Related
Hello,
I have bought a North American (Canadian, to be exact) Galaxy Gio (S5660M, with an additional "M" from the European model).
There are lots of tutorials about S5660 rooting and unlocking, but none for S5660M. There has been some reports that flashing S5660 firmware on S5660M to root and unlock made their phones unusable (randomly changing screen brightness, etc).
I tried searching on google and XDA, but could not find any relating to S5660M.
Is it too early to see any rooting/unlocking on S5660M?
Thank you very much!
Hello,
After some reading on here to compare unlock methods, I decided to take the leap into the unknown. I used the one published in this thread. (EDIT: Check out this one instead, perfectly safe.) (It turns out that the Gravity Smart, Galaxy Q, 551, 550, Mini, Ace, Fit, and Gio are siblings in a few respects. They all share Qualcomm 7x27 family SoCs.)
One deviation from the above linked thread is that SuperOneClick does not work on the 2.3.4 MUGK3 firmware. Updated versions of SuperOneClick do work with the firmware. Worst case scenario the program won't finish gracefully, but you'll have a root shell and you can work from there.
I've uploaded my modified superuser zip that'll work with the 5660M. Install through recovery mode. Removed - the superuser files within were long obsolete. Get the current ones through proper channels.
I wouldn't risk flashing the ROMs posted here until we can get a complete backup ROM, either from samfirmware.com (they don't have one yet) or through efforts here. I'll be starting another thread here for that purpose. Backup made a long time ago and SamMobile has had an official Odin image for some time as well.
There's been some issues reported with the 5660M, ranging from odd screen brightness behavior to bricking. (Many ROMs initially posted for the 5660, left "as is" also flash both the kernel and radio: not good.)
Goodbye,
Darkshado
Thank you for the reply! I have successfully rooted & unlocked using the modified zip. I am not sure if it was your's (I have done it prior to looking at your reply... ), but it worked!
thank you!
Darkshado said:
Hello,
After some reading on here to compare unlock methods, I decided to take the leap into the unknown. I used the one published in this thread. (It turns out that the Mini, Ace and Gio are siblings in a few respects.) Make extra sure to follow the steps intelligently, especially the bit right after you get your code.
One deviation from the above linked thread is that SuperOneClick does not work on the 2.3.4 MUGK3 firmware.
I've uploaded my modified superuser zip that'll work with the 5660M. Install through recovery mode.
I wouldn't risk flashing the ROMs posted here until we can get a complete backup ROM, either from samfirmware.com (they don't have one yet) or through efforts here. I'll be starting another thread here for that purpose.
There's been some issues reported with the 5660M, ranging from odd screen brightness behavior to bricking. (The ROMs posted for the 5660, left "as is" also flash both the kernel and radio: not good.)
Goodbye,
Darkshado
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
could you tell me how I could unlock my phone too.
New tonight
Just picked up a GIO here tonight.
BTW Future Shop in Canada has these on for $80 right now.
I think this is a great deal, for a very responsive 2.3 android phone.
OK,
So S5660m - is the version in canada it would seem.. I think there are going to be quite a lot of owners because of the pricing.
We should use this thread or another to setup a difinitive list of what works.
1. How to root the phone.
2. Unlocks that work - I have heard some methods brick Ms very easy. What is the best unlock method specific to the M
3. What ROMs can we use? do we need to have our own set of modified roms because of the modem portion?
4. Overclocking.. I have heard these can clock up to 1100 and run awsome!!
This is my wish list.
James
Hello James. Welcome to XDA.
Whoa there early thread starter! Use the search engine before even thinking of starting another thread. We don't have a dedicated Gio forum at the moment so things are scattered all over. Advanced search is handy as it outputs threads instead of posts.
Biker1bob said:
1. How to root the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same as a lot of other phones, apply a zip file through CWM. You could also flash an already rooted ROM with Odin.
2. Unlocks that work - I have heard some methods brick Ms very easy. What is the best unlock method specific to the M
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The bml5 method is safe. I noticed I had left a link to the older and unsafe stl5 method in my post above and removed it.
And keep your unlock code accessible somewhere on the phone. This phone is known to relock itself to Bell in some specific scenarios.
3. What ROMs can we use? do we need to have our own set of modified roms because of the modem portion
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, and no. If you only flash system.rfs, and maybe boot.img, it should work based on what others have reported.
I've cooked up a ROM for the 5660M that's called ArpegGioMod if you want to have a look.
Another point to consider if you want to run your phone in French: the Eurasian ROMs may or may not have that locale, and will likely have an AZERTY keyboard instead of a QWERTY one.
Do not flash radio (AMSS) or the other bootloaders from the Euro 5660. The former will make you lose all cellphone connection, the latter is unnecessary and increases your chances of bricking.
4. Overclocking.. I have heard these can clock up to 1100 and run awsome!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where'd you get that? The only kernel mods I've seen so far for any Gio are all ramdisk modifications that left the stock kernel untouched.
Just to clairify darkshadow, by "bml5 method" you mean this ?
0) brand new locked GT-S5660M phone frome the store
1A) root the device using this zip
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=16962635&postcount=2
simplest method :
1.1 To begin, download the zip file from the link above and copy it to the root of your SD card.
1.2 Power the phone off.
1.3 Boot into recovery mode by holding the middle button and pressing the power button.
1.4 Once in recovery mode, select update from sdcard and choose the update.zip that you copied to your SD card.
1.5 Let the file flash and once done, reboot your phone.
OR
1B Follow EDIT2, for temp rooting on same URL below
2. Follow exact instructions as per here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=17148825&postcount=334
(with the slight modification for HEX code to search specified here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=17311381&postcount=358 )
Question: Does it matter if there is a SIM card in the phone when following these instructions ?
Any thoughts about "Network Lock Control Key" ?? ( ... would appear that this shows up as a separate issue for some users some time after unlocking see:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=992564 )
THANK YOU so much for confirming I got this right....I just want to make sure I am not missing anything, and these instructions are really safe as far as you know before attempting anything.
Darkshado said:
Hello James. Welcome to XDA.
Whoa there early thread starter! Use the search engine before even thinking of starting another thread. We don't have a dedicated Gio forum at the moment so things are scattered all over. Advanced search is handy as it outputs threads instead of posts.
Same as a lot of other phones, apply a zip file through CWM. You could also flash an already rooted ROM with Odin.
The bml5 method is safe. I noticed I had left a link to the older and unsafe stl5 method in my post above and removed it.
And keep your unlock code accessible somewhere on the phone. This phone is known to relock itself to Bell in some specific scenarios.
Yes, and no. If you only flash system.rfs, and maybe boot.img, it should work based on what others have reported.
