Rooting GNex - Stupid Question?

[brendilon]

I'm getting a little frustrated, so I'm going to ask what will probably turn out to be a pretty stupid question.

I just got a GSM Galaxy Nexus from Google. Coming right from Google, my every understanding is that this phone is already unlocked. Nothing to do there, right?

Wel, I want to root it. So why is it that every single site I find discussing rooting this phone also requires that I go through the unlock process? Even when I go to Get 'Root' on your Android device | Android Central I just get redirected to the OEM unlock thread here in the forums. Rooting my Motorola Photon wasn't half this confusing so I've got to be missing something really, really basic (I even checked to make sure the phone wasn't already rooted and it's not, so I know I'm not screwing up THAT badly).

What am I missing here?

 

[vivek615]

It comes with an unlockable boot loader.... it is unlocked in the sense of Sim card and carrier choice though.



Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[brendilon]

If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go bounce my head off of a desk for a few minutes...

 

[vivek615]

And the process is extremely easy... you just use Google's fastboot to enter a command to unlock the boot loader..

Oh BTW there is a way to root without unlocking if I remember correctly....

but almost everyone does it the easy way by unlocking so you can use a custom recovery then just flashing a zip file

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[brendilon]

And the process is extremely easy...

Gotta disagree on that part. Unlocking a WebOS device.. THAT was easy. When you have to download and install drivers, run software through your desktop, access the command line and hold down the right combinations of buttons during a reset, "extremely easy" is not the right word for it. There wouldn't be 7 pages of comments in the unlock thread with people asking questions if it was "extremely easy". Typing "up up down down left right left right b a start" in the search bar of WebOS was extremely easy.

 

[vivek615]

Lol I have to disagree though...

The "hard part" is getting the drivers installed really... and its really just a windows thing.

You don't need to hold down the button combo just use the reboot boatloader command in adb... it does the exact same thing.

Part of why it seems hard is that we are overexplaining a simple process

It'd be like a detailed description of brushing your teeth... tough to explain on the net but nothing really to it.

Personally, I think installing the SDK and fastboot/adb drivers is a good idea even if you're not modding... things like logcat are way useful

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[vivek615]

Really a simplified instructions for unlocking would be

1 install tools from google and drivers
2 connect phone reboot into boot loader
3 use tool to unlock your phone

For rooting

1connect phone reboot to boot loader
2 use same tool as above to flash recovery
3use recovery to flash zip file that roots phone

BTW in stock Android your custom recovery will be replaced by stock recovery every time you boot the phone unless you rename or delete a certain file in /system ... which you can do after you've rooted then you can reinstall your recovery



Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[brendilon]

I've bee tryin two methods. ONe is the one explained in the OEM thread here (with which I keep running into an issue with the SDK saying I don't have Java JDK installed) and the other from Galaxynexusroot.com website, which is presenting driver installation problems.

Honestly, there are jsut a couple apps I'd like to use with Root... that it's this unnecessarily complicated (and yes, it really is unnecessary. If the folks at Palm can make it easier, Google should be able to) is really frustrating and probably not worth my while. Though the fact that I had less trouble with my darn Photon is what REALLY irks me.

 

[anon(847090)]

when Google say its unlocked its SIM unlocked, meaning you can use any compatible SIM card with it and is not locked to any carrier.
Rooting required unlocking bootloader which is entirely different. bootloader is locked for security reasons, to make the phone more secure.
You are comparing two different things

if you want to unlock and root. here are my instructions. http://forums.androidcentral.com/ge...er-factory-restore-root-any-nexus-device.html

 

[3rdstring]

It's really not that hard. This thread has the tools you need with out setting up the sdk, there is also a link (& guide) for setting up the drivers


http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1626895

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[vivek615]

I've bee tryin two methods. ONe is the one explained in the OEM thread here (with which I keep running into an issue with the SDK saying I don't have Java JDK installed) and the other from Galaxynexusroot.com website, which is presenting driver installation problems.

Honestly, there are jsut a couple apps I'd like to use with Root... that it's this unnecessarily complicated (and yes, it really is unnecessary. If the folks at Palm can make it easier, Google should be able to) is really frustrating and probably not worth my while. Though the fact that I had less trouble with my darn Photon is what REALLY irks me.

Android SDK does require java JDK... so install that first...

Getting adb and fastboot (included with android sdk) working lets you do other things than root... just type adb help or fastboot help for examples of what they can do.... (as soon as you have em)

All this is more of a pre unlock thing

unlocking itself is not much of a process.. you hit okay, the phone wipes itself then restarts.

once you're unlocked everything is pretty much at your fingertips


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[Andrew Martonik]

Should be noted that you don't need the whole SDK just to root. All you need is drivers (if on Windows) and the ADB and Fastboot files. That's it. Installing the whole SDK is way too much work (and HDD space) just to root and unlock.

 

[project.in.process]

this is by far the easiest method i've used:
Nexus Root Toolkit v1.5.3 | WugFresh
Wug's root tool kit (rooting all Nexus devices)
i've rooted mine & brothers (GSM & Verizon) and it's stupidly easy instructions with "if you see this, then do this. otherwise, go to step 2,etc"
and it's really well laid out.

(plus, it has all the necessary drivers & software in one download--you just run the program and it does most of the work for you)

 

[vivek615]

Should be noted that you don't need the whole SDK just to root. All you need is drivers (if on Windows) and the ADB and Fastboot files. That's it. Installing the whole SDK is way too much work (and HDD space) just to root and unlock.

Yeah the SDK lets you choose things to install it has its own add/remove option

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[jean15paul]

this is by far the easiest method i've used:
Nexus Root Toolkit v1.5.3 | WugFresh
Wug's root tool kit (rooting all Nexus devices)
i've rooted mine & brothers (GSM & Verizon) and it's stupidly easy instructions with "if you see this, then do this. otherwise, go to step 2,etc"
and it's really well laid out.

(plus, it has all the necessary drivers & software in one download--you just run the program and it does most of the work for you)

WUG's toolkit is really powerful and really easy ... that being said, I wanted to do everything manually because you learn more that way.