Htc one m8 - im 70 and rooting this phone on my bucket list - Verizon HTC One (M8)

Ok my friends, my name is ska, im 70 yrs old and if i dont type in caps, i cant see what i am typing. I would like to correctly root my phone and unroot it later if need be, before i die and so i have come here for assistance. Although i have worked in multiple engineering fields, i no longer have the mental capability to comprehend or follow any rooting instructions unless they were written for a 6 yr old. Getting old is no fun so dont do it.
Can anyone slow it down a few gears and help me with this bucket list item?
Here is what i have:
Htc one m8(metal)
originally verizon now has straight talk sim
model number: Htc6525lvw
imei: 990 004 998 964 591
android version 5.0.1
htc sense version 6.0
software number 4.17.605.9
htc sdk api level 6.55
it took me 21 minutes to type out this information. Which i will never get back. I just want to have a outta sight phone to show off at bingo and use it as an ice breaker on dance nights.

I love this thread and really hope you can figure it out!
You'll need a few things to accomplish this. First you'll need to get s-off (which I explain below), then you get root access, and finally you install a custom recovery. Once that's done, you're good to go, and can install whatever custom ROM or flashy modifications you want without worry that you'll permanently ruin your phone. Here's a list of things you'll need to do it: KingRoot app, Sunshine app ($25! No way around this...), working Android Device Bridge (ADB) connection to a PC.
Note, rooting your phone (up to the custom recovery) will not erase any of your user data, however further changes (such as flashing a new ROM) likely will, so you'll want to back up everything.
s-on/off: This refers to the security setting of the phone. By default, the phone comes s-on, which protects access to reserved memory and prevents you from rooting your phone. You'll need to change this to s-off first. Once done though, it'll be s-off for good. There are ways to "return to stock" and set it back to s-on, or at least appear as such to a level 1 tech.
First thing you're going to want to do is get ADB working on your computer and ensure you can communicate with and control your phone from the ADB command line. This is arguably the hardest step for a lay person. Detailed instructions on how to get that working can be found here.
Once you can see your phone in ADB and have ensured that's working, you'll want to download the KingRoot app and Sunshine app to your phone using the sites I've linked. KingRoot will be used to get temporary root access to your phone. Once you get tempRoot, if you reboot your phone, you'll have to do it again. Temporary root access is required for Sunshine to do it's thing and set your phone to s-off. Once you have s-off you're essentially done, and the last bit of work is to install the custom recovery and then any custom ROMs or modifications you'll want.
So you have ADB working and downloaded the two apps above. Lets get started.
First, launch KingRoot on your phone, and let it do it's magic trying to get you temporary root access. It'll likely fail a few times, but just keep doing it again until it works.
Once KingRoot says you have root, run Sunshine. It'll evaluate your phone and check if it has root access. If all is well, it'll prompt you to go pay $25 for the app, and will reboot your phone.
Once the phone has rebooted, launch KingRoot again and check to see if you still have tempRoot. You'll likely need to re-run KingRoot a few times until it gets root again.
Now that you have tempRoot again, and have paid the $25, go ahead and run Sunshine again. This time, it'll know you're ready to go, so let it run and it'll set your phone to s-off and reboot when it's done.
At this point, you've broken the man's lock over your phone! Go you!
The last step is to install a custom recovery, I suggest TWRP, which will allow you to backup and restore your phone, and also install things like a custom ROM. Details of how to install TWRP can be found here. You'll be using the ADB to push the code to your phone which is why we set it up and tested it first.
Once TWRP is installed, I recommend making a backup of your phone so you don't lose any information. You can do this in TWRP.
As a final step, and a way to show off your technological prowess, you can install a custom ROM. a whole forum of options and detailed explanations on how to install them can be found here. Some retain the same look and feel you're used to, while others use different user interfaces to offer a modified experience. Review the options and feel free to ask questions!
Good luck!

Hope you get this done, I will help in anyway I can.
You shouldn't need kingroot anymore, just download the sunshine app (http://theroot.ninja) to your device, install it and follow the steps.

I was 68 when I did mine. Just read here and follow the instructions.

