "risk vs. reward". I'm pretty clear on the "reward" part: rooting lets me block ads and run a few other nice things like tethering, memory management tweaks, etc., and unlocking the bootloader lets me install a custom recovery and third-party ROMs which, for me, will be pretty important to my long-term satisfaction.
What I'm looking for is specific and reliable advice on the "risk" side of the equation, both for rooting and for unlocking, and for waiting to do either of those. In particular, is there a risk that if I wait too long to unlock, I'll end up stuck with it locked forever? I guess it wouldn't matter so much, since dev support would probably dry up in that scenario, but it's something I've been worrying about. This is only my second Android phone.
1.73 is the best place you can be In my opinion for rooting and unlocking. Kennethpenn's one click root for our phone is stupid simple to use. The One click SuperCID is the same. Stupid simple, but I havn't really needed any reason to unlock really. I've unlocked but havn't flashed any roms or anything or even installed recovery yet.
The "window" too unlock/root your device is pretty much before you upgrade to 1.85. With all the one-click scripts available there's a lot less risk than if you had to say, copy/paste or type out all the commands yourself, but again there's always risk.
As long as you root, unlock your bootloader, AND install with CWM Recovery or TWRP BEFORE you upgrade to 1.85 then you're good.
As long as you're SuperCID, you can reunlock using HTCDev (I used the same unlock token that was provided when I was on 1.73...may or may not work for all though). Since you installed a custom recovery before upgrading, you can flash SU and have it manually update the binary and boom, you're rooted again.
Just be sure to follow all instructions to the letter. The only insanely risky part was changing the CID manually (I spent a good 5 minutes staring at my hex editor to make sure things were right), but there's a one click for that now.
yes. while your on 1.73, do the supercid and get the unlock token from HTCDev. keep this token!!!! forever even, as you will be able to use it again and again to relock and reunlock bootloader. as long as you know what you are doing, i'd recommend you go ahead root unlock bootloader, relock, ruu to 1.85, and reunlock. devs are starting to spit out some really cool stuff.
Thanks guys, that's exactly the kind of advice I'm looking for. One more question: I know around the time that the BL unlock was first achieved, there was some worry that HTC would "patch" it, or do something, so that it would stop working. Is that worry justified, or can I count on being able to unlock whenever I choose as long as I'm still on 1.73?
Edit: ethantarheels123 answered exactly this before I even got done typing it. Awesome!
Tinyboss said:
Is it possible that when AT&T pushes the official OTA, whenever that is, that I could be stuck without root? Or is it just a matter of devs being motivated to do it once everyone is there?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If AT&T pushes out 1.85 as an OTA and you install it, then you will be stuck without root and without bootloader unlock (unless AT&T also decides to unlock the bootloader officially). Devs coming up with a new root method is always possible, but I wouldn't count on it. A lot of people are already rooted, superCID and unlocked bootloader on 1.85. So not sure how much interest there will be on rooting 1.85 when other things are higher priority (S-Off, custom ROMs, kernels), even if 1.85 gets pushed out as an OTA.
The one-click root method is ridiculous simple, and not much can go wrong. If for some reason anything goes wrong, you can just run the RUU to get back to stock. One clock SuperCID is also simple, with little risk as well. As mentioned, everything has a risk. But if you use these methods to root and unlock, it seems the risk is quite small. If root privileges, and the ability to flash custom ROMs is important to you, I'd say the odds are highly in your favor. If not, and you are thinking of doing it just in case the "window" closes, than that's a tougher call to make, and its up to you to judge.
---------- Post added at 12:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:27 PM ----------
Tinyboss said:
Thanks guys, that's exactly the kind of advice I'm looking for. One more question: I know around the time that the BL unlock was first achieved, there was some worry that HTC would "patch" it, or do something, so that it would stop working. Is that worry justified, or can I count on being able to unlock whenever I choose as long as I'm still on 1.73?
Edit: ethantarheels123 answered exactly this before I even got done typing it. Awesome!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is always the possibility that HTC may plug the hole by which SuperCID allows you to get an unlock token. Whether they will or not, who knows.
Also keep in mind that keeping the token to reuse does not always work. It worked for me, but not other people. So no guarantees.
