androidcentral | Each day more and more Android handsets are being sold, and that means users are faced with a major decision: To root, or not to root. Some of us will do it simply because we can, others will decide not to do it as they enjoy the phone as-is, but the majority of us will be on the fence about the whole idea of rooting.
Hopefully some of those questions can get answered and you’ll have a clearer picture of the process and some understanding to make the decision a bit easier. I’m sure this won’t answer every question you’ll have when considering whether or not to root your device, but hopefully this is a good start and a basis for further discussion.
What, exactly, is rooting?
Rooting your Android device involves adding in a small Linux application called “su”. It stands for SuperUser, and allows applications and commands to run with elevated permissions. Everything that runs code, whether it’s an application or the user, has a permission level set by the operating system.
Why Linux? Well the heart of the Android operating system is the Linux kernel. You'll hear a lot of nerdy geek-speak about the Linux kernel, but all you really need to know is that it's what is interfacing Android to your hardware, and ultimately has complete control. When you stray outside the "normal" way of using Android and start entering commands directly, the kernel is who you're talking to.
The root user is the boss and can do anything (good or bad) on the device. From simple things like clearing the cache from core applications, to more advanced things like wirelessly tethering a laptop or iPod touch through your phone, root can do it. The su program is a sort of gateway that lets applications or users act as root while doing tasks. If you’re the curious type (I know some of you are ;) ) here’s a more in-depth review of root as used in a Linux system by the Linux Information Project.
OK, so why would I want to root my phone?
Good question! Maybe you don’t. Everything in a Linux system is a file, or is treated as a file. Since Android runs on top of Linux, it acts the same way. Most of the files you will need to access or change are available to you without having elevated permissions. "Most" being the key term here. When you want to do things that affect or change the core software of your device -- like updating the version of Android on your phone, or adding a nice piece of software from another device -- you'll have to do it as root. Dream and Magic users have been running Eclair on their phones for a good while now, and it’s because they have rooted their device. Rooting also gives you access to some handy software that you couldn’t use otherwise. Things like a complete system backup or ad blocking software require you to root your device. Don’t root your phone just for the sake of rooting your phone, but if you come across something you feel you could use or would like to have, then consider it. You'll find that the open source community is usually pretty helpful and encouraging new people to do new things is common. And when you get to the point where you can lend a hand to the new folks, pay it forward.
Hopefully some of those questions can get answered and you’ll have a clearer picture of the process and some understanding to make the decision a bit easier. I’m sure this won’t answer every question you’ll have when considering whether or not to root your device, but hopefully this is a good start and a basis for further discussion.
What, exactly, is rooting?
Rooting your Android device involves adding in a small Linux application called “su”. It stands for SuperUser, and allows applications and commands to run with elevated permissions. Everything that runs code, whether it’s an application or the user, has a permission level set by the operating system.
Why Linux? Well the heart of the Android operating system is the Linux kernel. You'll hear a lot of nerdy geek-speak about the Linux kernel, but all you really need to know is that it's what is interfacing Android to your hardware, and ultimately has complete control. When you stray outside the "normal" way of using Android and start entering commands directly, the kernel is who you're talking to.
The root user is the boss and can do anything (good or bad) on the device. From simple things like clearing the cache from core applications, to more advanced things like wirelessly tethering a laptop or iPod touch through your phone, root can do it. The su program is a sort of gateway that lets applications or users act as root while doing tasks. If you’re the curious type (I know some of you are ;) ) here’s a more in-depth review of root as used in a Linux system by the Linux Information Project.
OK, so why would I want to root my phone?
Good question! Maybe you don’t. Everything in a Linux system is a file, or is treated as a file. Since Android runs on top of Linux, it acts the same way. Most of the files you will need to access or change are available to you without having elevated permissions. "Most" being the key term here. When you want to do things that affect or change the core software of your device -- like updating the version of Android on your phone, or adding a nice piece of software from another device -- you'll have to do it as root. Dream and Magic users have been running Eclair on their phones for a good while now, and it’s because they have rooted their device. Rooting also gives you access to some handy software that you couldn’t use otherwise. Things like a complete system backup or ad blocking software require you to root your device. Don’t root your phone just for the sake of rooting your phone, but if you come across something you feel you could use or would like to have, then consider it. You'll find that the open source community is usually pretty helpful and encouraging new people to do new things is common. And when you get to the point where you can lend a hand to the new folks, pay it forward.
1 comments:
So let's say I'm your average Fox News watcher
lopl, what are the chances you'd wind up at, much less spend any time at, this here particular watering hole?
Sober and on topic though, what took me down this path was actually somewhat interesting.
Two weeks ago - I took an OS upgrade on my Galaxy S and automatically, my battery life was cut in half. (from ~36 hours given my utilization pattern, down to 12-14 hours)
Bemused and more than a little pissed, I commenced to playing around with the phone to remedy that unacceptable situation.
What I wound up doing was dumping my task and file manager apps and replacing them with something a little more efficient and thorough.
In addition, because I wasn't going to go and buy a new higher capacity battery, I also reset the phone to factory defaults.
In the process, all the 4G garbage settings got dumped and I found myself continuously on the 3G network with increased data speed, access and availability. Oh, and the 3G connection was clearly advertised on my phone as such, with 4G gone as an option. My battery life also increased to ~48 hours, better than what I'd started with.
(since I've got a number of Android devices at work to play and experiment with, so I hadn't given much thought to rooting my own phone which I need to operate reliably as a phone and not cost me anything more than I already pay for it) but it pissed me off no end that 4G is a load of marketing crap for which Sprint charges a 9.99/month mandatory premium and which functions less well and with lower availability and higher power consumption than the 3G default. None of it's actually any kinda dayyum G nothing anyway, given that Sprint has an old crusty CDMA wireless network)
Two days after I put it back to defaults and was happy with the outcome, I wake up one morning to find that my advertised round the clock 3G functionality has disappeared to be replaced by that onerous POS 4G crap that works less well and consumes more power. Now then, I KNOW, KNOW, KNOW that that carrier IQ POS is to blame for this "customer herding" and "swindling" remote modification of my device.
I'm really not happy about this at all, and it predisposed me to take the next draconian and root me own handset, trust and possible brick side effects notwithstanding.
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