I've cooked up a ROM for the 5660M that's called ArpegGioMod if you want to have a look.
Another point to consider if you want to run your phone in French: the Eurasian ROMs may or may not have that locale, and will likely have an AZERTY keyboard instead of a QWERTY one.
Do not flash radio (AMSS) or the other bootloaders from the Euro 5660. The former will make you lose all cellphone connection, the latter is unnecessary and increases your chances of bricking.
Where'd you get that? The only kernel mods I've seen so far for any Gio are all ramdisk modifications that left the stock kernel untouched.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so i'm pretty new here... i have a gio n my usb port is messed up.. i wiped tha phone the other day n the network lock came back on.. so seeing that i can't use any usb what should i do?
thanks in advance
IMEI: Mod Edit: IMEI # Removed...not a great idea to post them on a public forum
Let me start with things you shouldn't do:
-Resurrect two year old, stale, threads.
-Post your IMEI for everyone to see.
Exactly *how* is your USB port messed up? Just not talking to the computer or not working at all?
Are you rooted? If not, get that sorted out by using one of the exploits that worked on Gingerbread. You'll have to do it manually, no SuperOneClick for you. (Although the binaries included might come in handy.)
It is possible to do the commands to get bml5 via a terminal emulator app, and then transfer that file over wi-fi. (Samba, WebDAV, FTP, Dropbox, etc...)
I'm not sure anymore if this is possible in GB, look into using ADB over wi-fi instead of USB. I've sold my Gio months ago, and all of my current devices run 4.1+.
This guide is intended to be an all-in-one resource for people coming to Samsung phones after using other devices. It is a general introduction to the S4 and a glossary/explanation of terms you may see here in the forums.
This thread is slightly out of date but the info is still good, I will be updating again soon!!! Remember to hit thanks if this was useful
Disclaimer "Just because I am trying to be helpful does not make me responsible for anything that you do to your phone. Playing with any of this stuff could destroy your phone"
The layout of this post is as follows:
Welcome
FAQ
Glossary of terms
First off, welcome to XDA
The XDA community is home to the most talented and helpful phone developers on the planet.
These developers spend lots of their free time working on making all of our phones better. You should be nice and respectful to them and follow the rules. WHY? If the statement above isn’t enough reason then think selfishly, the less time they are dealing with redundant questions, the more time they have to develop stuff for all of us!
Help them help you by following the following basic rules:
1.If you are confused or have a question, the first thing to do is READ! Read lots, look things up both on xda and using google.
2.If after searching you still have not answered your question, then post in the Q&A forum.
3.Asking for ETAs on ROMs, updates, etc. is considered rude.. DON’T DO IT!
4.Don’t report bugs to a developer unless:
a.You know 100% that it hasn’t already been reported,
b.You know how to reproduce it
c.You can get a logcat of the problem (more on this later)
Some advice if you are new to all this and don’t want to ruin your phone:
1.Be patient. Don’t be the first or even the tenth person to flash anything. Wait until you see others using whatever Rom or kernel with success.
2.If you have any doubts about what you are doing, read more. Don’t flash.
3.Make sure you are in the forum for your device, not some similar or related device.
FAQ:
Q. Is my bootloader locked?
A. Only if you have an AT&T or Verizon phone
******* Info for AT&T users *******
Q. What is LOKI?
A. Loki is an exploit for phones with locked boot loader that allows us to bypass the locked boot loader in order to install custom roms or recoveries. More Loki info down below
Q. Whats the deal with MF3?
A. MF3 is the current firmware from AT&T that comes on any new phone. Your phone may also auto update to MF3 if you are not careful. MF3 patched the ability to use Loki to install custom roms/recoveries so if you are on MF3 things are much more difficult.
Q. How can I keep my phone from updating to MF3?
A. If you want to avoid the update, you should root your phone and freeze the following three apps using titanium backup or some similar app.
1. AT&T Software update Vxx_x_xxxx_x_x
2. FWUpgrade x.x.x
3. LocalFOTA vx_xxxx_x_x
Why flash?
by flashing your device you can make your phone act differently, look different, and enable new or disabled options. you could ,for example:
enable native tethering
enable call recording
change the look of your phone
add custom toggle buttons
overclock or undervolt
increase battery life
etc..
Kernel vs Rom vs Recovery vs Modem
Kernel is the layer between the phone hardware and the rom. it controls things like Wi-Fi power, touch sensitivity, possible range of screen brightness, phone logging, and processor max and min speed. kernel must be designed not only for your device but also for the type of rom you are using (Sammy rom or Aosp) some kernels support all roms, others are specific.
Rom is the operating system of your phone. there are three main categories of roms.
roms that are based off of the Samsung stock rom (Sammy rom)
roms that are based off of Android open source project aka AOSP (AOSP, AOKP)
roms based off of the miui project (these used to be a branch of AOSP but recently they have also used Sammy base for miui)
recovery is a partition that you can access at boot by holding down a combination of keys. (volume up and home button in the case of our sgs4) every phone has recovery stock but it doesn't do much. you can replace stock with clockwork mod recovery which is extremely useful for flashing all kinds of things and making backups before you do. There are other alternative recoveries besides clockwork but that seems to be the most common. TWRP is also gaining popularity these days. You can easily switch between recoveries and or upgrade your current recovery. All that needs to happen is for a new image to be flashed onto the recovery partition. See the rooting guide for more info on how to flash a custom recovery.
modem is a file that controls the cell radio of the phone. Helps determine what frequencies to use and settings for a particular network. It is important when flashing a radio that you flash a radio that is for the AT&T sgs4
Methods for flashing files - Odin vs mobile Odin vs. clockworkmod(cwm) vs adb
Odin is the internal Samsung tool for flashing. I believe it only exists on Windows platform. This tool is mostly used to initially flash an insecure kernel or rooted kernel, OR to return to completely stock rom.. Files for flashing in odin generally should end in .tar or .tar.md5 although sometimes they come zipped and the tar is inside the zip. Read more about Odin before using it as it can easily break your phone. !!!as a general rule make sure you never check the "partition" checkbox EVER!!!
Mobile Odin (THIS TOOL DOES NOT SUPPORT ALL S4 MODELS...make sure you check that it specifically works with yours first. I think at this time it works on your phone unless you have locked bootloader but STILL DOUBLE CHECK) is a phone based version of Odin made by the very talented developer Chainfire. It can be installed on a rooted phone and used to flash the same .tar based files as the desktop version. Mobile odin has a few advantages. 1 you can use it from your phone. 2 it can auto root a stock rom (nice if you want to try out a brand new update that has not been rooted yet)
clockworkmod(cwm) or TWRP is recovery based tool that can make backups of your entire phone, flash new roms, kernels etc.., and do many other useful tasks. Once you have this on your phone my guess is that most of your flashing will be done through this tool. The files for flashing through clockworkmod are .zip files.
