If rooted... OTA updates?

[SonOfUncleSam]

Sorry if this question is stupid, but this is my first Nexus device and I just have a simple question...

If rooted and unlocked as seen here, will I still be able to receive OTA updates from Google when they come out? Or does this install a custom ROM?

Thanks for any clarification you can provide!

 

[sfhub]

The OTA update file gets run by the recovery you have installed on the tablet.

While simple OTA updates can probably be run with custom recovery, for more complex updates that update the bootloader, I would only be comfortable doing those using the stock recovery.

The process you quoted overwrites stock recovery with twrp.

So, IMO, I wouldn't run the OTA updates using the above setup. However, if you restored stock recovery, before running the OTA update, that should be safe.

The OTA update will work even if you are rooted, as long as you haven't modified/deleted any of the existing OS files. You can add files w/o issues (rooting your phone only adds files)

 

[NewAge]

Never take an OTA. Chances are you can flash a stock ROM of a new Android version before it will propagate to your device. I've returned to stock and relocked my bootloader and waited a week for it to get to my device. In that time there were several stable releases I could have flashed in recovery.

The hardest part is being patient.

 

[sfhub]

Regarding your wait time for the OTA, couldn't you download it from the official URL and adb sideload it into the stock recovery?

 

[NewAge]

Regarding your wait time for the OTA, couldn't you download it from the official URL and adb sideload it into the stock recovery?

While that sounds like a perfectly viable option I usually wait for a posted known solution I understand. I am usually looking for a zip to flash in recovery rooted and hassle free.

And I don't think I've ever downloaded a flashable zip from an official google site. Fastboot files and other .imgs sure but not a zip update like oems. I could totally be wrong though.

 

[sfhub]

And I don't think I've ever downloaded a flashable zip from an official google site. Fastboot files and other .imgs sure but not a zip update like oems. I could totally be wrong though.

Usually your phone is doing the downloading of the OTA update.zip, but you can download them yourself as well and tell stock recovery to install them.

In case you were wondering, here are the two updates that came out for the Nexus 7 2013

JWR66N/dev-keys -> JWR66N
http://android.clients.google.com/p...b191a-razor-devkeys-to-releasekeys-JWR66N.zip

JWR66N -> JSS15J
http://android.clients.google.com/p....signed-razor-JSS15J-from-JWR66N.204daaac.zip

 

[NewAge]

Usually your phone is doing the downloading of the OTA update.zip, but you can download them yourself as well and tell stock recovery to install them.

In case you were wondering, here are the two updates that came out for the Nexus 7 2013

Nice! Hopefully the next release gets the same treatment soon after release. Is there a current zip for 4.3 new N7? And if I flash those can I flash custom recovery and su.zip?

 

[sfhub]

Nice! Hopefully the next release gets the same treatment soon after release. Is there a current zip for 4.3 new N7? And if I flash those can I flash custom recovery and su.zip?

If you mean is there an OTA update.zip that will flash the full JSS15J Android 4.3 release, no, OTA updates usually ship as diffs off the previous version (meaning you need to have the previous/dependent version installed and unmodified, prior to running the OTA update).

Sometimes for larger more significant releases they will provide a full OTA update.zip that doesn't depend on anything, but we haven't reached that point yet with the number of accumulated changes.

Yes, after you flash an OTA, you can still (re)flash custom recovery and su.zip. That just depends on your bootloader being unlocked.

 

[ne0ne]

I just had an update for my phone that had a new radio file. Instead of utilizing s off and flashing it I just restored my stock rom, then flashed stock Recovery and did the Ota update. After I flashed twrp did a backup and went back to my dual boot setup.

If you really want to do ota it's really easy to restore the stock Recovery.

AT&T HTC One MoDaCo.Switch Beta 8
Nexus 7 2013 Unlocked Root + TWRP
Chromecast

 

[sfhub]

If you really want to do ota it's really easy to restore the stock Recovery.

It is just as easy to run twrp temporarily over the USB connection and leave stock recovery on the tablet.

Folks should just optimize for their usage.

If they are flashing ROMs all the time and making full image backups, put twrp on the tablet's recovery partition.

If you just used twrp to install root, then are sticking with stock and waiting for OTAs, then IMO keep stock recovery on the tablet and run twrp temporarily via fastboot boot when you need it.

 

[SonOfUncleSam]

Thanks for all the responses everyone. It has helped tremendously. Although, I may end up installing another ROM anyway, because there's some features missing that I'd like to see on my tablet. (Such as being able to hide the nav bar, and replace it with pie controls. And a battery percentage on the notification bar.)