Alllllrightttttty then !!!! When can you come over and do it>????
drumz0rz said:
I love this thread and really hope you can figure it out!
You'll need a few things to accomplish this. First you'll need to get s-off (which I explain below), then you get root access, and finally you install a custom recovery. Once that's done, you're good to go, and can install whatever custom ROM or flashy modifications you want without worry that you'll permanently ruin your phone. Here's a list of things you'll need to do it: KingRoot app, Sunshine app ($25! No way around this...), working Android Device Bridge (ADB) connection to a PC.
Note, rooting your phone (up to the custom recovery) will not erase any of your user data, however further changes (such as flashing a new ROM) likely will, so you'll want to back up everything.
s-on/off: This refers to the security setting of the phone. By default, the phone comes s-on, which protects access to reserved memory and prevents you from rooting your phone. You'll need to change this to s-off first. Once done though, it'll be s-off for good. There are ways to "return to stock" and set it back to s-on, or at least appear as such to a level 1 tech.
First thing you're going to want to do is get ADB working on your computer and ensure you can communicate with and control your phone from the ADB command line. This is arguably the hardest step for a lay person. Detailed instructions on how to get that working can be found here.
Once you can see your phone in ADB and have ensured that's working, you'll want to download the KingRoot app and Sunshine app to your phone using the sites I've linked. KingRoot will be used to get temporary root access to your phone. Once you get tempRoot, if you reboot your phone, you'll have to do it again. Temporary root access is required for Sunshine to do it's thing and set your phone to s-off. Once you have s-off you're essentially done, and the last bit of work is to install the custom recovery and then any custom ROMs or modifications you'll want.
So you have ADB working and downloaded the two apps above. Lets get started.
First, launch KingRoot on your phone, and let it do it's magic trying to get you temporary root access. It'll likely fail a few times, but just keep doing it again until it works.
Once KingRoot says you have root, run Sunshine. It'll evaluate your phone and check if it has root access. If all is well, it'll prompt you to go pay $25 for the app, and will reboot your phone.
Once the phone has rebooted, launch KingRoot again and check to see if you still have tempRoot. You'll likely need to re-run KingRoot a few times until it gets root again.
Now that you have tempRoot again, and have paid the $25, go ahead and run Sunshine again. This time, it'll know you're ready to go, so let it run and it'll set your phone to s-off and reboot when it's done.
At this point, you've broken the man's lock over your phone! Go you!
The last step is to install a custom recovery, I suggest TWRP, which will allow you to backup and restore your phone, and also install things like a custom ROM. Details of how to install TWRP can be found here. You'll be using the ADB to push the code to your phone which is why we set it up and tested it first.
Once TWRP is installed, I recommend making a backup of your phone so you don't lose any information. You can do this in TWRP.
As a final step, and a way to show off your technological prowess, you can install a custom ROM. a whole forum of options and detailed explanations on how to install them can be found here. Some retain the same look and feel you're used to, while others use different user interfaces to offer a modified experience. Review the options and feel free to ask questions!
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WOW THE LAST TIME I HAVE HAD MY MIND BLOWN LIKE THIS WAS BY A YOUNG LADY IN KOREA. I GUESS MY NEXT QUESTION IS WHAT IN SAM HILL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ? I'M GOING TO ATTEMPT TO FOLLOW YOUR INSTRUCTIONS BUT I THINK THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE I'M GONNA BREAK A HIP IF I TRY TWRPING.!!! AS SOON AS MY NIECE GETS HERE TO TAKE ME TO WALMART TO GET SOME PAPER FOR MY PRINTING UNIT. I WILL PRINT ALL THIS OUT AND START READING. I'M ONLY GOOD FOR ABOUT 5 PAGES OF EASY READING BEFORE I NOD OUT ONLY TO BE WOKEN UP BY THE IMPACT OF MY HEAD ON THE KEYBOARD. HAD TO WALK AROUND WITH GHBNM IMPRINTED ON MY HEAD FOR A WEEK LAST TIME. I'LL KEEP YOU ABREAST ON MY PROGRESS. THANK YOU FOR ALL THIS INFO AND YOUR QUICK RESPONSE ALTHOUGH I'M NOT TO SURE OF MY ABILITY TO COMPREHEND ANY OF IT.
THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE LIKE MY TOASTER. PUT BREAD IN CLICK ONE BUTTON WAIT AND DING ALL DONE AND NOW HAVE YUMMY TOAST. to be continued........

To make this super simple here are the steps:
1) http://theroot.ninja/download.html (Do the first link and after you finish that do the second.)
2) At this point you could potentially go to the app store, download TWRP which is a recovery program that is almost like a computer bios would be on a computer. Once you have that you could install it after selecting your phone and the TWRP version you want, I would select 2.8.0.0 as I had issues when I tried to flash higher the first time.
3) if that doesn't work you will need to install TWRP via Fastboot the directions for which are here:
https://twrp.me/devices/htconem8gsm.html
You can just put your phone in Fastboot mode and in a terminal on your computer that your phone is attached to type:
"fastboot devices" to make sure your phone is being seen.
"fastboot flash recovery twrp.img" to flash TWRP.
"fastboot reboot" to reboot the phone.
4) Here's the hardest step if you can't install TWRP from the app, installing ADB and Fastboot but just go to Youtube and look up some videos on that. There are some more details involved but you can ask when you get this done as this is all you'll need to install the custom ROMs.

Throttled to a halt in two ways is taking its tole on my project
********could not post with quote due to some error about posting 10 times.......something....yada...yada !!*******
Well gents, my carrier has throttled my speed so slow that it feels like I'm on dial-up in Bedrock. Looking at all those Utube videos and printing out instructions ate up 5 Gb in 3 days. So to make downloading the programs I need "time out" before they can be fully downloaded. But I'm still at. So bear with me. Did I mention that I got throttled? Not only by my carrier, but my doctor had to one up my carrier by informing me that I had a heart attack while shopping for print paper with my niece. I think I had a few more when she was driving me to the ER. So I'm a bit slower this week, but I still at it. Thanks for everyones help thus far. I better get to this before it gets to me.