I'm on 1.73 and I'm rooted only. (I'm also married and love this stuff but just don't have time to be redoing over and over and/or getting stuck). For now, root is enough for me and from what I've seen, there isn't much reason to rush into unlocking bootloader. Most things are WIPs or unoffical ports or have a list of "stuff not working" which makes it pointless unless you are into that beta experience.
Root is awesome and when the other stuff becomes official or fully working, I'll get do that stuff too.
Hi there,
I was wondering if there's any chance of getting a method to root this phone similar as has been done with the HTC one X in this thread : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=25865190. It would be nice to root this phone without the need of voiding warranty which happens after unlocking the boot loader.
I hope anyone has an answer.
Koen
Actually it doesn't void your warranty unless the rooting is the cause of the problem. You can re-lock your HTCdev unlocked phone and your warranty remains intact.
Since, as mentioned, it doesn't void warranty by just unlocking and rooting I would do a full root.
I don't have a One X, so am not familiar with all aspects of it's One-Click.
But, from my N1 days I saw a lot of people who One-Clicked and found themselves hampered in what they could do to get out of the trouble we all get into on occasion. Don't remember if it was fastboot related or some other shortcoming--but, they wished they had fully rooted. It may have had to do with s-off and changing partition sizes also. Forget.
Just my opinion--
The reason why I ask is because I would like to remove the huge amount of bloatware shipped with this phone. For example I can disable the standard facebook app, but I cannot delete it. Whilst being disabled it still wants to update to a newer version available in the playstore. I believe rooting is the only way to permanently delete these apps if I'm not mistaken.
Or is there any other way to get rid of these bloatware?
No, rooting is the way. I also think we cannot one click root due to no s-off.
My point was though, if you root you will probably be tempted to flash custom roms anyway. And, the one click methods usually leave you short on some options to fix soft bricks etc--
Haven't seen any other root options for stock HTC ROM other than paulobriens superboot, guess not very many ppl bothered researching exploits because it works very well and you need to bootloader unlock anyway to run a custom recovery. So it would only be useful for the crowd who root but won't install a custom ROM.
This is the tread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1577831
Am aware of it and read it early on. Seemed very limited for most and since not active since July, would want to make sure it still works on latest base.
Caution is always prudent--
Thanks for all the answers!
Sent from my HTC One S using xda app-developers app
No problem
If we helped at all, just hit Thanks--
I'm so extremely new to this forum (and any forum, for that matter) that I just have an overload of questions. I've taken the time to read some stickies for noobs and that you should always read and search before posting but I am impatient (I tried and failed).
I recently got a gorgeous, red htc one m8 from Verizon. This phone is bomb, and a total step up from my previous galaxy s3, but now I really want to root for the first time and see where it can take me.
I'd like to backup my phone before following the instructions to root, and the resources I've gotten don't seem promising and I was really just wanting to know what would be best to save EVERYTHING from multimedia to my somewhat custom settings. (?)
Please don't hate me. I'm so new. If I ever get to the point of rooting this thing are there any personal recommendations on where to begin after I've rooted (or threads that already have that stuff)?
The rooting process (including soff) wipes no data. After you get root, you can install an app like titani backup or helium backup to backup individual data. You also want to do a nandroid backup in recovery the second you install a custom recovery, so you have a cushion to fall in in a bad situation
wtoj34 said:
The rooting process (including soff) wipes no data. After you get root, you can install an app like titani backup or helium backup to backup individual data. You also want to do a nandroid backup in recovery the second you install a custom recovery, so you have a cushion to fall in in a bad situation
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you!
Now I've just got to google nandroid backup and custom recovery. These are honestly my baby steps with this, should I even root without knowing all this stuff or will it just get easier?
letsmoshjosh said:
Now I've just got to google nandroid backup and custom recovery. These are honestly my baby steps with this, should I even root without knowing all this stuff or will it just get easier?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would say you need to read read read. The s-off procedures for either firewater our sunshine are damn near idiot proof so there's little to no risk of damaging things there. However, once you have the ability to flash things in a custom recovery the risk goes way up. As long as you're not flashing unverified experimental files or accidentally flashing files for a different model then today's recoveries make it pretty easy. Also, make a nandroid before you change just about anything through recovery. Happy flashing.
cntryby429 said:
I would say you need to read read read. The s-off procedures for either firewater our sunshine are damn near idiot proof so there's little to no risk of damaging things there. However, once you have the ability to flash things in a custom recovery the risk goes way up. As long as you're not flashing unverified experimental files or accidentally flashing files for a different model then today's recoveries make it pretty easy. Also, make a nandroid before you change just about anything through recovery. Happy flashing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All of the above are true. Please revisit the thread if you have any issues setting up ADB on your machine before you attempt firewater (S-OFF). The big thing for me was making sure I got everything installed properly before I flashed. Once you do the root process be it Samsung, HTC, et al... you will find it is remarkably easy.
