Is there a way to root without installing a superuser program in the process?

[monikerpseudonym]

Let's say I want to root the phone but install the superuser program from the play store, and let it update the binaries by running it.
It just seems cleaner to root the phone then have the app downloaded from the play store install the root binaries - instead of forcing the superuser binaries into the system folder during the root process.
Is there a way to do this?

 

[monikerpseudonym]

Ok, after searching the internet for every root method I could find and every description of what technically makes a phone rooted, it seems that the su binary in the /system/bin folder is necessary for any superuser program to even access that file to update it.
If I'm on the right path, it looks like what I'll have to do is:
1) Download and install the android SDK
2) manually push a su binary into the /system/bin folder
3) (possibly) make it accessible to a superuser app downloaded from the play store with chmod.
Still looking for feedback - is anything like this possible?

 

[acejavelin]

Ok, after searching the internet for every root method I could find and every description of what technically makes a phone rooted, it seems that the su binary in the /system/bin folder is necessary for any superuser program to even access that file to update it.
If I'm on the right path, it looks like what I'll have to do is:
1) Download and install the android SDK
2) manually push a su binary into the /system/bin folder
3) (possibly) make it accessible to a superuser app downloaded from the play store with chmod.
Still looking for feedback - is anything like this possible?

Why are you doing it manually, no offense but it is not necessary at all... You can do this without flashing a custom recovery, but one is required temporarily and this can be done in a matter of minutes. Since you obviously have adb installed, it is simple

Download TWRP recovery image here: Techerrata Downloads - Browsing mako

Download the latest SuperSU zip to your phone from here: SuperSU Download

Reboot into bootloader, start fastboot

type 'fastboot boot openrecovery-twrp-2.7.0.0-mako.img' without quotes... not the "boot" parameter, not flash recovery

when TWRP starts on the phone, install SuperSU zip file from the menus, wipe cache and dalvik and reboot

done, rooted. Although I would install BusyBox as well, many (but certainly not all) root apps need it.

 

[monikerpseudonym]

I understand what I'm doing is way over-complicating things. I don't need to do this at all, I am just trying to see if it is possible for the purpose of tinkering. I may not have been clear about what I want to accomplish, so i bolded and underlined quotes from our posts.

Let's say I want to root the phone but install the superuser program from the play store, and let it update the binaries by running it.
It just seems cleaner to root the phone then have the superuser app downloaded from the play store install the root binaries - instead of forcing the superuser binaries into the system folder during the root process.
Is there a way to do this?

*Bolded and underlined the important parts of my original post that you didn't address.

Download the latest SuperSU zip to your phone from here: SuperSU Download

Reboot into bootloader, start fastboot

type 'fastboot boot openrecovery-twrp-2.7.0.0-mako.img' without quotes... not the "boot" parameter, not flash recovery

when TWRP starts on the phone, install SuperSU zip file from the menus, wipe cache and dalvik and reboot

*Bolded and underlined the things I'm specifically trying to avioid

 

[monikerpseudonym]

I understand what I'm doing is not necessary and way over-complicating things. I don't need to do this to root my phone, I'm just curious if It's possible for tinkering purposes.

Let's say I want to root the phone but install the superuser program from the play store, and let it update the binaries by running it.

*Bolded and underlined parts to make my original post more clear.

Why are you doing it manually, no offense but it is not necessary at all...

None taken, like I said just trying to experiment and tinker.

Download the latest SuperSU zip to your phone from here: SuperSU Download

when TWRP starts on the phone, install SuperSU zip file from the menus, wipe cache and dalvik and reboot

*Bolded and underlined the things I'm specifically trying to avoid.