ADB is the android develpment bridge. It allows for command line interface with your phone through its debugging options. ADB can do most anything as I understand it. In my several years of flashing I have only had to use it once, and i could have waited for someone to come up with another solution. In general as a noob i recommend you stay away from ADB.
open source vs Samsung base(aka Touchwiz or TW) vs miui
Open Source Roms such as AOSP/AOKP are built using Google's open source android code as a base. The developers then add functionality specific to the device. The advantages of these builds are that they often have tons of options built in to the rom that change the behavior and look of the phone. They usually allow you to change the toggles in your notification pull down, change the battery display, make all kinds of adjustments to sounds, vibration etc... Some people also prefer the "vanilla" android look and feel. These roms often provide "bleeding edge" concepts, design, and modifications. The Disadvantages of these roms is that some of the hardware coding is done closed source by the phone manufacturers, which means that things like Infrared, bluetooth, camera, video recording, and MHL video out often don't work or take much longer to get working by the developers. Basically anything that relies on the Samsung framework will not work in an open source build. This means Svoice, Snote, and the Samsung camera app will not work.
Samsung based roms (aka Touchwiz/TW) are taken from the Samsung original phone software and modified by the developer. Usually, these roms are modified in order to be faster and to make changes to some of the features. Expect to see changes to the stock rom like: debloated (ATT and samsung software removed), de-odexed (explained later), enable tethering, unlimited sms recipients, added notification toggles, etc. Most of these changes are made to: make the phone faster, improve battery life, make the phone easier to theme. The advantage of these roms is that they still use the Samsung framework so all the proprietary stuff like camera, bluetooth, MHL still work, the disadvantage is that they will never be as customisable as open source roms.
MIUI is a rom that focuses on theming. Official MIUI (Chinese) gets updated weekly on Friday and then there are lots of miui developers who adapt it to other languanges and make some tweaks to it. MIUI can be built from AOSP source or Samsung source and depending will have different features. The first MIUI rom for our phone just appeared in these forums and it is based off of AOSP. MIUI has a unique look and is also highly customizable through theming. There are tons of themes available for download through the rom itself and you can mix and match any part of any theme you want. This includes icons, lockscreen style, etc.. Some people criticize while others praise MIUI for being very "iphone like". This is because the icons look more iphone like and there is no app drawer in the MIUI launcher. However, you can still use any launcher you like within MIUI.
odexed vs de-odexed
odexed is how the phone comes stock from Samsung. Odexed means that system files and apps are split into two pieces and kept in different places on the phone. This is done to speed things up a bit. However, it makes it harder to theme the phone because the apps are split up. Most custom roms choose to de-odex (basically regroup the files back into one) so that custom themers can make themes more easily for the phone.
Flashing "dirty" vs flashing "clean"
Clean
Doing a clean install of a rom means erasing or formatting all the data from the previous rom before you flash the new one. This is the prefered way to flash a rom to ensure that it will run smoothly. It is necessary if you are switching from one rom type to another (CM to Samsung base). In order to do a clean flash you need to boot into recovery and select the following options: wipe user data (this wipes all apps and personal data, but not your photos/videos), wipe cache, advanced>wipe dalvik cache, storage/mounts>format system. This will ensure that no trace of the former rom is left on the phone. Beware that at this point your phone will not boot until you install a new rom. I suggest using titanium backup to backup apps and smsbackup+ for texts to make getting your new rom configured easy.
Dirty
Doing a dirty install means just flashing a new rom right over the top of the old one without wiping any data. The advantage to this is that you don't lose any apps or account info. The disadvantage is that you open up the possibility for problems. Generally you only want to flash this way if you are upgrading a rom (CM10 nightly to the next nightly, or from one samsung based rom to another). If you decide to flash over the top and have any issues, you should not report bugs, but try flashing clean first.
Logcat
Logcat is a way to access the android system log for everything that is going on behind the scenes. This tool is used to help developers pinpoint problems in a rom. If you want to actually be helpful to a dev when reporting a bug, you should really learn to use this tool. I am no expert on logcat but you can find some good information in this post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1726238
What is the Bootloader?
The bootloader is basically what it sounds like...it loads the boot image of the device. Basically it is one of the first things to run on the phone and it shows the phone where to find the boot image and how to start. The bootloader is also responsible for allowing access to the recovery part of the phone.
Locked Bootloader?
This seems to confuse a lot of users so here goes: The AT&T and Verizon versions of our phone have a locked bootloader. What does this mean? To the noob, it means that the devs had to figure out how to bypass or unlock this part of the phone in order to be able to boot custom recoveries such as CWM and TWRP. Getting a custom recovery means being able to backup the phone as well as flash custom roms. Luckily for us, Djrbliss (make sure and thank him! his thread is here:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2292157) figured out how to bypass the locked bootloader. The exploit he used is known as Loki. Please remember that the loki exploit is not the same thing as unlocking the bootloader, it is a bypass/trick. AT&T and Verizon have fixed the exploit that allowed loki to work in there newest firmware. Loki patch will not work for MF3 firmware or later.
Loki
refers to the exploit that allows us to run custom recoveries as well as custom roms. You only need to have a loki'd rom if you have a model with a locked bootloader (AT&T). Thankfully, you can install a custom recovery that will auto-Loki any rom you flash so that you can install almost any rom built for our model phone (see below). I strongly recommend flashing an auto loki recovery if you have a phone with locked bootloader. I use this one here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2291956
Compatible Roms
you should be able to run any rom built for AT&T, TMobile, or the I9505 international model (NOT I9500!!) as long as you flash with an auto loki recovery. You can check out this thread for more info. Make sure and thank TheAxman! http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2295557
You may have to manually set the APN. If you encounter problems with the rom look in that roms thread for answers.
Sticky!!
Well damn, I thought I knew a lot, but after reading this thread, I really didn't. Well done. :good:
Incredible resource for those coming in from a different ecosystem.
Thanks much!!
Thread stuck!! Nice work!
Got my new At&t Samsung Galaxy S4 and this will definitely help me!!
this is another thread that really helped me as well these two have really helped me so far i have rooted several divices and just relied on everyone else and not i am starting to take a lot more of an interest ant these threads have been the most helpful
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=42055644#post42055644
WoW
Great work! I'm sure this thread will be very helpful to a lot of people (Myself included). Tanks bro! :victory:
More! More! :d
I've been searching high and low ive read everything and maybe im not understanding but after I root my phone how do I do the whole loki thing??... I'm eager to start flashing roms... Ive read of some recoveries that do this is that an accurate assessment??
