[How-To] ROOT and UN-ROOT Your 2.1 Droid X (without ADB)

[doctorlove316]

"How-To Root Your Motorola Droid X without Using ADB (using only your device)"

DISCLAIMER: YOU ARE DOING THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK. I, NOR ANYONE ELSE WILL ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY IF YOU BRICK YOUR DEVICE. AGAIN, YOU ARE DOING THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK.

For the time being, I can only say that this works with Android 2.1​

I have tested these instructions multiple times and it worked for me everytime.

Credits
Credit for the instructions I used to do this myself go to qoncept at droidforums.net & soapinmouth at androidforums.com
Credit for figuring out the exploit goes to Sebastian Kramer via his blog post
Credit for editing Sebastian's exploit to work on the Droid X goes to Birdman from alldroid.org @mrweeeedbirdman - Steven Bird


Download a Terminal Emulator and a File Manager
Suggested Terminal Emulator: Android Terminal Emulator on AppBrain by Jack Palevich (Backspace doesn't work if you're using swype keyboard so I'd switch to the stock keyboard for this process.)
Suggested File Manager: Astro File Manager on AppBrain by Metago

Download the Attached File
Download the attached file found below named DroidXRoot.zip

Rename the Attached File
The Android browser renames files when downloaded so we'll need to change it.

Open Astro File Manager-->Press Menu-->More-->Preferences-->Look and Feel and disable "Hide File Extensions". Press back until you back out to the file list. Then open the download folder and then long press on the file "resource.ashx" and rename it to "update.zip".

Extract the Attached File
After renaming, long press again and "Extact To This Directory". Now that's enough of the setup, time for the good stuff.

Getting Root Access
Place a WIFI toggle widget on your homescreen and make sure you have it turned ON. (After you type in the commands below, you will need to quickly switch to your homescreen and switch WIFI off and back on quickly. This part took me a couple times to get right.)

Open up the Terminal Emulator and type in the following codes, one line at a time. (yes, put the spaces in) (codes are in blue)

cd /sqlite_stmt_journals
cp /sdcard/download/exploid ./exploid
chmod 755 exploid
./exploid

After you type in the last command line quickly press your "Home" physical button and switch WIFI off (with the toggle) and then back on. You'll know if you did it quick enough after you type the next command line.

rootshell

If you get asked for the password, then you were quick enough.
If not, type ./exploid and do the WIFI off/on again.

The password is secretlol

Copying the Root (Superuser) Files
So now you have root but you are not done yet. You have to copy the Superuser files over to make it permanent (you can still unroot later if desired).

After entering the password, type the following commands into the terminal (one line at a time)

cp /sdcard/download/Superuser.apk /system/app/Superuser.apk
cp /sdcard/download/su /system/bin/su
cp /sdcard/download/busybox /system/bin/busybox
chmod 4755 /system/bin/su
chmod 4755 /system/bin/busybox
rm /system/bin/rootshell
exit

You are now officially rooted.

Checking to See if You Have Root Access
Close out your Terminal Emulator and then reopen it. Type in the following command.

su

Your prompt should now change from $ to #. If anything else happened, something went wrong in the process.

Congratulations! You are now officially rooted.

I will be posting instructions on how-to UN-ROOT using the same method at a later time.

I may decide to post the "How-To Root Your Motorola Droid X with ADB" but there are so many people that run into problems with ADB and the drivers that I'm going to hold off on that for now.​

 

[doctorlove316]

"How-To UN-ROOT Your Motorola Droid X without Using ADB (using only your device)"​

Open up the Terminal Emulator and type in the following codes, one line at a time. (yes, put the spaces in) (codes are in blue)

cd /sqlite_stmt_journals
cp /sdcard/download/exploid ./exploid
chmod 755 exploid
./exploid

After you type in the last command line quickly press your "Home" physical button and switch WIFI off (with the toggle) and then back on. You'll know if you did it quick enough after you type the next command line.

rootshell

If you get asked for the password, then you were quick enough.
If not, type ./exploid and do the WIFI off/on again.