If you're looking for a custom ROM, be sure to stick to the Verizon HTC One M8 forums only unless you're directed there by a thread. Before you flash anything at all, just make sure you're solid on the process. Many times, there are awesome people who take the time to make a video about the process from start to end. Those will probably enormously useful for you on your first foray.
Again, ask around and read up! As cntryby429 said, read as much as you possibly can. The truth is, the devs do far more work than we could ever imagine as far as root goes.
Cheers!
letsmoshjosh said:
I'm so extremely new to this forum (and any forum, for that matter) that I just have an overload of questions. I've taken the time to read some stickies for noobs and that you should always read and search before posting but I am impatient (I tried and failed).
I recently got a gorgeous, red htc one m8 from Verizon. This phone is bomb, and a total step up from my previous galaxy s3, but now I really want to root for the first time and see where it can take me.
I'd like to backup my phone before following the instructions to root, and the resources I've gotten don't seem promising and I was really just wanting to know what would be best to save EVERYTHING from multimedia to my somewhat custom settings. (?)
Please don't hate me. I'm so new. If I ever get to the point of rooting this thing are there any personal recommendations on where to begin after I've rooted (or threads that already have that stuff)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been where you are! It's a little daunting finding all the information and getting it sorted.
You will have to do your own reading and do lot of it, but here's a little summary to get you pointed in the right direction.
The only known root method for the M8 is WEAKSAUCE. It provides temp root, meaning you loose root with each reboot but the app will re-root the phone automatically about 30 sec after booting. Servicable but not very elegant.
Root with Weaksauce is a pre-requisite to everything below.
If you want permanent root and/or run a custom rom on this phone you have to S-off, unlock the bootloader and flash a custom recovery (in that order).
For S-off and bootloader unlock (accomplished at the same time) there are two methods:
FIREWATER: free, but does not work on all M8s. Try it - it'll either work or fail. Follow the instructions on the Firewater website to the letter
SUNSHINE: from the same devs that made Firewater, guaranteed to work on all M8s and it'll cost you $25. Well worth it in my opinion.
Once you have S-off and an unlocked bootloader you can install a custom recovery like TWRP or CWM (I recommend the former). Find instructions on the respective websites.
Once you have the custom recovery installed, you can
- flash SuperSU for permanent root
- make a nandroid (total system backup or image) of your stock rom or any rom you have currently installed
- flash a custom rom
This should get you started. Read everything three times, ask twice, flash once.
Edit: Could you do me a favor? Change the title of your thread to something like: Step-by-Step instructions for rooting/roming the M8?
It would make it easier to find for users in a similar situation.
I bought a MyTouch on Amazon for 43 dollars.
Can someone provide a simple guide for me so I can update it to the latest CWM? I've never done any mods with an HTC like this and when I did it was the Hero and I hard bricked it. I had a few G1's, too...
Anyway, can someone PM me or reply to this? I need something quick and easy.
Starting from Rooting and finishishing at CM install.
My current device is an LG Phoenix, so... Big Upgrade!
AndrMatr said:
I bought a MyTouch on Amazon for 43 dollars.
Can someone provide a simple guide for me so I can update it to the latest CWM? I've never done any mods with an HTC like this and when I did it was the Hero and I hard bricked it. I had a few G1's, too...
Anyway, can someone PM me or reply to this? I need something quick and easy.
Starting from Rooting and finishishing at CM install.
My current device is an LG Phoenix, so... Big Upgrade!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would start with this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1801106
It will unlock your bootloader, add CWM, and root your (arriving) phone (in that order). If there are any dead links, I should be able to help out (except for the drivers - you can either try ADBSetup or use Linux to unlock the bootloader).
I would skip Juopunutbear unless you are planning to flash every other week . I did it, it's no big deal, but the best I got out of S-OFF was to change the start-up logo (before the bootanimation).