KINGDROID25 said:
I've been searching high and low ive read everything and maybe im not understanding but after I root my phone how do I do the whole loki thing??... I'm eager to start flashing roms... Ive read of some recoveries that do this is that an accurate assessment??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What exactly are you trying to do?
If you want to install a custom ROM or kernel, you need a custom recovery. The ROM or Kernel developer will have LOKI-fied it for you.
For TWRP (my custom recovery of choice) Download GooManager from the Play Store and install.
Inside the goo.im app, go to menu>Install OpenRecovery Script
then you can boot into recovery to apply kernels, ROMs, etc to your hearts desire
joeybear23 said:
What exactly are you trying to do?
If you want to install a custom ROM or kernel, you need a custom recovery. The ROM or Kernel developer will have LOKI-fied it for you.
For TWRP (my custom recovery of choice) Download GooManager from the Play Store and install.
Inside the goo.im app, go to menu>Install OpenRecovery Script
then you can boot into recovery to apply kernels, ROMs, etc to your hearts desire
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its tht ez just root and add custom recovery??.. The whole loki thing is what's been throwing me off
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
KINGDROID25 said:
Its tht ez just root and add custom recovery??.. The whole loki thing is what's been throwing me off
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes... the difficult part is if you are a developer. They make our lives much easier.
joeybear23 said:
Yes... the difficult part is if you are a developer. They make our lives much easier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanx ima root tonight I jus need to get a copy of the stock firmware
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
KINGDROID25 said:
Thanx ima root tonight I jus need to get a copy of the stock firmware
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stock Firmware:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2261573
That is a HUGE download, but the process is simple.
im not a newb but i need to boost my post count lol...soooo spam
KINGDROID25 said:
I've been searching high and low ive read everything and maybe im not understanding but after I root my phone how do I do the whole loki thing??... I'm eager to start flashing roms... Ive read of some recoveries that do this is that an accurate assessment??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have updated the OP to explain Loki, hope that helps :good:
Noob here first time posting I rooted my phone and installed cwm using casual method, created backup and installed mint rom love it but after a couple of post I see I didn't backup EFS should I be worried?
I'm not sure what the deal is with backing up the IMEI number on our phones yet. I have not seen anyone post about losing their IMEI yet so I wouldn't be too worried. On the s3 only the international model phones could be backed up by saving the efs folder. The backup process for AT&T phones was much more complex. I assume the same holds true on the s4. Will update when I find out more
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium
I wanted to make sure Thx. Is it to late to back EFS or can I just restore my backup and do it?
New to this phone since my note got stolen
What do you all recommend to get the most out of this phone?
Any roms or updates or tricks etc
Thanks all!
If you have or want to unlock your bootloader, I would recommend to flash a rom based on Stock with the Elitekernel v3.
With this you can get the most out of our device. (Some rom examples: Existenz, Slimm, Purex, Fragment)
After installing one of them, you can flash a soundmod, if you are not satisfied with the roms built in. (dontbelive soundmod v22 - loudest, v17 - more bass)
For a much better camera, I recommend Cyberian camera 4.2
Try some of the roms, because all our devs made an big effort for us and every Rom, has his own great features. Good luck!
Awesome thank you for the advice.. I just noticed that my T-Mobile z3 doesn't get updated past 5.0.2; how can I go about going to Marshmallow and adding all those awesome things you all got going on here.
Sorry I am very new to Xperia.. This is my very first sony phone
cor4twenty said:
Awesome thank you for the advice.. I just noticed that my T-Mobile z3 doesn't get updated past 5.0.2; how can I go about going to Marshmallow and adding all those awesome things you all got going on here.
Sorry I am very new to Xperia.. This is my very first sony phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1st of all, i would not advice you to unlock your bootloader at this point, most custom roms for z3 doesn't re1quire that, unless you want to flash CM or AOSP.
at 1st test the roms mentioned before on your normal locked phone then you'll learn through posts on the board what unlocking will benefit you (and if it will), i don't have an unlocked bootloader and in my sign you'll see i have a custom rom and few mods flashed...
Now how do you get that...
1st you need to go to settings >about phone > and make sure youre device is D6603 (because there're several version of z3 and each one require patches when flashing roms)
if its, Go to this thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2292598
and back up your TA partition, this is suggested because this partition gets wiped if at any time you did unlock your bootloader, and when that happens, it contains keys unique to each device that if lost you can never get you device back to the locked state. and you could lose some features (currently there's a fix for not losing any features)
2-Now you need to root your phone , follow the instruction on the following thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/z3/general/guide-rootrecovery-how-to-root-install-t3017056
although you can skip the step of downgrading your firmware (because you should already have the original one)
after you successfully root your phone go to the following thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2261606
and install recovery (instruction is there)
after you've done that, you are ready...
go to the development section
http://forum.xda-developers.com/z3/development
where you'll find different roms, you can flash with the latest Android 6.0.1 for z3 (make sure it's not CM or AOSP so you don't need to unlock the bootloader)
you can check the one on my sign, it natively comes with a lot of customization features.
whcn you chose a rom, just download it and go to recovery (TWRP) and flash it (follow the rom developer instruction on how to flash on the rom thread)
if you get stock or wonder about steps at any of the steps ask on the specified thread and people will help
So my device is the tmobile z3; what's the best I can hope as far as development and new ROM?
It seems no matter how much this topic gets discussed, people still use old methods and they either fail, or they break something like WiFi, Mobile Data, infinite bootloop, or getting stuck on the boot logo... THIS DOESN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN and it IS repairable, usually without reflashing the entire image. The problem comes from using an old method, outdated SuperSU, or incorrect method. This guide will help you correct most issues, or help you to flash root correctly the FIRST time.
I have written rooting guides for multiple Moto device, and I have owned many Moto devices as well, so I have some idea what I am saying and I have tested these methods extensively, they work.
------------------------
This guide covers ALL Moto X 2015 models that can be bootloader unlocked and have TWRP available, it doesn't matter if it is the XT1575 or XT1572, the method is identical (untested on Chinese XT1570, but it should work). In fact, this method will work on all 2015 and 2016 series Moto phones running Marshmallow, including the Moto E, X, G3, G4, and Z with the appropriate TWRP image.
Please read completely and make sure you understand each step and how to do it, if you don't get something search the thread or ask an open question, no offense, but do not PM me with a question because you think it is too stupid to ask in public (we all started as noobs), or because you want me to hold your hand and do it for you, I will politely tell you no and ask you to post in the thread.