The password is secretlol

rm /system/app/Superuser.apk
rm /system/bin/su
rm /system/bin/busybox
rm /system/bin/rootshell
reboot

 

[doctorlove316]

*RESERVED FOR FURTHER INFO (IF NEEDED)*

 

[irishmyles003]

Awesome. Had to do it twice, but finally got prompted to allow the Superuser request and am now rooted. Thanks alot, I found this much easier than having to do it with adb.

 

[doctorlove316]

Awesome. Had to do it twice, but finally got prompted to allow the Superuser request and am now rooted. Thanks alot, I found this much easier than having to do it with adb.

No problem. That's why I posted this method instead. There are so many things that can go wrong with ADB. It might take a little more time to type things in on the device but much easier IMO.

 

[irishmyles003]

Yeah, I would def suggest this method to anyone until the Easy Root app appears back in the marketplace. Im actually tethering right now. Glad I found this.

 

[Dustknight]

Thank you sir for the step by step. It was very clear and easy to follow.
I had to re flash my X today. Got a little crazy when deleting some bloat ware.
The one click root gui didnt work.
Your step by step worked just fine first time.

thanks!

 

[doctorlove316]

Thank you sir for the step by step. It was very clear and easy to follow.
I had to re flash my X today. Got a little crazy when deleting some bloat ware.
The one click root gui didnt work.
Your step by step worked just fine first time.

thanks!

Well, I got a question for you. Did you use the Linux method or did you use Windows? Last I saw, Windows was untested but SHOULD have worked with the latest RSD Lite.

 

[Dustknight]

Well, I got a question for you. Did you use the Linux method or did you use Windows? Last I saw, Windows was untested but SHOULD have worked with the latest RSD Lite.

Used the windows instructions. It was easy and worked the first try.

 

[Iven88]

I rooted my dx once before and unrooted it. when I go to type in the terminal commands it says cd: can't cd to /splite_stmt_journals. Something wrong?

 

[doctorlove316]

So just to clarify, did you download the attached file and have it renamed and moved to the root of your SD card?

 

[Iven88]

it is under /sdcard/download i've renamed the .zip to update.zip and extraceted to that directorary. I guess it should be important to say that i used another application to root my DX the first time (i tired this way but typing in all that correctly just pissed me off) with the UIE one button root program.

EDIT: ohh ahaha. yes i see. i skiped that part. didnt put it in the root folder.
EDIT: is there a way to copy and paste those commands, my fingers are a bit stupid. that and backspace doesnt seem to work

 

[doctorlove316]

I rooted my dx once before and unrooted it. when I go to type in the terminal commands it says cd: can't cd to /splite_stmt_journals. Something wrong?

I don't know if this is a typo or not but it is sqlite not splite.

 

[Iven88]

Ok. Now when I type on the commands for saving the superuser into the system it says that my files are read only.
Cp /sdcard/download/Superuser.apk /system/app/Superuser.apk and the rest all return as read only
The rm returns with no directory

 

[doctorlove316]

Sorry for that, if you copy from the root of the sd card you leave the download part out of the commands.

So if they're on the root of the sd card, cp /sdcard/Superuser.apk /system/app/Superuser.apk

If they're in the download folder, cp /sdcard/download/Superuser.apk /system/app/Superuser.apk

That's my fault in the instructions for not explaining that better. When I did it, I didn't move them to the root of the sd card but both ways will work, you just have to specify where the files are while typing the command.

BTW, if you use the stock android keyboard instead of Swype, you'll be able to backspace.

 

[admiral70]

Will these work with 2.2?

 

[doctorlove316]

These HAVE NOT been tested for 2.2 and as far as I know, there isn't a root method for unrooted 2.2 so the only way to have rooted 2.2 is to load it that way.

 

[jrk]

Will this still work after the froyo update from friday 8/20 ??

 

[doctorlove316]

Will this still work after the froyo update from friday 8/20 ??

Refer to the post above yours.

 

[sensatti]

I understand this does not worked with the leaked froyo update, but what about the .604 update? When i enter the 2nd line cp /sdcard/download/exploid ./exploid it says no such file or directory. I extracted everything to the download folder of the sd card.