Hope this gives an idea.
joel.maxuel said:
I would start with this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1801106
It will unlock your bootloader, add CWM, and root your (arriving) phone (in that order). If there are any dead links, I should be able to help out (except for the drivers - you can either try ADBSetup or use Linux to unlock the bootloader).
I would skip Juopunutbear unless you are planning to flash every other week . I did it, it's no big deal, but the best I got out of S-OFF was to change the start-up logo (before the bootanimation).
Hope this gives an idea.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So what if I don't have Admin privileges on a computer? Will Fastboot and ADB still work? I don't know about the drivers...
And I had the original myTouch 3G and I installed the Visionary (the one with the yellow triangle with the lightning bolt hitting a guy) APK file. I was able to flash CWM Recovery after Visionary rooted the device. Is it possible to flash ROMS using CWM instead of unlocking the bootloader?
AndrMatr said:
So what if I don't have Admin privileges on a computer? Will Fastboot and ADB still work? I don't know about the drivers...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably not. I haven't seen a situation where drivers can install without admin priv.
AndrMatr said:
And I had the original myTouch 3G and I installed the Visionary (the one with the yellow triangle with the lightning bolt hitting a guy) APK file. I was able to flash CWM Recovery after Visionary rooted the device. Is it possible to flash ROMS using CWM instead of unlocking the bootloader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be gaining root through an exploit. If I recall correctly, all of those have been sealed in future OTA's. The only way that makes sense (that is, not trying every rooting package out there) is to unlock the bootloader first. It's really not that bad.
Confusion
joel.maxuel said:
Probably not. I haven't seen a situation where drivers can install without admin priv.
That would be gaining root through an exploit. If I recall correctly, all of those have been sealed in future OTA's. The only way that makes sense (that is, not trying every rooting package out there) is to unlock the bootloader first. It's really not that bad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The MT4GS I'm getting is running Gingerbread. If I use GingerBreak APK to root the phone and install CWM, can I still back up the stock OS? And for future reference, how would I keep the baseband once I'm ready to flash ROMs? Like the IMEI and stuff like that?
And the guide that you directed me towards is slightly complicated.
Is there an APK that can turn S-Off? if so, how reliable is it?
And for future reference (I like saying that) the ETA for device delivery is Wednesday on the East Coast of the United States.
AndrMatr said:
The MT4GS I'm getting is running Gingerbread. If I use GingerBreak APK to root the phone and install CWM, can I still back up the stock OS? And for future reference, how would I keep the baseband once I'm ready to flash ROMs? Like the IMEI and stuff like that?
And the guide that you directed me towards is slightly complicated.
Is there an APK that can turn S-Off? if so, how reliable is it?
And for future reference (I like saying that) the ETA for device delivery is Wednesday on the East Coast of the United States.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Getting out of my comfort zone here, but that should be possible. CWM will be able to back up system and boot, effectively the stock OS.
Haven't heard of people losing their IMEI's with this phone, nor of any backup to protect it, so that should be fine.
When I went through it, I found the guide a bit daunting as well, but you get used to it (alternatively there is below, which I never used).
There is no APK to S-Off (too complicated for a user app, and your phone would be upside down half the time thus making the screen unreadable), but there is this that can speed up the process:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2438884
This can root as well. It's no APK, but should get the job done.
joel.maxuel said:
Getting out of my comfort zone here, but that should be possible. CWM will be able to back up system and boot, effectively the stock OS.
Haven't heard of people losing their IMEI's with this phone, nor of any backup to protect it, so that should be fine.
When I went through it, I found the guide a bit daunting as well, but you get used to it (alternatively there is below, which I never used).
There is no APK to S-Off (too complicated for a user app, and your phone would be upside down half the time thus making the screen unreadable), but there is this that can speed up the process:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2438884
This can root as well. It's no APK, but should get the job done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*cringes* Windows admin priiivveellleges.....?
And can we just talk about this through PM? the XDA site is destroying my data. The app is better.
s-off has gotten easier. juopunutbear (or however you spell it) is no longer needed. rumrunner s-off is by far easier to use. this is what I used combined with the windroid program to root.