If you are coming here because you followed an old guide where you used a special boot.img file and now you have no service (WiFi and/or mobile data) and you don't have a TWRP backup to restore first, well, the RIGHT way to fix it is to reflash the current stock firmware image and start over... why? Because the various "help" people give to have you flash the radio files that match the kernel (ie. boot image) that was patched for the old style root method, has now put you in a mismatched firmware environment and could potentially brick on the next OTA. If you are in this situation and don't know for to properly fix it... go to the FAQ section in post #3 below (WIP-incomplete).
If came are coming here to root the first time, or you just thought you could flash SuperSU and reboot and now stuck in either a bootloop or stuck on the boot logo... Your in luck, read on, because we can fix that in a jiffy!
tl;dr version for advanced users: Skip to "How to do it" section to root, or "Do the prep" section to fix a bad root.
I am writing this tutorial because there are still lots of failed root attempts using older "standard" methods that do not work on this device. I also do not like the "one click" root methods, because they can and do fail (KingoRoot will brick a Moto X P/S, regardless of what it's web page says), and when they do people have no idea how to fix it. The manual way is not difficult, and it teaches you how to work on, fix, and use your device on a level above that of the average smartphone user.
I will only cover the details of rooting, the prerequisites are covered elsewhere in detail and I will link to reliable sources for the information. Specifics of the prerequisites are outside of the scope of this tutorial, but are open for discussion in this thread.
Prerequisites:
1) Device must have an unlocked bootloader. See Moto - Unlocking the Bootloader for more info.
NOTE: Performing this prerequisite will give you all the tools (fastboot) and drivers needed to continue, and wipe your device, meaning erase all your information and programs. Make sure to backup any important data first. This step will also permanently void your warranty once an unlock code has been issued by Moto, it doesn't matter if you even use it, your warranty is done.
2) You need to have TWRP installed or one-time booted via fastboot. CWM and other recoveries will NOT work at this time. See the official TWRP pages for clark here. I will NOT teach you how to use TWRP in this thread, if you are going to root you need to understand that your self, but if you get in a real bind I may knudge you in the right direction. I will tell you that there are two modes, flashed or booted, the later is much better if you plan to take an OTA later as long as you don't do something stupid like flash Xposed.
3) You need a copy of the latest STABLE SuperSU ZIP from Chainfire's site on the internal storage or SD card of your device, you can always fine the latest stable version here: https://download.chainfire.eu/supersu/ As of this posting update UPDATE-SuperSU-v2.82-20170528234214.zip (version 2.82) is the current stable version and it has been tested and verified to work.
NOTE: Unless otherwise stated, do not use a beta version for rooting Moto devices. SuperSU versions with even numbers are stable versions, while odd numbered versions are beta editions.
4) Reboot and start TWRP recovery, the method you use to do this doesn't matter (boot or flash).
5) Backup your device with TWRP to your SD card, even if you just unlocked and the phone is as blank as a printed page from a 1988 HP DeskJet printer with it's original cartridges still installed, backup... You will always have a good point to return to if the worst happens.
Do the prep:
Note that the hidden Do the prep section is ONLY for repairing a bad flash, SuperSU has been updated and as of version 2.79 the hidden section should no longer be needed for general purpose root on a working device, you just flash SuperSU. If you flashed an older version and are bootlooped, perform this section and continue.
Now, the procedure is the same whether you are trying to root the first time, or you did it the old way just flashing SuperSU and are now not able to boot...
In TWRP, when you have your backups and are ready to root, first go to Advanced and open the Terminal, in the terminal type this EXACTLY as shown:
Code:
echo SYSTEMLESS=true>>/data/.supersu
Now press ENTER (there is no confirmation returned). You can verify this worked correctly by entering 'cat /data/.supersu' in the terminal and see if it returns "SYSTEMLESS=true", if not, you did it wrong, try the echo command again. Now press exit/back and press the HOME key.
After you have successfully entered the command in the TWRP Terminal you may continue
How to do it:
Go to Install and select the SuperSU zip file you downloaded from Prerequisite #3 and swipe to flash it and reboot. No need to clear caches or anything else but you are welcome to if you wish. You can install SuperSU updates normally through the app going forward (as of this posting).
Why do I have to do this???
Again, this is somewhat dated information and only applies to fixing a bootlooping device when improperly rooted.
For whatever reason, the install script for SuperSU does not recognize that this device (like many others) requires a systemless root installation. By creating /data/.supersu in the TWRP recovery environment, the SuperSU install script parses the file and sees "SYSTEMLESS=true" and ignores what it auto-detects and forces a systemless root installation.
Hope this is helpful to someone!
As always, if this is the first time you have booted TWRP or attempted root... BACKUP IN TWRP FIRST!!! Once the system is modified, it cannot be undone (easily) and you will always have a known good starting place if the worst happens.
DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible for anything that happens... Your device, your responsibility, no matter what happens... Although all the information here has been tested and is known to work with no issues except where noted, things occasionally can and do go wrong and we cannot foresee every possible scenario or circumstance.
If you need assistance, we need detailed information about what what's going on and what you have tried to do... Please provide details including:
1) Device model number and Android version
2) TWRP version
3) SuperSU version
4) Output of 'cat /data/.supersu' from TWRP terminal
And a copy of recovery.log if possible, and any other pertinent information you can think of. Without specific information there is nothing that I can do to assist you and request for help may be ignored.
EDIT: Photos added showing what a proper command and flash should look like. Note that in picture 1 the exit command is not needed, you can just back out. In pictures 2 and 3 a proper flash of SuperSU is shown, note that system-less mode is specified and the boot image is patched, this is what should occur. It is normal for it to loop once or twice, but that is it, first boot could take 10 minutes plus.
NOTE: I no longer own this device, but will help where I can and will keep this thread open to assist users where ever possible, but I no longer have a device to test/verify things with.
Alternate Method #1
Some users have noted that the above method doesn't seem to work, we don't know why as it seems inconsistent but we can't pin it down specifically to user error, certain model number or build, or anything else, as it works 98% of the time...
But if the above method fails, the alternative is to download and copy to SD card or internal storage SuperSU 2.62-3 ßeta version available here and flash it through TWRP like normal.
Reserved - FAQ (oops, guess I already did that)
I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been procrastenating fixing my phone because of all the crappy methods. This one very easy to follow!
But still can't manage to get my WiFi working
I don't get it. But somehow my nandroid backup failed too, because it's only some 2.X MB big and I don't seem to recover anything....
So I guess I'll have to keep trying..
FYI:
1) Moto X Style 6.0
2) TWRP 3.0.2-0
3) Tried both 2.78 and 2.62. Currently running 2.62
4) SYSTEMLESS=true
Jorinde123 said:
I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been procrastenating fixing my phone because of all the crappy methods. This one very easy to follow!
