Root 4.5.91 With a Mac

**slushy** · 07-31-2011, 09:17 PM

Verily, we have entered a golden age of rooting for the Atrix! There are so many options to choose from... maybe a few too many. And they seem to all be developed for Windoze platforms.

So here is the simplest route I could glean. This is just a root -- no bootloader unlock. This is for Atrix running on 4.5.91 (latest OTA update).

Thanks to
eval- (see XDA thread ) for the mac fastboot build
and /preinstall image (download from XDA )

Now, to the rooting

Charge your battery!
Back up any data that you want to keep. You never know what can happen...
If you haven't already done so, load the OTA update
Download the following files:

from the bottom of this post at XDA
from post #1 on this XDA thread

adb.zip from the attachment to this post
Unzip the 3 files
power down your phone
Put your phone into FASTBOOT mode by powering up your phone and holding the volume rocker DOWN.
When the word Fastboot appears on the screen above the Moto logo, release the Down volume and press the up volume just once. You'll see the words "Starting Fastboot protocol support"
Connect your phone to your computer by the USB cable
Fire up you command prompt and cd to the directory where you unzipped those files
If you are on an updated (Leopard or better) Mac you're probably running 64-bit, so use the moto-fastboot-osx64 executable. If not use the 32-bit version
Let's make sure we're talking to the phone via fastboot. Issue this command
Code:
```
./moto-fastboot-osx64 devices
```
It should respond with the ID of your phone. If you don't get any devices check your connections or pull the battery and restart your phone in fastboot mode again.
now let's install the partition with the Superuser.apk and su binary
Code:
```
./moto-fastboot-osx64 flash preinstall preinstall.img
```
reboot it by
Code:
```
./moto-fastboot-osx64 reboot
```
When your phone comes back up make sure to enable USB debugging
In your command prompt type the following. Note how the prompt changes from a $ to a # when you switch to being root. If you already have Superuser installed from a previous rooting make sure to accept the request for su permissions when you run the second line
Code:
```
./adb shell
$ /preinstall/su
# /bin/mount -o remount,rw /system
# cp /preinstall/su /system/bin/
# chmod 6755 /system/bin/su
```
If you've been rooted before you already have the Superuser.apk installed.
Code:
```
#exit
$exit
```
If this is your first rodeo then type this
Code:
```
# PATH=/system/bin:$PATH
# pm install /preinstall/Superuser.apk
#exit
$exit
```

Blam, done.

**ZyanyaMJ** · 08-04-2011, 04:18 PM

First of all thank you so much for taking the time to write this up!!! I have downloaded all of the files and unzipped them and started terminal and was able to run the devices command and I got this:

Code:

/moto-fastboot-osx64 devices
TA20706O0Z	fastboot

then the next step is to install SuperUser.apk and su binary but I ran the command as you said but I got this:

Code:

/moto-fastboot-osx64 flash preinstall preinstall.img
error: cannot load 'preinstall.img'

What do I do now?

**slushy** · 08-05-2011, 06:12 AM

Sorry for taking so long to get back, I forgot to subscribe to the thread...

So the preinstall.img file comes from the preinstall.zip file downloaded from the XDA thread above. Make sure that you unzipped all of the downloaded files into the same directory together.

The files you need (all in the same folder together) are:
Preinstall.img
moto-fastboot-xx
adb

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

**ZyanyaMJ** · 08-05-2011, 08:55 AM

Originally Posted by slushy

Sorry for taking so long to get back, I forgot to subscribe to the thread...

So the preinstall.img file comes from the preinstall.zip file downloaded from the XDA thread above. Make sure that you unzipped all of the downloaded files into the same directory together.

The files you need (all in the same folder together) are:
Preinstall.img
moto-fastboot-xx
adb

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

Ok I did all of that but when I just click on preinstall.img after the extraction it says: warning: the following disk images couldn't be opened: preinstall.img: no mountable file systems.

I know that isn't what the steps were but I just clicked it to see how it would behave on my macbook. I was expecting some installation procedure to begin as with other .dmg files but this one is a .img so maybe I am mistaken...

Please help I have been trying to root and unlock my phone for the longest time but there seems to be no love for macs

also I tried opening the file with Disk Utility and got this:

Disk Description : Apple read/write Total Capacity : 31.5 MB (31,457,280 Bytes)
Connection Bus : Disk Image Disk Write Status : Read/Write
Partition Map Scheme : No partition map
Disk Image Path : /Texas/Users/ZeeBee/Downloads/preinstall.img

**slushy** · 08-05-2011, 01:33 PM

The preinstall.img actually does perform the same function as a Mac .dmg but it isn't mac compatible. It only works on the android file system.