I bought one from a liquidator online. Brand new, out of the box, with the plastic still on the screen and stuff. Unmarked battery, though. Charges a bit too fast. Was labelled as "refurbished" but came in the original manufacturer box with original PC sync cable and chager. I found a way to root the stock ROM without S-OFF, just with CWM. All I had t do was flash a 2.3.6 ZIP that had the SU binary and the .apk file for the Samsung Galaxy Admire. It works on the really stupid Huawei model, too. Which, I installed the Raspberry Pi variation of SliTaz on it, and it works great! But as soon as I came back to my apartment from work I unlocked the bootloader(HTC model), installed CWM, flashed the ZIP fro 1.4 DS, and then did a backup of my old non-functional broken peice of shi...Yeah, and then then flashed the boot image through fastboot, and then restored my backup. My point is, though, my Minecraft PE and my Ravensword 2 installations diappeared after restoring the backup. Any ideas of why this happened?
mattlowry said:
s-off has gotten easier. juopunutbear (or however you spell it) is no longer needed. rumrunner s-off is by far easier to use. this is what I used combined with the windroid program to root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks this is good info, i recently just got my slide to have cm9 without s-off and lets say that was a process trying to shift about all these dead links on this forum. but i plan on getting another mytouch cause i wanna switch back to a keyboard phone and well the keyboard died some how from sitting for so long but now that i have cm9 on this phone holly poo it runs fast and smooth.
anyway thanks for the info
i looked up the rumrunner and does it matter that its not completely made for the doubleshot? or does it just do it to any htc phone?
g-fetus6 said:
thanks this is good info, i recently just got my slide to have cm9 without s-off and lets say that was a process trying to shift about all these dead links on this forum. But i plan on getting another mytouch cause i wanna switch back to a keyboard phone and well the keyboard died some how from sitting for so long but now that i have cm9 on this phone holly poo it runs fast and smooth.
Anyway thanks for the info
i looked up the rumrunner and does it matter that its not completely made for the doubleshot? Or does it just do it to any htc phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
they have a universal version that works fine
I'm very new to the process of modifying android/firmware/rooting/etc... I want to regain FoxFi (wifi tether) functionality on my Verizon HTC One M8, which was lost with Lollipop. I had been fighting the update for months but it forced itself on me a few weeks ago. I believe my only real option is downgrading to Kit Kat.
I have a long post typed up with my plethora of questions after browsing around a number of forums and blogs the last few weeks, but there are so many basic terms, commands and things I don't understand... I figured it might make things go smoother if I just ask my stupid questions first and then proceed. Plus, I'm an engineer and am generally good with technology, and have wanted to pick up the skills needed to do software version changes/rooting etc for years now. I'll keep the other post typed up (took a while), but won't send it until I get some feedback here... so as to avoid undue spam and clutter.
So, with that all said, dumb question time. Please be kind, lol. Note - if there is an entry level video/picture-laden tutorial that will likely explain all of this, please point me that way and I'll get up to speed as much as i can on my own. There seem to be many tutorials out there but almost all of the One M8 ones seem to have lots of terminology in them I don't get ,yet:
1) What is an RUU?
2) What is the CID? (appears to just be a build # or software version associated with new updates)
3) What is the fastboot folder? What is "hboot"
4) Whats an ADSP?
5) Which SDK/Sync manager will I need on my PC? I have the basic HTC Sync manager (some links suggest its needed)
More questions as they occur to me, thanks all!
Well, hate to burst your bubble, but even after understanding all of these terms you can't downgrade to kit kat after taking the lollipop update. On Verizon htc ones, all system partitions/folders/files are write protected and cannot be modified with fastboot or RUU's in order to downgrade. As of right now, the only way to remove the write protection on lollipop is with an HTC Java card (this process / state is called s-off). Several people on xda have them and might help you out, particularly dottat.
Sorry for ignoring the main question here, I'm just offering what I know and I'll leave the explaining to someone a bit more knowledgeable with htc stuff to answer those questions. (I'm stuck in the same "lollipop lockdown" boat as you)
zphantom55 said:
Well, hate to burst your bubble, but even after understanding all of these terms you can't downgrade to kit kat after taking the lollipop update. On Verizon htc ones, all system partitions/folders/files are write protected and cannot be modified with fastboot or RUU's in order to downgrade. As of right now, the only way to remove the write protection on lollipop is with an HTC Java card (this process / state is called s-off). Several people on xda have them and might help you out, particularly dottat.
