100% newb to root question (s)

[Nidaja]

This is a mostly a "jargon" question.

Yes, I've been reading this forum, but still struggling with understanding basics.

Rooting refers to getting access like getting "administrative" access in windows, yes?

If you are rooted, do you have to install a ROM? And I assume a ROM is a combo of a theme and additonal functionality?

How many ways of rooting are there? How does one determine which root technique to use?

If I want to do the following, can someone give me the list of items, in order of doing them, that I need to accomplish the following:

Want to be able to remove from the phone bloatware
Want to be able to use widgets from apps I download
Want to be able to install wallpapers that I choose, and use a third party launcher.


TIA

 

[jkeene81]

Want to be able to remove from the phone bloatware
Want to be able to use widgets from apps I download
Want to be able to install wallpapers that I choose, and use a third party launcher.
1. the bloatware removal will require rooting read all about it here http://www.androidcentral.com/rooting-it-me-some-qa, this will answer alot of questions about the lingo for ya, always important to read read read before rooting anything.
2. you should be able to use any widgets that you download right now, just long press on the screen and hit widgets on the menu that pops up.
3. The wallpaper can be changed the same way and there are plenty of wallpaper apps like flickie on the market, for launchers both Launcher Pro and ADW are very popular, simply download them. Here is a link to a cool site for how to use launcher pro, How do I install LauncherPro Plus?

 

[chadness]

This is a mostly a "jargon" question.

Yes, I've been reading this forum, but still struggling with understanding basics.

Rooting refers to getting access like getting "administrative" access in windows, yes?

Yes.

If you are rooted, do you have to install a ROM?

No.

And I assume a ROM is a combo of a theme and additonal functionality?

Yes, could be any combination of those. Some ROM devs don't theme, preferring an AOSP (that stands for Android Open Source Project, the original Android source) look and feel you can customize on your own. ROMs are almost always deodexed and zipaligned (you can google those to find out what that means), and are often debloated, which is removing the bloatware. Of course, everyone has a different definition of what is bloatware, so people also like to do this on their own. Often, people will add in other common software.

How many ways of rooting are there?

There are a few ways, but on the Charge, it's mostly done through loading a new kernel.

How does one determine which root technique to use?

By what works well and is available on your phone. For the Charge, follow this guide:
http://forum.androidcentral.com/dro...s-hacks/93866-how-get-rooted-version-ee4.html

If I want to do the following, can someone give me the list of items, in order of doing them, that I need to accomplish the following:

Want to be able to remove from the phone bloatware

Root, then use Titanium Backupo to "freeze" the apps you don't want.

Want to be able to use widgets from apps I download

You can do that already. If it's something that requires root, obviously you need to root first, but most widgets should work already.

Want to be able to install wallpapers that I choose, and use a third party launcher.

You already can. Just long click the background to install a wallpaper. Search the market for a launcher - there are a number of excellent free ones. If you really want to get in to launchers with a customized look and feel, they will often have themes. ADW is well known for having a huge selection of themes.

TIA

YWIP

 

[Nidaja]

Thank you to those who have responded

As I continue to explore, of course more questions arise, and since I am also exploring my new Charge, the questions are now based on actual use issues.

Reading some of the rooting guides, I keep seeing: Hit the PDA button, NOT home....what is PDA button?


I DETEST the color scheme of TW....brown/orange, ewwwwwww.
Does rooting/installing a ROM give you the ability to change those awful colors??

 

[pezboy]

Thank you to those who have responded

As I continue to explore, of course more questions arise, and since I am also exploring my new Charge, the questions are now based on actual use issues.

Reading some of the rooting guides, I keep seeing: Hit the PDA button, NOT home....what is PDA button?


I DETEST the color scheme of TW....brown/orange, ewwwwwww.
Does rooting/installing a ROM give you the ability to change those awful colors??

That's funny. To each his own. I actually like the TW colors and am wondering if I can KEEP them if I root.

 

[jkeene81]

Thank you to those who have responded

As I continue to explore, of course more questions arise, and since I am also exploring my new Charge, the questions are now based on actual use issues.

Reading some of the rooting guides, I keep seeing: Hit the PDA button, NOT home....what is PDA button?


I DETEST the color scheme of TW....brown/orange, ewwwwwww.
Does rooting/installing a ROM give you the ability to change those awful colors??

By installing the ROM you can theme it and change the whole menu color by flashing a theme such as this by gunnermike, [Theme][Port][Comm ROM v2.0]Blue Midnight Version 3.0 June, 3 2011 - xda-developers. Most ROMs come already themed such as Gummycharged which is fully themed to look like stock Gingerbread. Yea I hate the dookie brown too, so glad to have it gone!!!!

 

[jkeene81]

That's funny. To each his own. I actually like the TW colors and am wondering if I can KEEP them if I root.

Yes by rooting you just have superuser access you do not have to flash a custom ROM and change the phone, you can leave just as Touch Wizy as you want!

 

[Farabomb]

I was having the same questions yesterday and was planning on rooting last night but with the possiblity of gingerbread soon I decided to wait.