I noticed that your code blocks above show
/moto-fastboot-osx64

But the code from the first post is

./moto-fastboot-osx64

Notice the extra "." in front of the command. Is that an omission from your post or how you actually typed that command in?

Based on the info from your last post, change the command to

./moto-fastboot-osx64 flash preinstall /Texas/Users/ZeeBee/Downloads/preinstall.img

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

**ZyanyaMJ** · 08-05-2011, 02:16 PM

Originally Posted by slushy

The preinstall.img actually does perform the same function as a Mac .dmg but it isn't mac compatible. It only works on the android file system.

I noticed that your code blocks above show
/moto-fastboot-osx64

But the code from the first post is

./moto-fastboot-osx64

Notice the extra "." in front of the command. Is that an omission from your post or how you actually typed that command in?

Based on the info from your last post, change the command to

./moto-fastboot-osx64 flash preinstall /Texas/Users/ZeeBee/Downloads/preinstall.img

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

yay!!!! so I was able to flash the preinstall.img and then rebooted the phone. I thought the "." was just to make sure I entered all of the directory info and didn't think it was necessary but it totally changed and worked! Ok now when I'm trying to run the adb script it says

Code:

new-host:moto-fastboot-osx ZeeBee$ ./adb shell
$ /preinstall/su
Permission denied

Thanks for all of your help so far.... I can see the light at the end of the tunnel... almost there!

**ZyanyaMJ** · 08-05-2011, 02:24 PM

I think I did it!!!!!! I downloaded Superuser from the market and then ran the adb script and it totally worked!!!!! YAAAAAAY but I also forgot to mention that I am doing this from 4.1.83 and android 2.2.2 because I replaced my phone this morning....

How should I install the update to 4.5.91? I want to still be rooted and all that good stuff.

**slushy** · 08-05-2011, 03:03 PM

Go ahead and do that OTA update. I'm not sure whether you'll need to re-flash the preinstall img or not...

After the OTA try picking the process up with the adb script and report what happens :-)

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

**ZyanyaMJ** · 08-05-2011, 03:05 PM

will i be able to unlock the bootloader after the OTA update?

**slushy** · 08-05-2011, 03:12 PM

Yep. The bootloader unlock (called Pudding on XDA) for mac will be coming soon (when I have a few free hours this weekend I hope)

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

**ZyanyaMJ** · 08-05-2011, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by slushy

Yep. The bootloader unlock (called Pudding on XDA) for mac will be coming soon (when I have a few free hours this weekend I hope)

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

Thanks I'll go ahead and do the update and let you know if I needed to reroot. You are seriously a lifesaver. The members over at XDA are kinda intimidating so I was afraid to ask them LOL. THANKS AGAIN!!!

**ZyanyaMJ** · 08-05-2011, 03:49 PM

Well I downloaded the update just fine and when it was time to install it rebooted for a second and then showed up in recovery mode. It was able to start the install but got stuck on the error code of verifying the system. I just rebooted it and it started up fine in but no update. Looks like I will have to flash it manually.

is SBF_flash available for Mac?

**ZyanyaMJ** · 08-05-2011, 05:00 PM

this was the exact log:

Finding update package...
Opening update package...
Verifying update package...
Installing update...
Verifying current system...
assert failed: apply_patch_check ("/preinstall/app/com.mobitv.client.tv" , e442e64ee08cfba278f444bb1bdf566bccb451d5" , "f0638d6cc48ff347aa771e8c8824c72eedf0e785")
E:Error in /cache/Blur_Version.4.1.83.MB860.ATT.en.US.zip
(Status 7)
Installation aborted.

**slushy** · 08-05-2011, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by ZyanyaMJ

this was the exact log:

Finding update package...
Opening update package...
Verifying update package...
Installing update...
Verifying current system...
assert failed: apply_patch_check ("/preinstall/app/com.mobitv.client.tv" , e442e64ee08cfba278f444bb1bdf566bccb451d5" , "f0638d6cc48ff347aa771e8c8824c72eedf0e785")
E:Error in /cache/Blur_Version.4.1.83.MB860.ATT.en.US.zip
(Status 7)
Installation aborted.

Here is a link to the .

Here is the link to the utility for mac. How to use it is .