Sorry for ignoring the main question here, I'm just offering what I know and I'll leave the explaining to someone a bit more knowledgeable with htc stuff to answer those questions. (I'm stuck in the same "lollipop lockdown" boat as you)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Appreciated, no worries!
I had noticed dottat was a prominent figure in many of the downgrade threads, so perhaps I'll try to reach out to him directly.
SadbutTrue999 said:
Appreciated, no worries!
I had noticed dottat was a prominent figure in many of the downgrade threads, so perhaps I'll try to reach out to him directly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the time being, check the post here. Working solution
Apparently someone successfully rooted verizon htc one m8
Link to steps
You can downgrade back to 4.4.4 as long as you are S-off. It takes some patience to root and get sunshine to S-off. Just make sure you do not try to run an RUU (Rom Update Utility) of an earlier version if you are still S-ON. I would say that if you just want to wifi tether, S-off your phone, flash a recovery, then just flash a 5.1 Rom that has wifi tether working out of the box.
crmcsh01 said:
You can downgrade back to 4.4.4 as long as you are S-off. It takes some patience to root and get sunshine to S-off. Just make sure you do not try to run an RUU (Rom Update Utility) of an earlier version if you are still S-ON. I would say that if you just want to wifi tether, S-off your phone, flash a recovery, then just flash a 5.1 Rom that has wifi tether working out of the box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So the order of operations is:
1) disable fastboot
2) root
3) unlock bootloader
4) go s-off
5) use RUU
?
As far as what i'm looking for... with Lollipop, tethering itself works, but they make you go through the verizon service (whereas past Android versions could be bypassed with some certificate trickery, which is what Foxfi did), and I don't want to pay $30/mo for something i was getting for free the last 3 years. I also want to root the phone for a few other applications.
I'm not sure what 5.1 Roms would support FoxFi on this phone out of the box (i've heard Samsung's Galaxy S6 continues to support foxfi with verizon and Lollipop, but i'm not sure i could use that rom), which is why 4.4.4 might be easier.
Questions:
1) Is the above order right?
2) Can you disable fastboot with Lollipop? I didn't see the option when i tried.. and i'm seeing some places online saying you can't. What then?
3) I downloaded ADB.. how to you get a command prompt up when connected to the one that lets you send commands to it? Seems basic but ADB has a milllion settings.
4) What else am i forgetting?
Just trying to figure out the first steps... its easy for a newbie to get buried in walkthroughs and new terms. Thanks again!
SadbutTrue999 said:
So the order of operations is:
1) disable fastboot
2) root
3) unlock bootloader
4) go s-off
5) use RUU
?
As far as what i'm looking for... with Lollipop, tethering itself works, but they make you go through the verizon service (whereas past Android versions could be bypassed with some certificate trickery, which is what Foxfi did), and I don't want to pay $30/mo for something i was getting for free the last 3 years. I also want to root the phone for a few other applications.
I'm not sure what 5.1 Roms would support FoxFi on this phone out of the box (i've heard Samsung's Galaxy S6 continues to support foxfi with verizon and Lollipop, but i'm not sure i could use that rom), which is why 4.4.4 might be easier.
Questions:
1) Is the above order right?
2) Can you disable fastboot with Lollipop? I didn't see the option when i tried.. and i'm seeing some places online saying you can't. What then?
3) I downloaded ADB.. how to you get a command prompt up when connected to the one that lets you send commands to it? Seems basic but ADB has a milllion settings.
4) What else am i forgetting?
Just trying to figure out the first steps... its easy for a newbie to get buried in walkthroughs and new terms. Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When it comes time to flash a ROM, I'd humbly suggest CleanROM. It's stock ROM with the Verizon bloatware removed, and it's already rooted for your convenience. Like you, my primary reason for installing a custom ROM was to be able to use my phone as a hotspot. (Verizon will have to pry my unlimited data plan from my cold, dead hands.) CleanROM's native tethering app works out of the box, so there's no need to even install a third-part app like FoxFi. Sadly, it appears that the developer is no longer supporting this ROM, but it's suiting my needs for the time being.
Anyway, I just purchased a used M8 running stock Lollipop last week and here's what I did:
1. Followed the directions here to achieve s-off. (There's nothing in these directions about disabling fastboot.)
2. RUU (because the phone was used and I have no idea what the previous owner did to this thing and I want to start fresh); I followed dodtat's instructions for Option 1, plopped the 0P6BIMG.zip file on my SD card, and let the phone do the rest.