But still can't manage to get my WiFi working
I don't get it. But somehow my nandroid backup failed too, because it's only some 2.X MB big and I don't seem to recover anything....
So I guess I'll have to keep trying..
FYI:
1) Moto X Style 6.0
2) TWRP 3.0.2-0
3) Tried both 2.78 and 2.62. Currently running 2.62
4) SYSTEMLESS=true
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Find the latest rom image for the version you have installed, and flash the radios with fastboot.
acejavelin said:
Find the latest rom image for the version you have installed, and flash the radios with fastboot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your quick reply. Tried that, didn't work.. The ROM i'm currently running is MPH24.49-18 btw... I'm now trying it the hard way, just reverting everything step by step. But the first step (flashing gpt.bin) is already giving me the preflash error. This is going to be a lot harder than I thought and it's been too long since I've been flashing these things.
Used to flash my Moto Milestone and my Sony X10, can you imagine.
Jorinde123 said:
Thanks for your quick reply. Tried that, didn't work.. The ROM i'm currently running is MPH24.49-18 btw... I'm now trying it the hard way, just reverting everything step by step. But the first step (flashing gpt.bin) is already giving me the preflash error. This is going to be a lot harder than I thought and it's been too long since I've been flashing these things.
Used to flash my Moto Milestone and my Sony X10, can you imagine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because you are not on 49-18, if you were on the latest OTA for 6.0 you were on 49-18-4. Pre-flash validation failure confirms your using the wrong version. Look in my sig for the return to stock thread, there are links to current roms and discussion of the 'preflash validation error'.
Wasn't systemless method only intended for not altering the system partition in such way not to break compatibility with Android Pay and such apps that don't allow root?
Maybe I got it wrong when I first saw the appearance on the scene of systemless root. From what you are saying the auto detect it's supposed to detect with which method the device is compatible (not only detects if system was already modified? let's say like by TWRP).
I wasn't able to flash SuperSu newest stable versions either, all ended up stuck at boot, except for the 2.62 version (updatable later through playstore and binaries thorugh app via normal update). Honestly I haven't tried systemless as for me I through it was a waste (as said I through it wasn't meant for other purpose).
ATM I'm using CM's own root, but I will report as soon as I will try SU again. I never had problems with modem/wifi with SU, only that it didn't boot on newer stable builds.
Got the Moto X Pure a few days ago. It came with 6.0. This procedure works. Thank you!
ban.codrut said:
Wasn't systemless method only intended for not altering the system partition in such way not to break compatibility with Android Pay and such apps that don't allow root?
Maybe I got it wrong when I first saw the appearance on the scene of systemless root. From what you are saying the auto detect it's supposed to detect with which method the device is compatible (not only detects if system was already modified? let's say like by TWRP).
I wasn't able to flash SuperSu newest stable versions either, all ended up stuck at boot, except for the 2.62 version (updatable later through playstore and binaries thorugh app via normal update). Honestly I haven't tried systemless as for me I through it was a waste (as said I through it wasn't meant for other purpose).
ATM I'm using CM's own root, but I will report as soon as I will try SU again. I never had problems with modem/wifi with SU, only that it didn't boot on newer stable builds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, although that was one thing we thought we would gain (which we didn't), Systemless root is to get around Marshmallow security. Root is detected by SafetyNet API, and it detects pretty much any system modification, systemless or not
Currently Using TWRP 3.0.2.0 . Just unlocked bootloader and haven't done anything else . Recovery flash went well during the initial process of unlocking . Now Im trying to make a backup of the stock Rom , everytime I try to make one I keep getting failed at the end of the process ? Is this a known bug ? I have been doing google searches for the past hour and still unable to find anything to indicate anyone else is having this problem . Unless I didn't use the correct terms while searching . Any help would be appreciated
SouthernEvo said:
Currently Using TWRP 3.0.2.0 . Just unlocked bootloader and haven't done anything else . Recovery flash went well during the initial process of unlocking . Now Im trying to make a backup of the stock Rom , everytime I try to make one I keep getting failed at the end of the process ? Is this a known bug ? I have been doing google searches for the past hour and still unable to find anything to indicate anyone else is having this problem . Unless I didn't use the correct terms while searching . Any help would be appreciated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is not a known issue... Where are you storing the backup, internal storage or SD card?
acejavelin said:
It is not a known issue... Where are you storing the backup, internal storage or SD card?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was backing up to the SD Card . Been messing with it and now its working for some weird reason . I appreciate your quick response though
I used windroid to unlock the bootloader and install twrp( don't reboot system but rather boot into recovery to make twrp stick) , from there I just flashed supersu and I was good to go. Many methods out there but this worked for me.
Thank you so much for this guide. I have to say, as a new Motorola user coming from Samsung phones exclusively, this whole process made me feel like a real noob again.
I made the switch from iOS to Android back when the Galaxy S2 came out because I grew tired of the jailbreak cat and mouse games on the iPhones and iPads. Learning to root and flash ROMs on all my subsequent Samsung devices was fairly simple and very enjoyable. This Moto X Pure though was a real tasker for me. I honestly never knew about the extra steps you had to take to unlock, twrp and root this phone. I really wish manufactures would help us make this much easier.
Anyway, thank you again for your help. I'll be seeing y'all around the forums as a new MXPE user!
acejavelin said:
No, although that was one thing we thought we would gain (which we didn't), Systemless root is to get around Marshmallow security. Root is detected by SafetyNet API, and it detects pretty much any system modification, systemless or not
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for clarifying a misconception I had on systemless root
(I intentioned to reply to you earlier, but the mad busy week made me forget about my intent )
I'm going to try right now the latest stable with systemless method (rather than flashing the older version) on a full wiped clean stock to see if it works. (Even tho I see lots of feedbacks here inspiring me to believe it would)
In what order?
acejavelin said:
It seems no matter how much this topic gets discussed, people still use old methods and they either fail, or they break something like WiFi, Mobile Data, infinite bootloop, or getting stuck on the boot logo... THIS DOESN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN and it IS repairable, usually without reflashing the entire image. The problem comes from using an old method, outdated SuperSU, or incorrect method. This guide will help you correct most issues, or help you to flash root correctly the FIRST time.
I have written rooting guides for multiple Moto device, and I have owned many Moto devices as well, so I have some idea what I am saying and I have tested these methods extensively, they work.
------------------------
This guide covers ALL Moto X 2015 models that can be bootloader unlocked and have TWRP available, it doesn't matter if it is the XT1575 or XT1572, the method is identical (untested on Chinese XT1570, but it should work). In fact, this method will work on all 2015 and 2016 series Moto phones running Marshmallow, including the Moto E, X, G3, G4, and Z with the appropriate TWRP image.
