Newbie to rooting, unlocking, etc.??

[ctychick]

I have a very vague idea of what all this accomplishes, so can someone dumb it down for me, starting with defining the following...

1. Bootloading
2. S-off
3. Unlocking
4. Custom ROMS

And...
How does all this come into play with rooting the phone? Is all this essentially root?

Thanks in advance for your patience while I navigate my way through this!


Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk

 

[Dovahkiin]

Bootloading: The process in which your phone boots up. Sort of like a computer. If a bootloader is locked, we're forced to use the ROM/OS that is already on there. If it is unlocked, we're able to install our own custom ROMs

S-Off: Security off. This is basically a function that you need in order to further customize/explore the inner workings of the phone. This is what we need to achieve in order to use undervolted kernels, which can save us precious battery life. Currently, it is on, which means we need a security key, a miracle, a leak from HTC, or a genius developer.

Unlocking: This refers to unlocking the bootloader, which means we can install our own custom ROMs, have root access, delete bloatware, etc. We currently have this thanks to the HTCDev tool. Verizon prefers to keep their phones locked, so that misinformed customers are "guided" into using Vcast, Blockbuster, and other apps that are locked in place.

Custom ROMs: These programs are built by Android developers (who we are very thankful toward for all of their hard work, no doubt). They can include things like vanilla Gingerbread, Sense-based user interfaces, and hopefully even vanilla ICS in the near future. (Vanilla refers to un-bloated, un-modded, and "pure" software.)

For your final question, the unlocking of the bootloader means that we now have permanent root. With permanent root, we're free to install custom ROMs.

 

[ctychick]

Thank you so much! I've been all over the Internet looking for a clear, layman's explanation of these terms and this is the first time I actually get it. Now let's see if I'm bold enough to actually give this a try, lol!

One more question... Can you please explain "kernal"?

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk

 

[Dovahkiin]

A kernel is pretty much a bridge between hardware and software. It's responsible for managing resources and allocating them based on software needs and hardware availability.
Basically, we'd like a way to have it manage these resources while consuming less power, thus conserving battery life. I don't think it would be much, but adding on a few extra hours of battery life is always a good thing.

 

[JeffDenver]

Kernel access also allows you to go the other direction. My Droid 1 shipped at 550mhz, but I ran it at 1ghz because I installed a custom kernel.

What are the limitations of using the HTC Dev tool? Does it void your insurance and/or warranty?

 

[Dovahkiin]

Kernel access also allows you to go the other direction. My Droid 1 shipped at 550mhz, but I ran it at 1ghz because I installed a custom kernel.

What are the limitations of using the HTC Dev tool? Does it void your insurance and/or warranty?

It voids your warranty. If you have insurance, you'll be ok. After all, if a phone breaks and doesn't turn on, who the hell cares if the bootloader is unlocked. They wouldn't even check it.

 

[JeffDenver]

Yeah, I called Verizon just now. The lady said it totally voids your warranty, but insurance is unaffected. Even if they know with 100% certainty that you have unlocked the bootloader, insurance is still unaffected.

This increases the risk, since insurance has a deductible (mine is $100). And claims are limited to 2 per year. Stuff that might otherwise be free will now cost me $100.

I might do it anyway though. I never used insurance or warranty on my Droid 1 anyway. They will know if you unlocked the bootloader via HTC though, as HTC will share that information with them.

 

[Dovahkiin]

Yeah, I called Verizon just now. The lady said it totally voids your warranty, but insurance is unaffected. Even if they know with 100% certainty that you have unlocked the bootloader, insurance is still unaffected.

This increases the risk, since insurance has a deductible (mine is $100). And claims are limited to 2 per year. Stuff that might otherwise be free will now cost me $100.

I might do it anyway though. I never used insurance or warranty on my Droid 1 anyway. They will know if you unlocked the bootloader via HTC though, as HTC will share that information with them.

Risk of what, exactly? If you had a defect on your phone, you would have recognized it by now, I'm sure.
Aside from that, unlocking the bootloader doesn't mess with anything. All radios and software remain as they were before.
I "Sense" you're worried about going through with unlocking and rooting. I can assure you, the phone is gonna be alright. If you're still concerned, though, just take at look at me. I have no insurance, have unlocked the bootloader, rooted it, and deleted all bloatware. I'm all in, at this point.

 

[JeffDenver]

Risk of what, exactly?

The risk that a given defect will not be fixed or will take a lot longer to fix than if Verizon was handling the warranty.

If you had a defect on your phone, you would have recognized it by now, I'm sure.

Well, as an example, the headphone jack on my Droid 1 was fine when I bought it but went out about a year later. This was covered under my warranty (I never got it fixed, but Verizon confirmed that it was covered). Defects covered by the warranty dont always show up right away.

Aside from that, unlocking the bootloader doesn't mess with anything. All radios and software remain as they were before.

yeah, I agree. But the vendor's might not.

I "Sense" you're worried about going through with unlocking and rooting.

I am a little nervous about it because you cannot restore to stock. its a one way trip. That being said, I am probably going to do it anyway. I rooted my Droid and it was fine. I am not worried about software issues. I am worried about hardware issues like the headphone jack, and having to go through additional hassles because I decided to unlock the bootloader. Thats why I am a little gunshy.

