Will the Bionic have an unlocked bootloader?

[mikejs78]

I am wondering if the Droid Bionic may not have a locked bootloader. As far as I can tell, the locked bootloader in the DX, D2, DPro, etc. is a direct hardware tie-in to the eFuse feature of the Texas Instruments OMAP Processors. The Droid Bionic is different from all of the above, however, in that it is powered by an NVIDIA Tegra 2 Processor. I am curious if the Tegra 2 has a similar funcitonality for locking down the bootloader, or if MOTO may have to do something more like HTC and lock down the memory, which has an easier way of being hacked.

Thoughts, or anyone with more knowledge of the Tegra 2 specs than I?

 

[htowngator]

You can probably guess it will and be on the safe side.

 

[E_man]

I am wondering if the Droid Bionic may not have a locked bootloader. As far as I can tell, the locked bootloader in the DX, D2, DPro, etc. is a direct hardware tie-in to the eFuse feature of the Texas Instruments OMAP Processors. The Droid Bionic is different from all of the above, however, in that it is powered by an NVIDIA Tegra 2 Processor. I am curious if the Tegra 2 has a similar funcitonality for locking down the bootloader, or if MOTO may have to do something more like HTC and lock down the memory, which has an easier way of being hacked.

Thoughts, or anyone with more knowledge of the Tegra 2 specs than I?

IS eFuse on the OMAP? I thought it was a seperate chip entirely.

 

[thebizz]

Efuse is a function of the omap hopefully we wont see that on the bionic but it could still have a signed bootloader

 

[htowngator]

According to black_man_x, it will have security of some sort. Almost guarantee it.

Maybe not Efuse, but definitely something. At any rate, why do people care? XDA and others will hack it eventually and with how many people are likely to buy that thing I would imagine it'll be done within a few weeks.

Heck, they eventually did it for the DX didn't they?

 

[quetzalcoatl]

According to black_man_x, it will have security of some sort. Almost guarantee it.

Maybe not Efuse, but definitely something. At any rate, why do people care? XDA and others will hack it eventually and with how many people are likely to buy that thing I would imagine it'll be done within a few weeks.

Heck, they eventually did it for the DX didn't they?

No they have not cracked the bootloader for the X. But they got a workaround where you can put custom roms on it.
Because custom roms are not everything since you can only put a kernel signed by moto you are stuck on whatever software they release. So as long as moto still supports the product it is not a big deal but we have still not seen how long they will do it yet. As long as it is 2 years it is not a big deal since that is the longest contract you will sign.

 

[htowngator]

No they have not cracked the bootloader for the X. But they got a workaround where you can put custom roms on it.
Because custom roms are not everything since you can only put a kernel signed by moto you are stuck on whatever software they release. So as long as moto still supports the product it is not a big deal but we have still not seen how long they will do it yet. As long as it is 2 years it is not a big deal since that is the longest contract you will sign.

So they did find a workaround though, correct? I'm saying it's perfectly possible that you will have root and be able to change things if you want. Maybe not load a fully custom ROM, but honestly I don't really care about that anymore. If I can get the phone to be rooted so I can have tethering, backup, etc. then that's fine by me.

 

[thebizz]

Honestly if Motorola lightened security some it would make my day I can't imagine how great it would be to have this phone running cm7 or higher

 

[quetzalcoatl]

So they did find a workaround though, correct? I'm saying it's perfectly possible that you will have root and be able to change things if you want. Maybe not load a fully custom ROM, but honestly I don't really care about that anymore. If I can get the phone to be rooted so I can have tethering, backup, etc. then that's fine by me.

Yes there are many custom roms for both the droid x and 2

 

[Cyber Warrior]

It will most likely be locked but on the positive I'm sure someone will find a work around like they did with the DX. That's good enough for me.