**ZyanyaMJ** · 08-10-2011, 12:17 PM

I ended up swapping that phone back to my original and then replacing the original again yesterday. I updated OTA to 4.5.91 and then I rooted. Everything went super smooth.

Any news on unlocking for mac?

**slushy** · 08-10-2011, 08:02 PM

Originally Posted by ZyanyaMJ

Any news on unlocking for mac?

My efforts have been thwarted thus far but I'll get it. The downloads for the bootloader unlock I found on XDA all uncompress with a CRC error. I tried every mirror I could find and every download had the same CRC error.

So I think that the 7-zip/rar/whatever tool on my machine must have a bug in it -- clearly those downloads are working for the Windoze users. Next time I work on it I think I'll use my XP virtual machine to unzip the downloads...

**ZyanyaMJ** · 08-11-2011, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by slushy

My efforts have been thwarted thus far but I'll get it. The downloads for the bootloader unlock I found on XDA all uncompress with a CRC error. I tried every mirror I could find and every download had the same CRC error.

So I think that the 7-zip/rar/whatever tool on my machine must have a bug in it -- clearly those downloads are working for the Windoze users. Next time I work on it I think I'll use my XP virtual machine to unzip the downloads...

Ok no rush just wondering how it was going.

Quick question. I'm sending my phone in for a replacement because the display is all out of whack but I'm worried they will say I voided the warranty and charge me $399. I only rooted it. It is NOT unlocked. Is there any "mac-friendly" way to return to stock?

**slushy** · 08-11-2011, 02:00 PM

Reflashing the 1.83 SBF should be sufficient to get it stock. The Sbf is the complete software image and it overwrites all of the /system partition where the su binary lives.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

**szotz#ac** · 08-16-2011, 03:22 PM

slushy, I'm sorry because I am a noob to rooting and I can run around the BB OS like nobody's business but Android confuses the crap out of me some days.

Any part of this let me do a carrier unlock as well, or am I paying a code for that as I do with most other models?

**slushy** · 08-16-2011, 05:05 PM

Originally Posted by szotz

Any part of this let me do a carrier unlock as well, or am I paying a code for that as I do with most other models?

As far as I know, nobody has a free carrier unlock hack. The Atrix does unlock with a code from the usual online providers though.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

**szotz#ac** · 08-16-2011, 05:09 PM

Yeah, I've been researching pretty steadily for the last hour and come to the same conclusion, which bums me out but is no different from any other phone, really.

When it comes to rooting, how simple do you think this method is? I have a MTS3G and it has been a pain in the **** to figure out root for it on my iMac... the Atrix is going to be my backup phone in case T-mo gets bought out by AT&Evil, or in case some horrifying accident steals the MTS from my grip. I've also tried to root my NookColor but chickened out at the last minute because I was afraid of hurting it... really I don't need custom ROMs and am satisfied mostly with stock OS, but I'd love to be able to remove bloatware and customize the look of the launcher, and unfortunately I'm not too confident with root.

Any advice?

**slushy** · 08-16-2011, 05:32 PM

What i posted here is pretty simple by my estimation. I think the confusion you had may have been because of the terminology surrounding unlocking on Android.

Rooting on Android gives you admin privileges on the phone, getting around the limitations imposed by the application security model. This helps with things like doing comprehensive system backups or installing application software that doesn't come through official channels (android market)

We talk about unlocking the bootloader when we break the security on the phone that prevents installing a customized operating system.

And the carrier unlock is what you thought it was

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

**slushy** · 08-16-2011, 05:35 PM

Originally Posted by szotz

I don't need custom ROMs and am satisfied mostly with stock OS, but I'd love to be able to remove bloatware and customize the look of the launcher, and unfortunately I'm not too confident with root.

Any advice?

For this you only need to root. After rooting get Titanium Backup in the market, it has stuff for removing the carrier bloat.

I use Launcher Pro on mine and I love it. It doesn't require root but there are done things that root helps it do.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

**szotz#ac** · 08-16-2011, 05:37 PM

Awesome, thank you.

**szotz#ac** · 08-16-2011, 09:48 PM

Alright, you're gonna hate me, but similar to other users on this forum I can't proceed with this because I can't get the OTA update to install... it gets about a quarter of the way and decides to run to a black screen with my little robot and a white triangle with an exclamation point in it. I then do a battery pull, and it reboots and tells me that the update failed.

Without that, what are my options? Or, in such a case, how do I bypass this and side load it?