3. Installed a custom recovery (the latest version of TWRP - installation instructions are on the linked page)
4. Installed CleanROM via TWRP
5. Enjoyed free tethering
Good luck!
dbrits said:
Like you, my primary reason for installing a custom ROM was to be able to use my phone as a hotspot. (Verizon will have to pry my unlimited data plan from my cold, dead hands.) CleanROM's native tethering app works out of the box, so there's no need to even install a third-part app like FoxFi. Sadly, it appears that the developer is no longer supporting this ROM, but it's suiting my needs for the time being.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad I'm not alone! :hifive:
Anyway, I just purchased a used M8 running stock Lollipop last week and here's what I did:
1. Followed the directions here to achieve s-off. (There's nothing in these directions about disabling fastboot.)
2. RUU (because the phone was used and I have no idea what the previous owner did to this thing and I want to start fresh); I followed dodtat's instructions for Option 1, plopped the 0P6BIMG.zip file on my SD card, and let the phone do the rest.
3. Installed a custom recovery (the latest version of TWRP - installation instructions are on the linked page)
4. Installed CleanROM via TWRP
5. Enjoyed free tethering
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! That ought to get me started, I would think.
SadbutTrue999 said:
So the order of operations is:
1) disable fastboot
2) root
3) unlock bootloader
4) go s-off
5) use RUU
?
As far as what i'm looking for... with Lollipop, tethering itself works, but they make you go through the verizon service (whereas past Android versions could be bypassed with some certificate trickery, which is what Foxfi did), and I don't want to pay $30/mo for something i was getting for free the last 3 years. I also want to root the phone for a few other applications.
I'm not sure what 5.1 Roms would support FoxFi on this phone out of the box (i've heard Samsung's Galaxy S6 continues to support foxfi with verizon and Lollipop, but i'm not sure i could use that rom), which is why 4.4.4 might be easier.
Questions:
1) Is the above order right?
2) Can you disable fastboot with Lollipop? I didn't see the option when i tried.. and i'm seeing some places online saying you can't. What then?
3) I downloaded ADB.. how to you get a command prompt up when connected to the one that lets you send commands to it? Seems basic but ADB has a milllion settings.
4) What else am i forgetting?
Just trying to figure out the first steps... its easy for a newbie to get buried in walkthroughs and new terms. Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use tethering for free on lollipop with s-off.
Not sure about foxfi but with the stock Verizon app.
andybones said:
You can use tethering for free on lollipop with s-off.
Not sure about foxfi but with the stock Verizon app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dbrits said:
Anyway, I just purchased a used M8 running stock Lollipop last week and here's what I did:
1. Followed the directions here to achieve s-off. (There's nothing in these directions about disabling fastboot.)
2. RUU (because the phone was used and I have no idea what the previous owner did to this thing and I want to start fresh); I followed dodtat's instructions for Option 1, plopped the 0P6BIMG.zip file on my SD card, and let the phone do the rest.
3. Installed a custom recovery (the latest version of TWRP - installation instructions are on the linked page)
4. Installed CleanROM via TWRP
5. Enjoyed free tethering
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to be clear... the 3rd step (of 21) in that first link you show is "RUU". Does this mean I should do it twice (and if so.. with different versions?), or will one RUU do it?
Sounds like his method to achieving S-off is just a series of checking the right buttons within a factory reset phone. Is that right?
andybones said:
You can use tethering for free on lollipop with s-off.
Not sure about foxfi but with the stock Verizon app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, really? Interesting. Stock verizon app works fine, only used foxfi because in the past its met my needs.
Quick question... I've downloaded the java developer kit, ADB, and Android Studio. How do I verify they're working when i connect the phone? Is there a way to send a harmless ping/command/etc to the phone to check?
Few more questions regarding the s-off instructions:
1. Just did a factory reset. Also deleted everything on the SD card. Questions
a) Is a straight delete on the sd card ok or do i need to format? IF the latter, what do i format to?
b) How to I check the 'status' of the bootloader? Is that in one of the hard reset/fastboot menus? Or can i just let the thing start up and check it in the system menu somewhere?
2)
And if I do option 1, as you did... its the file here: https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=95916177934537709
that i rename 0P6BIMG.zip
right?