Related

Absolute BEST root method for Aria: Unrevoked team's Root/Recovery reflash tool

This makes getting into Clockwork, well, clockwork. This flashes Clockwork custom recovery, replacing your stock recovery. To top it off, if you are running a stock ROM, it will root it in the process.
Great job, Unrevoked Team!
Once you load this, don't forget to donate to EFF.
Go get it!
NEW 08-01-2010: shad0wf0x has made a custom Ubuntu LiveCD spin with a script that pulls down the Unrevoked tool and runs it as root - all from the Ubuntu Desktop. This ends hassles for windows users having driver troubles, and requires NO LINUX KNOWLEDGE and NO LINUX INSTALLATION. This should work on any device supported by the unrevoked reflash tool.
Check out shad0wf0x's thread here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=7449486&postcount=1
Notes:
Please read Shadowmite's quoted post below carefully
Linux users MUST run reflash as root (sudo su or equivelent - this does NOT mean root is required on the phone - root is not required).
After flashing, the phone will go to Clockwork recovery when shut down with the USB cord connected and charging. Clockwork cannot be used reliably when started in this manner. To start clockwork, start with the USB disconnected and powered down completely, then start the phone into HBOOT and then recovery normally.
I have contacted Koush regarding the missing battery meter while charging. It's unlikely that this will be restored.
Shadowmite said:
Recovery Reflash Tool
Available for linux, mac, and windows all at once. Also should support Evo, Incredible, and Desire. To clarify it will require that you have root already. If you don't, please proceed with the other method (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=699088) for now to get it until we have a better option (which still is in the works).
First steps:
1. You will need to make sure in windows at least that you have the proper driver for hboot:
http://www.unrevoked.com/rootwiki/doku.php?id=public:windows_hboot_driver_install
2. You will also want to at some point do a adb shell into the phone and su if you have not. Superuser if installed will prompt you to give access. This must be done before the tool will work.
3. HTC Sync is BAD news... If you have it, please uninstall if you have issues, or just for spite. It interferes with us communicating to the device randomly, also pdanet, doubletwist etc could cause issues. If it uses USB and you have problems, try disabling/uninstalling until after the reflash is complete.
4. Make sure you have a sdcard in the phone, it's needed.
5. When asked ALWAYS CHOOSE CHARGE ONLY, perhaps you should check remember this...
THE LINK:http://unrevoked.com/recovery/
Help I'm stuck at waiting for system to settle
check these common issues:
- You switched your driver to the one from this post? It's NOT identical to the SDK one.
- You don't have any usb applications that might be taking focus while we are working with the phone right?
- Is the SD card present in the device?
- You did give su permenent access when you allowed it in superuser right?
---------------
If you want to donate, we prefer donations get made to the EFF. They protect our rights to do what we enjoy, reversing code in devices we own and making them do things we want them to do. Our team donation link is: http://action.eff.org/goto/unrevoked
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AAA!!! !!!
Wait for it!!!!!
Yesss!!!
Sent from my HTC Liberty using XDA App
This is indeed great news....NOW the real fun begins........
This just isn't working for me at all...I've tried it several times on multiple computers. It never does anything but say waiting for device...............
I have confirmed root several times and installed the proper drivers several times
so what exactly does this do?
nothing until the updated version is posted.
Edit: sorry about that, I didn't answer your question. It will flash Clockwork custom recovery on rooted Arias so that we don't have to go thru the crazy adb chase to get to clockwork. It will replace the stock recovery.
Almost... We haven't pushed the new version up quite yet.
_Opiate_ said:
This just isn't working for me at all...I've tried it several times on multiple computers. It never does anything but say waiting for device...............
I have confirmed root several times and installed the proper drivers several times
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, here's some news from shadowmite's site.
shadowmite blog said:
Recovery reflash is out…
Published at: 01:06 pm - Friday June 25 2010
Well we released the tool here, and already today we are adding a new device to support, the HTC Aria. Again rooted via the same recovery adbd race they too can benefit from a easy way to get back in to flash roms at will. We will be adding a FAQ to the unrevoked site as well in order to answer some common questions about the process.
http://unrevoked.com/recovery/
In other news, we also still intend to hopefully push a method which will greatly simplify getting root on the newer secure devices using another kernel exploit. While it’s in progress and we have seen it work on desktop machines, and even the android emulator, the phones remain resistant so far. Hopefully we will get this taken care of.
We also have a intent to release a full nand unlock (as opposed to the temporary unlock we use to flash this recovery) which will manifest via a hboot flash. Being a much riskier thing, we are trying to cover ourselves completely before bricking devices testing this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This will make my forays into Froyo much less stressful... you know, not having to spend three hours trying to get clockwork running before I can get my changes onto the phone after I do yet another thing to try fixing the kernel. xD
i think i just cried SO BEAUTIFUL
Have they updated the tool yet?
I haven't heard anything yet.
Almost! We're working out a FAQ and slight revamp to the webpage that was a needed bit. almost up.
Shadowmite said:
Almost! We're working out a FAQ and slight revamp to the webpage that was a needed bit. almost up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool. This will make a few happy campers.
Attn1 a question about your quote section on the first post, it says uninstall HTC sync is that for us? If so how do I get my necessary drivers to stay on my computer while uninstalling the linked program? Sorry I am just a little confused...
cropythy said:
Attn1 a question about your quote section on the first post, it says uninstall HTC sync is that for us? If so how do I get my necessary drivers to stay on my computer while uninstalling the linked program? Sorry I am just a little confused...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, according to Shadowmite's directions, Sync messes up this process. If you have a linux livecd, better to do it from that. I did mine on a Linux box.
