[NERD RANT] I hate the trend of devices becoming more locked down

anon(10181084)

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Good luck!

Well, bootloader unlock went fine but custom rom install attempt was epic fail and now I cannot get by Mediatek's dumb secure boot crap. Even if I do manage to kludge this thing back to life again, I will not attempt to mod or reflash another modern Mediatek device EVER AGAIN. This is the type of stupidity this rant thread is all about and why I now just resorted to using VMOS for nerdy shenanigans that require root and stuff, because if the VM gets bricked I just reset app data and I'm back in business (it happened once already and I was back up in 5 minutes).
 

Laura Knotek

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Well, bootloader unlock went fine but custom rom install attempt was epic fail and now I cannot get by Mediatek's dumb secure boot crap. Even if I do manage to kludge this thing back to life again, I will not attempt to mod or reflash another modern Mediatek device EVER AGAIN. This is the type of stupidity this rant thread is all about and why I now just resorted to using VMOS for nerdy shenanigans that require root and stuff, because if the VM gets bricked I just reset app data and I'm back in business (it happened once already and I was back up in 5 minutes).
Yeah, I totally get what you're saying, and I agree that it shouldn't be such an issue nowadays. I'm sorry the custom rom install failed so badly.
 

anon(10181084)

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Yeah, I totally get what you're saying, and I agree that it shouldn't be such an issue nowadays. I'm sorry the custom rom install failed so badly.

Nah, don't worry. The phone wasn't of any importance. Another reason I buy Samsung devices and like em' so much is that in the event I or some malware mess something up, I can use Odin to fix it in 10 seconds (I've known how to do it since I was 14 years old :D ). I used to not have anything against Mediatek (i even liked them quite a bit in a past life), but now I will steer clear of Mediatek devices at ALL COSTS.
 

Laura Knotek

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Nah, don't worry. The phone wasn't of any importance. Another reason I buy Samsung devices and like em' so much is that in the event I or some malware mess something up, I can use Odin to fix it in 10 seconds (I've known how to do it since I was 14 years old :D ). I used to not have anything against Mediatek (i even liked them quite a bit in a past life), but now I will steer clear of Mediatek devices at ALL COSTS.
That's great to hear. I've never had a Mediatek device, but I'll be sure to stay away from those.
 

anon(10181084)

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I think I will be happy so long as I can use custom launchers, have APK installation ability and full file management, use custom icon packs and make asset-modded versions of apps for fun. VMOS is there for the low level stuff and that's that. I guess old nerd habits have to go at some point and be replaced with new ones... But if Android ever becomes iOS level locked-down I don't know what I will do. The low level power user kludging stuff on modern devices has become waaaaay too messy and complex even for a seasoned power user like me. I wish we could have Android 4.x all over again...
 

Laura Knotek

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I think I will be happy so long as I can use custom launchers, have APK installation ability and full file management, use custom icon packs and make asset-modded versions of apps for fun. VMOS is there for the low level stuff and that's that. I guess old nerd habits have to go at some point and be replaced with new ones... But if Android ever becomes iOS level locked-down I don't know what I will do. The low level power user kludging stuff on modern devices has become waaaaay too messy and complex even for a seasoned power user like me. I wish we could have Android 4.x all over again...
I agree with you regarding custom launchers, icon packs, themes, APK installation and file management.

I'm actually taking a break from Nova and a custom icon pack for now and just using stock Samsung (although I did install some free fonts and themes from the Galaxy Store). I'm sure I'll go back to Nova and Lines icons again some time.
 

HikariNoKitsune

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I haven't rooted a device since the Note 7 came out. I rooted my Note 5 and swapped ROMs almost monthly because I liked having something that felt 'new' every now and then. Once the Note 7 came out, I didn't have it long enough to worry about that 'new' feeling fading. Then I was forced to go with an LG V20, which was 'ok' but had not been rooted quickly enough before I jumped back go Samsung for the S8+. Then when they locked down Samsung Pay and Android Pay to no longer work on Rooted Devices, I just continued to stay Un-Rooted because I used Samsung Pay multiple times a day, every day...

