I love my N1 but battery life is an issue, and I have found little complaints about the battery life of the MT4G. So I figured I would give it a try.
I'm not a noob at Android or flashing... been doing it since my G1. That doesn't mean I want to dig into ADB overly much to root. Also I need to be able to unroot should the need arise.
So I have a few questions.
What root method is the most painless way, and still allows fairly easy unrooting?
Is there any practical advantage to the True S=off root?
I may use a mostly stock ROM with an OC kernel. Will most likely switch to CM7 when it hits RC status.
Is ClockworkMod the only recovery choice we have? I didn't find any others while looking through the threads.
Thanks in advance.
Marine6680 said:
What root method is the most painless way, and still allows fairly easy unrooting?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gfree. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=858996
It is about as "one click" as you will get, and you can use it for only S-OFF and to allow you to flash eng hboot if you don't want sim/carrier unlock for some reason.
Marine6680 said:
Is there any practical advantage to the True S=off root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. HTC is shipping newer devices already patched against older "rage" exploits. I'm of the mindset of root it while you can, if it's something that matters to you . It is also unlocking your phone at the lowest level possible via the radio, so you should be able to keep root even through forced OTAs, new ROMs, etc -- once it's done it's done!
Marine6680 said:
Is ClockworkMod the only recovery choice we have? I didn't find any others while looking through the threads.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. I have seen a little chatter that Amon_RA is working on a version, but I have not seen one yet. CW is all we have, but it works well so no big complaints from me there.
Genocaust said:
Gfree. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=858996
It is about as "one click" as you will get, and you can use it for only S-OFF and to allow you to flash eng hboot if you don't want sim/carrier unlock for some reason.
Yes. HTC is shipping newer devices already patched against older "rage" exploits. I'm of the mindset of root it while you can, if it's something that matters to you . It is also unlocking your phone at the lowest level possible via the radio, so you should be able to keep root even through forced OTAs, new ROMs, etc -- once it's done it's done!
Yes. I have seen a little chatter that Amon_RA is working on a version, but I have not seen one yet. CW is all we have, but it works well so no big complaints from me there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't need sim or carrier unlock.
As long as I root it right away, and do not install any official updates, I should be fine right?
Amon_RA is my preferred recovery. Even though I use CyanogenMOD which uses Clockwork for official downloads and flashing.
Found the thread for unrooting gfree... thats good then
Make sure to install engineer hboot as well
I'm new to the MyTouch 4g as well so here's my advice.
1) do it the true way. I tried using the permanent way without gfree and I couldn't get root to stick on my one day old phone.
2) I've seen thee best battery life with evil Z rom.
3) make sure you have the good screen before you start this process in case you need to return it.
4) back up your stock recovery and rom! Just because they are online is no excuse!
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
came from a nexus one as well, but had a few phones in between.
The mytouch 4g is solid! Clockwork recovery isn't too bad, itll get the job done, simple rooting process and all. Its about the same as the nexus one I would say, simple and no problems. Roms are pretty solid here, cyanogen nightlies for gingerbread are good, battery life is around 2 days for me on average. The ice glacier is like stock and that is one of the better roms to play with as well. Enjoy the mytouch 4g till you find a new toy
Sounds good.
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!
Just got my new M8. What rooting process should I follow with 4.4.2? I have not upgraded to 4.4.3 as of yet. Not sure how this affects my rooting process. Can I just flow the rooting guide here?
Thanks,
Rob
If all you want is root you should stay on 4.4.2 since that's the only way to keep temp root (weaksauce) without going through the whole unlock boot loader unlock s-off method. If you do want to go that route instead, if you stay on 4.4.2 there might be a slim possibility you can unlock and s-off for free using the firewater method. Other wise you will have to pay $25 for sunshine (from the same developer as weak sauce and firewater) and that is guaranteed to get you s-off and unlocked. If you do update the only way to s-off and unlock will be the sunshine method. Hopefully this helps you out in making your decision
Thanks for the crazy fast reply. My goal is to root, and have the ability to install custom ROM's. I haven't rooted since the OG Droid/Thunderbolt days so I'm a little rusty. I'll look through the rooting guide here. I just don't want to brick my new phone.. I think I'll be good to go once I know where to start in the guide.