Please read completely and make sure you understand each step and how to do it, if you don't get something search the thread or ask an open question, no offense, but do not PM me with a question because you think it is too stupid to ask in public (we all started as noobs), or because you want me to hold your hand and do it for you, I will politely tell you no and ask you to post in the thread.
If you are coming here because you followed an old guide where you used a special boot.img file and now you have no service (WiFi and/or mobile data) and you don't have a TWRP backup to restore first, well, the RIGHT way to fix it is to reflash the current stock firmware image and start over... why? Because the various "help" people give to have you flash the radio files that match the kernel (ie. boot image) that was patched for the old style root method, has now put you in a mismatched firmware environment and could potentially brick on the next OTA. If you are in this situation and don't know for to properly fix it... go to the FAQ section in post #3 below (WIP-incomplete).
If came are coming here to root the first time, or you just thought you could flash SuperSU and reboot and now stuck in either a bootloop or stuck on the boot logo... Your in luck, read on, because we can fix that in a jiffy!
tl;dr version for advanced users: Skip to "How to do it" section
I am writing this tutorial because there are still lots of failed root attempts using older "standard" methods that do not work on this device. I also do not like the "one click" root methods, because they can and do fail (KingoRoot will brick a Moto X P/S, regardless of what it's web page says), and when they do people have no idea how to fix it. The manual way is not difficult, and it teaches you how to work on, fix, and use your device on a level above that of the average smartphone user.
I will only cover the details of rooting, the prerequisites are covered elsewhere in detail and I will link to reliable sources for the information. Specifics of the prerequisites are outside of the scope of this tutorial, but are open for discussion in this thread.
Prerequisites:
1) Device must have an unlocked bootloader. See Moto - Unlocking the Bootloader for more info.
NOTE: Performing this prerequisite will give you all the tools (fastboot) and drivers needed to continue, and wipe your device, meaning erase all your information and programs. Make sure to backup any important data first. This step will also permanently void your warranty once an unlock code has been issued by Moto, it doesn't matter if you even use it, your warranty is done.
2) You need to have TWRP installed or one-time booted via fastboot. CWM and other recoveries will NOT work at this time. See the official TWRP pages for clark here. I will NOT teach you how to use TWRP in this thread, if you are going to root you need to understand that your self, but if you get in a real bind I may knudge you in the right direction. I will tell you that there are two modes, flashed or booted, the later is much better if you plan to take an OTA later as long as you don't do something stupid like flash Xposed.
3) You need a copy of the latest STABLE SuperSU ZIP from Chainfire's site on the internal storage or SD card of your device, you can always fine the latest stable version here: https://download.chainfire.eu/supersu/ As of this posting SR4-SuperSU-v2.78-SR4-20161115184928.zip is the current stable version and it has been tested and verified to work.
NOTE: Unless otherwise stated, do not use a beta version for rooting Moto devices. SuperSU versions with even numbers are stable versions, while odd numbered versions are beta editions.
4) Reboot and start TWRP recovery, the method you use to do this doesn't matter (boot or flash).
5) Backup your device with TWRP to your SD card, even if you just unlocked and the phone is as blank as a printed page from a 1988 HP DeskJet printer with it's original cartridges still installed, backup... You will always have a good point to return to if the worst happens.
How to do it:
Now, the procedure is the same whether you are trying to root the first time, or you did it the old way just flashing SuperSU and are now not able to boot...
In TWRP, go to Advanced and open the Terminal, in the terminal type this EXACTLY as shown:
Code:
echo SYSTEMLESS=true>>/data/.supersu
Now press enter (there is no confirmation returned), then exit and press the Home key. You can verify this worked correctly by entering 'cat /data/.supersu' and see if it returns "SYSTEMLESS=true", if not, you did it wrong, try the echo command again.
Go to Install and select the SuperSU zip file you downloaded from Prerequisite #3 and swipe to flash it and reboot. No need to clear caches or anything else but you are welcome to if you wish. You can install SuperSU updates normally through the app going forward (as of this posting).
Why do I have to do this???
For whatever reason, the install script for SuperSU does not recognize that this device (like many others) requires a systemless root installation. By creating /data/.supersu in the TWRP recovery environment, the SuperSU install script parses the file and sees "SYSTEMLESS=true" and ignores what it auto-detects and forces a systemless root installation.
Hope this is helpful to someone!
As always, if this is the first time you have booted TWRP or attempted root... BACKUP IN TWRP FIRST!!! Once the system is modified, it cannot be undone (easily) and you will always have a known good starting place if the worst happens.
DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible for anything that happens... Your device, your responsibility, no matter what happens... Although all the information here has been tested and is known to work with no issues except where noted, things occasionally can and do go wrong and we cannot foresee every possible scenario or circumstance.
If you need assistance, we need detailed information about what what's going on and what you have tried to do... Please provide details including:
1) Device model number and Android version
2) TWRP version
3) SuperSU version
4) Output of 'cat /data/.supersu' from TWRP terminal
And a copy of recovery.log if possible, and any other pertinent information you can think of. Without specific information there is nothing that I can do to assist you and request for help may be ignored.
EDIT: Photos added showing what a proper command and flash should look like. Note that in picture 1 the exit command is not needed, you can just back out. In pictures 2 and 3 a proper flash of SuperSU is shown, note that system-less mode is specified and the boot image is patched, this is what should occur. It is normal for it to loop once or twice, but that is it, first boot could take 10 minutes plus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really appreciate the help, but I have one question. Do I flash SuperSu and then type the command into the terminal, or do I type the terminal command first?
Thanks again for your help,
Matt
Iglooian said:
I really appreciate the help, but I have one question. Do I flash SuperSu and then type the command into the terminal, or do I type the terminal command first?
Thanks again for your help,
Matt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First, a little etiquette lesson, please don't quote long posts (especially the first post) for no reason, at the very least edit it down to only show the relevant parts so people don't have to scroll through a long meaningless quote.
And to answer your question, you enter the terminal command first, then install SuperSU, that is how it is ordered in the first post instructions. If you read the entire first post, it explains what the command does, and logic therefore lets you know it must be done first.
acejavelin said:
First, a little etiquette lesson, please don't quote long posts (especially the first post) for no reason, at the very least edit it down to only show the relevant parts so people don't have to scroll through a long meaningless quote.
And to answer your question, you enter the terminal command first, then install SuperSU, that is how it is ordered in the first post instructions. If you read the entire first post, it explains what the command does, and logic therefore lets you know it must be done first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, it was unclear what order I was supposed to do it in; we call that a clarifying question, but thanks anyway.