Ok, it's live! HTCSync is a problem, it likes to random mess with the communications. Please remove it and then reinstall after you flash...
Also make sure to choose charge only!
Have fun, it's up and ready!
http://unrevoked.com/recovery/
I don't really feel like messing around with linux right now, but really want to try this, is there a workable way to get the drivers without htc sync?

[Q] Rooting for Newbies

I am getting my new Thunderbolt tonight. After some research, I have decided for some specific reasons I would like to root this phone. I have never rooted a phone before and would like some direction.
The first step as I understand it is to back up the original operating system. How is that done? After that what's next? What I need is the wifi hotspot feature unlocked. Is there a specific root to accomplish this? What's been proven the best so far?
If someone wants to email me personally on this, feel free. I need to do this, but can't afford to brick a brand new phone.
Thanks.
Rooting is just a way to gain complete control of your phone. There aren't different types and the best way to do it is in this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=996616.
Just follow those steps and you should be fine. You don't need to back up your entire operating system to root but you might want to back up your applications so you can easily reinstall them. After you follow the steps in that thread and are rooted just search for wireless tether in the market and it lets you tether for free.
You. said:
Rooting is just a way to gain complete control of your phone. There aren't different types and the best way to do it is in this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=996616.
Just follow those steps and you should be fine. You don't need to back up your entire operating system to root but you might want to back up your applications so you can easily reinstall them. After you follow the steps in that thread and are rooted just search for wireless tether in the market and it lets you tether for free.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can second that. I literally just completed rooting my Thunderbolt that I received today. I followed the 10 step program from the thread (my wife thinks I need a 12 step program with my phone addiction ). It ran without a hitch just type (or cut and paste) exactly as written. I wanted to thank the OP in the development thread, but I need 10 posts so this is another one!
I believe what you've heard about backing up the original operating system is what you do right after you've rooted before you begin flashing custom roms and kernels which is the main reason you root in the first place. There is plenty of info but here's a little list.
1. Follow the rooting thread that You posted above me (Who's on first? What's on second?)
2. Install Rom Manager (RM).
3. Launch Rom manager and install clockwork recovery(first option on RM)
4. Second option on RM is boot into recovery.
5. Once in recovery go into Backup /Restor
6. Choose Backup - This is called a Nandroid Backup and is a snapshot of your phone in it's current state. It saves the backup onto the phone under /clockworkmod/backup place a copy of the backup on your computer for safe keeping and leave the copy on your phone in case of worries.
That should get you started.
Those are the steps I took to root.
Sent from my rooted Thunderbolt with VirusROM AirborneTB. Xda premium
Another option is the easyroot method:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1005292
I just rooted my thunderbolt last night using the easyroot method and didn't run into any major issues. Had to rerun a couple steps, but nothing more than that.
I'm now running BAMF-Remix 1.5 with the radio upate and status bar clock removed.
I literally had zero experience in regards to this and am still confused by some of the terminology, so if I can do it, I have no doubt you should be able to accomplish rooting your phone!
Good luck!
I would suggest using the procedure that jcase posted. It is simple, easy, and you will gain some valuable knowledge of adb which could be useful to you in the future. The process is simple, just copy and paste the commands. The adb knowledge will definitely help you down the road, even though it is minor. Also any problems can be traced to a step. With a one click process it is tough to determine where an issue went wrong.
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA App
jmiller98 said:
I would suggest using the procedure that jcase posted. It is simple, easy, and you will gain some valuable knowledge of adb which could be useful to you in the future. The process is simple, just copy and paste the commands. The adb knowledge will definitely help you down the road, even though it is minor. Also any problems can be traced to a step. With a one click process it is tough to determine where an issue went wrong.
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Easier said than done coming from someone who has been around for a while. I couldn't even figure out how to get adb installed... I installed the Android SDK and had to install the Java SDK but I was still clueless how to actually get adb going... I downloaded the ADB+Drivers for 64bit which had the adb.exe but obviously this can't be ran standalone. So being a complete ignorant fool, is the reason I ended up opting for the easyroot method. That being said, I did intially try for the manual method lol.
I knew nothing about rooting and followed the steps after not being able to do the quick root. AND learned a lot about adb. Good Luck
Your no fool. Alot of the adb setup videos and tutorials are old. It change the execute file from the "tools" directory to "platform-tools" directory. That did stump me since i had to reset up adb on a new computer. I have not been around that long, just did alot of reading, and came from the incredible forum where i turned into a flash junkie with alot of help.
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA App
after you are done rooting deffinately flash clockworkmod recovery and flash a custom rom. I trouble getting root to stay without a custom rom.
In rom manager it gives me an option to flash cwm. What does it do when I flash clockwork recovery?
Sent from my rooted Thunderbolt with VirusROM AirborneTB. Xda premium
Rooting my TB was a pain but it was well worth it. Hopefully there is a faster, easier method now.
Battery life on my rooted TB with leankernel is comparable to what my battery was on my Droid x, if not better
If you're having problems with getting started, you can check out this link:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=502010
Breaks it down and walks you through setting up ADB. Had I found this prior to doing the easyroot method, I'd have gone through the manual way as well.
Just got ADB installed and gonna start tinkering around with the manual way of things.
Good luck.