I hate to get off topic, but if I ROM the Nexus, would I lose everything on it? Or is the emulated storage separate from the system?

 

[sfhub]

I hate to get off topic, but if I ROM the Nexus, would I lose everything on it? Or is the emulated storage separate from the system?

Often you are asked to wipe your data when changing between different ROMs. It just makes for a more stable install.

I back up at the app level using Titanium so it isn't that much trouble to restore apps.

I wouldn't mix/match data partition backups you made using recovery though. If the data partition was created with one ROM, keep it associated with that ROM. That's just a general rule. There are cases where it could work, but often you'll get instability, especially when your custom ROM is odexed and the stock rom is deodexed.

 

[SonOfUncleSam]

Okay, awesome. So I would perform the necessary cleaning techniques (wipe cache, factory reset, dalvik cache), and then install the ROM as normal?

I guess what I'm asking is, is would that also wipe the emulated partition? (ie, under /storage/sdcard0) Since Titanium Backup places the backup files there, I'm just worried that it would inadvertently get wiped as well... Along with a Nandroid backup if I choose to do so.

 

[sfhub]

Okay, awesome. So I would perform the necessary cleaning techniques (wipe cache, factory reset, dalvik cache), and then install the ROM as normal?

I'd just perform wipe data factory reset in the same session as flashing the ROM. Most ROMs will have instructions on what to do and what order.

I guess what I'm asking is, is would that also wipe the emulated partition? (ie, under /storage/sdcard0) Since Titanium Backup places the backup files there, I'm just worried that it would inadvertently get wiped as well... Along with a Nandroid backup if I choose to do so.

wipe data/factory reset should only affect the data and cache partitions.

The sdcard (pointing to internal emulated storage mount point) shouldn't be affected.

However it is always safest to keep another copy of your sdcard backups somewhere off the phone, either cloud or PC because other random things can go wrong during flashing, which might cause you to lose your sdcard contents (it wouldn't be wipe data/factory reset). Sometimes flashes fail and things go downhill and you need to go through some recovery procedure and somewhere in that sequence you lose the contents of your sdcard.

 

[Stamponephoto]

Often you are asked to wipe your data when changing between different ROMs. It just makes for a more stable install.

I back up at the app level using Titanium so it isn't that much trouble to restore apps.

I wouldn't mix/match data partition backups you made using recovery though. If the data partition was created with one ROM, keep it associated with that ROM. That's just a general rule. There are cases where it could work, but often you'll get instability, especially when your custom ROM is odexed and the stock rom is deodexed.

So I am in a similar situation. I have a a Nexus 7.2 Rooted with TWRP recovery. I have some experience with flashing from nightly CM9 builds on my touchpad, but I am still very much a novice. I would like to update to the latest build JSS15Q. If I understand you correctly, If I wish to flash the Zip directly from AOSP Then I have to remove TWRP and go back to Stock Recovery.
My question then would be, "How do I do that?" Also It sounds like you recommend doing a wipe data factory reset. and that if I have done a titanium backup (nandroid for extra insurance) that I should be able to restore my apps without issue. Is that correct? And what about files in the SD folder such as photos and movies? Will they be wiped by the factory reset? And if so will Titanium back those up?
Sorry for the barrage of questions, I just like to be thorough, and would rather not break my shiny new toy :-D

 

[sfhub]

You don't need to do anything other than be unlocked to use the factory restore you linked to. Everything is flashed through fastboot.

The wipe data factory reset stuff is just if you are switching between different custom ROMs, especially between a de-odexed custom ROM and stock odexed ROM.

The factory image will wipe by default all your userdata and virtual sdcard.

There is an option to not wipe your data, but I would only suggest that if you are on stock, not on a custom ROM going back to stock.

This post has more info on flashing the factory image.
JSS15Q replaces JSS15J - Multi-touch, GPS addressed, other fixes? PRNG? - Page 10 - xda-developers

So I am in a similar situation. I have a a Nexus 7.2 Rooted with TWRP recovery. I have some experience with flashing from nightly CM9 builds on my touchpad, but I am still very much a novice. I would like to update to the latest build JSS15Q. If I understand you correctly, If I wish to flash the Zip directly from AOSP Then I have to remove TWRP and go back to Stock Recovery.
My question then would be, "How do I do that?" Also It sounds like you recommend doing a wipe data factory reset. and that if I have done a titanium backup (nandroid for extra insurance) that I should be able to restore my apps without issue. Is that correct? And what about files in the SD folder such as photos and movies? Will they be wiped by the factory reset? And if so will Titanium back those up?
Sorry for the barrage of questions, I just like to be thorough, and would rather not break my shiny new toy :-D