Rob
BubbaRob1978 said:
Thanks for the crazy fast reply. My goal is to root, and have the ability to install custom ROM's. I haven't rooted since the OG Droid/Thunderbolt days so I'm a little rusty. I'll look through the rooting guide here. I just don't want to brick my new phone.. I think I'll be good to go once I know where to start in the guide.
Rob
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely try the firewater method first on 4.4.2 (if it works, donate if/what you can). If it doesn't work, you can take the OTA but I wouldn't recommend ever taking OTAs. I haven't used sunshine but I've heard it works amazingly and it's super easy...well worth the $25. If Firewater does work, updating to the newer firmware is a breeze too.
BubbaRob1978 said:
Thanks for the crazy fast reply. My goal is to root, and have the ability to install custom ROM's. I haven't rooted since the OG Droid/Thunderbolt days so I'm a little rusty. I'll look through the rooting guide here. I just don't want to brick my new phone.. I think I'll be good to go once I know where to start in the guide.
Rob
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's a tip... After you do the adb reboot and before you run firewater open the weak sauce app on your phone.
If you aren't super hard up for cash just do Sunshine, I tried firewater for like 6 hours, Sunshine takes 6 minutes. Just buy it, install and hit go. Well worth the $25.
Hi Everyone,
As this if my first post just wanted to say that I'm relatively new to customizing my Verizon HTC One M8 and really tried to search around here as well as other places to find answers but I really just wound up getting confused and bogged up in all the different scenarios and things that worked in this version but don't know etc. so apologies if I'm asking a bunch of newbie questions I after a lot of hours I really just couldn't find an up to date comprehensive guide.
So basically I have a Verizon HTC One M8 running Android 4.4.4. and I want to install a custom ROM most likely the DigitalHigh GPE or Skydragon not sure which but regardless I just read a bunch of different guides and started getting frustrated when they didn't work (like going the HTCDev route to realize that that route isn't supported by Verizon or whatever). Currently I have Sunshine installed and am waiting to verify that I can move forward before paying for it.
My question is after I pay for and run sunshine whats the exact route I take to get to where I want to go? I've searched around and found guides but I don't want to be stuck with outdated information that might not work. Thanks a lot for any help you guys can give.
sturdly said:
Hi Everyone,
As this if my first post just wanted to say that I'm relatively new to customizing my Verizon HTC One M8 and really tried to search around here as well as other places to find answers but I really just wound up getting confused and bogged up in all the different scenarios and things that worked in this version but don't know etc. so apologies if I'm asking a bunch of newbie questions I after a lot of hours I really just couldn't find an up to date comprehensive guide.
So basically I have a Verizon HTC One M8 running Android 4.4.4. and I want to install a custom ROM most likely the DigitalHigh GPE or Skydragon not sure which but regardless I just read a bunch of different guides and started getting frustrated when they didn't work (like going the HTCDev route to realize that that route isn't supported by Verizon or whatever). Currently I have Sunshine installed and am waiting to verify that I can move forward before paying for it.
My question is after I pay for and run sunshine whats the exact route I take to get to where I want to go? I've searched around and found guides but I don't want to be stuck with outdated information that might not work. Thanks a lot for any help you guys can give.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since you are on 4.4.4 you first have to figure out if Sunshine will work on your phone, it's more recommended for users on 4.4.3 but you can still try as some people have had success. If it doesn't work, it will not charge so you don't have to worry. about paying and it not working.
sturdly said:
Hi Everyone,
As this if my first post just wanted to say that I'm relatively new to customizing my Verizon HTC One M8 and really tried to search around here as well as other places to find answers but I really just wound up getting confused and bogged up in all the different scenarios and things that worked in this version but don't know etc. so apologies if I'm asking a bunch of newbie questions I after a lot of hours I really just couldn't find an up to date comprehensive guide.