3) Both kingroot and TWRP seem like they can be downloaded to the phone after the fact. And both seem fairly straight forward. Do I need to do anything else for them to work?
4) Lastly... I believe i can do this all with the SIM card out? (seems like perhaps that is ideal, actually)
Just followed quite the droid root alice in wonderland rabbit hole...
Found some old S-off procedures but they appear to be defunct, which led me back to the 'sunshine' s-off approach you listed.
I followed the sunshine approach listed (the one here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=61920423&postcount=3652)
and get to:
File Manager App -> Install KingRoot (accept google checking apps)
Open KingRoot - Hit Root (read notes section at this point) and repeat until it says you have it in this app.
Back out of KingRoot, and uninstall the P~~~ whatever app and the KingUser app it installed by dragging from the app drawer into the uninstall icon.
File Manager App -> Install the SuperSU posted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kingroot is installed, but reports "root is not available" (ostensibly because security is still on). So I still don't know how to turn S-oFF. I'm also not sure what the "P~~~~~ whatever" app he refers to is.
Help appreciated Phone not bricked yet
Just to be clear... the 3rd step (of 21) in that first link you show is "RUU". Does this mean I should do it twice (and if so.. with different versions?), or will one RUU do it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't RUU twice. I just did a factory reset before following the s-off instructions. You actually have to be s-off before using the specific RUU that I linked to.
Quick question... I've downloaded the java developer kit, ADB, and Android Studio. How do I verify they're working when i connect the phone? Is there a way to send a harmless ping/command/etc to the phone to check?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I googled "android adb" and this was the third link. I'm sure there are some great tutorials here on xda too.
a) Is a straight delete on the sd card ok or do i need to format? IF the latter, what do i format to?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SD card should be formatted FAT32.
And if I do option 1, as you did... its the file here: https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=95916177934537709 that i rename 0P6BIMG.zip right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, that's the wrong file. Use that standalone zip if you want to RUU, but you have to be s-off before using the standalone zip that dodtat posted.
Kingroot is installed, but reports "root is not available" (ostensibly because security is still on). So I still don't know how to turn S-oFF. I'm also not sure what the "P~~~~~ whatever" app he refers to is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep trying to get root with Kingroot. It will eventually work, but it takes time and patience. And Purity is the name of the app that Kingroot will install after it gains root.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=61920423&postcount=3652 - this is the s-off instruction right?
Kingroot is part of those instructions... do I need to root before using sunshine? And is sunshine what finally achieves the s-off?
Will kingroot work prior to achieving s-off? (seems like it would have to given the instructions in the link above.. given enough tries). My first attempt using kingroot said root wasn't available, but the link above suggests I may need to just keep trying / uninstall+reinstall / etc to get it to work.
Thanks again!
Ok... some progress!
After 4 tries, Kingroot finally did its thing and reports I'm rooted.
In the link to achieve S-off, the app Sunshine is mentioned. Just bought a sunshine license for $25... why not.
Or not.
Despite Kingroot saying its rooted and Sunshine initially saying it had gained root and that my phone had passed all the pre-tests, now that i've spent the $25 its saying its "Unable to gain root access to your device. You may need to gain "TEmpRoot" or "PermRoot" through some other means. For HTC devices, unlocking with HTCDev.comand rooting with a custom recovery may work."
Grr. Any ideas?
I have an HTCDev account but when I get to step 5 in the unlocking bootloader process, I haven't been able to get my command propt commands to work. See images below...
By re-rooting with Kingroot Sunshine did its thing... after it finished the app disappeared. When I do a Volume down+power, it does show my software status as "modified", so I guess I'm making progress.
So is now when I put the said 0P6BIMG.zip on the sd card and let the phone find it? And as specific as we can be as to which file this needs to be is appreciated... thanks
lol so I re-rooted (again) and re-downloaded sunishine (because, like i said, after it did its thing it deleted itself), and its confirmed I'm S-Off.
I'm downloading dottat's "DOTTAT_VZWM8_S_OFF_5.0.1_RUU.zip", which is about 1.6GB. This is what I put on the SDcard, rename 0P6BIMG.zip, and 'flash' that right?
Appreciate you bearing with me (though it seems like i'm in a closet talking to myself a bit, which is ok)
Make sure the BIMG.zip is in the root of your sd card (in no folder) then load hboot and it'll detect the .zip and flash from there. Yes.