[Q] Can someone braindump me on M8 hacking?

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.
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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!

Dumb newbie questions (eventually want to downgrade from Lollipop to Kit Kat)

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.

[ROOT][TUTORIAL] How to root your SM-T337A with SuperSU (Temporary root)

I've made this thread to teach T337A owners how to root their device with SuperSU. Please note that this is a system-less root, meaning it's temporary, but can be re-applied. Rooting only takes about 5-7 minutes and brings numerous tweaks and advantages to your device. Just remember that every time you reboot or shut the device down, you will need to repeat the rooting process. This tutorial was designed for Lollipop 5.1.1, but it should work on KitKat as well.
Before beginning, you will need to download the following file, unzip it on your pc, then transfer it to your device's internal storage/external sd card.
T337AUCU2BOH4 (Lollipop) firmware can be found here
Root Files can be found here
Lets start!
1) Install both the APK files in the file on your device, If prompted, allow installation from unknown sources.
2) Make sure your device is connected to WiFi, then open Kingroot.
3) Once Kingroot is "Done searching for the best root strategy", click the "Try Now" button and wait about 3 minutes for KingRoot to give you a "Root Successfully" message.
4) This is where it gets kinda tricky, immediately after receiving the root success message, go into SuperSU-me, and grant root permissions when prompted.
5) Click on the big blue button in the middle of the frame and wait about 1 minute for the process to complete. DO NOT UPDATE THE SUPERSU BINARY, IT WILL CAUSE YOUR DEVICE TO BOOTLOOP.
6) IMMEDIATELY after the process has completed, go into Settings and make sure KingRoot or Purify is not installed! This is an important step because Kingroot and Kingroot adware tends to install itself in the system partition which can cause problems and frustration.
7 - Recommended) Download a root file explorer (such as ES File Explorer) and search "King" under /data and /system to ensure that the KingRoot app and its bloatware has been wiped from the system. This is to ensure that Kingroot still works properly after a reboot.
8) Enjoy root access!
If this tutorial helped you please be sure to hit the :good: button. If you had any issues or troubles during this process please feel free to let me know down below.
Cheers!
@KingOfTheNet
will flashfire work? bc it wont with kingroot
also, could itit.d be enabled and run these off of a script for example on startup so we don't have to do this after each reboot/shutdown
but i believe you would have to capture kingroots data somehow in the process of rooting
toolhas4degrees said:
@KingOfTheNet
will flashfire work? bc it wont with kingroot
also, could itit.d be enabled and run these off of a script for example on startup so we don't have to do this after each reboot/shutdown
but i believe you would have to capture kingroots data somehow in the process of rooting
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FlashFire does work on SuperSU, I've tested that for myself. It does not work with KingRoot.
For the second question, I'm not sure. I haven't looked through that file myself and I might look through it later but right now, I would just avoid rebooting the tablet if you wanna keep root without repeating the process over and over again. It's what I do, repeating the process over and over again can get very tedious and annoying.
Cheers!
I assume you're talking about 5.1.1? It won't work with kingroot versions higher than 4.8. Also, flashfire will load, but if you try to flash a zip you're screwed. You can actually use replace kingroot with supersu zip in terminal emulator on any version kingroot. Same deal with su binary, don't update it. Wish I could figure out how I had permanent for with kingroot. I had to go messing with things and lost it. Nothing really special about this method, unless there's a dev out there that can do something with it.
xjimmy said:
I assume you're talking about 5.1.1? It won't work with kingroot versions higher than 4.8. Also, flashfire will load, but if you try to flash a zip you're screwed. You can actually use replace kingroot with supersu zip in terminal emulator on any version kingroot. Same deal with su binary, don't update it. Wish I could figure out how I had permanent for with kingroot. I had to go messing with things and lost it. Nothing really special about this method, unless there's a dev out there that can do something with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the late response. Yes, somethings I forgot to mention in the original post:
1)Updating the SU Binary will put your device in a bootloop
2)Flashing anything with flashfire (based on what I've seen) results in a soft brick
3) I know you can replace kingroot with SuperSU in terminal, but when you reboot, you're unrooted again.
4) I'm trying to figure out how I could altar the boot.img so we can get permanent SuperSU on this thing the same way Chainfire did it with the US and Qualcomm Samsung Galaxy S7's.
Cheers!
Hi, @KingOfTheNet, thanks for helping out with this device, i rooted my device on KK nk2 build and now updated to 5.1.1, thanks to you! now i would like to root 5.1.1 (am aware it is a temp. root)
i have superSu Pro, do i need Super Sume for this to work?
KingOfTheNet said:
Sorry for the late response. Yes, somethings I forgot to mention in the original post:
1)Updating the SU Binary will put your device in a bootloop
2)Flashing anything with flashfire (based on what I've seen) results in a soft brick
3) I know you can replace kingroot with SuperSU in terminal, but when you reboot, you're unrooted again.
4) I'm trying to figure out how I could altar the boot.img so we can get permanent SuperSU on this thing the same way Chainfire did it with the US and Qualcomm Samsung Galaxy S7's.
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Somehow I had it permanently rooted with kingroot a while back. I had the 4.9.6 apk on my tab at the time, is all I know. I could've updated from an earlier version, and maybe that was the cause. I've tried so many different versions of kingroot with no luck, but one peculiar occurrence; if I open kingroot, get into the settings and uninstall kingroot without saving a backup of root, then delete all the files in the tablet's main directory, and reinstall kingroot version 4.8.0, it somehow retains a partial permanent root. At least on my T337A running 5.1.1 BOH4 it will, as long as I get a fresh install of 4.8.0, let it root, then hit the optimize button right after. Then wait until it finally tells me that kingroot has been deployed as a system app. After that, when I try to open any root apps, the screen will darken as it does when the root permission tab pops up, but it never pops up. The app just freezes. I can kill it in the task manager screen to just go back to using my tablet. After I restart the tab, sometimes it'll tell me an app has been granted superuser permissions. If I open up terminal emulator, type in the 'su' command and hit enter, the screen will turn dark again like it's going to ask me to allow or deny superuser permission, but it just freezes like that again. I've tried all kinds of stuff with 4.8.0, but I still can't get it to stick. If you don't hit the optimize button in kingroot right after rooting, and just wait for kingroot to install as a system app, the allow/deny prompt comes up without freezing, but the partial permanent root glitch doesn't remain. ugh, tired of messing with it though. lol
Edit: I may be wrong. It might need to be rooted with 4.8.0, optimized, then rebooted right away for the partial root. I'll try to do it again and let you know what I find.
bklyndiaz said:
Hi, @KingOfTheNet, thanks for helping out with this device, i rooted my device on KK nk2 build and now updated to 5.1.1, thanks to you! now i would like to root 5.1.1 (am aware it is a temp. root)
i have superSu Pro, do i need Super Sume for this to work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm happy to help out! You'd need king root installed, root the tab with king root, then use SuperSU me to replace the kingroot binaries with the SuperSU ones. It is an automatic process and should only take about 30 seconds or less. Pro version of SUPERSUme is not required, free version should work just fine.
Cheers!
xjimmy said:
Somehow I had it permanently rooted with kingroot a while back. I had the 4.9.6 apk on my tab at the time, is all I know. I could've updated from an earlier version, and maybe that was the cause. I've tried so many different versions of kingroot with no luck, but one peculiar occurrence; if I open kingroot, get into the settings and uninstall kingroot without saving a backup of root, then delete all the files in the tablet's main directory, and reinstall kingroot version 4.8.0, it somehow retains a partial permanent root. At least on my T337A running 5.1.1 BOH4 it will, as long as I get a fresh install of 4.8.0, let it root, then hit the optimize button right after. Then wait until it finally tells me that kingroot has been deployed as a system app. After that, when I try to open any root apps, the screen will darken as it does when the root permission tab pops up, but it never pops up. The app just freezes. I can kill it in the task manager screen to just go back to using my tablet. After I restart the tab, sometimes it'll tell me an app has been granted superuser permissions. If I open up terminal emulator, type in the 'su' command and hit enter, the screen will turn dark again like it's going to ask me to allow or deny superuser permission, but it just freezes like that again. I've tried all kinds of stuff with 4.8.0, but I still can't get it to stick. If you don't hit the optimize button in kingroot right after rooting, and just wait for kingroot to install as a system app, the allow/deny prompt comes up without freezing, but the partial permanent root glitch doesn't remain. ugh, tired of messing with it though. lol
Edit: I may be wrong. It might need to be rooted with 4.8.0, optimized, then rebooted right away for the partial root. I'll try to do it again and let you know what I find.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kingroot does allow your device to retain permanent root after a certain time. However, Kingroot is not as powerful as SuperSU, is very limited in terms of what It can do, and has it's own 'bloatware' titled Purify. I'd honestly stick with SuperSU because it's (probably) the most powerful and efficient way to root your phone. I'd also suggest avoiding having to reboot the tablet at all with temp root because you would have to take 5 minutes to install it again, which was a pain in the butt for me.
As for the kingroot app freezing, that's usually the result of a bad download or a bad root. Plus kingroot is very limited in terms of what you can do on your kingrooted device. SUPERSU is the equivalent of an IOS jailbreak. SUPERSU gives you full control of your device, with no bloatware and limits, unlike kingroot.
Kingroot does sometimes delete the su binaries upon rebooting, which is another reason I don't like it all that much.
Another theory I thought of is that it's not Kingroot that's deleting the binaries, it's actually something that's set to happen when the device boots up. Either the actual Android os or the bootloader searches for and deletes the su binaries to prevent root.
I don't know for sure, I've kinda slowed down work on this device mainly because of a project I've been working on with the Samsung Galaxy S7 AT&T (SM-G930A). I'll look into these things when I get the chance.
Cheers!
I understand the limitations of Kingroot, and certainly supersu by all means is better. In the case of flashfire with supersu in this scenario, it's merely the difference of being able to open and run it just enough to work improperly and brick your device vs. Kingroot not being able to open it at all. I posted in a thread long before this one, how to replace kingroot with supersu, only I use the zip file in terminal emulator. Pretty sure I went over flashfire as well. The terminal emulator method works with new versions of kingroot, unlike supersu me. Are you suggesting that the T337A running 5.1.1 BOH4 can achieve permanent root via kingroot after "a certain amount of time"? Because I'm the only one I've seen on xda who's ever posted that they had permanent root from kingroot, but I didn't know how I did it. After I messed with things, i softbricked and had to flash back to stock, which, no offense, the stock file was available way before you posted it. Anyway, it's not the kingroot app freezing per se, i was talking about after rebooting, and without re-rooting, when trying to use rooted apps, they actually start to engage in the kingroot request superuser permissions pop-up. So, no, it's not a bad download, etc. I believe an older version of kingroot somehow permanently rooted my tab, perhaps with the help of something I was messing with at the time, perhaps not. I've intentionally rebooted my tab an unimaginable amount of times, testing to see if I possibly regained permanent root to no avail, so I know how that works. And it's not about having a hard time deciding on kingroot or supersu for a temproot, it's the interest in permanent root, the possibility off something like safestrap, and/or flashing custom roms, etc. When people say temproot is better or safer, i say boo. How many custom roms include a root toggle in the settings? Anyway I wish I could've gotten hold of a developer while I had permanent root. Maybe I could've done a system dump, or even try replacing the permanent kingroot with supers and drying out that could've stuck. You say you slowed down on this device, do you mean you were pursuing permanent root for it? Are you a developer? I have the AT&T S7 Edge (G935A). What's your project on the 930? Is it something for rooted S7's? I still have my edge running the engboot with the echoRom. Anyway, thanks for your reply.
---------- Post added at 01:01 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:51 AM ----------
https://forum.xda-developers.com/tab-4/help/t337a-temp-root-bootlp-fix-tar-official-t3473737
*https://forum.xda-developers.com/tab-4/general/permanent-root-t337a-5-1-1-kingroot-t3518334
A couple of threads I started a long time ago that may be of interest to you.
xjimmy said:
I understand the limitations of Kingroot, and certainly supersu by all means is better. In the case of flashfire with supersu in this scenario, it's merely the difference of being able to open and run it just enough to work improperly and brick your device vs. Kingroot not being able to open it at all. I posted in a thread long before this one, how to replace kingroot with supersu, only I use the zip file in terminal emulator. Pretty sure I went over flashfire as well. The terminal emulator method works with new versions of kingroot, unlike supersu me. Are you suggesting that the T337A running 5.1.1 BOH4 can achieve permanent root via kingroot after "a certain amount of time"? Because I'm the only one I've seen on xda who's ever posted that they had permanent root from kingroot, but I didn't know how I did it. After I messed with things, i softbricked and had to flash back to stock, which, no offense, the stock file was available way before you posted it. Anyway, it's not the kingroot app freezing per se, i was talking about after rebooting, and without re-rooting, when trying to use rooted apps, they actually start to engage in the kingroot request superuser permissions pop-up. So, no, it's not a bad download, etc. I believe an older version of kingroot somehow permanently rooted my tab, perhaps with the help of something I was messing with at the time, perhaps not. I've intentionally rebooted my tab an unimaginable amount of times, testing to see if I possibly regained permanent root to no avail, so I know how that works. And it's not about having a hard time deciding on kingroot or supersu for a temproot, it's the interest in permanent root, the possibility off something like safestrap, and/or flashing custom roms, etc. When people say temproot is better or safer, i say boo. How many custom roms include a root toggle in the settings? Anyway I wish I could've gotten hold of a developer while I had permanent root. Maybe I could've done a system dump, or even try replacing the permanent kingroot with supers and drying out that could've stuck. You say you slowed down on this device, do you mean you were pursuing permanent root for it? Are you a developer? I have the AT&T S7 Edge (G935A). What's your project on the 930? Is it something for rooted S7's? I still have my edge running the engboot with the echoRom. Anyway, thanks for your reply.
---------- Post added at 01:01 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:51 AM ----------
https://forum.xda-developers.com/tab-4/help/t337a-temp-root-bootlp-fix-tar-official-t3473737
*https://forum.xda-developers.com/tab-4/general/permanent-root-t337a-5-1-1-kingroot-t3518334
A couple of threads I started a long time ago that may be of interest to you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No offence taken on the firmware post, I was simply trying to spread the fact that the firmware for the device does exist but is very hard to find and is often posted on shady websites for money, unless you're looking in the right places. It only took me 5 minutes on Google to find one of those sites.