 

[Dovahkiin]

You can factory reset back to normal, as well as flash different recoveries just in case you feel you screwed up. As with most operating systems, there's always different methods of restoring things back to stock state.
If for some reason you do have a hardware malfunction that is still covered under warranty, you can return via customer service on the phone. As with anything, you can never say never, but I can assure you that they don't check for rooting and locking 99.9% of the time.

And as an extreme emergency meltdown situation, just use your insurance. $100 on the deductible isn't going to break your economic situation or improve it drastically. If that were the case, why are you buying expensive phones and data plans?

 

[xxfallacyxx]

It was covered in another thread that Verizon may not be the originator of the warranty on the phone. HTC themselves have a manufacturer warranty on the phone, VZW just provides the same service other retailers would, it's something along the lines of maintaining customer satisfaction. When you put a warranty claim through Verizon they replace your phone with one from their stock, and then bill HTC or whatever 3rd party they end up using to repair the phone.

Sometimes it seems like while people know that their phone has a specific brand, they forget that it isn't Verizon that manufactures the phone. VZW only gives some specifications and demands for manufacturers to adhere to.

 

[JeffDenver]

You can factory reset back to normal, as well as flash different recoveries just in case you feel you screwed up. As with most operating systems, there's always different methods of restoring things back to stock state.

Its easier for some phones than for others...I never successfully managed to restore my Droid 1 to stock state. I am sure it is possible, but I never did it, and it wasnt something that was easy to do.

If for some reason you do have a hardware malfunction that is still covered under warranty, you can return via customer service on the phone. As with anything, you can never say never, but I can assure you that they don't check for rooting and locking 99.9% of the time.

yeah, there's a lot of stuff about warranties I am learning now that I didnt know before.

And as an extreme emergency meltdown situation, just use your insurance. $100 on the deductible isn't going to break your economic situation or improve it drastically. If that were the case, why are you buying expensive phones and data plans?

Thats why I already said I am probably going to do it anyway. It isnt a matter of breaking my bank, it is a matter of convenience. If not having a warranty means I will be a week or more without my phone (for example) that is something to take into consideration, even if it means it will be covered eventually.

I was rooted almost the entire time I had my Droid 1, and I have rooted friends' phones as well.

 

[PaulQ]

Other than removing bloatware, there aren't any good ROMs out there yet anyway, right?

...Sent from my Tab

 

[JeffDenver]

Removing bloatware is reason enough to do it IMO. That crap is running in the background even when you dont execute it on purpose. I am sick to death of Verizon's stupid VCast app yelling at me that it can sync or update or whatever.

VCast: the answer to a question nobody asked.

 

[Dovahkiin]

Removing bloatware is reason enough to do it IMO. That crap is running in the background even when you dont execute it on purpose. I am sick to death of Verizon's stupid VCast app yelling at me that it can sync or update or whatever.

VCast: the answer to a question nobody asked.

I agree. Go for it, bro. Just unlock it and get Titanium Backup. Removing all of the bloat took me less than 5 minutes.

 

[PaulQ]

Removing bloatware is reason enough to do it IMO. That crap is running in the background even when you dont execute it on purpose. I am sick to death of Verizon's stupid VCast app yelling at me that it can sync or update or whatever.

VCast: the answer to a question nobody asked.

Seriously... I don't know this... do you see any real world results from removing the bloatware? Does it make a noticeable difference?

...Sent from my Tab

 

[MrSmith317]

I for one am in the same boat as Dovahkiin. I fear no defect. Hardware defects can be a pain but that's why Verizon replaces them without question. As long as you unroot and run back to "stock"(which was super easy on the D1) you have nothing to fear but Verizon themselves.

 

[JeffDenver]

Seriously... I don't know this... do you see any real world results from removing the bloatware? Does it make a noticeable difference?

My evidence is anecdotal...I used temp root to remove the bloat and it did seem faster to me. Freed up another 100+ megs of memory and added about 150 points to my quadrant score.

The main real world difference I noticed was that launcher pro worked smoother.

 

[xxfallacyxx]

After permanent rooting I'm noticing increased battery life. I feel it's too early to give any real estimates, they'd be purely speculation. Once I cycle through the full battery a few times I'll let you guys know though.

Prior to root/remove bloat, I was getting between 10-13 hours depending on use, performance mode.

 

[Dovahkiin]

My evidence is anecdotal...I used temp root to remove the bloat and it did seem faster to me. Freed up another 100+ megs of memory and added about 150 points to my quadrant score.

The main real world difference I noticed was that launcher pro worked smoother.

I'd just like to add that it also conserves battery life on a small scale. Bloat like Facebook and VCast try to sync automatically or run in the background even though you closed out of it. I remember someone on this board would lose a good chunk of battery life overnight as they slept because VCast would constantly attempt to sync at a certain hour.
Granted, you could just disable the bloat or just turn off the syncing features, but I'd prefer to just eradicate that mofo into bloatware oblivion and not have it run in the background and leeching off of my RAM.