So basically I have a Verizon HTC One M8 running Android 4.4.4. and I want to install a custom ROM most likely the DigitalHigh GPE or Skydragon not sure which but regardless I just read a bunch of different guides and started getting frustrated when they didn't work (like going the HTCDev route to realize that that route isn't supported by Verizon or whatever). Currently I have Sunshine installed and am waiting to verify that I can move forward before paying for it.
My question is after I pay for and run sunshine whats the exact route I take to get to where I want to go? I've searched around and found guides but I don't want to be stuck with outdated information that might not work. Thanks a lot for any help you guys can give.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey bud, we'll get you where you need to be. First off, unless it's the 4.4.4 under the Verizon forums, don't flash Skydragon as it is for the GSM version. I would recommend going with DHs, but beware *some* people have issues with data with that ROM. Here's the easiest way to get you where you need to be.
1. Go ahead and get S-off with sunshine. With S-off, you can flash RUUs.
2. Download this RUU and place it on your sd card, or use the executable method, both work flawlessly. Note that this will reset your phone, but you're flashing a ROM anyways. This is rooted. http://forum.xda-developers.com/ver...ent/ruu-m8vzw-4-4-4-s-off-onlynewest-t2914914
3. Confirm root and download flashify from the playstore.
4. Flash the recovery of your choice (most, myself included, prefer TWRP)
Now you are rooted with a custom recovery and good to go. If you flash DHs GPE, you will need to update to the 5.0 firmware first for best results. To do this, just place it (https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=95832962473400175) on your sd card and boot into hboot by turning off your device, then hold volume down and the power button until it boots into a white screen with multi-colored text. This is hboot. From there, the device should auto detect the firmware on your sd card and press volume up to flash it. Volume up once more to confirm it. To confirm that you are on the new firmware, go back into hboot and check the opendsp number, it should something other than 46.2.2. Delete the firmware from your sd card so hboot doen't keep prompting you to run it every time you boot into hboot. From here, you should be all good to flash DHs ROM. If there is anything else I can help with or you get stuck at any point, let me know and we'll figure it out.
bjoostema said:
Hey bud, we'll get you where you need to be. First off, unless it's the 4.4.4 under the Verizon forums, don't flash Skydragon as it is for the GSM version. I would recommend going with DHs, but beware *some* people have issues with data with that ROM. Here's the easiest way to get you where you need to be.
1. Go ahead and get S-off with sunshine. With S-off, you can flash RUUs.
2. Download this RUU and place it on your sd card, or use the executable method, both work flawlessly. Note that this will reset your phone, but you're flashing a ROM anyways. This is rooted. http://forum.xda-developers.com/ver...ent/ruu-m8vzw-4-4-4-s-off-onlynewest-t2914914
3. Confirm root and download flashify from the playstore.
4. Flash the recovery of your choice (most, myself included, prefer TWRP)
Now you are rooted with a custom recovery and good to go. If you flash DHs GPE, you will need to update to the 5.0 firmware first for best results. To do this, just place it (https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=95832962473400175) on your sd card and boot into hboot by turning off your device, then hold volume down and the power button until it boots into a white screen with multi-colored text. This is hboot. From there, the device should auto detect the firmware on your sd card and press volume up to flash it. Volume up once more to confirm it. To confirm that you are on the new firmware, go back into hboot and check the opendsp number, it should something other than 46.2.2. Delete the firmware from your sd card so hboot doen't keep prompting you to run it every time you boot into hboot. From here, you should be all good to flash DHs ROM. If there is anything else I can help with or you get stuck at any point, let me know and we'll figure it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks so much for the detailed explanation! I suppose its worth mentioning that my end goal is to run a ROM that's close to stock Android 5. Certainly don't mind resetting my phone, I have my contacts and whatnot backed up and being my first android phone I have tons of crap I don't need on it anyway. That being said, would you recommend DH's ROM or another one for my needs? Also in step 2, to clarify, once I apply the RUU that will root my phone or will I have to do that with a separate method?