You asked if I was saying that the Tab 4 BOH4 firmware allows you to retain permanent root after some time, and yes, that's exactly what I was saying. I rooted my tablet with Kingroot 4.8.0 a while back and after about 4 - 5 reboots (I counted how many times I rebooted it, but the numbers could vary), It retained root. All I do today is avoid rebooting the tablet at all costs. I prefer SuperSU because, like we've said, there are almost no limitations of what you can do in terms of being rooted. I'm trying to find out how I can make root permanent on the tab with SuperSU by using the eng-boot method used to root all Qualcomm variants of the Galaxy S7, but that may take a while. Since my S7 has the eng-boot root method, I can reboot it all I want and it stays rooted with SuperSU. But at this point, It's just an Idea. I mainly need to find out whether or not the bootloader or the os is wiping the binaries on boot. Some older and newer versions of kingroot can retain root after reboot, but I have yet to find a version of the app that can do so.
Actually, some versions of Cyanogenmod and other custom roms had root pre-installed (not like SuperSU, but close enough), and like CM specifically, there was a section in the settings app for this pre-baked root. Even if I still used CM today, I still would've flashed SuperSU. But on a small number of devices, temp root really is better. However, most of those devices that would be on that list have very little to no development on them. Thus, they are not yet (and may never be) supported for permanent root.
I am partially on the road to becoming a developer, but I don't know how far that's gonna go (my prediction is not that far at all). I was doing research on how I could make an eng-boot for the Tab 4, but I became interested in my Galaxy S7 (AT&T). By that, I mean I wanted to make my own custom version of the stock Marshmallow rom ("Custom but stock OS"). To shorten it up, I wanted to create a .zip flashable "super package" which included SuperSU v2.79, Viper4Android, Overclock tools, and other stuff. I've kinda been on and off in terms of motivation to make this idea a reality, primarily because most of the things I wanted to include in this "package", can easily be installed by you in like 3 minutes, or maybe less. The original motive behind the idea was to lessen the work for power users who wanted to free their device "from the shackles". I've been on and off on work between both devices, but It's hard for me to continue the work without proper motivation. These projects are merely just an Idea at this point, but some drafts and copies do exist on my computer.
Creating a custom Android rom straight from my own head is basically an impossible task for me, considering most of the devices I work with have locked bootloaders. I am still learning Java and other Android programming languages in some of my free time but, again, the motivation to continue is something I struggle to find.
Cheers!
Upgrading OS and rooting
I am currently running my t337a on 4.4.2 with build NK2. I was able to root with towel root awhile ago. I want to upgrade my os to 5.1.1 and root after but would like to make sure I go about it the right way.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
loc626 said:
I am currently running my t337a on 4.4.2 with build NK2. I was able to root with towel root awhile ago. I want to upgrade my os to 5.1.1 and root after but would like to make sure I go about it the right way.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can root on the latest Lollipop firmware, but it's systemless supersu/temporary, meaning it will go away if you shutdown or reboot the device (you can re-root it, of course, but It can be annoying). The option to upgrade is up to you, and once you do upgrade, you can't downgrade (Locked bootloader & different bootloader versions. Lollipop has the new bootloader.) If you are going to upgrade, you can flash the Lollipop firmware via Odin or upgrade via OTA. If upgrading, I recommend taking it over the air, mainly because I'm still working up Odin packages for them. The Odin packages that I do have available are the BOH4 (the previous and the initial Lollipop update) ones, so if you upgrade OTA, it'll take away one step in the upgrade process, making your life a tad bit easier. Reply back if you need further help or have any more questions.
Cheers!
KingOfTheNet said:
You can root on the latest Lollipop firmware, but it's systemless supersu/temporary, meaning it will go away if you shutdown or reboot the device (you can re-root it, of course, but It can be annoying). The option to upgrade is up to you, and once you do upgrade, you can't downgrade (Locked bootloader & different bootloader versions. Lollipop has the new bootloader.) If you are going to upgrade, you can flash the Lollipop firmware via Odin or upgrade via OTA. If upgrading, I recommend taking it over the air, mainly because I'm still working up Odin packages for them. The Odin packages that I do have available are the BOH4 (the previous and the initial Lollipop update) ones, so if you upgrade OTA, it'll take away one step in the upgrade process, making your life a tad bit easier. Reply back if you need further help or have any more questions.
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm highly considering an upgrade for the feel and hopefully a better performance. Also, a few apps I have need updates but only compatible on Android 5 and up. I have the OTA ready to go. Would I need to unroot before upgrading the OS?
loc626 said:
I'm highly considering an upgrade for the feel and hopefully a better performance. Also, a few apps I have need updates but only compatible on Android 5 and up. I have the OTA ready to go. Would I need to unroot before upgrading the OS?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It would be best to unroot before installing to avoid any issues during the installation. Other then that, you're in the clear! Just remember, you cannot downgrade after the install!
Cheers!
KingOfTheNet said:
4) I'm trying to figure out how I could altar the boot.img so we can get permanent SuperSU on this thing the same way Chainfire did it with the US and Qualcomm Samsung Galaxy S7's.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have always been under the assumption that the boot.img for the locked BL on the s7 was literally an engineering kernel from Samsung, and not something Chainfire created. The reason Im saying this is because if Chainfire created a boot image that can get around a locked bootloader, then logic should state that he cracked Sprint/ATT's signature for the BL. So my way of thinking is the success of even one locked boot loader ... it should apply across the board for all, correct? Or am I waaaaay off? lol
leeboski44 said:
I have always been under the assumption that the boot.img for the locked BL on the s7 was literally an engineering kernel from Samsung, and not something Chainfire created. The reason Im saying this is because if Chainfire created a boot image that can get around a locked bootloader, then logic should state that he cracked Sprint/ATT's signature for the BL. So my way of thinking is the success of even one locked boot loader ... it should apply across the board for all, correct? Or am I waaaaay off? lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
(1st question) Actually yeah, lol. It was an engineering kernel, he didn't make it . I'm assuming that was used during the development of the phone so Samsung and AT&T could construct the OS without running into any issues with the phones locked bootloader. At the time, I thought that Chainfire thought of some "mad science" to altar the boot.img so that it wont check the signatures of any of the files on boot.
Now I'm thinking:
1) He found a way to obtain all the phones signatures so that way he knows what signature the desired files (like a build of TWRP, or instance) would have to have so it can flash and boot properly.
--OR--
2) He somehow obtained or reproduced the engineering kernel that, like I said, was most likely used during software development for the phone (constructing the OS and the rest of the software).
I've done a little research on what engineering kernels actually do and why they are so useful now (to most people, the name is enough, lol). Apparently, they completely skip some of the signature checks on boot, primarily for /SYSTEM (The OS), which is why we were able to achieve permanent root the Qualcomm Galaxy S7 & S7 edge models. I do not think they skip signature checks for /RECOVERY or /BOOT, but we know that if we either reproduce or obtain the engineering kernel for this tablet, we can achieve permanent root the exact same way. I could be wrong, as I do not know for certain the Ins and outs of engineering kernels and how to get them, but It is very possible.