 

[thebizz]

Honestly I'm not sure I think I will be fine with it depending on the restrictions. If we can get a work around allowing us to replace the kernel I will be fine. I just don't want to have a phone for two years and after a year or so stop receiving updated and be stuck

 

[Last Ride]

Xoom Parallels?

Maybe It's just wishful thinking, but does the fact that the Xoom has an unlocked bootloader bode well for the prospect of the Bionic going the same way?

 

[Brett]

I don't know guy. The Atrix has a locked bootloader and the Bionic is very similar to it. I have a feeling it will be locked down.

One thing that I want to know is what happened to that statement that Motorola made after one of their employees responded to a comment for a youtube video (or maybe it was facebook) take it or leave it (in regards to the locked down bootloader). They said that they were going to try to make a compromise in the future but when will this compromise happen?

 

[DolfanCole]

Maybe It's just wishful thinking, but does the fact that the Xoom has an unlocked bootloader bode well for the prospect of the Bionic going the same way?

I think the fact that the Xoom is a pure Google experience is why the bootloader is unlocked on it. I doubt that Motorola will do the same for the Bionic. To me, it doesn't really bother me either way.

 

[blackmannx#AC]

As stated.. the Xoom is a google experience device. As such it was unlocked and UNSKINNED.. The Bionic has a signed boot and will not be availible without it. I am sure that some folks will find a way to rom it the same way as the X and Droid 2.. Other the Blur this is a great phone and plenty fast if only a lil limited.

 

[BrianTufo]

As stated.. the Xoom is a google experience device. As such it was unlocked and UNSKINNED.. The Bionic has a signed boot and will not be availible without it. I am sure that some folks will find a way to rom it the same way as the X and Droid 2.. Other the Blur this is a great phone and plenty fast if only a lil limited.

Agreed. The Atrix is locked down and the folks over at XDA are attacking it and working on ways to modify. There has been root, a "ROM" and themes posted already. No real custom ROMs yet but things have been moving for us Atrix owners.

I would think the Bionic will share the same fate. Hopefully it is very similar to the Atrix and if they are able to bypass the Atrix security then it will work on the Bionic as well.

 

[Bushido Brown]

Agreed. The Atrix is locked down and the folks over at XDA are attacking it and working on ways to modify. There has been root, a "ROM" and themes posted already. No real custom ROMs yet but things have been moving for us Atrix owners.

I would think the Bionic will share the same fate. Hopefully it is very similar to the Atrix and if they are able to bypass the Atrix security then it will work on the Bionic as well.

Very common misconception. If you can flash a rooted, deoxded ROM with altered framework(themes) then it IS custom.

Locked bootloader = no kernel mods. Thats it.

 

[BrianTufo]

Very common misconception. If you can flash a rooted, deoxded ROM with altered framework(themes) then it IS custom.

Locked bootloader = no kernel mods. Thats it.

Good point never really thought of it that way before. I personally am fine with the way it is for Atrix so long as the awesome devs keep making stuff like Gingerblur and the such. If I can theme and sideload I'm happy. I wasn't planning on doing overclocking or anything crazy like that anyways given the processing power of the Atrix and soon to be Bionic.

 

[shaddix]

As stated.. the Xoom is a google experience device. As such it was unlocked and UNSKINNED.. The Bionic has a signed boot and will not be availible without it. I am sure that some folks will find a way to rom it the same way as the X and Droid 2.. Other the Blur this is a great phone and plenty fast if only a lil limited.

Well that seals it for me, TB all the way. It's pretty crappy for motorola when I prefer a samsung device(att captivate) over them(D2G, have you seen the community for that piece of crap? You can't even disable the haptic feedback.).

 

[macewank]

Very common misconception. If you can flash a rooted, deoxded ROM with altered framework(themes) then it IS custom.

Locked bootloader = no kernel mods. Thats it.

Aye. But kernel mods are what make these custom roms shine. Not that deoxed roms aren't nice, but most of the improvements in, say, cyanogenmod come with the kernel

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