I would LOVE to root and gain control of my devices again, if it meant I didn't have to lose one of the key features that I use every single day... Its the only reason I'm still with Samsung besides the S-Pen. If it wasn't for Samsung Pay's ability to work via he magstripe reader, and for that S-Pen, I'd have jumped to a Pixel or even a One Plus. I love the stuff I see/hear about the Pixel phones, and I wanted one so badly when they first came out... But Google said I wasn't worthy of owning one of their devices, so I had to settle with the LG V20... I had the cash in hand to buy that Pixel, but Google's checkout wouldn't let me buy it without going through their bank, and their bank went NADDA SON...

So ultimately, give me the ability to do what I want with my phone, when I want, and I'd be golden.
 

vimagreg

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Reading this thread I couldn't help but remember my old beloved Nokia N900. Man, this device was a BEAST back in 2009. I still use it eventually, when I feel like OP and want just to update my regular Linux-distro on it, together with all its apps and services. Guys, the ton of things I have installed in this 32GB, 600Mhz processor, is just insane! I would love to buy a revamped version, with modern chips and 512GB... I would conquer the world with it!

But, unfortunately for us, I think this kind of openness is and will continue to be a no-more. Yes, companies want us to pour our money in their exclusive ecosystem, but that's a security question here which have to be remembered: I use my Note10+ to pay things, with Samsung Pay. There's no way to maintain this kind of feature without Knox and a more closed OS, unfortunately. In the other hand, even with all this obstacles and security measures literally millions of people still manages to install virus and malwares in their devices. Just imagine what would these people do with a totally open device? And, when things goes worse, who these kind of human being would sue?

So, unfortunately there's a logic in motion here, and still more unfortunately we are a tiny minority nowadays. Samsung certainly wouldn't make profit with us being sued by millions of dumb people at same time. That's a true problem. So, maybe one day we'll find some kind of Indiegogo campaign with a revamped N900 version being sold, and I still doubt such project would be able to earn the necessary funds to become real. But, normal devices sold in normal stores for normal people? Unfortunately, that ones will be more and more closed in the foreseeable future.
 

SkinsFan1987

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I haven't thought about rooting a phone in years because I just haven't had a need to. However, I do have a Nexus 6p I'm thinking about rooting; it's past its end of life and I'm sure it could still be useful.

We'll see how that goes.
 

Roberto Carlos3

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Currently mostly just custom ROM to get recent versions on Android on the device, nexus 5x. Don't really go further anymore. In the time of cyan, yes, when I had nexus 4 and nexus 5.
 

anon(10181084)

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I hope that one day somebody just finds a way to break all the protections manufacturers put on their devices. I wish I had some decent programmimg/hacking skills but I don't really (I am more of a hardware guy and electrical engineering student, but still love software tinkering like I described throughout the thread).
 

James Demaine1

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I have an A5 2017. Since I won't be getting Android Pi from Samsung, I've decided to install a beta version of Lineage OS 16. I have rooted and used Magisk to hide it. I got my banking app working and all other apps that check root, like Snapchat, except for Netflix which seems to have a different method of checking for root. I find that this ROM has improved my battery life, even considering its a beta custom ROM. I am still a fan of rooting/modding, but I am far more reluctant to make a change now considering the implications of modifying things that could break useful apps.

I used to root and mod anything and everything on my past devices, but those were the days before apps checked for root to secure themselves. I also had no use for a banking app as a young teenager, nor was snapchat as popular.
 
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AU1234

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Moto X Pure Edition: Unlocked
Running Nougat 7.0, rooted, TWRP recovery, magisks & xposed, retrorika icon pack, Substratum theme engine, [Substratum] Pixel UI theme, pixel navigation bar, ios7 helvetica flashed font, flashed motorola start logo and boot animation to Dark_Pixel_Android_Powered & Android Marshmallow boot animation. Just replaced the battery from ifixit.

TWRP too.

This phone is an actual original built by motorola before google sold motorola to Lenovo, even though a 2015 model "outdated" it's still badass.
 

me just saying

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never rooted android but did jailbreak my iphones when I had them. I do agree with the original post about launchers and icons. gotta have them and if the android ever got locked down, I would be very unhappy.
 

anon(10181084)

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And being the ultra nerd I am, this is why Android combined with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 series SoC and a very specific old version of Limbo PC Emulator is very important to me! If Android ever becomes too locked down, all of this heaven will be gone. Luckily this emulator and my favorite file manager both *seem* to support SAF so I'm probably safe when I am forced to give up Android Pie...
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