Also @The Stig 04 thanks for the heads up, I ran the test they have and it told me it would work with 4.4.4, certainly reassuring that they'll refund if it doesn't work so appreciate that
sturdly said:
Thanks so much for the detailed explanation! I suppose its worth mentioning that my end goal is to run a ROM that's close to stock Android 5. Certainly don't mind resetting my phone, I have my contacts and whatnot backed up and being my first android phone I have tons of crap I don't need on it anyway. That being said, would you recommend DH's ROM or another one for my needs? Also in step 2, to clarify, once I apply the RUU that will root my phone or will I have to do that with a separate method?
Also @The Stig 04 thanks for the heads up, I ran the test they have and it told me it would work with 4.4.4, certainly reassuring that they'll refund if it doesn't work so appreciate that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem buddy! DHs is GPE, so it'll be the closest to stock android that you can get right now, well Google's take on Android anyways. There are a few AOSP roms running around, but I personally have never had an AOSP ROM run in the past year that wasn't ridden with bugs. Plus DHs ROM has an almost completely working Sense camera, which I personally found as a plus since the quality of the 4 ultra pixels on AOSP is almost painful haha. I think another good rom that is actually Sense based but looks and functions a lot like stock Lollipop is Unsense. So step two where you run the RUU will actually redownload and install the same version of OS you have now but it will come rooted and no other further action will be needed to have root access. I found this to be the easiest way to go about it without having to use ADB to install TWRP and flash SU. It takes a few minutes longer since it has to reinstall the OS but is less steps than the ADB route and far easier to explain. Either one will provide the same result, I just prefer the simplicity of running the RUU
bjoostema said:
No problem buddy! DHs is GPE, so it'll be the closest to stock android that you can get right now, well Google's take on Android anyways. There are a few AOSP roms running around, but I personally have never had an AOSP ROM run in the past year that wasn't ridden with bugs. Plus DHs ROM has an almost completely working Sense camera, which I personally found as a plus since the quality of the 4 ultra pixels on AOSP is almost painful haha. I think another good rom that is actually Sense based but looks and functions a lot like stock Lollipop is Unsense. So step two where you run the RUU will actually redownload and install the same version of OS you have now but it will come rooted and no other further action will be needed to have root access. I found this to be the easiest way to go about it without having to use ADB to install TWRP and flash SU. It takes a few minutes longer since it has to reinstall the OS but is less steps than the ADB route and far easier to explain. Either one will provide the same result, I just prefer the simplicity of running the RUU
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right on, I'll probably stick with DH's ROM. Thanks again, I'm about to hunker down and start this process, lol I'm glad I made the switch but am mildly missing the days where I could just click a few buttons and have a Jailbroken iPhone.
sturdly said:
Right on, I'll probably stick with DH's ROM. Thanks again, I'm about to hunker down and start this process, lol I'm glad I made the switch but am mildly missing the days where I could just click a few buttons and have a Jailbroken iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had an Ipone for about 3 months and never had the guts to modify to because I didn't know how to fix it if I broke it haha. There are a lot of individual steps but the process as a whole should go smoothly. Just follow the threads and you will be fine and if you get snagged on anything or need clarification, just let me know man!
bjoostema said:
I had an Ipone for about 3 months and never had the guts to modify to because I didn't know how to fix it if I broke it haha. There are a lot of individual steps but the process as a whole should go smoothly. Just follow the threads and you will be fine and if you get snagged on anything or need clarification, just let me know man!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey just wanted to let you know I just finished up and it worked like a charm. Love my new phone! Thanks again!
sturdly said:
Hey just wanted to let you know I just finished up and it worked like a charm. Love my new phone! Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome man! I'm stoked for you, enjoy and no problem!