(2nd question) Now, I do not have much knowledge of bootloaders and signature checks, but I would go to the best assumption that since Sprint & AT&T, for example, are 2 completely different companies and are not affiliated (as of writing this), their bootloaders and updates would not have the same signatures. If they did, then Sprint would have to go to AT&T to sign their updates and such, and AT&T would have to do the same thing for Sprint. It just wouldn't really make sense. Lets think of it this way, If Target wants to sell a product in their stores that's already sold at Walmart, then should Target have to go to Walmart to get that approved? Or if Walmart wanted to sell something that's already sold at Target, then should Walmart have to go to Target for approval? Absolutely not, that wouldn't make any sense. Once again, I could be wrong, but it would make the most sense.
Please, anyone, correct me if I'm wrong.
Cheers!
KingOfTheNet said:
(1st question) Actually yeah, lol. It was an engineering kernel, he didn't make it . I'm assuming that was used during the development of the phone so Samsung and AT&T could construct the OS without running into any issues with the phones locked bootloader. At the time, I thought that Chainfire thought of some "mad science" to altar the boot.img so that it wont check the signatures of any of the files on boot.
Now I'm thinking:
1) He found a way to obtain all the phones signatures so that way he knows what signature the desired files (like a build of TWRP, or instance) would have to have so it can flash and boot properly.
--OR--
2) He somehow obtained or reproduced the engineering kernel that, like I said, was most likely used during software development for the phone (constructing the OS and the rest of the software).
I've done a little research on what engineering kernels actually do and why they are so useful now (to most people, the name is enough, lol). Apparently, they completely skip some of the signature checks on boot, primarily for /SYSTEM (The OS), which is why we were able to achieve permanent root the Qualcomm Galaxy S7 & S7 edge models. I do not think they skip signature checks for /RECOVERY or /BOOT, but we know that if we either reproduce or obtain the engineering kernel for this tablet, we can achieve permanent root the exact same way. I could be wrong, as I do not know for certain the Ins and outs of engineering kernels and how to get them, but It is very possible.
(2nd question) Now, I do not have much knowledge of bootloaders and signature checks, but I would go to the best assumption that since Sprint & AT&T, for example, are 2 completely different companies and are not affiliated (as of writing this), their bootloaders and updates would not have the same signatures. If they did, then Sprint would have to go to AT&T to sign their updates and such, and AT&T would have to do the same thing for Sprint. It just wouldn't really make sense. Lets think of it this way, If Target wants to sell a product in their stores that's already sold at Walmart, then should Target have to go to Walmart to get that approved? Or if Walmart wanted to sell something that's already sold at Target, then should Walmart have to go to Target for approval? Absolutely not, that wouldn't make any sense. Once again, I could be wrong, but it would make the most sense.
Please, anyone, correct me if I'm wrong.
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No that makes perfect sense and thanks for clearing it up.
The whole thing about the signature being the means by which the bootloader is locked is important. Atleast to me it is, so thank you for clearing that up. :good: And so, it makes sense that the System partitions Signature check being skipped IS what allows access to root. But where my opinion differs on this is the Boot and Recovery implementation of the Signatures. I believe that it IS the carriers implementation that does not allow the Recovery and Boot partitions to be modified. If it were Samsungs then how is Samsung going to incorporate a Universal bootloader that knows how to load all carriers data, policy, etc?
And possibly this is what you were saying above and I am misreading it...
***EDIT*** I see you said that the signatures would NOT be the same between carriers, so I am in line with your theory there as well.
leeboski44 said:
No that makes perfect sense and thanks for clearing it up.
The whole thing about the signature being the means by which the bootloader is locked is important. Atleast to me it is, so thank you for clearing that up. :good: And so, it makes sense that the System partitions Signature check being skipped IS what allows access to root. But where my opinion differs on this is the Boot and Recovery implementation of the Signatures. I believe that it IS the carriers implementation that does not allow the Recovery and Boot partitions to be modified. If it were Samsungs then how is Samsung going to incorporate a Universal bootloader that knows how to load all carriers data, policy, etc?
And possibly this is what you were saying above and I am misreading it...
***EDIT*** I see you said that the signatures would NOT be the same between carriers, so I am in line with your theory there as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm glad I could be of help, however I don't see where I stated that the signature implementations on the BOOT and RECOVERY partitions was Samsung's idea not the carriers, if you could point that out for me that would be great.:good:
The engineering kernels skip SOME signature checks, both when flashing and booting into partitions, but I do not know exactly which ones they skip. We know it skips some of the signatures for /SYSTEM, but it does not do the same for the 2 other main ones, those being /BOOT & /RECOVERY. We know because "one of our own" attempted to flash their own build of TWRP recovery to the device (SM-G930A to be specific) only to get a signature check fail when booting the phone, which of course means that the phone has a locked bootloader and that the signatures for the /RECOVERY partition are still checked, but I do not know for certain about /BOOT. If I had to assume I'd say that /BOOT isn't checked, given the fact that if your phone is rooted then you would have had to flash the engineering kernel, which, like I said, skips some signature checks.
I hope I've cleared most things up for you.
Cheers!
KingOfTheNet said:
I've made this thread to teach T337A owners how to root their device with SuperSU. Please note that this is a system-less root, meaning it's temporary, but can be re-applied. Rooting only takes about 5-7 minutes and brings numerous tweaks and advantages to your device. Just remember that every time you reboot or shut the device down, you will need to repeat the rooting process. This tutorial was designed for Lollipop 5.1.1, but it should work on KitKat as well.
Before beginning, you will need to download the following file, unzip it on your pc, then transfer it to your device's internal storage/external sd card.
Root File: https://mega.nz/#!74Jl0ZqY!knlHuexbYGFkk1f4wHxq16u3L38EtfR9scQ0H7hISTA
Lets start!
1) Install both the APK files in the file on your device, If prompted, allow installation from unknown sources.
2) Make sure your device is connected to WiFi, then open Kingroot.
3) Once Kingroot is "Done searching for the best root strategy", click the "Try Now" button and wait about 3 minutes for KingRoot to give you a "Root Successfully" message.
4) This is where it gets kinda tricky, immediately after receiving the root success message, go into SuperSU-me, and grant root permissions when prompted.
5) Click on the big blue button in the middle of the frame and wait about 1 minute for the process to complete. DO NOT UPDATE THE SUPERSU BINARY, IT WILL BOOTLOOP.
6) IMMEDIATELY after the process has completed, go into Settings and make sure KingRoot or Purify is not installed! This is an important step because Kingroot and Kingroot adware tends to install itself in the system partition which can cause problems and frustration.
7 - Recommended) Download a root file explorer and search "King" under /data and /system to ensure that the KingRoot app and its bloatware has been wiped from the system.
8) Enjoy root access!
If this tutorial helped you please be sure to hit the :good: button. If you had any issues or troubles during this process please feel free to let me know down below.
Need T337A firmware? Check out my thread here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/tab-4/general/download-sm-t337a-lollipop-firmware-t3536509
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The firmware you provided saved my sm-t337A tablet from being soft bricked. Although I was able to gain temp root from this method, king root tried to disable the SELinux on my device and after trying to temp root again caused the app to implant itself as bloatware into the /systems folder and was non functional when using the app. Do you happen to know of a custom recovery (TWRP or CWM) which would work for this device?

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