Iglooian said:
Actually, it was unclear what order I was supposed to do it in; we call that a clarifying question, but thanks anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fair enough... I will edit the "How to do it" section to make it more clear.
I'm fed up with people on this forum. I keep trying to engage people in a discussion, a conversation to explain some things to me and No one seems willing. It's like there are No Rooting gurus that can answer my simple questions. On a forum full of Android developers, I'm very disappointed, I thought i'd get tons of help. If you read this, Please consider staying to have a discussion/conversation with me.
Preface to The Discussion:
I have used both Android and Linux in the past, I know what Super User is, I use it in Zorin 12 Linux and own a rooted (kingroot) android tablet. I am trying to get information on rooting my Figo Atrium phone by trying to understand Rooting better in general. perhaps this discussion will make since to you and together you can help me find a way to root my phone - But I Must have a back and forth or I'll never understand this. - I know there are many exploits to root a phone used by tools like kingroot. I know these exploits are many and varied depending on your phone's CPU architecture, and software and not all root tools with work with my device. . I know the bootloader has to be unlocked and one must have USB Debugging enabled in Developer Options. I know some phone manufacturers make tools that help you root your phone (MTK Droid Tools) So far, none of these tools can root my phone.
Let's Start The Discussion Here:
I was able to not root but my Upgrade my phone from Lollipop to Marshmallow. I did this using SP Flash Tool and these instructions (which were badly translated and which as you can see by the comments in the video, I had to correct due to bad translation) See this video and comments by me to understand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEIJM2YjNzE - I used SP Flash Tool and a Rom Figo provided. After I figured out the botched instructions, I was able to upgrade my device with no problems.
Question 1: Isn't this essentially the same process that is used for Rooting? It proves my bootloader is unlocked and the phone does have the ability to flash a new Rom. <- Based on That, doesn't it seem to you that my phone would be in fact Rootable?
If you think so, tell me why, if you think Not, tell me why.
Question 2: If you think So, then: Someone suggested to me that using a tool like Magisk or SuperSU may be able to root my device. Does this seem likely to you based on what I've told you so far? No one in the SuperSU sub forum can answer this question.
If you think No, then we'll discuss this more. I'll wait for your replies. Thank you.
Rooting is, simply said, placing a 'su' binary in the system folder. SU means switch user, when you give that command you're instructing Android to give you root user privileage. OEM's don't want that to happen so they won't include it in their ROMs. Tools like supersu are made to copy that 'su' file to the system partition. There are a lot of ways to explain this, I'm just giving you something quick and easy to understand.
Now regarding your questions;
1) Flashing anything requires the bootloader to be unlocked on most phones. BUT MTK phones don't. (Except some HTC phones). SP Flash Tool can flash any partition without needing to unlock. It's dangerous security wise, but this means its also easier to root.
Infact all MTK phones are rootable. So don't worry about that.
2) How to root? The best way to root is with supersu. (You can also try magisk if you want to use Android Pay).
You need a custom recovery like TWRP first.
I found one here which is for your same CPU. https://www.needrom.com/download/twrp-recovery-13/
^I am just giving you a link to recovery which uses the same CPU so It may or may not work. PLEASE take a backup of your original recovery before doing anything.
Now download SuperSU zip file from here https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/supersu/download/zip/SuperSU-v2.82-201705271822.zip
Don't open it, just keep it in your sd card.
Flash the recovery using SP Flash Tool (check only the recovery box and select this file). Now unplug the phone and press Volume Up+Power Button to boot into recovery.
Then if it says swipe to allow modifications, swipe.
Now goto Install->Select the Supersu.zip file you downloaded->Swipe and reboot.
That's it! You're rooted!
Thanks.. again, you've answered things others couldn't. Much appreciated.
You say, " You need a custom recovery like TWRP first.
I found one here which is for your same CPU. https://www.needrom.com/download/twrp-recovery-13/
^I am just giving you a link to recovery which uses the same CPU so It may or may not work. PLEASE take a backup of your original recovery before doing anything."
Lets say Twrp doesn't work. What is this for, just to re-flash your original rom in case twrp fails at making a backup? ( I assume the tool makes your installed rom flashable in case the root doesn't work and you need to revert back to your original system) I have the SP Tool and the Rom for Marshmallow that works with my device from Figo. Can I use that if Twrp fails - or am I not understanding what twrp is used for? Just checking before I start this. Otherwise, I'll try to follow your instructions to the letter and see what happens.
Still Looking ?
STILL Looking? IF so, a few thoughts .... It is a nice phone for the price. The newer version eventually coming out looks even nicer, and for now, it is still my backup phone to my Figo Gravity. Discovered Figos when I got totally fed up with BLU phones.
ONE - If you have upgraded your Atrium to Marshmallow, as I did, none of the rooting methods that worked on Lollipop will work, so forget about them.
TWO - Down in Developer Settings you need to make sure OEM unlocking is allowed.
THREE - ASSUMING you have a TWRP build that will work, it is pretty simple. Take the ROM image that FIGO sent you and replace the "recovery.img" file with the TWRP (re-name it recovery.img and save the old one as recovery.old JUST IN CASE) file. It will be much larger than the factory ROM recovery image and that's fine. The scatter table, if you read hex addresses, provides for enough space to do this. Flash ONLY the recovery (TWRP) image, and be sure to DOWNLOAD ONLY with the SP FLASH tool. If uncertain, DO NOT PROCEED. It can be a real pain in the arse to re-do things if you accidentally format or upgrade things you didn't mean to. ASSUMING that worked, you can boot into TWRP by holding down the power / volume buttons (I assume you are familiar with this sequence).
FOUR - it is entirely possible that the next time you boot the thing normally, TWRP will be blown away. Happened to me a few times. There is some setting down in the boot image that causes this and I will have to dig up my notes to see exactly what the heck it was. It required taking apart the boot image - I used Carliv - fixing the one setting, and then re-packing and re-flashing it, BUT, you can ALWAYS keep replacing the TWRP image as needed. Inconvenient, but better than a sharp stick in the eye.
FIVE - when booted into TWRP, you should be able to flash SU, which will give you root, and it should STAY rooted after that unless and until you uninstall SU. FLASHIFY is STRONGLY recommended as a VERY useful app for rooted devices. TWRP, if you are unfamiliar with it, is SO MUCH MORE than just a recovery replacement. Handiest whole device backup there is. Has saved my bacon on several devices through numerous acts of personal stupidity. :crying:
SIX - IF ALL ELSE FAILS, you can ALWAYS revert to the factory image ROM. Just DOWNLOAD ONLY rather than Upgrade and DO NOT Format.