First and foremost I want to remove all the bloatware from the phone. I paid for the phone, I should be able to choose what is taking up my memory. I also would like to change the poopy color but it seems from the video, gingerbread has a different look that I might like. I would like to do the lagfix as well. My questions are 1: can you go back to your present state if you root? 2: if you do the lagfix can I still drag and drop files from my Mac and PC to the phone? 3: is it possible to root, then either lock or install a program that would prevent me from accidentally screwing things up?

 

[chadness]

Reading some of the rooting guides, I keep seeing: Hit the PDA button, NOT home....what is PDA button?

That's a button in Odin, the software you use to do the initial flash for Clockwork Mod (or potentially the full ROM and everything, depending on which install you are doing).

 

[chadness]

My questions are 1: can you go back to your present state if you root?

Yes, there have been version of the stock ROMs posted you can always flash back to.

2: if you do the lagfix can I still drag and drop files from my Mac and PC to the phone?

Yes, the lagfix doesn't change anything except which file system is being used on certain portions of your internal memory.

3: is it possible to root, then either lock or install a program that would prevent me from accidentally screwing things up?

Not really, but in day to day use you will have to explicitly grant access to a program to allow it to have root access. And even if you approve something to always have root access, any time an application needs those rights you get a message on your screen saying that app was just granted root access.

 

[Farabomb]

Thanks for the info. GO launcher went screwy today. It won't show the dock in landscape mode and the icons/widgets are not displaying properly. I've downloaded the files (odin, ee4 stock image, cwm, AB and whatever else I felt I needed to have) and read the instructions more than a few times. I think I got it, just have to grow some sack and give it a shot. Too many people have done it without issue and I'm really interested in the speed improvement with the lagfix. I also see that gingerbread is kicking around...

 

[jkeene81]

Thanks for the info. GO launcher went screwy today. It won't show the dock in landscape mode and the icons/widgets are not displaying properly. I've downloaded the files (odin, ee4 stock image, cwm, AB and whatever else I felt I needed to have) and read the instructions more than a few times. I think I got it, just have to grow some sack and give it a shot. Too many people have done it without issue and I'm really interested in the speed improvement with the lagfix. I also see that gingerbread is kicking around...

Go for it man, just go slow and double check yourself before each step! If you have any problems someone on here will be able to help you troubleshoot! I came over from the Incredible and was new to the whole Odin flashing method but the pictures on the front of DroidXCon's Altered Beast thread really helped me to make sure I was making the right steps.

 

[Farabomb]

CWM installed. Mybackup choose right now to start running so I will wait. I don't see an option to backup/restore, something I would like to do before I continue but I did see that there is an issue with that and CWM right now. I also see a lot of my icons are replaced with the default marketplace icon right now. What's with that?

EDIT: EE4 voodoo installed I think. No lag at all and very quick. GO launcher still screwy in landscape. Still would like to make a backup but worried about CWM backup issues.

 

[jkeene81]

To backup you can boot into CWM by turning your phone off and then holding the volumeup key and home key down and pressing the power key untill you see the Samsung logo, the phone will boot right into CWM and you will see the option to backup/restore. There is a bug in CWM that is causing the go back selection to not appear, so you get stuck in menus on CWM. There is an easy way around this, as soon as CWM boots up, press volume down and move through the menu untill you see go back button enabled appear at the bottom of the screen, then when you select backup/restore and go to that menu there is a choice at the bottom of the menu to Go Back. Just use the power button to select backup and let the phone do its thing, it will tell you when its done and it will take a few minutes. Then just use the volume key to move down to go back and hit reboot system now. You will be all backed up. Plus if you boot into CWM you can check about the Voodoo, go down the menu to Voodoo and select it, it will see Voodoo enabled if you have it running!

 

[jonnymo509]

im trying to load android 2.3 on to a friends htc g1 dream. i achieved root, now i am trying to load 2.3 on to it and as i try to get in to recovery mode, it just locks in the boot image, any tips guys?

 

[Farabomb]

What was weird was when I first installed CWM the option of backup/restore wasn't there at all. Then I loaded the EE4 voodoo from DXC's post and it was there. Backing up right now CWM and deciding what ROM to use.

 

[Farabomb]

Tried AB and just for fun I went into CWM and tried to restore the backup I just made. No dice, said failed to unmount f:\system I believe. Went into odin and reloaded the voodoo and am waiting for it to do it's thing again. I don't like the fact that the backup didn't work, any ideas why it didn't?

EDIT: Yep, porked it. No more CWM, blue samsung revocery. Fails at movi_checking done! #manual mode# and sits there. Time to find a odin file so hopefully I can get my phone back. Have the BB storm 2 in my bag but I sure as hell don't want to go back to that.

 

[optyxx]

Which is the best root method for a samsung fascinate?

 

[Farabomb]

Looking Here might be a better bet.

 

[deadpenguins]

It has been STRONGLY advised not to restore any backups made through CWM because it will most likely ruin your phone. As far as I know, this issue has not been resolved to date. I read that titanium backup is the next best alternative to CWM.